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If we're not careful, the high-spend festive season can leave us with a serious financial hangover come January. Moderation helps, but for those who want to indulge a little we've put together nine quick ways to get legit free cash (or vouchers) to help with the cost.

Some are small, some larger, some easy, some more complicated - but there should be something for everyone. And for each, we've put when you can expect the cash - all of these pay in full or in part before the big day...

New. Free £30 when you spend £5+. Newbies to HSBC-owned Zing* can get a £30 welcome bonus when signing up via our link and spending £5+ using the physical or virtual card before Thu 21 Nov.

Zing is a prepaid travel card, meaning you can load it up in pounds, then convert in advance to one of more than 20 currencies (or just leave money in pounds and it'll do the conversion when you spend).

Yet the £5+ you need to spend to trigger the free £30 can be in any currency, including pounds, so you can just use the card in the UK if you're not going overseas. Full info in Prepaid travel cards.

How long till you get the cash? The free £30 should be loaded on to the card within 30 days of you making the £5+ spend.
Get £100s (or even £1,000s) back on Christmas (and other) shopping, plus an extra £26 when spending £5+. Cashback sites make their money through affiliate links, which allow the retailer to track where the traffic is coming from and then pay the cashback sites for the lead. To get you to use them, they offer you a cut of the money they make (this is similar to the way MSE is financed - though for us it pays for the site and NEVER affects what we write or include).

So if there's something you want to buy, and you've checked where it's cheapest, see whether you can buy it via a top cashback site. Many MoneySavers have made £100s and even £1,000s using them tactically to purchase items they'd have bought anyway.

New. Grab an extra £26 when spending £5+ online, with 15,000 available. If you're new to top-pick site Topcashback, we've blagged this special offer - full info on how to get it in Topcashback boost.

How long till you get the cash? It can take anything from a couple of weeks to a few months for sites to pay out, depending on where you spend (Topcashback gives you an expected time for each retailer), so some purchases won't fill your Christmas coffers. And do keep in mind that cashback's not guaranteed and it's best not to consider it yours until it's in your bank account.

New. FREE £180 just for switching account, but it mightn't be around long (luckily there are three others). NatWest Reward's free £180* is the latest to join the bank switching fray, meaning there are now four big upfront switch-bonus payers. This is especially useful to regular switchers as you usually need to be a new customer and not have had a switch bonus from them before to qualify.

All pay out well before Christmas (provided you get your skates on to meet the switch criteria). For full info on eligibility, see Best bank accounts, but we've a brief overview here to help you decide...

CURRENT FREE BANK-SWITCH BONUSES
ACCOUNT Min pay-in (1)	PERKS & OUR THOUGHTS	PAYOUT TIME (2)
Club Lloyds Min pay-in: £2,000/mth (£3/mth fee otherwise)	FREE £200 so largest upfront cash, perks too, but hefty monthly pay-in. Perks include 12mths' Disney+ (with ads) & a linked 6.25% saver you can put £400/mth in (max it out for £150 total interest). See full Club Lloyds review.	Early Nov
NatWest Reward* Min pay-in: £1,250/mth	FREE £180 upfront, plus £3/mth cashback (so £216 over the first year). You also get access to a saver you can put up to £150/mth in - it pays 6.17% on up to £5,000 (pay in the max for a year for £60 interest). See full NatWest Reward review.	Early Nov
First Direct 1st Account* Min pay-in: None (£1,000 initial deposit for free cash)	FREE £175 upfront, top service, top-rate linked savings & cheap spending abroad. 91% rate it 'great' for service - and it's come top or near top of every poll we've done. It also gives many a £250 0% overdraft, plus all can access a 7% linked saver you can put up to £300/mth in (max it out for £136.50 total interest). Plus, its debit card gives you near-perfect exchange rates abroad. See full First Direct review.	Mid Nov
Nationwide FlexDirect Min pay-in: None (£1,000 initial deposit for free cash)	FREE £175 upfront plus 1% spending cashback (max £5/mth) for 12mths. Plus 5% on up to £1,500, also for 12mths. See full Nationwide review.	Early Nov
(1) You need this much going into the account to get all the perks fee-free. (2) Rough date cash received if you start the switch today (Tue) and meet all the criteria.

