IT’S been a year since ST Patrick’s Day has passed, but there’s no need to say goodbye to Irish cheer just yet.

There are plenty of ways to ensure that leftover Guinness doesn’t go to waste.

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So raise a glass to these ingenious ideas. . .

BAKE: Take your budget baking game to the next level and use your booze to prepare a traditional Irish soda bread.

Add half a pint, along with two tablespoons of treacle or molasses, to the traditional recipe for a hearty, dark loaf that’s ideal for toasting.

SWEET TREAT: Guinness makes brownies taste even better.

Pour a whole can or bottle into a saucepan and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.

Mix it into your recipe for delicious brownies that you won’t be able to stop chewing.

GET SAUCY: Make sensational sauces for meat, stews and pies with half a liter of the black stuff.

Guinness barbecue sauce is easy to make at home with ingredients you may already have at home.

Add a pint to a pan and heat slowly until reduced by half.

Add one cup of ketchup, two tablespoons of mustard and one tablespoon of honey, season the mixture and simmer for ten minutes until it thickens.

Once cooled, store in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Marinate chicken wings or drumsticks in the sauce for a few hours before cooking for a delicious dinner tonight.

GO GREEN: Grow your garden by repurposing leftover Guinness and using it as natural plant food.

It is 100 percent compostable and during lockdown the Guinness Brewery even sold the excess stout to use as plant food.

For your garden: dilute Guinness with water and get started.

SHINE ON: Take the hard work out of cleaning pots and pans by soaking them in Guinness.

It should loosen stubborn stains quickly.

The stout is also a great tool for adding shine to dull jewelry.

Simply soak for a few minutes and rinse with water to make your gemstones sparkle.

• All prices on the page are correct at the time of going to press. Offers and offers subject to availability.

Deal of the day

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PLAY all day with the Dolu water and sand activity table, reduced from £59.99 to £29.99 at Home Bargains.

SAVE: £30

Cheap treat

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Add a Nutella B-Ready snack bar to lunch boxes this week.

A pack of six has dropped from £2.25 to £1.65 at Tesco if you use a Clubcard.

SAVE: 60 cents

Great exchange

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WHAT a gorgeous mug!

You can enjoy a cup of tea with this beauty from Waitrose for £2.25, or head to Poundland for something similar for £1.25.

SAVE: £1

Shop and save

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GLOW on, head to Ikea and pick up the Arstid table lamp, previously £19, now permanent for £15.

SAVE: £4

PLAY NOW AND WIN £200

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Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.

Every month we give away £100 to 250 lucky readers. Whether you’re saving or just need some extra cash, The Sun can help.

Each Sun Savers code entered equals one raffle ticket.

The more codes you enter, the more tickets you earn and the greater your chances of winning!

SAVVY mum Shelley Ward has saved thousands of pounds a year thanks to several smart moves.

The 41-year-old from Manchester has even turned a regular hobby into a money-saver in a bid to boost her bank account.

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The green-fingered mother-of-one, who lives with daughter Elisha, 22, started growing her own vegetables three years ago when she was struggling to make ends meet, and hasn’t looked back since.

Shelley told The Sun: “I now grow a lot of my own food. I fill about 50% of my garden with seeds and vegetables.

“I think this will save me more than €600 per year.”

It was Shelley’s mother who planted the seed in her mind to take up this hobby.

“Mom is a wonderful gardener,” Shelley said. “Because I had very little money at the time, I thought: I would give vegetables a try.”

According to the gardener, it is easy to get started.

“All you need is some seeds and a place to grow them,” Shelley said.

“I got some boxes from eBay, known as ‘pallet collars’, for £12 and used them to make raised beds. My mother then helped me with pots and compost.”

From humble beginnings, Shelley now grows fourteen different vegetables every year.

“I go for things like tomatoes and potatoes, which are very useful in the kitchen,” she said

“But zucchini and cucumbers are definitely my favorite. They are easy to grow and you always have too many to eat, which means you can give items as gifts to friends and family.”

Shelley estimates she saves around £50 a week on her food bill in the summer.

“Being vegan, I usually just buy beans, legumes and rice to go with my home-grown vegetables,” she said.

“My daughter is a great cook, so I usually leave the recipes to her. She loves herbs and spices, so I planted a lot more this year.”

The tricky part, according to Shelley, is managing many different plants, because they all need specific conditions to thrive.

“As a beginner, I recommend starting small with your favorite vegetables and building up from there once you get the hang of it,” she said.

