Cash Chats UK Money & Personal Finance podcast

This week Andy Webb brings you seven hot money saving offers and deals from the last seven days. This week find out how to: - See a film for "free" this weekend - Get five Odeon tickets for £20 - Eat up some National Burger Day deals - Save on Amazon devices - Travel by train for 10p - Get a free £15 for opening a bank account - Watch Sky Sports for 10 months for £20 a month FURTHER READING: Read more about these deals in the links below (note - these deals come and go so if the info isn't on the links it's because the offer has ended). National Lottery Cinema Day https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cheap-cinema-ticket/ Groupon Odeon offer https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cheap-cinema-ticket/ National Burger Day deals https://becleverwithyourcash.com/food-deals/ Amazon's End of Summer Sale https://becleverwithyourcash.com/latest-amazon-deals/ Northern Rail flash sale https://becleverwithyourcash.com/latest-travel-deals/ Monese £15 sign up offer: https://becleverwithyourcash.com/the-best-bank-switching-cashback-interest-offers/ NOW TV's Sky Sports season pass https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cheapest-way-to-watch-sky-sports/ ABOUT ANDY Andy Webb runs the award-winning website Be Clever With Your Cash, presents Channel 5's Shop Smart Save Money and founded the community ukmoneybloggers.com. ANDY ON SOCIAL Andy's handle is @AndyCleverCash and you can follow him over at: twitter.com/AndyCleverCash instagram.com/andyclevercash

Monzo, Starling, Revolut and others are part of a new raft of digital banks you can only open and manage from your smartphone. They're becoming increasingly popular, often with a cult-like following from largely millennial customers - something you never see with traditional banks. Probably the most loved is Monzo, which is leading the bunch with more than 2.6 million customers and growing fast. Many people open one of these accounts for the incentive of fee-free spending overseas, but other people swear by the features that help you budget and keep track of your spending. But these banks still face challenges. Monzo asked 20% of its users to change their pins a few weeks ago, while some have faced payment problems and others gone out of business. And not all these new "banks" are actually banks! With lots to talk about, your host Andy Webb has been joined by Moneywise deputy editor Edmund Greaves to talk through how they are different from the traditional banks, and whether your money is safe. FURTHER READING: Read more about the banks and apps discussed in this week's episode: Andy's review of Monzo (Be Clever With Your Cash) Monzo launches short term loans (The Guardian) The digital banking revolution is here. So why are so few people putting their salaries into app-only bank accounts? (Moneywise) Spying, defections and regrets: Inside the bitter feud between Starling Bank and Monzo (The Telegraph) Switching bonuses, cashback and interest offers from high street banks (Be Clever With Your Cash) ABOUT CASH CHATS Cash Chats is presented by money blogger and broadcaster Andy Webb. Cash Chats is a twice-weekly podcast Andy hosts to help you with your finances. At the start of the week, he's often joined for these friendly and accessible conversations by a member or friend the UK Money Blogger community to cover topics as diverse as money saving and investments. Then on Thursday, you can listen to a bonus "deals of the week" episode – a quick rundown of the hottest offers from the last seven days. Andy also runs the award-winning website Be Clever With Your Cash, presents Channel 5's Shop Smart Save Money and founded the community ukmoneybloggers.com. To contact Andy email [email protected] SOCIAL LINKS Andy's handle is @AndyCleverCash and you can follow him over at: twitter.com/AndyCleverCash instagram.com/andyclevercash Ed is @edgreave on Twitter twitter.com/edgreav

Andy Webb brings you five hot deals from the last seven days. This week find out how to Watch Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood AND three other movies this month for £9.99 Get a £5 Amazon voucher for watching TV Recycle old Body Shop bottles for a £5 reward Switch bank for a £175 bonus Save 25% on ANY wine and fizz at the supermarket FURTHER READING: Read more about these deals in the links below (note - these deals come and go so if the info isn't on the links it's because the offer has ended). Mubi Go cinema offer: Latest cheap cinema tickets offers and deals (August 2019) Amazon Prime £5 for streaming video: Amazon vouchers & deals (August 2019) Body Shop recycling scheme: Latest beauty and makeup deals HSBC £175 switching offer: The best bank switching, cashback and interest offers (August 2019) Tesco 25% off when you buy six or more bottles of wine: Latest beer, wine and spirits offers and deals ABOUT CASH CHATS Cash Chats is presented by money blogger and broadcaster Andy Webb. Cash Chats is a twice-weekly podcast Andy hosts to help you with your finances. At the start of the week he's often joined for these friendly and accessible conversations by a member or friend the UK Money Blogger community to cover topics as diverse as freebies and investments. Then on Thursday you can listen to a bonus "deals of the week" episode – a quick rundown of the hottest offers from the last seven days. Andy also runs the award-winning website Be Clever With Your Cash, presents Channel 5's Shop Smart Save Money and founded the community ukmoneybloggers.com. To contact Andy email [email protected] ANDY ON SOCIAL Andy's handle is @AndyCleverCash and you can follow him over at: twitter.com/AndyCleverCash instagram.com/andyclevercash