Get another £180 cashback on top of your bank switch bribe. The Chase current account* is a different beast from those above, and you can combine them. That's because it's an app-based bank you can just open (you DON'T need to switch to it), and there's no hard credit check (just an ID check).

Spend on its debit card and you'll get at least a year's 1% cashback on all normal daily debit-card spending up to £15/mth (it generally excludes bills, investments and major purchases, such as cars). If you hit the max, which many who put all family spending on it do, you'd make a further £180 a year.

This is stupidly easy to do. Just use the other, switch-bribe-paying accounts to pay your salary into and pay bills from, then fund Chase and use its debit card to spend on. It's also the top card for spending abroad, as it pays cashback on overseas spending too. Plus you get an OK 3.75% interest on its linked easy-access saver (though other top savings beat it).

How long till you get the cash? Cashback's paid a couple of days after each qualifying spend you make (max £15/mth).
Get a cheque for up to £1,006 when you claim the Marriage Tax Allowance. Claiming tax allowances isn't traditional Christmas fare, but it is a quick way for two million eligible couples not currently claiming to get an up to £1,260 tax refund - for many this will include a cheque for over £1,000. To get it, you need to first be married or in a civil partnership. Then:

- One needs to be a NON-taxpayer (earning under £12,570/yr)
- The other needs to pay 20% basic-rate tax (earning £12,570 to £50,270/yr; applies to earnings of £12,570 to £43,662 in Scotland)

If eligible, the non-taxpayer can transfer 10% of the amount they can earn tax-free each year to the taxpayer, so they pay less tax. Better still, this can be backdated for up to four years if you were eligible then. Full help, pros and cons in claim £1,260 of Marriage Tax Allowance.

When will you get the cash? For this year's allowance, worth £252, the taxpayer's tax code is changed, so they pay less tax during the year. However, if you're eligible for backdating, worth up to £1,006, that's paid as a cheque or bank transfer taking around six weeks, so you could have it by early December.
Boost Christmas supermarket spend coffers by up to 5%. Supermarkets' Christmas saving schemes encourage year-long saving, yet a loophole lets you get a year's bonus within a few weeks. Deadlines for the Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons schemes approach.

When will you get the boost? Depends on the scheme. Some pay within 24 hours, others pay on a set date - but all pay well before the big day. Check your supermarket's payout date.
Spending around £1,000 a month? Easy way to bag a £115 voucher for Amazon, Sainsbury's & more. There's a way some bigger spenders can take advantage of this high-spend time of year. Newbies accepted for an Amex Gold* credit card (check acceptance odds) who spend £3,000 on it within the first three months then get enough bonus reward points for a £115 voucher at top high-street and online retailers including Amazon, Sainsbury's, M&S & more. You can also get two £5 Deliveroo cashbacks a month (worth up to £120/yr).

That's a huge return on the spending, at no cost. Of course, as always, only do this if you'll clear the card IN FULL each month to avoid the 30.7% rep APR interest. Do note a £195/yr fee starts after you've had the card a year, so cancel before then if you want to avoid it. Full help and more options in Top reward cards.

When will you get the points? They usually come within a couple of days of spending £3,000 (though it can take up to a month), so it depends how quickly you hit that.
Walk around your home and ask 'What haven't I used in the last year?' You could be sitting on stock worth £100s. Why keep it if you're not using it? Find the items you've not used in a year, and then consider flogging them. For help on how to do that, see our how to sell on eBay, how to sell on Vinted and how to sell on Facebook tips. Or if you feel up to braving a cold morning in a field, you could head to a car boot sale and sell your stuff on the spot for cash-in-hand.

