MY READS OF THE WEEK
- Now that we’re *actually* leaving the EU, young travellers might be relieved to know that nothing really changes until the end of the year. But as this helpfully explains, things could be very different after January 2021. I’m planning on increasing my European travel in the meantime to take advantage: you may want to do the same (and if so, make sure you read this).
- Criticism of ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ firms just won’t go away. This time, it’s Christians Against Poverty who have been raising the alarm after BBC News spoke to a group of grads from Salford University about the worrying ease of using these schemes.
- Monzo could be facing its first major PR crisis. More than a thousand people have joined a closed Facebook group called “Monzo stole our money” alleging that the bank has closed their accounts without warning and refused to refund money stolen by fraudsters. It comes after a controversial report aired on BBC’s Watchdog in October making similar claims. Miles Brignall at The Guardian has done a good write-up of the problems so far.
- Ruby Lott-Lavigna looked into adults who still get pocket money from their parents for VICE – and found it wasn’t just trustafarians who get a helping hand.
MY DEALS OF THE WEEK
My new obsession is finding free and discounted gym passes. Hussle offers affordable day passes to gyms across London. This means I don’t tie myself into an expensive commitment for 12 months and waste money: I buy a pass as and when I decide to go. Moreover, I have used the Hussle referral scheme where friends can get 50% off their first pass. This way, I managed to get £20 off a day pass to one of West London’s fanciest health clubs, meaning I got to use all the incredible facilities at Chelsea Health Club for a fiver! I have also taken advantage of free passes from DW Fitness and Nuffield in different parts of London and indeed the UK when I’ve had to travel for work.
I have waxed lyrical about HSBC’s generous offer to anyone who switches to its current account. But what if you regularly dip into your overdraft? The big banks have come in for some serious flak over their new overdraft regimes but if you switch to First Direct, you’ll get a £250 interest-free overdraft and £100 as a golden hello. So if you have an overdraft worth up to £350, you can pay some of it off AND continue to borrow for nowt.