Andy is joined by Sara Williams from the Debt Camel blog to discuss why an overdraft could be costing you more than you expect, and how changes on the way to simplify charges could be good or bad news for your bank balance. Plus, a few ways to bring down your overdraft. FURTHER READING: Sara blogs at Debtcamel.co.uk. Here are a few of her articles on overdrafts: Overdrafts – a hard type of debt to clear Will new rules on overdraft fees help you? Will simpler mean lower? ABOUT CASH CHATS Cash Chats is presented by money blogger and broadcaster Andy Webb. Andy runs the award-winning website Be Clever With Your Cash, presents Channel 5's Shop Smart Save Money and founded the community ukmoneybloggers.com. To contact Andy email [email protected] ANDY ON SOCIAL @AndyCleverCash twitter.com/AndyCleverCash instagram.com/andyclevercash

Andy Webb has been hunting for more special offers and deals to save you cash. This week: Save at the cinema every day of the week with a Tastecard Free bike hire in London Trick for Natwest customers to get 10 months of Sky Sports for £149 Free £125 John Lewis gift card for big spenders A chance to get £15 tickets to Fleabag in the West End £10 Amazon gift card for people signing up to auto-switching service Look After My Bills FURTHER READING Here are the links to all these deals over at Be Clever With Your Cash. (Note - these pages are updated regularly so if you're listening to this episode more than a week after the initial broadcast you might find some of the deals have changed). TASTECARD CINEMA TRICK https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cash-hack-no-6-cheap-cinema-tickets-with-1-tastecard-trial/ FREE SANTANDER CYCLE HIRE https://becleverwithyourcash.com/latest-travel-deals/ SKY SPORTS / NATWEST HACK https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cheapest-way-to-watch-sky-sports/ JOHN LEWIS VOUCHER OFFER https://becleverwithyourcash.com/gift-card-voucher-deals/ £15 FLEABAG LOTTERY https://becleverwithyourcash.com/latest-theatre-deals-discounts/ £10 AMAZON VOUCHER FOR ENERGY SWITCHING https://becleverwithyourcash.com/should-you-use-an-automatic-energy-switching-service/ ANDY ON SOCIAL Do let Andy know if you grab any of these deals! https://twitter.com/AndyCleverCash

The 2019/20 football season has begun! But being a fan isn't cheap. In this episode money-saving geek Andy Webb has had a look at how you can cut the price you pay to watch football on Sky, BT and Amazon, how to get the best value tickets for live games and few tricks to help save money on football shirts. You can read more about everything Andy speaks about over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats86/

Andy is always searching for the best money-saving deals and offers, and in this weekly bonus episode, he shares some of the key ones from the last seven days. This week Andy has info on: Free £10 or £5 Argos vouchers when you shop a 20% off Habitat code 30-day trials for £1 with kids membership services Free West End theatre tickets for the kids A free pint or gin at the pub All the links can be found over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

If you're going away this summer Andy shares what you need to do to get the best exchange rate possible. From which credit and debits cards are good to use through to how to get the most foreign currency for your cash. Show notes and links over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats85/

Andy Webb shares the top offers and deals you need to grab before they are gone, including £1.25 movie rentals and £2.50 purchases, including Captain Marvel £10 free beer credit from Honest Brew In-store bargains at the M&S Summer Drinks Festival £10 Boots discount More on these and other deals at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

Andy is joined by Naomi Willis from Skint Dad to talk about the impending PPI refund deadline. There are just weeks left before the window to claim for a PPI refund is firmed closed - and for good. Though it won't apply to everyone, it's well worth taking a few minutes to find out if you or family members are entitled to get some money back. In this week's episode, Andy and Naomi take you through who can claim and how to claim before the 29th August deadline. You can get the links for the things we talk about over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats84/