When will you get the cash? For eBay and Vinted, within a few days (though some stuff will take a while to sell). For Facebook and car boots, you usually swap the item for cash in person.
Earn a free £30 to spend at Amazon doing quick online activities. Every little helps, and if you're new to paid survey site Swagbucks, you can get a bonus £20 Amazon voucher once you've earned £10 from answering surveys, watching videos or playing games - which you must do within 30 days of signing up.

When will you get the voucher? Within 10 days of earning the £10, so if you start now, by the end of November at the latest.

PS: Do you really need extra cash for Christmas? The simple way to 'earn' cash is not to spend it in the first place.
Now's the time to discuss with friends & family about BANNING unnecessary Christmas presents. Could you release each other from the obligation of buying, or do a secret Santa, or just donate to charity? Read the full theory in Martin's Ban unnecessary Christmas gifts blog, which contains his viral video on this.

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

Benefits to rise by 1.7% in April. Are you missing out on a share of £23 BILLION that goes unclaimed?

Even some with higher incomes are due - don't assume 'it's not me'

The inflation figures that the Government normally uses to calculate next April's benefit rises have just been announced (though it's not officially confirmed the changes yet). So it's a great time to remind you that BILLIONS in benefits goes unclaimed each year - most by workers or pensioners who have paid into the system for yonks and are in need of help, but think 'benefits aren't for me' or 'I won't qualify'. These are some of the main benefits that are massively under-claimed (figures from think tank Policy in Practice or Gov.uk):

UNIVERSAL CREDIT - 1.4 MILLION miss out on an average of up to £5,800 a year. The catch-all monthly benefit to support those of working age (with low or no income) with living & housing costs. Who's likely missing out? Households with lower incomes, up to roughly £35,000/yr, though if you've kids, high childcare costs and rent, it could be £60,000/yr.

Try our free 10-minute Benefits Calculator and check whether you're missing out

Our quick benefits check-up was built in conjunction with benefits specialists Entitledto. Just plug your details in and it'll try to make the outrageously complex benefits system as simple as possible - showing whether you're likely entitled to one of a range of benefits (and how much you might get)...

ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE - 1.1 MILLION pensioners miss out on at least £3,778 a year. This is a non-means-tested benefit giving a fixed payout of £3,778/yr or £5,644/yr to cover some of the costs of providing help for those who need it. Who's likely missing out? Those who have needed help over six months, day or night, with daily living (such as washing and eating) or supervision (someone to watch you if you're a danger to yourself or others). It's common for those with Parkinson's, dementia, terminal illness, blindness and more. See our full Attendance Allowance help guide.
COUNCIL TAX SUPPORT (not N. Ireland) - up to 2.25 MILLION miss out on £1,500+ a year. Every council runs its own scheme, so what you get depends on where you live, but it can cut your Council Tax bill by up to 100%. Who's likely missing out? If you qualify for means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, you're often due this, but it's not automatic; YOU MUST APPLY, which is why so many miss out. See our Council Tax discounts guide.
CARER'S ALLOWANCE - 530,000 carers miss out on up to £4,250 a year. This is a specific payment for some who act as unpaid carers - whether for a family member, spouse, child, or even someone they're not related to. Who's likely missing out? You must care for someone who usually gets Attendance Allowance, or some on Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance; spend 35+ hours a week helping with everyday tasks such as washing or cooking; and earn under £151/week or have a low State Pension. Check using our Benefits Calc.

PS: If you care for someone for less than 35hrs a week, you may be entitled to Carer's Credit, which helps build National Insurance years for your State Pension (it's back-claimable too, so click the link to read more).
PENSION CREDIT - 760,000 pensioner households miss out on £3,900 a year. Pension Credit tops up your income. On average it's worth £3,900/yr, but claim even if you're only due 50p, as its SUPERPOWER is to qualify you for extra benefits. These include the Winter Fuel Payment (if you're eligible, you'll need to apply by 21 December and backdate your claim to September to qualify for this year's), Council Tax Reduction and free TV licences (if you're over 75). Who's likely missing out? Tough to say, but it's worth a check if you're of State Pension age and have a weekly income below £235 (£350 if you're a couple, both of State Pension age). Head to our full Pension Credit guide.
HOUSING BENEFIT - 294,000 pensioners miss out on an average £4,400-a-year rent help. For eligible under-66s, support for housing costs is part of Universal Credit, but not for those of State Pension age. Who's likely missing out? Renters eligible for Pension Credit, for instance, on a low income. When you apply for Pension Credit, you can usually apply for Housing Benefit at the same time. If you already get Pension Credit, apply through your council.
FREE SCHOOL MEALS - 470,000 families miss out (they're worth £490 a year). A cooked meal served to eligible under-18s during the school or college day. Who's likely missing out? Many new Universal Credit (UC) claimants with very low, or no, income (who don't realise you can only apply once you've had your first UC payment), and others who don't know they may need to re-register at the start of every year for each child. See Free School Meals for how to apply.