“I usually focus on fast-growing, high-yield staples that don’t take up too much space.”

According to Shelley, she spends about an hour a day gardening in early spring.

This includes preparing beds, reading books, planning the layout, sowing and maintaining lots of seedlings.

“It may seem like a lot, but I find it therapeutic,” she said.

“If you’re looking for something that’s less maintenance, you can opt for just herbs and potatoes, which don’t need much more than a little watering.”

If you’re keen to follow in Shelley’s footsteps, she recommends investing in essentials such as a compost bin, a rain barrel and a heated grow kit with a UV light source.

“You can then use lots of things you already have – such as toilet roll tubes that work well as seed pots, along with old tires or plastic containers,” she said.

“With just a small effort I was able to achieve enormous savings. This has made a big difference to the household finances.”

Shelley Ward

“Check prices to get a good deal on seeds, and don’t be afraid to ask around. People on allotments are often willing to exchange seeds and young plants.”

Shelley believes that making mistakes is all part of the learning process.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the years,” she said. “I once planted purple broccoli, but didn’t realize I needed to protect the plants from pests – and thus created a huge caterpillar farm.

“Within a week they ate almost everything down to the stem.”

Life has been hard at times for Shelley, and there are times when she has very little money.

That was a real incentive for her to save money wherever she could.

“I moved to Manchester in 2020 after a traumatic experience left me with complex post-traumatic stress disorder,” says Shelley.

“Just when I was feeling better, I was fired. Since this was during the lockdown, it became very difficult. And with my daughter in college, I found myself unemployed and alone.”

Fortunately, things started to improve for Shelley after she started therapy, as this led to her getting out into nature a lot more. This was also the point when she started gardening.

“Since I had very little money, I wanted to try vegetarian,” she said. “Things just grew from there.”

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Shelley is now in her first year studying horticulture online: the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Level 2.

Growing her own food is just one of the many methods the savvy mom uses to save money.

“I also taught myself how to make chutney,” she said. “I often give jars as gifts to friends. This saves me the cost of buying presents. I think this will save me about €200 per year.”

Shelley’s tips to boost your bank balance

Another hack that Shelley swears by is using Topcashback before purchasing anything online.

This is one of the top cashback sites where you can earn money just by shopping at retailers through their website.

The process is simple. Once you’ve found a deal on something you want, you can contact cashback sites to see if they have an offer.

If you find one, click through to your chosen merchant and the kickback will usually be deposited into your account within 30 days.

Shelley said: “I love voucher sites and discount sites, but Topcashback is my favorite because there are so many stores on the site.

“One of the ‘biggest’ amounts I got was £50 cashback from a big shopping trip at Sephora.

I spent almost £500 on a lot of things including a Dyson hairdryer and toiletries.”

At Christmas she earned around £29 cashback from Superdrug after spending around £150 on presents.

Shelley added: “Overall I think I made around £200 from Topcashback last year.”

The smart mother tends to plow her earnings back into the garden.

“I’ve just bought a £200 ‘hot compost’ bin,” she said.

“This in turn saves me up to £200 on the cost of buying compost. Not only does it save me money, but it also means I am gardening in a more sustainable way.”

When Shelley needs to buy food, she always shops online.

“That way I don’t get tempted by extra stuff,” she says.

“I also do a price comparison between different stores to make sure I’m paying the lowest possible price for my basket of goods.”

Not only is Shelley an expert in the garden, she’s also a bit of a DIY pro.

“I’ve taught myself a whole set of skills so that I can save costs by not having to hire professionals,” she says.

“I cleared a load of concrete from my garden last year with a ‘concrete breaker’, which was scary but fun.

“My advice to others is not to be afraid to learn a new skill.

“I’m definitely a ‘jack of all trades, master of none.’ But I like the challenge – and the money it saves me.”

Shelley estimates that doing chores herself will have saved her more than £1,000 by 2023.

Additionally, she has learned how to perform her own beauty treatments.

“I dye my own hair and do my own nails,” she said.

“This is another good way to reduce expenses and probably saved me £100 last year.”

All told, Shelley thinks that by combining a whole host of clever hacks – growing her own vegetables, making her own gifts, checking cashback, getting the lowest price on her groceries, doing her own chores and performing her own beauty treatments – she’s got it saved a whopping £3,000 last year.

She added: “With just a little effort I have been able to make huge savings. This has made a big difference to the household finances.”

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RING doorbell owners are being warned that their subscription costs will increase within days.

