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Citizens Advice is running its annual Scams Awareness campaign this week and revealed that one in five of us has fallen victim to a financial scam over the last year.  If you’re a victim of a financial scam, both the financial and emotional impact can be life changing. I was on Channel 5News on Monday chatting with Tessa Chapman and sharing advice on what to watch for with scams and the rules on how to get your money back.

When it comes to scams, slamming the door on a dodgy cold caller is no guarantee of protection, as fraudsters now target us in our own homes, with calls, texts, WhatsApp messages and emails.  Their aim is always to catch you off guard and send you into a panic, so you act on impulse, which can be very costly.

Scam tell tale signs

There’s so many different scams out there so I always suggest taking a look at the Take Five to Stop Fraud  website which lists the current ones doing the rounds.

However you’re contacted, with any scam, any kind of time pressure and being rushed into making a decision, should act as a massive red flag, as should being asked to pay by bank transfer when ordering goods or services online.

When it comes to keeping your financial details safe, the absolute hard and fast rule is to never ever give anyone your PIN number or full password.  Fraudsters will often try and get this from you with authorised Push Payment (APP) scams.  These scams cost us nearly £460 million last year according to UK Finance.

With APP scams, you’ll usually get a call from someone claiming to be from the Police or your bank, telling you  they’ve spotted ‘fraudulent activity’ on your account.  While you’re in a panic, they’ll act super calm, extracting financial information from you before encouraging you to set up a new ‘safe’ account, where they’ll ask you to transfer the contents of your bank account.  And yes you’ve guessed it, that new account will be one the fraudsters can get their hands on and drain dry!

What to do if you’ve been scammed

Call your bank, but never ever use any number you’re given during a ‘cold call’.  Contact your bank using the number on the back of your bank card or statement, or call ‘159’, which is a universal fraud reporting hotline where you can be connected to your genuine bank.

If you’ve been scammed into paying money by bank transfer you may be able to get your money back from your bank – more info coming up on the new rules in a second. You should also call Action Fraud to report the scam.

And if you paid by credit card, and been scammed, say you’ve been duped into booking flights with a bogus flight company, you should contact your credit card provider and ask to do a ‘Section 75’ claim.

Section 75 is a legal rule, (contained within the Consumer Credit Act), and means you can ask your credit card company for a refund, in the event you pay for goods or services that cost over £100 and the company goes bust or goods don’t arrive.

New fraud refund rules

Just this month, from 7 October, new fraud refund rules came into play.  Under regulations from the Payment Systems Regulator  financial firms including banks, building societies and e-money firms must now refund you if you’re scammed into paying by bank transfer.

There’s a few caveats to this.  Banks must cover losses of up to £85,000, and reimburse you within five days. If you have lost more than £85,000 financial firms can pay higher amounts, but only if they choose to.

However if your bank thinks the fraud happened due to you being seriously negligent, they may reject your case.  If this happens, you can still take your case to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.

Watch for festive scams

Watch out for sellers offering super cheap gifts, especially tech or gadgets, at much reduced prices compared to other sellers, and avoid buying through social media sites.  Buying from a bogus seller or through a fake website means scammers get your money but you won’t get your goods, so always buy from reputable stores, and once again, never pay by bank transfer, whatever the seller’s excuse!

‘Missed delivery’ parcel scams have been around for a while but tend to escalate in the run up to Christmas, when most of us are expecting parcels, and unlikely to have any idea which courier company will be delivering them.

The way this scam works is that you’ll get a text message claiming you’ve ‘missed’ a delivery and need to pay a small amount, usually a couple of quid, to reschedule.  The fraudsters will include a link in the message, and during the process you’ll be asked for bank and financial details that enable fraudsters to get their hands on your cash.

