In a clip shared on TikTok, user @aribella_menold gained more than 4.1 million view on a video where she shows a receipt totalling $159.14 (£118.26) between three diners.
On the screen it states: “POV: You didn’t know what ‘mkt’ meant on the steak menu and now you’re paying for it”.
One user commented on the video: “Honestly, shame on your server for not informing you of the price when it’s clearly not listed.”
Another said: “I have never been anywhere where they told you the cost upfront unless you asked…. It’s totally the customer’s fault for not asking when there is NO PRICE LISTED.”
It means the price of the item can fluctuate
Experts at Dojo say: “In these situations, transparency from both sides is key.
“It’s likely the server assumed the customer was familiar with the pricing or would ask if unsure.
“To avoid confusion, diners should feel comfortable asking for clarification on any ‘MKT’-priced items.
“Equally, it’s good practice for servers to offer a prompt, such as: ‘Just to note, I can provide today’s price for any items listed as MKT upon request.”
Items that are most likely to have MKT pricing include seafood, due to some fish being more available during different seasons.
You can also get it with prime meat cuts, like steak, due to supply, demand and seasonal availability.
And you might not have guessed it but even fruit and veg can be impacted too, especially ones like berries and mushrooms, again due to seasonal supply.
Some ingredients will also be included, especially if they require importation such as caviar or truffles, as prices for these items often fluctuate.
HANGING up the phone after her landlord told her he’d be selling her home, Melanie Bentley-Moore looked out at the pouring rain and decided to leave the UK.
The mum-of-one, from Manchester, has now packed her bags to move across the world. Her rent will be half of what she pays back home, and she can eat out for just £1 a meal.
Melanie Bentley-Moore realised she had to leave the UK for good in favour of somewhere more affordableCredit: Kennedy Newsand MediaThe astrologist, 33, has sold all her belongings and will be jetting off to Asia with her son to live their ‘best lives’Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media
“I got a call from my landlord saying he’s selling, and I said, ‘Do you know what? I’m just going to leave the UK,’” Melanie, 33, tells the Sun.
“I’m scared, but obviously I’m doing it anyway.”
She has booked flights to Thailand in early September, and is staying at a friend’s house until then.
Explaining why she’s so desperate to move overseas, Melanie explained how Asia is much more affordable than the UK.
“Petrol, energy, food, you notice the food goes up in price; however, they decreased the packaging sizes,” she says.
There, she explains, she will be paying significantly less rent, with a “really nice apartment” costing around £400 a month, compared to the £750 she pays at home, and an evening meal just £1.
Melanie left the UK in 2017 to travel around Asia, using Vietnam as her main base.
But she returned to the UK two years later because she was missing chip shops and Nando’s.
Then her son Antares was born in 2020, and she decided to stay.
But astrologist Melanie claims she has wanted to “get back out there” ever since.
And she has slammed those who also yearn to leave the UK for sunnier shores, but just “talk” about it, and never move.
She has now sold all her belongings, and she and her son will be jetting off to Asia to live their “best lives”.
“Here it feels like we’re surviving; however, I know in Asia, where I’m heading, I’d be able to thrive instead,” she says.
“I wouldn’t get anxiety paying for a food shop, the contrast is massive.
“The energy here just feels heavy, it’s dark,” she says.
“There’s no room to grow. The majority of people are miserable because of all the stuff that’s going on, the cost of living, everything’s rising.
“I just don’t feel alive here, and I think that’s not just a ‘me’ problem either; everyone that I’m speaking to just feels soulless.
“I’m just bored, I can’t live ‘Groundhog Day‘, I can’t just continue this way.
“Just hearing everyone else complain, that weakens my spirit.
But Melanie is not only leaving because of the cost of living, she reckons everyone ‘feels soulless’Credit: Kennedy Newsand MediaThe single mum also wants to show her son ‘real life’, and she prefers the values in AsiaCredit: Kennedy Newsand Media
“Most people are miserable, and they’re always complaining; it seeps into everything.
“It’s like an infinite cycle of ‘rinse and repeat’ complaining. It’s just a feeling, I just don’t feel alive. It sucks the soul out of me.”