PS: Claiming benefits is often a gateway to other discounts, such as broadband social tariffs, so if you have success claiming above, check if you're then eligible. Simply being on a low income could qualify you for a water social tariff, so check that too, even if you're not eligible for benefits.

Cheapest EVER Virgin broadband '£17/mth'. MSE Blagged. Switchers in 60% of UK homes can get this Virgin 264Mb broadband only (no line) deal for £24/mth. You get an automatic £125 bill credit, meaning it's equivalent to £17.06/mth over the 18mth contract. Can't get it/want other options? See MSE's full broadband comparison.

From Thu. M&S beauty Advent calendar for £50 (worth £311). Mega popular with MoneySavers, but you must spend £35+ on clothing, beauty or homeware to be able to buy it. Use it yourself or split it for gifts. Not just any Advent calendar

BEAT October's 10% Energy Price Cap rise - many can save £100+ by fixing, with E.on, British Gas & more. While some suppliers have pulled their cheap fixes, a few - including the two biggies - still offer competitive tariffs that undercut the current Price Cap, and will likely mean you save over the year (based on Cap predictions). Plus, if you switch to E.on or British Gas via our Energy Club, you also get £20 dual-fuel (£10 single-fuel) cashback - though with E.on cashback's only for new customers. Always compare: YOUR winner will depend on location and usage, so do an Energy Club comparison which'll also show other competitive deals.

Age 40ish to 73? A must-listen! Beat the deadline to boost your State Pension, some gain £10,000s. For each £825ish paid to buy National Insurance years, many gain £5,400+. However, the main opportunity closes in April, and it often ain't quick, so listen NOW to the new The Martin Lewis Podcast - via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify or wherever you get your Martin fix (and see his pension-boosting info from last week's email).

Vax code gets up to £140 off spot-cleaners. MSE Blagged. Use it to grab either the SpotWash Home Duo for £80 (normally £170) or the Onepwr SpotWash Home Cordless for £110 (normally £250). 7,000 available. Vax

'Carer's Allowance cliff-edge made me feel like a criminal' - why Martin's pushing for change. If carers get paid even 1p more than the £151/week threshold, they lose the whole £82/week Carer's Allowance. Yet the system still pays, so many who have not noticed (eg, after wage changes) need to pay it back. Read Heather's story - she's one of 100,000s affected.

New. Top 0% debt shift cards with NO FEE. A balance transfer's where you get a new card that pays off debt on existing cards for you - so you now owe it, but at 0% for a set period. And if you can pay off quickly, you can do this at no cost. The longest fee-free balance transfer, NatWest's 13mths 0%, has been around a while, but Virgin Money's just launched a 9mths 0% card. There's also Barclaycard's 'up to' 12mths 0%, though some accepted will get just 6mths 0%. Links go via our eligibility calc, which shows your acceptance odds before you apply. Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly minimum & clear the card before the 0% ends, or all jump to 24.9% rep APR interest.

Martin's video briefing: Pay car insurance by monthly Direct Debit? Beware! It's a loan. And the interest can be 40%+, worse than many credit cards. Watch Martin's car insurance video briefing for info and help to cut the cost. Related: Use MSE's Car Compare+ tool for more ways to save.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- Extra £26 cashback on a £5+ online spend 15,000 available
- Up to £140 off Vax spot-cleaners 7,000 available
- 264Mb Virgin broadband '£17.06/mth' Ends Thu 31 Oct

DID YOU MISS?

