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Hotel Non Refundable booking dispute - Help/advice greaty welcomed
I recently made a Hotel reservation with 'Holiday Inn, Kettering' for a business contract in Kettering UK, 4 single rooms x 14 nights. The reservation was paid in full at a cost of £4760.00. However the original work contract changed and we subsequently cancelled this booking 5 days prior to arrival. We cancelled directly…
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Delay Repay: Cancelled, so took an earlier train?
My intended train was cancelled because of infrastructure problems. An alternate valid train was about to leave when I realised this at the station, so I hopped on it. But had I not been so lucky, I would've been delayed nearly 50 minutes. I will have scanned my tickets at both the departure and arrival station. Is my…
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Santander Edgeup costing us money
My wife and I have a joint account. We had emails today saying You've paid £30 in monthly account fees and earned £14.67 cashback and interest on your Santander Edge Up current account in the last 6 months. This means you’re paying a monthly fee but aren’t getting all of the benefits of the account. Don’t forget to be…
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HMRC Late Payment Self Assessment Penalty Notice
I was late in making payment to HMRC for what I owed through my self assessment. It was due on 31st January 2026 and I paid on 2nd February. I called HMRC and asked them if I would be charged a penalty for this and they said yes £100. I asked how will I know when I have a penalty, do I need to keep checking my online tax…
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Walking into another chapter ...
Welcome one and all ... to those of you who have managed to avoid my diaries until now as well as those loyal ones of you who have stuck around over the years, thank you :) So another year is about to begin and now seems as good a time as any to start a new diary. This will be my 11th (I think?), I've been around here…
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Quote to get kitchen redone. Does this seem reasonable?
Hi all, My partner and I recently bought a house and we are looking to get the kitchen redone (the kitchen is quite small, 2x3 meters). We've received this quote for the work (excluding the kitchen units, flooring, and tiles). We’re in North Yorkshire and just want to check if this seems reasonable to people who have done…
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Help To Buy Charge on Land Registry
Hi guys, We completed our Help To Buy Redemption last December however until now we haven’t received the confirmation that the HTB charge from the Lamd Registry has been removed. It’s been two months. We can’t proceed with remortgaging with HSBC until the charge is removed. How long does it usually take to remove it? Our…
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Reverse Meal Planning
Not sure if many of you will have tried the reverse-meal plan idea. Rather than buying all the ingredients you need to support your meal-plan, you look at your fridge, freezer and store-cupboard and meal plan from that, minimising what you shop for. Based initially on the fresh produce that would be wasted if it is not…
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Bold leap into retirement
Morning all, I hope you have managed to find some time for yourself in what can be a busy period. We have enjoyed spending time with family over the last 3 days, it’s a quiet one today, then off to visit more family tomorrow. I’m not planning anything wild for NYE, but have been really starting to think about what I want…
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Help with TfL PCNs please
Hello I noticed that most if not all threads in this sub-forum are about private pcns but I need help with public pcns. I have 4 pcns from Tranport for London - 3 illegal turns and one bus lane. I have a ble badge due to mental health and honestly didn’t see any signs but the bus lane one I thought I was at the end of the…
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Citroen Recall Help
Hello Everyone! I had my car recalled as part of the Stellantis airbag recall. It was a nightmare to get a do not drive order in August and they only gave me a rental car from September and the car was fixed at the end of November. They told me they'd collect the rental car and they never did. I emailed them to clarify the…
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Turning Straw into Gold: Creating Long Term Security & A Solid Home
Hello, I am joining you on the debt free journey, for a couple
of loans that are giving me anxiety and also my mortgage. I have been reading
these diaries for inspiration and it’s time to start my own. I hope to get to
know many of you as time goes on. I moved into my home last April and I have some
loan repayments that…
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Advice on Drawdown (currently Vanguard) please
Hello I took VR last summer, so am now retired. In the new tax year I intend to start drawing on my main DC fund with Vanguard. I don't want to take the 25% tax free lump sum yet (though may do so for all, or most of my DC pots at some point) Looking at the vanguard website the option for regular payment is "Flexible…
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Mock tudor facade advice
Hello, I’m hoping someone may be able to offer a bit of advice. I’ve searched the forum but haven’t been able to find any similar situations. We moved into our property in March last year. The house was built in the late 1980s and has a mock Tudor façade at the front, which incorporates the entrance porch and a first‑floor…
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Chase bank accounts on shared phone
My wife and I share our main mobile phone and have a really old one for emergencies or if I'm out by myself. Is it possible for both of us to set up and manage Chase bank accounts on one phone? We already have my wife's set up and I'd like to open an account myself. The old phone is not compatible and I don't really want…
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Struggling with additional pension contribution options
Hi all, I'm looking at additional pension contribution options for my partner, and I'm struggling with it. Some thoughts would be really helpful, particularly from those that have been here. I posted last year about standard or higher lump sum options when my partner, an NHS nurse now age 62, was thinking about partial…
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Danske £200 Switch Offer (Starts 29/01/2026) - NI only
A new Danske switch offer is now available. T&Cs. No end date announced yet. What you need to do: To open a new Danske Reward, Choice or Freedom current account you must be resident in NI.
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Vent - Top Cashback annoying wrong router price
Looking for a new broadband provider, went through Top Cashback compare, worked out the best for me: However there is no £2.95 per month router rental, their lowest is £4.95 Top cashback at the bottom: Slightly frustating as I now have to look again and will have work out the costs myself over a 24 month from each…
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26 for 2026
It’s that time again! As we wrap up one year and get ready to step into the next, the 26 for 2026 Challenge is officially open (and no I'm not using this as a way to procrastinate over my current 25 for 2025 list 🫣) If you fancy a bit of motivation, reflection, or just a fun way to track your year, come and join in. If…
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How quickly do Big Energy Switch options run out?
Evening all, I'm currently with Octopus on their Money Saving Octopus promo tariff. The tariff does have a £25 exit fee per fuel, however the new British Gas tariff is about £120 cheaper per year compared to Octopus (shocking to me, but I assume Octopus are no longer the great deal they used to be in the past) A couple of…