Explaining how she chose her destination, Melanie says “I lived in Asia for two years, so I’m very familiar with that area of the world.
“I was only meant to go for three months, but I ended up staying out there for a couple of years, travelling around Asia.
“My main base was Vietnam, I did some English teaching out there and came back home because it’s something random, I really wanted chippy and Nando’s.”
According to the single mum, she also wants to show her son “real life”, and she prefers the values in Asia.
And she has taken Antares out of school, as she prefers education systems where children start school later.
Discussing how she believes the move will positively impact her son, she says: “I’m going to do some charity work and volunteering with him. There is no better learning than real life.
“He’s only five, I prefer the Scandinavian way.
“In Scandinavia, there’s a reason why their children are the happiest and most successful because they don’t start school till they’re seven.
“With the values and stuff, life’s just better over there. It’s slower, it’s sunny, the scenes are beautiful, and you realise there is so much more to life than what I’m used to. It’s a completely different culture as well.”
Melanie has also said that she wants people to “follow their hearts”.
“It’s no good talking, there’s a lot of talkers out there – I ‘do’.
“I refuse to stay here in a life of struggle and misery. The energy is dark, it’s always raining, it’s grey.”
“I feel so soulless and miserable in this place, and I’m not doing it anymore, and I thought f*** this.”
“Life is for living and feeling joy and love and wonder, I don’t feel any of that here.
“There is something about England energy-wise that is just so off.”
Or try the locals’ fave, Lukács Thermal Bath, which has two outdoor pools, thermal pools and a sauna.
Entry costs £16.60, but upgrade to its beer spa, £62, and you can even sink into thermal water with therapeutic hops, while drinking unlimited beer from the taps beside (Lukacsfurdo.hu).
Feast on Ischler
Mezze around at TürkizCredit: Turkiz Budapest/Instagram
Step back in time at Bambi Cafe – opened in 1961, it still has red vinyl chairs and doily-like tablecloths from its Communist days.
Prices seem frozen too, with traditional Ischler cake of shortbread, jam and chocolate just £1.90, and a cappuccino £2.15 (Facebook.com/bambieszpresszo).
Find delicious sharing mezze, £13, at Türkiz (Turkizrestaurant.com), while in the Jewish quarter, a cocktail at Balagan is a must.
“Balagan” means chaos in Hebrew – this place is anything but – and the Runway Mango, mixed with Kendall Jenner’s tequila, £13, is like sipping an alcoholic Solero (Balagan.hu).
Spy crown jewels
Tour the Hungarian Parliament BuildingCredit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
The city’s Castle District is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the Buda Castle grounds are free to explore.
For the best views, climb the turrets of Fisherman’s Bastion or the 172 steps of Maria Magdalena Tower, £4.10 (Budacastlebudapest.com).
Admire the country’s crown jewels and more than 100 stained-glass windows at the Hungarian Parliament Building, where 50-minute guided tours cost £34 (Parlament.hu).
Later, check out the work of Budapest-born Robert Capa at the Contemporary Photography Centre, with 130 iconic images, from the D-Day landings to portraits of Picasso and Ingrid Bergman. Entry costs £11.80 (Capacenter.hu).
Meanwhile, the garden of sculptures at Koller Gallery is an unexpected and crowd-free delight, and entry is free (Kollergaleria.hu).
Hit the market
Fall for handmade stationery at Bomo Art – pretty designs include old city maps, fruit and foliage (Bomoart.hu).
You’ll find jewellery and ceramics by Hungarian designers tucked away in a courtyard at Paloma Artspace (Palomaartspace.hu), where Coque’ette has the softest leather purses, from £23 (Cqbrand.hu).
Fény Utca market on Sunday mornings has it all, from knitted animals to Harlequin’s mouth-watering rose-pistachio chocolates – and owner Krisztina happily offers samples (Fenyutcaipiac.hu).
Kip in a mansion
Bed down at Kimpton BemCredit: SuppliedHit the cute spa complete with steam room, hot tub and saunaCredit: SUPPLIED
Formerly a 19th-century mansion, the Kimpton Bem hotel has 127 boldly designed rooms inspired by Hungarian culture and folklore.
Expect Nespresso machines, power showers with Balmain toiletries and yoga mats.