Last month, the Amazon-made device revealed that the cost of its Protect Basic plan will increase by 43 percent.

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Protect Basic backs up video recordings from one doorbell device and stores them in the cloud.

It also enables several bonus features such as rich notifications and smart alerts.

The price increase will take effect on Monday, March 11.

Those who pay monthly will now have to pay £4.99 instead of £3.49 – an increase of £1.50.

And people who choose to pay for a year in advance will face a £15 increase, from £34.99 to £49.99 for the 12 months.

Martin Lewis, 51, last month revealed a trick to avoid the subscription increase.

But you have to do it before the new prices come in for good on Monday.

This way you prevent a price increase for Ring subscriptions

Users can cancel immediately and they should receive a pro-rata refund for the remainder of their subscription – it’s penalty-free, too.

You can then take out an annual subscription until March 11 for the current price of € 34.99.

This step may result in the loss of saved videos, so check this first and consider your options.

Another, more obvious solution that could save you even more money is of course to do away with the subscription altogether.

You can still answer the Ring doorbell in real time to whoever is at the door, but you can’t save videos.

AFTER many wears, favorite items of clothing can start to look tired. But you don't have to replace your trusted items.

Try these tricks to get your outfits back to their best. . .

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TO DYE FOR: Washing can cause clothes to fade over time. But a quick recolor does wonders. If you have stained light clothing, staining can also hide stains, making items wearable again.

Dylon machine dye is easy to use: you just need to put it in one cycle, along with the items you want to color. The dye costs from £6 on Amazon and there are a host of shades to choose from.

DAAAAAA BUBBLE: Daily use, but also washing and drying, can cause some fabrics to pill, causing small bumps to form on the surface.

You can buy a special cloth shaver; Dunelm has one for £7.99. Or I've discovered that a blunt disposable razor works just as well. Just run the blade gently over the surface and it will catch the bumps easily.

Remove lint from the razor as it begins to accumulate. Turn clothes inside out when washing to prevent this future pilling.

SMELL FRESH: Tops and sportswear can sometimes smell like sweat, even after washing.

To banish the pong, take a cup of white vinegar and the same amount of baking soda and mix it with cold water in the sink.

The vinegar also tackles yellow sweat stains on clothing. Soak clothing in the mixture for 30 minutes to an hour before putting it through a normal washing cycle.

And it is best to avoid fabric softener when washing sweaty clothes, because, according to sports brand Nike, it can leave a layer on clothing that traps bacteria and odors.

BUTTON UP: Missing or damaged buttons can make clothes look sloppy. Replace a shirt or vest in the same way or give it a new jacket by choosing a few new buttons.

There are tons of styles to choose from on Amazon. You can buy packs of ten from £4.

• All prices on the page are correct at the time of going to press. Offers and offers subject to availability.

Deal of the day

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Get more use out of your outdoor space in the colder months with this fire pit. It has dropped from £74.99 to £59.99 on robertdyas.co.uk.

TO RESCUE: £15

Cheap treat

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Do you WANT flowers for spring? This floral mug, £2.99, from The Range will do the trick.

Great exchange

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CHARLOTTE Tilbury's Pillow Talk lipstick, £27, from sephora.co.uk is the perfect matte nude pink.

But L'Oreal's satin lipstick in the same shade, beige a nu, is the perfect dupe – it costs £8.99 from Superdrug.

TO RESCUE: £18.01

PLAY NOW AND WIN £200

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Join the thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.

Every month we give away £100 to 250 lucky readers. Whether you're saving or just need some extra cash, The Sun can help.

Each Sun Savers code entered equals one raffle ticket.

The more codes you enter, the more tickets you earn and the greater your chances of winning!

A SIMPLE PlayStation trick can save you so much money every year.

If you own a PS5, there's a clever feature that can help you save on your gaming costs in two big ways.

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It's the wishlist feature that comes standard on your PlayStation 5.

The first major benefit of wishlist games you'll want to play is sale notifications.

When a game you have placed on your wishlist is discounted in the official Sony store, you will be notified.

This can save you money in the long run because you can just wait for deals – instead of buying games at full price.

But there is a second benefit that is often overlooked.

One PS5 owner revealed it in a post on Reddit: “I just discovered this. If you have a game on your wishlist, you will be notified when that game becomes available as part of the PS Plus service.”

PS Plus is a monthly subscription that gives you access to an ongoing collection of popular games.

It means you can play those games without having to buy them right away.