- Call centre insider tips: Skip waiting, shortcuts & more
- Top 5.1% easy-access savings (up to £20,000)
- Hyundai, Kia, Volvo diesel driver? Claims deadline looms
- Leave the heating on ALL DAY? 14 energy myths busted
- £50 to £300 John Lewis gift card with big-ticket buys

Need a loan? The cheapest are 6.1% and aren't likely to get lower soon...

The UK base rate was cut to 5% back in August, which should - in theory - mean it's cheaper to borrow. But although we've seen mortgage rates fall and credit card deals get stronger, loan rates so far haven't budged an inch. While that's frustrating, that stability in the face of base rate cuts also suggests that if you need a loan, you're unlikely to save large by waiting...

ONLY borrow if it's NEEDED, budgeted for & affordable. Ask yourself if you really need it - if not, don't do it. If you do, then do a budget to ensure you can afford the repayments. Aim to repay as quickly as you can, as that cuts the cost too. Already struggling with debt? Read our Debt help guide.
With loans, acceptance is about far more than just your credit file. With all lending, providers assess your credit history. But with loans, the less well-known affordability scoring - where your income is key - becomes even more important. So always use our Loans Eligibility Calculator before applying - it helps you home in on those most likely to accept you, and minimises the credit file impact of multiple potential applications.

If odds are low, MSE's free Credit Club (or via the MSE App on Apple or Android) can help diagnose the problem, as it assesses you separately on both credit history and affordability. Plus, there is a version of our loans eligibility calc within the Club (if registered, you won't need to enter any more details).
The UK's cheapest loan rates. All rates are fixed for the length of the loan...

- £1,000 to £2,999: John Lewis Finance 9.9% rep APR interest, but 0% credit card loans are likely cheaper for many
- £3,000 to £4,999: Novuna Personal Loans* 9.9% on £3k to £4k, 9.7% on £4k to £5k, M&S Bank* 9.9% rep APR
- £5,000 to £7,499: Santander* 7.2% rep APR, Tesco Bank* 7.2% rep APR (must have a Clubcard)
- £7,500 to £15,000: Tesco Bank* 6.1% rep APR (must have a Clubcard), Santander* 6.2% rep APR
- £15,001 to £20,000: Tesco Bank* 6.1% rep APR (must have a Clubcard), M&S Bank* 6.2% rep APR
Lenders needn't give you the rate they list. Most loans are 'representative APR' meaning, frustratingly, lenders only need to give 51% of accepted customers that rate - the rest can be charged more, without limit. Worse still, often the only way to find the rate YOU'LL get is by applying, which leaves a mark on your credit file. A few lenders now give guaranteed rates via our eligibility check (or via Credit Club eligibility), but they're often not the cheapest. We push for change.
Used right, credit cards can beat loans. It all depends on what it's for and how you use it. Though if you don't trust yourself with a credit card, and need the self-discipline of rigid monthly payments, then stick to a loan. If not...

- If you're getting a loan to cover existing credit card debts, it's far better to use a 0% balance transfer.
- If you need a smaller amount over a couple of years and can pay on plastic, use a 0% spending card.
- If you need a smaller amount over a couple of years, but need to pay in cash, use a 0% credit card loan.
If you do get a loan, ensure you pay on time (preferably by Direct Debit), or you may be charged and get a missed payment on your credit report, which can cause real problems.

Urgent. Free solicitor-drafted wills if you're 55+. Free Wills Month lets those aged 55+ get a free solicitor-drafted (or updated) will in the hope they'll leave a charity bequest. In many places all appointments have been claimed, but if you're in Birmingham, Cornwall, Exeter, Leicestershire, Milton Keynes, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Plymouth or Torquay (or can travel to 'em), a few remain - so go quick. Free Wills Month

New. How to make Halloween absolutely spook-tacular... for free. Avoid Halloween spending horror-shows - MSE's Jenny H and Clare show you how to make your own totally spend-free costumes, decorations & more.