Hit the cute spa complete with steam room, hot tub and sauna, then grab a stool to perch on at Bar Huso from 5-6pm for free fizz.
Feast on divine green-pea gnocchi, £15, at Agos restaurant, before heading up to Fennen Skybar for moreish Thirsty Madonnas – vodka, ginger and prosecco, £14 – as you watch the lights twinkle on the Danube.
A BUSTLING airport has hit overnight travellers with doubled drop-off rates.
This regional hub is officially pricier than Heathrow, the biggest airport in the UK.
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Bournemouth Airport has hiked up parking costs, with some charges doubling for visitorsCredit: GettyHolidaymakers will now have to pay £15 for a short-stay pick-up and drop-offCredit: Alamy
Bournemouth Airport has upped its short-stay pick-up and drop-off charges, with some fares doubled.
From June 1, motorists who use the pick-up and drop-off zone of the car park will now have to pay £8 for up to 30 minutes of parking – an increase of £2 from last year.
Stays between 30 and 60 minutes have doubled in price, now costing £15 to park, compared to £7.50 previously, with one to four-hour parking priced at £20.
Now, Bournemouth is charging more for its short stays than Heathrow Airport, despite being considerably smaller.
“People flying in after the Easter holidays were being charged £8 to leave and had no idea what was going on.
“We had told customers it would be £6 – you cannot suddenly charge them more.”
Over a million holidaymakers fly from Bournemouth Airport every year, handling over 10,000 take-offs.
Passengers can fly to over 40 locations from the Mediterranean to North Africa.
Now, those hoping to jet off from Bournemouth this summer have shared their anger at the price hike, with flyers calling it “ridiculously expensive” and “madness”.
Others called it a “rip off” and a “con”, with some criticising that the quality of the car park does not warrant the cost.
A spokesperson for Bournemouth Airport told the Bournemouth Daily Echo: “We understand that no-one welcomes increased charges, but our airport group is facing sharp rises in costs including a tripling of business rates, higher employment costs such as National Insurance and rising energy costs.
“At the same time, we continue to invest millions of pounds in maintaining the airport infrastructure needed to provide an essential public service in our regions.
“We cannot keep absorbing these increased costs without passing some of the additional burden on to our customers.”
POD hotels the latest hotel trend taking over – and another one has just landed in the UK’s capital.
Also known as capsule hotels, Japan started the trend back in the late 1970s.
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A new pod-based hotel has opened in central LondonCredit: OtherWanderOtherwander in Soho features both single and double pods or nestsCredit: Cyann Fielding
The main idea? Maximise space at the hotel and cut costs – and for guests this means a cheaper stay.
Otherwander has just opened in the very heart of Soho, approximately 30 seconds away from Oxford Street’s Elizabeth Line entrance.
As far as location goes, you can’t get much better with most of London‘s top spots within walking distance.
Stepping inside, I felt as if I had entered a swanky London office with a huge multicoloured LED screen and clinical white entry gates.
Before you arrive, Otherwander will send you a text with your pod (or nest as they like to call them) number as well as email you your Wanderpass, which is essentially your key to everything – getting into the hotel, getting into the lift, getting into your dorm and getting into your own nest.
You then use your Wanderpass to get through these gates.
To get in and around the hotel, you use your very own Wonderpass QR codeCredit: Cyann FieldingThe pass will even get you into your nestCredit: Cyann Fielding
Once on the other side, you’ll find the social area – which for a budget hotel is both surprisingly big and stylish (more on this space later).
To get to the floors with the pods – all 566 of them – you hop in the lift – once again scanning your Wanderpass.
Each floor is separated into different ‘dorms’, each packed with about 40 nests (which makes finding your own feel a little like going on a treasure hunt).
Once I eventually found my dorm and entered, it felt like a corridor of lockers, with the square doors actually being the doors to each nest.
When you book, you can opt between an upper or lower pod; I opted for an upper pod, which feels more like climbing into a UFO.
You can also choose between a double (£80 per night or £40 per person, per night) or a single (£70 per night).
In each dorm, there are a mix of single and double nestsCredit: Cyann FieldingSingle nests cost from £70 per nightCredit: OtherWander
I was surprised to find my upper double not boxy nor claustrophobic, despite being only the width of a standard double bed.