And if a game on your wishlist ends up in the PS Plus collection, you will receive a notification.

So it's worth being very liberal with it the games that your wish list.

One user replied: “It's one of my favorites functions. A great notification to wake up to.”

Another said: “It's great, isn't it? That's why I use my wish list all the time now.”

One added: “I've been reading a lot of stuff on PlayStation lately as I just got one and this was one of the best tips.”

To add a PS5 game to your wishlist, you can simply press the heart icon in the PlayStation online store or app while viewing a game.

You can then use the heart icon in the store's main menu to view the wishlist.

Notifications come via the PS5, but also on your iPhone or Android if you use the app.

Remember, the more games you add to your wishlist, the more likely you are to snag a deal for yourself and save some money.

AN Amazon Fire TV Stick user has revealed a money-saving trick for anyone looking to upgrade their device.

Overtime it can slow down your Amazon Fire TV Stick just like any other gadget.

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The online retailer routinely releases brand new versions with improved technology every few years.

And while you may not want to say goodbye to your existing Fire TV Stick just yet, some who took the plunge say it was worth it for the big performance boost.

This is especially the case if you are experiencing a poor WiFi connection.

A bargain hunter also reveals a way to upgrade without paying full price.

They decided to go with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which not only has more storage space but also supports Wi-Fi 6E for smoother 4K streaming.

“I just upgraded my two older fire sticks, which were in difficult WiFi locations, and I couldn't believe the difference,” the person wrote on Reddit.

“What I thought was mainly a Wi-Fi issue was actually just an older slow processor problem, along with the bloat over time of the operating system and the few apps I use.”

Save money on an upgrade

There are also some tricks to get some money off your next Fire TV Stick.

Firstly, you can opt for a refurbished device that is officially certified by Amazon.

The retailer offers this for a number of gadgets.

All products have been professionally inspected and Amazon says they have been “tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.”

In addition, you get a one-year warranty.

For example, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max will cost £57.99 instead of £69.99 if you get an update.

Another money-saving hack is to trade in your old Fire Stick.

You get an Amazon Gift Card and 20 percent off a brand new one.

Find out how to trade in here.

All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have changed since then.

Always do your own research before making a purchase.

PANCAKE Day marks the beginning of Lent – ​​the six-week period leading up to Easter.

The religious holiday is traditionally an opportunity for households to give up something as a sign of sacrifice and a test of self-discipline.

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Most people normally use the 40 day period to give up chocolate, alcohol or meat.

But you can also turn Lent into a savings challenge, giving your bank account a well-deserved boost in the run-up to Easter.

Naomi Willis, co-founder of the Skint Dad websiteshared three such savings challenges that could help you reclaim hundreds of pounds together.

Ditch eating out and takeaways and save £145

Ditch those Friday night takeaways or fast food orders after a stressful day and cook all the meals yourself.

Naomi said the simple switch could save you £145, if you order two takeaways a week costing £12 each.

She added: “It's a great opportunity to get creative in the kitchen. Plus, cooking together can be a fun family activity.”

Cancel streaming services – save £28

Canceling TV or music subscriptions permanently can be a difficult task, especially when it comes to a young family.

But it's more manageable to give them up for 40 days, and after a short break you may realize you can do without them.

And with platforms like Amazon Prime raising prices in recent weeks, it can be a good time to think about different ways to entertain yourself.

Ditch the standard memberships of Amazon Prime and Netflix and Disney+ and you'll save £28 for 40 days.

Naomi said: “You're generally not locked into a long contract, so subscription services are very easy to cancel to get money back into your bank account quickly.

“You can spend your time with a game night, exploring the local parks, or having a movie night at home with movies you already own.

“If you get tired of the selection, you can rent cheap DVDs from your local library or try bartering with your friends and neighbors.”

Walk or cycle more – save £180

If you can, cycling or walking instead of driving is a quick way to save money and stay fit.

Naomi said you could do this during Lent and you could make about $180, based on a family spending $30 a week on gas for their car.

If you stay fit enough to cancel your gym membership, you can also save a few extra dollars over the 40 days.

With train fares expected to rise by 4.9% from March 2, there is an additional reason to cut back on the use of public transport.

How else can you save money this Lent?

It's not just cutting back on subscription services, transportation or eating out that will save you money this Lent.

Barclays previously announced You can save on the sun in nine other areas.

Clare Francis, director of savings and investments at the bank, said: 'Many of us see Lent as a great time to commit to a goal, test our willpower or kick a habit.