This week's bonus episode of the latest deals and offers Andy has spotted this week includes: £18 Alton Towers tickets Free ice cream Amazon Pantry sale Free Beats headphones for students and teachers More over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

The hottest money saving offers and deals in the UK each week from money geek Andy Webb. This week Andy's spotted the following: £20 off Amazon Prime membership £10 off at Boots £3.79 Sky Sports week pass on Now TV Free Bacardi cocktail Free 4K movie rental You can get the links and more info over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

This week Andy shares loads of freebies from ice cream to pints of the black stuff! Tune in to find out how to get £120 from Barclays £1.50 off any ice cream £5 from Amazon for linking a credit card A free pint of Guinness every day £5 for opening a Monzo bank account There's more info and those all important links over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

Deal detective Andy Webb shares the hottest offers and sales from the last week - with many due to end this weekend. Listen in for more on 90p movie rentals including Lego Movie 2 A £3 trick to get 2-4-1 Odeon tickets for the next three months 20% off at eBay Your last chance to earn 3% on savings for a year and £175 on a bank switch Where to find some home and furniture bargains in the summer sales More at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

This week's hot deals from money geek Andy Webb include: Your last chance to get up to 5% interest on savings app Chip How to get six free cinema tickets A big saving on Sky Sports passes A nudge to price match the John Lewis sale Another last chance, this time to get an Amazon Echo Dot for £16 More information can be found at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

In this week's bonus episode, Andy shares 5 top deals including: How to get two Legoland tickets for £23 Where to get a third off an Apple Macbook Why it's a good weekend to shop at Boots What business owners need to do to save £50 at Amazon Discounts to celebrate National Beer Day You can find more info and links for these are more over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com

This week Andy shares five hot deals that'll save you a packet, including: How to save 4% on Netflix subscriptions every time Get £20 + off at Very Kids go free at the theatre with Kids Week Why you need to ditch your Tesco bank account How to get an Echo Dot speaker for less than £16 More info on all these and more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

More quick fire offers and savings for this week from Andy Webb including: How to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham in the Champions League Final on BT Sport for free Ticketmaster's Flash Sale 20% off family activities at Expedia £1 for a big bottle of Brewdog's Lost Lager Odeon cinema and Chili movie rentals bundle More details on these over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/deals-index/

This week's hottest offers as found by money geek Andy Webb include: £175 switching bonus from HSBC Free cinema tickets with packs of sweets and chocs £38 bargain printer with a year's supply of ink £1 trial of Tastecard for three months Sky Sports season pass discount You can find the links and more info on these deals at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/deals-index/

This week's quickfire deals include: An Odeon ticket and £10 movie rental credit for under £6 A bargain £255 Samsung TV Flight flash sale on routes to Rio, Buenos Aires, New York and Florida Spotify Premium for 99p More info on these are more over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

The deals you don't want to miss, including £15.98 Echo Dot speaker trick from Amazon £50 discount for Amazon Business accounts Big discounts on festivals including All Points East and British Summer Time £10 MOT from Halfords Tesco's "100 years" sale for Clubcard members Get more info on these and more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/category/vouchers-deals/

This week I'm talking about going to the cinema. I love watching films on the big screen but it doesn't always come cheap. Still, I manage to pay around £6 or less each time I go, and you can too. Ahead of Avengers Endgame hitting cinemas, this week's episode shares how you can get your hands on six free tickets to Vue or Cineworld, have a year of 2-4-1 movies for around £1 and why you should shop around. Plus, I've taken a look at whether memberships are worth it. More info over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats83/

This week's deals include: How to get paid to watch the new series of Game of Thrones Smart home bargains in the Amazon spring sale (and how to check the price is a good one) New £175 bank switching incentive Free craft beer! You can read more about all these deals over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