On either side of the bed is a handy elasticated pocket for your phone or book, with a USB and USB-C charging point next to each as well.
Down one side of the bed, you’ll find the air conditioning control system and lighting options including a reading light, night light and even surprise option, mine was colour-changing so ideal for post-club vibes.
You’ll also find a shelf, complete with a strap to secure your backpack or cabin-sized suitcase and three hooks for coats, jackets or towels.
On the other wall, the final feature is a rail with two towels on – though if you want another, you can rent one from a vending machine in the corridor, for £5 a time.
There is also a slight design flaw – a handy ‘wet tray’ is great for your shoes but if you pop your water bottle in its designated slot, you block the door from opening or closing.
As for the bed itself, while it a bit firm, was comfortable and the bedding felt as plush as you get in a more premium hotel.
The pod room didn’t feel stuffy either, despite the small space thanks to a high-tech purifying system too.
Double pods – like I stayed in – cost from £80 per night, which is equal to £40 per personCredit: Cyann Fielding
As for the door, it self-locks when you shut and on the back there is a small mirror, which was ideal for doing my makeup in the morning, as well as a QR code in case you need to communicate with staff.
If you start to feel a bit claustrophobic, there is a small window in the door with a shutter for privacy.
Being a pod hotel, don’t expect your own private bathroom.
You’ll have to head out to the main corridor on your floor where you’ll find men’s, women’s and mixed-gender bathrooms.
Downstairs there is also a social areaCredit: Cyann Fielding
The real test of this came at 3am when I had to crawl out of my pod backwards down the ladder and shuffle to the toilet, awaking all the motion-sensored lights and having to open my phone with blurry eyes, just to scan my Wanderpass to get back in.
The bathrooms do feel like a slice of luxury though, with terrazzo- style tiles lining the sinks and walls and music being played from the ceiling.
Each rain shower has heaps of room, so your items are safe from getting wet and there’s also free soap and shampoo.
Vanity areas are then kitted out with hairdryers and shaving sockets.
In the social area there are a few bookcases as well if you want to chill and read somethingCredit: Cyann Fielding
If you fancy being social, back downstairs you’ll find the hotel’s ‘guest-exclusive social hub’ with warm yellow lighting adding a glow to the space and complementing the burnt orange modular sofas.
It is the ideal space to hang out with other guests, work or even snuggle into a corner with a book – which you can pick up from shelves around the space.
There are even plans for live DJ drop ins in the future.
Fancy a pint? The back wall features several vending machines full of everything you could possibly want – even Moet champagne.
There are also a couple of coffee machines and if you have forgotten something, there’s even a vending machine with essentials from make- up wipes and deodorant to umbrellas and Uno cards.
If you have bigger luggage you don’t want to store in your nest, there are lockers you can rent on site.
The funky design throughout and clever lighting really does make you feel as if you are in a luxury space ship.
There’s also a number of vending machines with everything from Moet champagne to Uno cardsCredit: Cyann Fielding
At no point did I feel like I was steps away from the busiest street in the UK as it was completely silent (albeit there were very few guests in my dorm, so this might be different on busier days).
But while the hotel is a huge bargain, the rise of pod hotels in the city means there are other options that pip it to the post when it comes to being the cheapest in the city.
If sharing a double with someone, £40 each isn’t terrible – but £70 for a single pod – which obviously are much smaller – seems rather steep.
Other alternatives in London include a single pod at Zedwell’s Capsule Hotel in Piccadilly for £32, while a double room with an ensuite and breakfast included at Zedwell Soho for £77.
Not only that, but if you have a large suitcase (which many tourists do) the price will increase to pay for it to be stored.
If you fancy the novelty of a pod hotel – go for it – but if you are wanting to save cash, I think you can find better bargains elsewhere.
LOOKING back on all of her recent holidays, Helen Dalling recalled all the amazing adventures she had in such a short amount of time.
Over the course of one year, she managed to do more travelling that many could wish to do in a lifetime – and she did it without breaking the bank.