“Putting aside the money you would otherwise have spent is an easy way to boost your savings.”

Here are just a few of the additional ways the bank says you can save money this Lent.

Fizzy drinks – £24

Brits guzzle an estimated six cans of soft drinks a week, meaning if you skip the forty days of Lent you could save £24.

That's based on purchasing individual Coca-Colas from Asda, which is selling three for £2 at the time of writing.

Chips – £40

Your daily bag of Walkers cheese and onion crisps is another unnecessary expense you can do without.

Throw away a £1 pack a day for 40 days and you'll save yourself a total of £40, without much sacrifice.

Cigarettes and vaping – £180

This might be the best time to quit smoking and save £180 just in Lent.

That's based on two packs of 20 cigarettes from Tesco and Sainsbury's costing £30. Ditch two vapes a week and you'll save £32.

Where to put your savings

There are plenty of places to deposit your Lent savings, starting with an easy-to-access savings account.

The accounts are designed to have minimal restrictions and typically no fees are charged for withdrawals at any time.

According to Moneyfacts, Leeds Building Society currently offers the most competitive, easy-to-access savings account, at 5.10%.

Next is Paragon with 5.05% and then Coventry Building Society with 5.03%.

Another option for saving is a savings account with a fixed interest rate.

These usually offer the best interest rates, but you cannot access the money within an agreed time frame or you will be fined.

Currently the best fixed rate bonds on the market are from Allica Bank, which offers 5.20% on a twelve-month term, and Investec, which offers a one-year bond at 5.15%.

You can also pay your savings into an ISA, close a savings account and more.

Websites like MoneySavingExpert.com allow you to compare the best savings accounts and determine which one suits you best.

It's worth also checking out price comparison sites such as GoCompare, MoneySupermarket and Moneyfacts.

Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.

Moreover, you can join us Sun Money chats and tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories.

MARTIN Lewis has shared a way to avoid Ring Doorbell's upcoming subscription price increases.

The Amazon-owned company faced anger from customers after announcing that the cost of its Protect Basic plan will increase by 43 percent next month.

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From March 11, monthly subscribers will now have to pay £4.99 instead of £3.49 – an increase of £1.50.

And those who choose to pay for a year in advance will face a £15 increase, from £34.99 to £49.99 for the 12 months.

Charges are per device, so if you have more than one Ring product, you'll pay

Protect Basic backs up video recordings of your doorbell stored in the cloud, and unlocks several bonus features like enhanced notifications and smart alerts.

Customers didn't take the announcement well last week, calling it “completely outrageous” and “insane.”

“Great job destroying your subscriber base! #ring #PriceHikeDisaster,” one user wrote.

“There can be no other acceptable justification for this rip-off other than greed and contempt for your customers,” said another.

'Then that's a farewell to me. Totally disgusting.'

Beat the price increase

But the Money Saving Expert, 51, has revealed a trick to prevent price increases for a year.

“I know many are annoyed so there is a possible solution,” he tweeted.

Martin Lewis says users can cancel today and get a pro-rata refund for the remainder of their subscription – it's penalty-free too.

You can then take out an annual subscription before March 11 for the current price of £34.99. After that it goes up to £49.99.

However, he does warn that this step may result in the loss of saved videos, so check this first and consider your options.

Another, more obvious solution that can save you even more money is to do away with the subscription altogether.

You can still answer the Ring doorbell in real time to whoever is at the door, but you can't save videos.

How do I cancel my Ring subscription?

Follow these instructions to cancel your Ring subscription:

• Go to Ring.com and log in to your account
• Search at the top Protection plan and click on it
• Find your subscription and click Cancel subscription
• Click Get on
• Choose between canceling immediately or at the end of the billing cycle. You need to click on the first one to take advantage of the above trick
• Click Cancel ring protection to confirm

IF your Fire Stick remote keeps dying, you don't need to go through with issuing new batteries.

Fellow Amazon Fire Stick owners have revealed a home remedy that can save your remote from swirling battery drain.

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A Fire Stick user experiencing rapid battery drain took to Reddit to share the issues and seek advice.

“I used up a whole pack of batteries in four days,” the newspaper wrote after.

“I want to buy a replacement remote, but I'm afraid the same thing will happen to the new one. Has this happened to anyone else? If so, how did you solve the problem?”

The customer claimed that their Fire Stick lasted less than 24 hours, even with batteries fresh out of the box.