It's the start of a new tax year and with it are a fair few changes to your finances. Here's a quick run through of the major things you need to know. I've put some bullets below of the main points, but I've gone into more detail in this week's podcast episode. Changes affecting your earnings Tax threshold increases Personal allowance up to £12,500 from £11,850 Higher rate threshold up to £50000 from £46,350 In Scotland the personal allowance is also rising to £12,500, but above that tax rates are different so check it out National Insurance thresholds also going up. You'll now start paying 12% NI after you earn £8,632. But you pay it until you earn £50,024 (when it drops to 2%). Minimum wage aka the National Living Wage increases across all age groups Pension auto-enrolment levels to increase Employees 3% to 5% Employers 2% to 3% Price rises Council tax BBC report increase of 4.5% in England on average It's less in Scotland. Half increasing by 3% but some going for the cap of 4.79%. In Wales can go as high as 9.92%. TV licence up £4 a year (read more here) Energy cap increase - typically £117 a year added to variable bills (read more about the cap) Water bills up slightly - 2% on average Car tax up for most between £5 and £15 Prescriptions up 20p to £9 in England - everywhere else gets it for free (read about how to pay less) Dental charges up to £22.70 (up £1.10) Stamps went up at the end of March by 3p each. a second class stamp is 61p a first class stamp is 70p

The latest bitesize podcast with five top deals you need to grab before they are gone. This week: A cinema ticket a week for £9.99 a month with Mubi £5 or £10 Amazon vouchers when you shop via Vouchercodes Family discounts via a Little Bird trial for £1 John Lewis sale - can you price match? Last chance for an iTunes discount via O2 More information over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/

As we approach the end of the financial year and the start of the new one, banks and building societies are pushing ISAs hard. Newspapers are full of adverts encouraging you to max your allowance or open a new account. But is that the best thing to do with your savings? In this episode of the podcast, I've shared why most people won't benefit from an ISA - largely thanks to the Personal Savings Allowance. Plus, why they can be good for anyone with lots of money saved up, or if you're a first-time home buyer. More at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats81

Another mini-episode of the podcast with some hot deals that'll be gone before you know it. This week's featured deals: £10 back at Boots Free chocolates after £3 cashback £150 bank switch bonus ending soon Amazon Echo Dot/Fire TV bundle Craft beer sales More information and the links for these over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/category/vouchers-deals/

Does paying to watch normal TV represent good value for money? And if not, do you have to pay the Licence Fee? Over the next few weeks, quite a few bills are going up. One - from the 1st April - is the TV Licence, which will increase by £4 a year. It means you're paying the equivalent of £12.88 a month to watch live TV (and not just the BBC). With the rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, it might seem like you could do without the BBC and other terrestrial broadcasters - potentially saving yourself £154.50 a year. So in this week's podcast episode I've taken a look at what you actually get for your money from the Licence Fee, and if you then choose it's not worth it, the circumstances which mean you don't have to pay for one. (Spoiler... I think it's well worth paying for one). Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats80/

A new extra minipod with the best offers and deals you can get right now. This week: How you can get a Google Home Mini smart speaker for free, £5 or £15 A half-price sale on Chilly's reusable bottles Mother's Day flower discount codes Half-price Easter Eggs 4% off Netflix More info on all these deals at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/deals-index/

Are you still with the same bank you joined when you first got an account? Chances are that's the case, or perhaps you've switched once, maybe twice. If so, you're losing out. There's no reason you can't have more than one account, and there are definitely advantages to having more. This week on Cash Chats I've delved into my wallet to take you through each of my 14 current accounts - and why I've got them. The benefits include high interest on savings, cashback on bills, monthly rewards, free cash bonuses and fee-free spending overseas. You don't need as many as me, but two three in your wallet can make and save you some serious cash. In the episode I've also shared a few additional bank accounts you might want to consider which I've already had but switched away from. You can read more about today's episode and the best current accounts over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats79

In this week's episode, I want to take you through a simple money warm-up. You can make sure everything is working ok with your finances before you start doing anything good or bad with your money. It's not complicated and won't take you long, but at the end of this MOT you should know the true state of your finances. Find the links I discuss over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats78

Welcome back to Cash Chats! After a bit of a break, this is the first episode of 2019 and I've looked at stockpiling. In part this is due to fears caused by the impending Brexit, particularly in the event of a no-deal exit from the EU. Reports state prices will rise and the supply chain restricted. Both reasons to stock up now if you can. But that's not the only reason. Any period of time when you might not be able to leave home - illness perhaps, or severe weather - could quickly eat up your normal cupboard and freezer supplies. So it makes sense to have a bit more at home. But if you do this you need to follow a few rules to make sure you're not going to waste this food or spend more than you can afford. So enjoy this week's episode. Please do leave a review and subscribe over on iTunes – it really makes it easier for others to find the podcast. You can also now listen on Spotify! This week's further reading links https://becleverwithyourcash.com/how-to-stockpile-for-an-emergency/ https://becleverwithyourcash.com/tricks-to-help-your-freezer-save-you-money/ https://becleverwithyourcash.com/best-use-best-dates-whats-difference/ https://becleverwithyourcash.com/addiction-yellow-stickers/