Martin: Do you use Buy Now, Pay Later? Watch out - it's not regulated (yet!). That's now due to change, but not until 2026. Watch Martin's new video briefing and read the latest on BNPL regulation.

4,000 FREE £25 Good Housekeeping Live tickets. London, 13 to 16 November. Free tickets

Live in Scotland and/or a park home & claim benefits? Apply NOW for £150 Warm Home Discount. It's paid on a first come, first served basis, and a few suppliers have already closed applications. Warm Home Discount

What we've asked the Chancellor for in the Budget. Next Wed (30 Oct), Rachel Reeves will announce key policies on the nation's finances. This is a key opportunity for our campaigns - see MSE Katie's blog on what we've called for.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: Virgin Money (check eligibility) 29mths 0%, 3.45% fee, 24.9% rep APR
No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility) 13mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR
Virgin and NatWest have asked us to link only to our eligibility calc

Free £200 + perks: Club Lloyds
Free £180 + cashback: NatWest Rewards

Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin '£17.06/mth'
Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£26.67/mth'

On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs

Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool

Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Santander (check eligibility / apply*), 7.2% rep APR
Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 6.1% rep APR (for Clubcard holders)

Top cash ISA: Trading 212 5.1%, min £1
Top easy access: Chip 5%, no min
Top one-year fix: Monument Bank 4.81%, min £25,000

Try our relaunched Cheap Energy Club

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.93/mth' for 3GB
4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.20/mth' for 5GB
10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£4/mth' for 15GB
31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.50/mth' for 50GB

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK

Do you think 'death admin' is too complicated? The end-of-life charity Marie Curie is calling on UK banks, telecoms firms and energy providers to relieve the huge burden caused by paperwork (sometimes known as 'sadmin') following the death of a loved one, or in the event of a terminal diagnosis. Marie Curie wants companies to simplify their processes and give customer-facing staff more training, alongside other measures. Find out more and sign the 'Make sadmin simple' petition.

THIS WEEK'S POLL

At what age should children get their own mobile phone? Deciding when to give your child a mobile phone can be a difficult decision. On the one hand, they're a great way to encourage independence; on the other, screen-time can be addictive. So this week, we're asking what age you think is appropriate for children to get their first mobile phone.

Monzo and Starling top our annual banking-app poll. Last week, we asked you to tell us how you rate your banks' mobile apps, for both features and usability - almost 18,000 of you responded. Rather unsurprisingly, it was the app-only banks that were rated highly. For Monzo, 84% of its customers rated it 'great' for features and 80% rated it 'great' for usability, while over 80% of Starling's customers rated it 'great' for both features and usability. Bottom of the pile was Co-op Bank, which was rated 'poor' by 34% for features and by 25% for usability. See full poll results.

MSE NEWS

- Top story: NS&I cuts Premium Bond prize rate to 4.15% - are they still worth it?
- Full State Pension set to rise for most by £362 (4.1%) and benefits by 1.7% from April 2025
- Ordering your Christmas food shop online? Here's when you can bag your supermarket delivery slots

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should I pay more towards our household costs? I moved in with my partner in 2016. He said he was happy to continue paying the bills himself as the house is his mum's, so we don't have a mortgage or pay rent - but he pays the mortgage on his mum's bungalow, which he built. He's now started moaning about his outgoings, so I worked out what I pay towards the household - for example, I do all the shopping - and it's more than his bills amount to. I've also bought every household item, such as bedding and utensils, and we split the cost of DIY 50-50, so I feel I'm already paying over and above for a house I'll never own. Should I offer to contribute more? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I pay more towards household costs? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

MSE TEAM BLOG

- MSE Forum highlights: Air fryers, allotments & armchairs
- New: 'I've shopped in charity shops for 30 years - here are my tips and the lessons I've learned'

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 22 OCT ONWARDS)

Tue 29 Oct - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10.20am
Tue 29 Oct - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 8pm

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