It turns out that the customer was one of many Fire Stick owners experiencing the same problem.

But there are two tricks customers can use to avoid buying more batteries – and one of them is free.

Rechargeable batteries

The first trick is to buy rechargeable batteries – which is cheaper than spending a lot of money on a new Fire TV setup.

“The Amazon Fire TV Stick Remote is exactly why I bought rechargeable batteries and I only use them for the Fire Stick Remote,” one savvy shopper shared on Reddit.

“It saves me a lot of money. I mean, I don't need a battery charge in four days, but my Fire Stick remote drains the batteries faster than anything else I have.

“I'd honestly buy rechargeable batteries and the charger if I were you. You really only need four so you can charge two while using two.”

They weren't the only customer using rechargeable batteries to revive their dying remote control.

A second customer added: “I ended up buying rechargeable batteries, spoke to customer service and they did nothing.”

Fire TV app

The Amazon Fire TV app is free to download and offers the same functions as your remote control.

So you can play, pause and fast-forward content with your smartphone instead of your remote control.

The app is available on the Google Play Store for Android devices, as well as the Apple App Store for iPhones.

Return your Amazon Fire Stick

If your newly purchased Fire Stick drains quickly, you may be eligible for a replacement under Amazon's warranty.

The Bank of England held the base rate again at 5.25 per cent last week, sticking at the level it has been at since August last year.

But while the Bank’s benchmark rate hasn’t budged, savings and mortgage rates have dropped substantially in recent months as markets anticipate base rate cuts later this year.

This is good news for borrowers, with the best five-year fixed mortgage rates now below 4 per cent – compared with about 5.5 per cent at their peak last summer.

But it’s bad news for savers, who have also seen fixed rates tumble from their highs – the best one-year fixed rate deal is now 5.16 per cent, a far cry from NS&I’s blockbuster 6.2 per cent offer in early September.

The big question for both borrowers and savers is whether now is a good time to fix. 

For those who need a mortgage, it’s about whether rates are attractive enough to lock in, how long to do so for – and whether they’d save money by waiting.

For savers, it’s a question of whether they should take the chance to bag rates above 5 per cent now, before they are all gone.

Muddying the waters is the fact that both mortgage and savings rates are also dependent on money market sentiment – and this means they could move up or down independently of what the Bank of England decides.

In a shining example of that, even as the Bank of England held rates and opened the door to cuts coming this year, Britain’s biggest building society announced it was hiking mortgage costs.

So, what should you do with your mortgage and savings? In our definitive guide on whether to fix, we look at the forecasts for interest rates, savings and mortgages and ask our panel of savings and mortgage experts what they would do.

What has happened to savings rates?

After years in the doldrums, savers have started to get much better rates since the Bank of England stared raising the base rate.

As with mortgages, savers have seen a couple of points where savings rates have rapidly accelerated. Most notably, this occurred over summer last year, when almost every day brought a flurry of rate rises from banks and building societies.

The biggest battle ground was shorter term fixed rate savings deals, particularly one and two-year fixed rate bonds.

The high water mark came with NS&I’s 6.2 per cent one-year fixed rate Guaranteed Growth Bond. This was launched at the end of August last year and lasted just over a month before it was pulled at the start of October.

The top one-year fixes now pay just under 5.2 per cent. 

Easy access savings deals lagged fixed rates as they accelerated over the summer, but as the latter have been cut back, they are now at a similar level to fixes and broadly similar to where they were in September.

Will fixed rate savings keep falling?

The big concern for savers is that fixed rates will continue their downward trajectory and This is Money and the Mail’s Savings Guru, Sylvia Morris warns that not only is this likely to happen but easy access rates will probably follow them down too. 

She says: ‘Rates on these accounts are aligned with the Bank of England base rate rather than the money markets. 

‘As soon as the Bank cuts its base rate, providers will be quick off the mark in culling the rates on their easy-access accounts. 

‘They could even cut them earlier if providers think a future cut looks inevitable.’

The decline in fixed savings rates has come despite the Bank of England holding base rate steady since August. The answer to why lies in the fact that fixed-rate savings are priced based on money market rates, which reflect what markets think will happen to base rate in future. 

This means fixed savings rates can often run ahead of what the Bank of England does, hence the substantial cuts in recent months.

A potential silver lining for savers is that markets may have overcooked their expectations for how soon and how swiftly the base rate will fall, this could stem the tide of cuts and even see a few rises.

What are the best savings rates now?

