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Updated MSE blog: 16 free or cheap kids' book tricks
MSE Jenny has updated her blog: 📚 16 free or cheap kids' book tricks 📚 It includes free e-books with your library, free must-read Kindle titles, 10 books for £10 and more. How many of these have you tried? Is there anything you'd add?
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Property Income Excluded from Free Childcare Hours
Does anyone know why property income is excluded from the calculation when working out the eligibility for the 15 free hours of childcare? It seems to be a very specific form of income to pick on.
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Money Moral Dilemma: My son wants me to give him £40,000 even though he doesn't need it - should I?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... After selling my recently-deceased dad's house, I gave my daughter £40,000 as a deposit on a house. As my son has a very good job and already has a house, I had my will rewritten to say that he will get the first £40,000 from my house when the time comes, to make things fair.…
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Savings Account or Premium Bonds for Child...
Hi, It's been a while since I last posted so apologies if I don't get it quite right! I'm just looking for some opinions really. My toddler has some money saved from birthdays and Christmas. It's not a lot but it'll continue to grow as some family members prefer to gift money. I'm unsure about what the best thing to do is…
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Money Moral Dilemma: Should my mum help with our childcare costs while she's on holiday?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... My mum picks my son up from school three days a week, as his dad and I work full-time. On the other two days, we pay for him to go to an after-school club. My mum has just booked a two-week holiday in June, which means we'll have to pay for an extra six days at…
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Child Trust Fund
Hi, I'm new here so if I'm in the wrong place please let me know. The most recent post recent on MSE on Child Trust Funds suggested that the top paying Child ISA fund has an interest rate of 4.95% where as the One Family Trust Fund pays only 2.3% and therefore in most cases it made sense to move your child's money out and…
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High Mortgage & Secured Loan
Good Evening, Not quite sure where to start but I am getting desperate. We are paying over £3k per month on mortgage and secured loan, and it is crippling us. Our credit rating isn’t great…. Does anyone have any help or advice? I can’t carry on anymore. Would really ideally like to get a mortgage so it is all one payment…
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How do I continue saving for my 16 year old daughter into an account she can't access
I've been saving over the years for my daughter. The account is in her name, but I have 'authority' over it as she's currently under 16 and she doesn't know that it exists. She's 16 in a couple of months so the account will 'mature' and transfer over to her name. There's over £40k in the account and I don't want her to…
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Maternity allowance/ child benefit/ married allowance
I am self employed and due to go on maternity and going to be claiming maternity allowance and child benefit. Does either of these count as income towards working out if eligible to transfer tax to my husband for marriage tax allowance? I’m going on maternity in May and aiming to go back to work December/January so trying…
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Removing long hair from carpet
Sorry if this is not the right section to post but does anyone have recommendations for how I can pick up long hair from short pile carpet? My hoover, which is a Miele hoover that is for pets, is very powerful but it still can't pick up my long hair from the carpet. I have to pick it up with my fingers and wonder if there…
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Money Moral Dilemma: Should we offer to pay towards my in-laws' flights from Australia?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... Each summer, my retired in-laws come over from Australia to spend a couple of months with our two sons while they're on school holidays. As we put them up the whole time, we don't have to pay for any childcare or summer camps. In previous years, we've also paid for their…
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Money Moral Dilemma: Should our four-year-old child pay for her own extracurricular activities?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... Since she was born, our four-year-old has been given money by friends and family on birthdays etc. She now has a few grand saved up in a bank account we opened for her. Recently, we've signed her up to some extracurricular activities she wants to try - gymnastics, swimming,…
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CICA compensation payout timings (less than 20 working days?)
Hi there. I experienced a sexualAssault in the UK last year and have been awarded compensation through CICA. I’ve accepted the amount and sent it via 1st class postage on Wednesday evening and wondered when I’m likely I would receive payment (I’m naively hoping by the end of this week). I’m super grateful and shocked and…
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School admission
Hi. Wondered if I can find someone here with the same problem. I am currently homeless living in a hotel and I need to apply for school by mid January. I know I need proof of address but I don’t have any. I am looking for rent but i don’t know where I will find one and when. This hotel is only a temporary solution until I…
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Money Moral Dilemma: Should we sign our child up to a free book scheme when we can afford books?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... A well-known children's book charity scheme now covers where we live and each month, any child enrolled in it receives a high-quality, age-appropriate book free of charge until age five. Our household income is three times the UK average and we can easily afford to provide…
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Did you know you can get FREE HRT prescription medication with HRT certificate?
Hello to all, Thinking this is probably the most appropriate forum... and apologies if this has already been posted but in case not, did you know that by obtaining a HRT certificate (£20) which is valid for 1 year, you can get (most) HRT medication free of prescription charge? I wasn't aware until my pharmacist told me.…
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Is aluminium foil safe to use to freeze/Store chicken breast? What are safe alternatives?
Wasn't sure where to post this so hope someone could help here I've always stored chicken breast in standard plastic freezer bags which are made from Polynesian But want to change to a Safer alternative that is not going to absorb micro plastics into my chicken I don't have the room to store any form of container in the…
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Maternity planning -to cover 6 months off
Hi all I’m trying to plan and prep in advance looking at my companies policy etc it’s 18 weeks full pay thinking if I tag holiday/ kit etc can push to 6 months off maybe 7 how did you plan for how much you might need ? For anyone who took a shorter time how did you find it ? Any tips for planning for mat leave most welcome…
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which stroller/travel system for hatchback?
Hi all, not sure if this is the best place to post but looking for advice from any parents with a hatchback. I am looking into what buggy and car seat to buy when the little one arrives later this year. I have a Toyota corolla hatchback and I am concerned about how easily a folded buggy with fit in the boot, will it just…
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Money Moral Dilemma: Should I pay to have the bike my ex-husband got our son serviced?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... My ex-husband bought our son a second-hand bike that cost £180 for Christmas the year before last. Since then it's been badly damaged a couple of times, and I've paid for it to be fixed professionally. My ex now wants the bike back to sell, saying the money he gets will go…
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4 year old on a high optical prescription - any advice?
Hello I took my 4 year old for an eye test after I noticed he was squeezing his eye shut at times and looking over the bridge of his nose at things. I thought I was being overly cautious and a bit over the top, but it turns out he has a pretty high prescription and he has also been referred to the hospital. I'm so…