Watch out for fake charities too.  Sadly fraudsters have no shame and will stoop to any level to extract money from us.  Check that any charity you donate to is genuine – easy way to do this if you’re concerned, is check that they’re listed on the Charity Commission website

 

 

This month I’ve snapped up a voucher for a free dessert at Ask Italian, bagged a bargain new top from one of my favourite labels via eBay and found the best Pastel de Nata outside Portugal  – well that’s my opinion anyway!

Free sticky toffee coffee pudding at Ask Italian

This one is super easy to claim.  Just sign up to the free Ask Perks option on the Ask Italian website and you’ll get treats, offers and rewards direct to your inbox each month. During October you get a free Sticky Toffee Coffee Pudding.  While I can’t find this on the Ask menu to check the value of the freebie, most desserts come in around the £7 mark, depending on which location you visit.

Small print stuff – you will need to eat in and order a main meal to get your freebie.  So you can’t walk  in waving your voucher and ask for your free dessert in a take out box.  And you can’t stack on any other discounts, such as Blue Light cards, Tastecards or Tesco vouchers, if you’re going for the free pudding option.

Banana Republic top for £7.50 plus free postage

I love Banana Republic clothing, it’s one of my favourite stores in the world, and I always stock up when I’m Stateside, although you can still buy in the UK from a limited selection on the Gap website or via eBay!

I’m a big eBay fan and always have a hunt around to see what I can find  and discovered this fabulous top which I haggled down from £10 to just £7.50.  Perfect condition and as you might expect from Banana Republic, it’s quality stuff so very chuffed with this!  Watch out for it on my next TV appearance!

Found the best Pastel de Nata outside Portugal (in my opinion!)

Pastel de Nata – Portuguese custard tarts with super flaky pastry and rich warm and sweet custard were my daily breakfast on a recent trip to Lisbon and I made it my mission to try them in different bakeries across the city.

While you can pick up packs in most supermarkets, I don’t think they’re a patch on the original version.  But after a hunt around I discovered a gem the Waitrose frozen food aisle.  Unearthed Pastel de Nata come in a box of 6 for £4.55 – which works out just 4p a tart more than Tesco’s frozen version and the Unearthed version are so much yummier!

How do you fancy saving up to 20% next time you shop?

Heaps of shops offer juicy discounts on your ‘first order’ just for signing up to their mailing list or downloading their app.

And even if you’ve shopped with them before, I’ve found you can still bag another discount, providing you don’t use the same email account twice!

Want to snap up a discount second or third time round?  Just sign up using another email account or get someone else in your household to sign up for you.  I’ve found even if the delivery address is the same this still works, though no promises or guarantees with every store!

Here’s some of the current ‘first time’ discounts I’ve found –

20% discounts

Skechers – 20%

20% off your next online order when you sign up for email updates.

Holland & Barrett – 20%

Get an introductory 20% discount when you download the app.  You have 28 days to use your ‘welcome code’ discount.

Sweaty Betty – 20%  

20% off when you sign up for the online newsletter – applies to your first full price online order.

15% discounts

Mint Velvet – 15%

15% off your first order when you sign up to the free online newsletter.  Free delivery over £100.

Hobbycraft – 15%

15% off plus a £5 voucher on your Birthday if you join the free Hobbycraft Club.  Join in store, online or via the app.

Body Shop – 15%

15% off plus a £5 voucher on your Birthday when you sign up to Body Shop’s ‘Love Your Body’ loyalty scheme.

Charlotte Tilbury – 15%

15% off when you sign up online plus free delivery on your first order.

Clarks – 15%

15% off in store and online when you sign up for emails.  Discount  must be used within 120 days.

10% discounts

Yorkshire Soap Company – 10%

Join the mailing list and get 10% off your first order.

River Island – 10%

Get 10% off your first online purchase of £50 or more when you sign up online to become a ‘River Island Insider’.

Fragrance Direct – 10%

Save 10% when signing up online for emails and texts.

& Other Stories – 10%

10% discount for new subscribers to the online newsletter.  Discount only valid online.