The top one-year fixed rate in This is Money’s independent best buy savings tables is now Smartsave’s 5.16 per cent account.

The top two-year fixed rate is Close Brothers’ 4.95 per cent deal and the top five-year fixed rate pays even less, with Smartsave offering 4.36 per cent. 

The top deal in This is Money’s easy access savings tables is Coventry Building Society’s Triple Access Saver at 5.15 per cent.

The best one-year fixed rate in This is Money’s cash Isa tables is Shawbrook Bank’s 4.98 per cent account, while the best easy access cash Isa is Zopa’s 5.08 per cent account.

Should you fix your savings?

Right now, you can earn the same rate of around 5 per cent whether you leave your money in an easy-access account or tie it up for a year or two.

It’s unusual to get the same rate. Normally you are paid extra for agreeing not to touch your money for a year or more.

The parity has come about because fixed rate bonds have already priced in the fact that interest rates are expected to fall in the coming months while easy-access rates haven’t.

Fixed-rate bonds already dropped from a high of 6 per cent plus for one year in the autumn to just over 5 per cent at best now, even though the base rate has stayed steady at 5.25 per cent since last August.

The verdict: Savers might be tempted into a state of inertia by thinking they have already missed the best rates and there’s no point bothering now. But fixed rate deals above 5 per cent beat inflation and look great value compared to what banks offered a few years ago.

Don’t tie up money in fixed rate savings that you may need for a rainy day – this should go into an easy access account, where you can get it quickly – but our experts say that savers with larger pots should lock some of it in to good rates.

Shorter term fixed rate savings look most attractive and give an extra degree of flexibility over five-year deals. Those willing to tie up savings for five years, should potentially consider whether they should be investing it instead.

Whatever they do, savers should preferably do it through a cash Isa. Rising rates have dragged more people into paying savings tax, as their interest rises through the personal savings allowance that is set at £1,000 for basic rate taxpayers and £500 for higher rate taxpayers. 

What has happened to mortgage rates?

Since the base rate started going up in 2021, mortgage rates have soared – adding hundreds of pounds to monthly payments for those who have had to remortgage.

An estimated 1.6 million mortgage borrowers will come to the end of two or five-year fixed rate mortgages this year, on which they are likely to have been paying 2 per cent interest or less and now face rates at about 5 per cent.

On a £200,000 mortgage over a term of 25 years, this would mean monthly payments rising from £885 to £1,235 – an increase of £350 per month.

This prospective payment shock means the mortgage market over the past 18 months has been a nerve-racking rollercoaster ride for homeowners.  With ups and downs along the way, most notably the post-Liz Truss mini-Budget spike and then a sudden inflation-driven mortgage shock over summer.

The average two-year fixed mortgage rate is now 5.56 per cent, according to Moneyfacts, and the average five-year fix is 5.18 per cent.

These rates are much higher than many borrowers had become used to over the past decade, but they have come down substantially from their peak last summer – a trend that accelerated in recent weeks.

As recently as mid-December, those averages were 5.99 per cent and 5.59 per cent. In summer 2023, they were even higher at 6.86 per cent and 6.37 per cent.

The best fixed mortgage rates are considerably lower than average rates, with NatWest offering a five-year fix at 3.89 per cent.

‘The good news is that rates are much better for both two and five-year fixes than they were last summer when they spiked,’ says David Hollingworth, mortgage expert at broker L&C and This is Money’s mortgage columnist.

‘However, they will still be higher than the ultra-low fixed rates that may be coming to an end now, so many will be facing a jump in payments.’

Will fixed rate mortgages keep getting cheaper?

There was a rush of rate reductions in early January, but the pace of these has slowed and further dramatic cuts seem unlikely.

Instead, experts suggest home loan cuts have run ahead of the Bank of England predict mortgage rates will gradually move down as we get closer to the first base rate cuts. These are currently forecast for May or June.

Nicholas Mendes, mortgage technical manager at broker John Charcol, says: ‘Depending on inflation data and the wider economic and political landscape, we could see five-year fixed rates go below 3.5 per cent in the second half of this year. Similarly, two-year fixed rates could break the 4 per cent benchmark.

‘But nothing can be taken for granted when it comes to market sentiment. With a general election around the corner, global instability, and core inflation remaining at 5.1 per cent, we are certainly not out of the woods yet.’

And it’s even possible that mortgage rates could rise from here. Following the January round of aggressive cuts, some mortgage lenders have put costs up in recent weeks, most notably Nationwide and Santander.