We've all made that impulse purchase that turns out to be not such a great idea. Sometimes we realise too late and we're stuck with it. But if you know you don't want or need something soon enough, then you might be able to get your money back. Whether you can or not depends on where you bought it, and how you paid for it. Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats76

With days to go until Black Friday, I've shared my top tips to help you bag a bargain in these huge annual sales. Now there's obviously some cynicism around Black Friday. That's understandable - it's a manufactured event to get people spending money they hadn't planned to spend and buy things they hadn't planned to buy. But if you do it right it's a great chance to save some extra cash. More info and notes at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats75/

I'm joined by Cora Harrison to see whether posh advents for adults are worth the money. Festive advent calendars have changed. When you open the windows you don't just get pictures of snowmen or angels. Even that late 80s upgrade of small chocolates seems traditional now. And the advent candle is long forgotten. Now it's all about luxury advent calendars for adults. For the last few years we've been inundated with all sorts of advents for grown-ups full of 24 bottles of gin, 24 tiny test size tubes of cosmetics or 24 random bits of jewellery. And these aren't cheap either. You can pay upwards of £300 for the top end versions, and even shops like Aldi have one going for £50. I've felt they're bad value for money and always avoided them, but that doesn't mean they don't have other appeals. For a start you get to try all sorts of different varieties - whether that's craft beer, cheese or Pringles (these all exist too). And some, like the M&S Advent, full of beauty products, claims to have a retail value well above what you pay. So this week on the podcast I've been joined by fellow blogger Cora Harrison. On her YouTube channel Cora has been unboxing dozens of different luxury advent calendars to see what's inside - and test whether they're worth the money. Have a listen to see what we think, plus a chance to win a Beer Hawk craft beer advent calendar. More at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats74/

A cap on how much electricity and gas costs seems a good idea - and it is. But it's not as simple as saying everyone is going to pay less. In this episode of Cash Chats, I break down who the cap applies to, how it works, and why you shouldn't get complacent. And my golden rules to make sure you don't ever need to worry about paying too much for your energy. Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats73/

In this episode of the podcast you can find out how to pay less for your internet. This week I haggled an extra £8 a month off my monthly broadband charge - which was already £22 off the standard price. My total saving over 12 months is going to be £336. So in this episode I've shared how I did it and how you can do the same. There's a mix of methods you can pick and choose from - or do a combination of them all. For me I first took advantage of a top new customer deal, and then jumped on Virgin's forthcoming price increase as an opportunity to haggle another discount. You can also save by stripping out services you don't need or blagging extra special offers such as cashback and free TVs. More at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats72/

This week I'm sharing where I think the best places are to put cash savings. With two new savings accounts offering 1.5% (Marcus by Goldman Sachs & the RBS Savings Builder), I've looked at whether they're any good, or if you can get a better rate elsewhere (spoiler: you can). I also discuss why most of you don't need an ISA, particularly if you earn under £46,350 a year. But if you are a higher earner with lots of savings, then find out why you need to think a little differently. More over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats71/

Often people think of mental health in relation to serious conditions such as bipolar or depression, but it's something we should all consider - not just for ourselves but for friends and family. Mental health is pretty much how you're feeling and functioning. It can be good, or ok. But all of us will have moments where it's bad - even if it's not a condition which might require longer-term management or medication. Whenever we're feeling down, feeling stressed or feeling lonely we're experiencing poor mental health. And there's a good chance any of these can impact our finances. On a more severe end of the scale it could mean you need to miss work, causing you to lose money. It's common for people to get anxious when dealing with any kind of admin, but when that's bills or bank statements that can be a larger issue. Motivation can be a problem, leading to important money matters getting ignored. Or perhaps moments of depression or mania could prompt people to spend more money - money they don't have. The worst case scenario is that these scenarios lead to unmanageable debts - but it can work the other way too. The two really are linked. Money problems can feed depression and anxiety, and that in turn can impact on relationships, work and family. Big life changes can make a difference to both finances and mental health too - so having a baby or losing a loved one. So it's not something we should dismiss or hide from. It's important to take some action before anything happens. In this episode I talk to fellow money blogger Charlotte Burns from lottyburns.co.uk who shares her experiences with poor mental health and debt, and how she deals with triggers even 10 years later. You can read more at www.becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats70/