Fat Face – 10%

10% off your first order if you sign up via the website to receive emails and offers.

Hobbs – 10%

10% off when you sign up online to the newsletter. Discount can be used online or in store.

JD Sports – 10%

10% discount off your first full price online purchase when signing up to the newsletter.

5% discounts

Menkind – 5%

5% off your first order of £30 or more when you join its free newsletter.

First time cash bonus

Uniqlo – £10

Save £10 when spending £70 or more on your first order if you download the app.

Red Letter Days – £10

Save £10 when signing up for the Red Letter Days newsletter.

 Sue’s tips and tricks –

Watch for any minimum spend with ‘first time’ discounts.  Discounts may not cover delivery, although some stores do offer free delivery first time round.

Check discount time limits as some may have a limited life span, usually a minimum of 30 days.

Sign up at least 24 hours before you plan to shop.  This is because not all discount codes arrive instantly – so don’t wait till you’re at the online checkout.

You can’t usually ‘double discount’. Most ‘first time’ discounts can’t be used on sale items or to tack on with other discount vouchers or points.

A ‘first timer’ code may not always be the best deal if there’s a special promotion or sale on.  Worth checking voucher code websites too, in case these offer bigger discounts, or check how much you could earn with cashback.

Don’t want your inbox clogged up with marketing mails?  Set up a separate email account to catch all your discounts, deals and offers as most stores will offer ongoing promotions or deals once they’ve got your email address.

Just back from a few days in the Portuguese capital Lisbon and wow what a city!  Definitely a place we’ll be going back to!

Loving the stunning rooftop views at every turn, the narrow winding alleys and backstreets of Alfama, vintage trams to get you and up down some of those steep hills, yummy Pastel de Nata (Portuguese flaky pastry custard tarts) and beaches less than 30 minutes train ride away, oh and gorgeous cafes and restaurants at every turn.

Lucky I’d been warned to pack trainers for those cobbled streets, hills and steps but some serious walking was a great way to burn off all the yummy Pastel de Natas I managed to munch my way through.

I’ll be writing more about my travels so here’s just a few of my top travel tips!

Best Pastel de Nata

Everyone has their ‘favourite’ bakery but my favourites were Manteigaria in Rua Augusta and Santo Antonio in Alfama, the second of which meant climbing a steep hill from our apartment, followed by an unbelievable  number of steps.  And all on just one coffee and before 8.30am, but worth every step!

Getting around

Cheapest way to get around Lisbon is walk.  Or snap up a Navegante card at the airport.  You’ll need to pop by the airport metro station to buy it, but once purchased, (costs 50 cents), you can load it up and it can be used on buses, metro, trams, plus the elevadors,  that save climbing some of the hills!

A 24 hour pass costs 6.80 Euros (so 7.30 in total first time round with the cost of the card) and it’s 24 hours from first use.

Best view in Lisbon

I reckon it’s from the top of the Arco da Rua Augusta overlooking the main square. 

Costs 4.50 Euros for the return trip and you’ll get to take the lift most of the way, with just a few spiral stairs to get you to the top.  Amazing views across Lisbon though a bit windy at the top.

 

 

 

 

 

The government has announced that the Winter Fuel Payment, worth up to £300 a year, is being scrapped for millions of pensioners this Winter.

What is the Winter Fuel Payment?

It’s a one off tax free payment, worth up to £300, which has been paid to people of state pension age or older, to help with heating bills.   Usually paid around November or December, it’s paid direct to your bank account regardless of your income.

What’s changing?

Around ten million pensioners will lose their Winter Fuel Payment this Winter as the government has changed the rules on who gets it.

You will now only be entitled to receive a Winter Fuel Payment this year, if you get Pension Credit, or other means tested benefits, such as Universal Credit or Income Support.

Why it’s worth checking if you can claim Pension Credit

If you are one of the millions of pensioners who stand to lose your Winter Fuel Payment this year, it’s worth checking to see if you could claim Pension Credit.  Reason being, if you get Pension Credit, it automatically entitles you to get the Winter Fuel Payment too.

And there’s around 880,000 people who could be eligible for Pension Credit, who don’t claim it, which means there’s a massive pot of cash lying around.  Pension Credit is worth an average of £4,000 a year, which could be a real boost to your retirement income.  Plus it unlocks the door to other benefits and discounts too.

So while there’s no guarantee you can claim Pension Credit, it’s definitely worth checking out your entitlement if you’re state pension age, (or about to be), and on a low income.

You can use a free benefits calculator or check the government website.

 

Mowing your lawn or a spot of weeding could prove a costly exercise as it could cost you over £100 with many councils now charging a garden bin tax.

Four of out five cash strapped councils now charge to empty your garden bin. Here’s all you need to know about garden bin tax and how to get rid of garden waste cheaply in a feature I wrote for Good Housekeeping Magazine.

After the news that the Bank of England had cut the base rate from 5.25% to 5%, I headed into the ITV News studios for a chat with Lucrezia Millarini.

It’s the first time we’ve had a rate cut since way back in March 2020, so a pretty monumental day.

Any rate cut brings swings and roundabouts depending on your financial circumstances.  The cut may be great news for millions of mortgage customers who are paying their lender’s standard variable rate (SVR), or have a tracker mortgage, as this means they should see a reduction in monthly payments from next month.

But if you’re on a fixed mortgage deal you won’t be affected right now by the rate cut.  And savers who have started to see some decent savings rates in recent times could see some of those top rates whisked off the shelves.

 

I’m just back from a trip to the Lake District and been asked to write about my adventures for a magazine travel feature.   Very excited as it’s a chance to relive the memories and share some great travel and moneysaving tips.

So watch this space – will keep you posted when the feature comes out!

I’ve just come back from a fabulous week away in Cornwall and while there’s so many amazing beaches to discover, one of my favourites was this one at Mawgan Porth.

Easy way to visit is by hopping on the Atlantic Coaster bus, which runs between Newquay and Padstow, and as it’s open top, you get great views on your trip.

Bus stop is right by the beach, though do check bus times as they’re about every 90 minutes depending on the time of year.

Over the road was a great coffee shop  –  Muddle & Press -for a mid morning pitstop.

 

 

Budget Day is always a crazy busy day and I’m at BBC 3CR studios where by the magic of radio I’ll be chatting on BBC Scotland’s Drivetime show tonight.

I’ll be one of the panellists helping break down the numbers into what it means for the pound in your pocket and on between 5pm – 6pm.

Looks like I’m in a small cupboard I know from the snap but they have been generous with the cups of coffee and I’ve got a chocolate stash to keep me going!

Very excited to say I’ll be back on telly tomorrow lunchtime as a guest on the Alexis Conran & Friends show on Channel 5.

I’ll be sharing tips, tricks and heaps of advice on ways you can save money on insurance – including savings on home, car, travel and breakdown cover.

All part of a special week long campaign to help save you over £1,000 a year on household bills- with a different expert each day – my savings will stack up to over £250 so tune in if you can!

Took a trip to Manchester last night to chat on the BBC Breakfast sofa this morning with Jon, Sally and Ben about gift cards.

Giving a gift card can seem the ‘easy option’ if you’re stuck for present ideas and want to give a gift this Christmas but there’s lots of small print to wade through first to stay smart.

Some gift cards have time limits, or sneakily claw back some of the gift card value if you don’t use them fast enough, plus there’s always the risk of the card being worthless if the store goes bust before you can use it.

And it’s not just stores we were talking about – you can buy gift vouchers for ‘experiences’, so everything from Afternoon Tea to adrenalin fuelled adventures and with these, often a case of booking in advance.

 

 

Took a quick snap after the fabulous Ally had worked her magic on me at Channel 5 News and transformed me from windswept to telly ready!

Always love being invited on 5 News and tonight Dan Walker and I were talking moneysaving tips for the festive season.

Christmas can be a tough time for many people, both financially and emotionally, and news out today from the debt charity StepChange shows that one in four of us struggle to afford Christmas.  And a separate piece of research from Royal London says among those people who borrowed money to pay for last Christmas, a whopping one in eight are still paying off the bill this Christmas!

I was sharing lots of moneysaving tips on the programme but I also metioned where you can get free help and advice if you are struggling financially. This includes absolutely fantastic organisations such as StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice.

 

Always love being a guest on the Cash Clinic on Steph’s Packed Lunch with a chance to run through the day’s news and consumer stories and chat about anything from kids’ savings deals to renting Lego, cheap days out, used car scams and how to get more power for your pound.

This time round on the show we were discussing kids’ savings accounts and the best way to get your kids started when it comes to a savings habit, student bank accounts and how to track down forgotten Child Trust Funds!

Back in the radio studio today as I’m getting ready for a whole host of radio chats about pension savings and how much you really need for retirement.

Will be on the airwaves across the UK chatting to as many radio stations as I can!

Whether it’s your local coffee shop, high street store or supermarket, retailers are keen for us to sign up for their loyalty cards, either as plastic cards on via your phone in app form.

I’ve often written and chatted about the different loyalty schemes, so it was great to be invited on the Jeremy Vine Show this morning for a chat with the fabulous Storm Huntley discussing which cards offer best value and how to maximise your savings.

We all know supermarket prices are going up while household budgets are being squeezed and food inflation has now topped a whopping 17%.

This means even if you only stick the same stuff in your trolley each week and don’t buy anything different – you can expect to fork out another £811 a year according to retail research group Kantar who regularly number crunch food prices.

And even the cost of basic brands have shot up with pasta probably the most widely publicised case. A budget bag of dried pasta has now almost doubled in price over the last two years.

I’ve been asked about ways to cut the cost of food shopping a lot recently in chats on different radio stations so here’s some of the ideas I’ve suggested.

Swap fresh for frozen

I wrote a feature recently on why some supermarkets are now rationing fresh fruit and vegetables and if you can’t get fresh or just want to save some cash – try frozen.

Buying packs of frozen veg can save money compared with the price for fresh, plus there’s less chance of waste as you only get out what you need.

If you don’t have enough room in the freezer, stock up on tinned fruit and veg – which can last years.

And don’t forget your local market and supporting small traders when shopping for fresh food – most will knock down prices even more later in the day as they clear their stalls.

Buy food nearing its ‘best before’ date

Important to know the difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates. ‘Use by’ is all about food safety and goes on items like your meat and fish – never eat any fresh food beyond its use by date.

But ‘best before’ is all about quality and tends to be on tins of soup and beans, packets, cereals and biscuits. You can bulk buy food nearing its best before date and save money from sites like Approved Food

Find your cheapest supermarket

Supermarkets are desperate to compete with each other, and while Aldi may have taken the crown for ‘cheapest supermarket’ last year, they’re all still trying to lure us in with deals and discounts on a weekly basis.

Can mean sticking with the same supermarket every week may not be the best deal. Save time and money checking out the Trolley app or website where you can plug in your shopping list and find the cheapest place to shop.

This site number crunches prices across 15 of the biggest stores like Tesco and Morrisons and can knock a third off your weekly shop.

Shop later in the day

Most supermarkets start discounting fresh food with a short shelf life from midday onwards. The exact time varies according to the supermarket store but you’ll often start to see those little yellow discount stickers appearing from around midday.

If you can hold out till around 7pm you may well bag discounts of around 70% on fresh food. You can’t be fussy, so it’s often a case of snapping up what’s in the bargain section and using it that night or freezing it.

Worth befriending the staff who may be able to give you a heads up on what time they start discounting food. And if it’s a store with a cafe, you may find reductions on the fresh food there too.