However, experts say some banks were merely correcting their rates as they had been slightly over-confident with  New Year price cuts, and that this does not necessarily indicate further rate rises to come.

At some points, lenders offered mortgage rates cheaper than swap rates – the forward-looking indicators which predict where base rate will be two or five years in the future.

‘[Pricing based on swap rates] means lenders can be over-reactive or over-confident at times,’ Mendes explains. ‘They typically price their products a fortnight in advance, which means they can be caught out if the market moves quickly.’

What are the best mortgage deals now?

The cheapest five-year fix available is with NatWest and has a rate of 3.89 per cent, charging fees pf £1,544. This is for those who have a 40 per cent deposit or equity.

On a two-year fix the cheapest rate is 4.17 per cent with Halifax, again for someone with a 40 per cent deposit and charging a £1,099 fee.

Someone with a 25 per cent deposit or equity could get a 4.04 per cent rate with Nationwide, also charging a fee of £999.

On a five-year fix, they could get a two-year fix with Nationwide at 4.25 per cent, charging a £999 fee.

With a 10 per cent deposit, the best five-year rate is with Virgin Money. It has a rate of 4.40 per cent and a £1,009 fee.

For a two-year fix, Nationwide offers a 4.86 per cent rate with a £999 fee.

These figures are based on a mortgage on a £250,000 home, taken on a 25-year term. 

You can find the best mortgages for your home value and loan size using This is Money’s mortgage search tool.  

It is also important to remember that the lowest rate may not be the best deal – especially if it comes with a large fee. You can calculate the overall cost of a mortgage, including any fees, using our calculator.

Should you fix your mortgage and how long for?

Most mortgage borrowers still prefer the security of a fixed rate. 

But many people are now opting for two-year fixes instead of five, even though these are more expensive. This is because they think mortgage rates will have fallen by the time their deals end in 2026, and they can switch on to a cheaper deal at that point.

Mark Harris, chief executive of broker SPF Private Clients, says: ‘While five-year fixes have fallen below 4 per cent in some instances, some clients are opting for shorter, two-year fixes in the hope that by the time they come to remortgage again, rates will be more palatable and they will be fixing for longer at a lower rate.’

While most forecasts currently predict cheaper mortgage rates in two years’ time, it is impossible to be certain. 

If they find a five-year fix that they can comfortably afford, some borrowers may prefer to have the security of knowing what their monthly payments will be for a longer term. They will also be on a slightly cheaper rate for at least the first two years.

‘There’s no guarantee rates will fall in two years, and five-year fixes currently offer lower rates, so it’s a tough call,’ says Hollingworth.

For those who are willing to put up with some volatility in exchange for potentially getting a cheaper rate sooner, another option is to take a tracker mortgage following the base rate for now, and then jump on to a fix once rates fall to a level they are comfortable with. 

Trackers usually follow the base rate, plus a certain percentage. For example, one of today’s cheapest trackers is from Skipton Building Society, offering a rate of base plus 0.79 per cent, which currently means the borrower would pay 6.04 per cent, as well as a £995 fee. 

To do this, they will need to make sure they can afford the initial repayments – which will probably be higher than on a fixed rate – and choose one with no charges if they exit early.

Skipton’s deal, for example, tracks for two years but there are no early repayment charges. 

Verdict: If you need to remortgage at a certain point, experts say don’t hang around paying a lender’s expensive standard variable rate while you wait to act.

Instead, make the decision on whether to fix and how long for – or if you want to take a punt on rates falling, get a base rate tracker deal.

The message from our panel of experts is that most people should fix but they need to decide how long for.

Fixing for two years is popular and markets believe interest rates will be lower when those deals end but there is no guarantee of that and mortgage rates have already come down substantially form their highs. A two-year fix also means paying a higher rate for at least the first 24 months and a fresh set of fees to remortgage in 2026.

A five-year fix gives security of payments and starts cheaper and if you have a big deposit rates look far more attractive than they once were. 

The advantage mortgage borrowers have over savers is that they can speak to brokers, who will give them regulated advice on what to do and search the market for the best deal for them. Some brokers, such as This is Money’s partner L&C are fee-free and only earn their money through commission from the lender (others charge a fee and take commission).

You can lock into a fix with many mortgage lenders up to six months in advance with no commitment to take it – if rates fall between now and then you could swap to a cheaper deal. So if your mortgage is up for renewal before summer, act now, seriously consider fixing and speak to a broker.