How to make sure you get the best value for money on Christmas travel, gifts, decorations and food and drink. We're just 12 weeks away from Christmas. That might seem like a long time, but it'll creep up on you faster than you think - meaning it's a good time to start thinking about how much you'll spend. In fact, even if you're reading this in November in December, or just want to get well ahead of Christmas 2019, it's never too late or early to follow the tips in this article. So here's a checklist of the main expenses, along with tricks to bring down their cost, plus some tips to help you pay for everything. More on https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats69/

Is this the end of Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis? And what do their struggles mean for customers? We've had all three major department stores hit the headlines over the last few weeks, so I've taken a look at what's happened, including news that House of Fraser customers might not get their money back on cancelled orders and returned gift cards. More and show notes at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats68

This week on the podcast I share how to cut your mobile phone bill to around a tenner, and other ways to bring down how much you pay. Not many of us can go without a mobile phone, which is probably why so many people overspend. It's possible to cut a monthly bill down to around £10 without losing coverage, and if you want a new handset, you can get them far cheaper if you don't automatically upgrade when your contract ends. Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/wp-admin/cashchats67

This week I talk about the recent interest rate and how it will affect you, mainly in terms of the return you can get on your savings. The Bank Of England increased the base rate of interest from 0.5% to 0.75% earlier this month, making it the highest rate we've seen since the financial crash. You'd expect this to be passed on to savers, but I think that's unlikely, especially when you consider what happend when rates rose last November. I explain why, and share where I think are the best places to keep your savings. Plus, changes to Lloyds and Halifax current account rewards, and why I'd stay clear of the Asda Christmas Savings card. More at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats66

With news that smart meters will probably only save you £11 a year, I've looked at what they do and why I think you should wait. Plus a look back at how Amazon Prime Day went. Were the savings good? And should you wait for Amazon's Black Friday weekend for similar discounts? Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats65

Part two of my summer holiday specials, this time looking at the cheapest ways to pay when overseas, whether that's by cash or card. Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats64

In this week's episode I've looked at fast fashion. Yes it's cheap, but when you factor in quality it can sometimes work out better value to spend more. Then there are the environmental and ethical consequences of producing so much disposable clothing. Listen in to find out what you can do to lessen the impact, including which high street retailers have ethical ranges, and how to get money off new clothes when you donate old clothes to charity rather than chuck them away. More info and links at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats63/

Oversized luggage, inadequate insurance and expired visas are just some of the ways I've been caught out on holiday. Avoid these and other mistakes by preparing for your summer holiday now. Sorry it's been a few weeks since the last episode - filming for Shop Smart Save Money has been great but cut my available time. Anyway, I'm back, and this week I'm sharing my holiday prep checklist. Essentially these are the things I'll work through NOW - not just before I'm due to fly. Leave these until the last minute and best case scenario it'll cost you more than it needs to. Worst case? You might not be able to go away. Read more at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats62

The high street has been back in the news with M&S and Carphone Warehouse the latest to announce massive store closures, and a survey from Which? revealing the shops we like the least. It doesn't look great for the high street. I now live in a relatively wealthy part of Yorkshire compared to other parts, and there are lots of independent shops and restaurants. But in the three months I've been here we've lost the H&M, Byron, Maplin, Game, Thorntons, East, Top Shop, Miss Selfridge, Mulityork, Jamies Italian and some local independents too. What's the end game? Where I grew up in Kent the nearby towns are essentially just pound shops and charity shops. And why is it happening? Well in this week's episode I've looked at some of the causes - and shared a few things we can do to try to stop the rot. More over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats61

Wedding season well and truly kicks off this weekend, so I wanted to talk about the ways you can avoid spending a fortune, both as a guest and if you're the couple tying the knot. More at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats60

Another Ask Andy special where I answer your questions. This time I tackle the H&M clothes recycling scheme, paying off credit card debts and why you're getting so many emails from businesses thanks to GDPR. More over at https://becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats59