Money matters

Expert advice from money-saving champion Mel Hunter on consumer rights and how to squeeze the most out of life for less

Q Do you have any tips on getting a good deal when eating out at restaurants? A I’ve recently discovered First Table, which operates in a number of UK cities. It gives you a 50% discount on food at a

Q I find coming up with new ideas for cheap, healthy family meals increasingly hard. Do you have any tips? A I’ve started using ChatGPT for meal plan inspiration. It takes a bit of back and forth, tel

Q How reliable are artificial intelligence tools for giving consumer advice? A People are increasingly using AI, but treat results with caution. Which? researched a number of AI tools, asking them abo

If you’re happy to keep your current mobile phone, ditch expensive contracts that include a fancy handset, and switch to a SIM-only deal instead. The SIM is the chip that slots into your handset and c

Get your bank balance back on track in 2026 and ease a financial hangover with my financial detox tips! ◆ Slash interest payments on credit cards by switching with a 0% ‘balance transfer’ deal and pay