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Helen enjoyed the sunshine on the beach in Palma, SpainCredit: Jam Press/Helen DallingAn overnight trip to Amsterdam worked out at just £290 per personCredit: Jam Press/Helen Dalling
Seven countries, £2,000 spent, and more memories made than anyone could dream of.
It all started when Helen decided to see how many new places she could visit for as cheap as possible – and managed to keep costs low while making the most of each new adventure.
She did this by making each trip as short as possible, with some being ‘extreme day trips’ – where you fly in and out of a country within the same 24 hours – and others being just an overnight stay.
And despite packing in a full holiday experience each time, the total cost came in at around £1,600 including flights, airport parking, any hotels, sightseeing, food and drink, and spending money.
An overnight trip to Budapest cost Helen just £191Credit: Jam Press/Helen DallingHelen and her friend, Alina, jetted off to Palma recently for £120 eachCredit: Jam Press/Helen Dalling
“I’ve always loved travelling but as I’m getting older and I’ve got kids and I work full-time, I thought ‘I’m not going to see enough countries in the world,” Helen, who is from Milton Keynes, said.
“‘If I don’t start going to see a few of them, I need to do them quick and cheap’.
“That’s really why I started doing it.”
While Helen started her extreme day tripping in 2024, it was in 2025 that she really went all out – visiting seven new countries throughout the year. She headed to Paris, Budapest, Geneva, Split in Croatia, Prague, Amsterdam and several places in Spain in 2025.
The 55-year-old stayed just hours in some places, and spent the night in others, and visited most with friends, while others she headed to alone.
She added: “I went to seven brand new countries.
“That’s what I really wanted to do, I thought ‘I’ve never been to Hungary so let’s go to Budapest’.”
Cost breakdown for Helen’s 2025 trips
Paris – £139 (extreme day trip) Budapest – £191 (overnight) Alicante – £62 (extreme day trip) Malaga – £118 (extreme day trip) Geneva – £182 (extreme day trip) Split – £315 (overnight) Prague – £165.11 (overnight) Amsterdam – £290 (overnight) Geneva – £138 (extreme day trip) Total – £1,600.11
Helen says she tries to keep costs as low as possible, by regularly searching for bargains on the websites of different airlines she knows fly from her nearest airport, Luton.
She added: “When I went to Paris, I was basically just browsing on New Year’s Day, not doing much else and I spotted that you could get a flight to Paris for £13, one way and £12 the other.
“I just booked it – and then when I told a friend, she booked it too and came with me.
“The Budapest flights were about £8.99 each way, you can’t even get them that cheap anymore.
“I’ve done others that were £15-£20 return; I just book them – when I see the price, I just go for it.”
While Helen does some of her trips solo, she often has friends tag along for the day.
She says she treats her trips as “an opportunity to catch up with a friend.”
She added: “Instead of going to London for lunch, let’s go somewhere for the day.
“I did Geneva twice last year, but the second one I did at Christmas was with a real old friend of mine who is really into her food.
“So we went and did a foodie trip to the Christmas markets in Geneva and just went for the day, she’d never done one.
“Everybody that I’ve done one with has said ‘oh my God, that was amazing’.
“I’ve got a bit of a queue of people wanting to go as well, but only so much money.”
Of all her trips in 2025, Helen says her adventure to Budapest, which cost £191 for an overnight stay, was the best – particularly for its Thermal Baths.
She said: “We just fell in love with Budapest.
“Every time we did something else afterwards, I just said to my friend ‘it’s not Budapest though, is it? It’s not Budapest.’
“It was February when we did that but the sky was blue and we had the best time.
“It was super cheap and everything just worked.
“It was so lush.
“We were just sat in these massive pools of boiling hot water with the cold air on our skin, just going ‘this is amazing.’”
Helen shows no signs of slowing down with her bargain trips either, having already undertaken several in 2026.
She recently visited Palma, Mallorca with a friend, for under £120 each.
They spent the day exploring the city, visiting a sky bar restaurant for lunch, heading to the beach to swim and even stopping for iced coffee at a beach bar.
Most recently, Helen spent the night in Lithuania, and even visited Albania for the day.
She added: “ I’m always buzzing after a day trip.
“I would definitely do it again, it’s a great way to visit countries you’d never visit by going on one holiday a year.
“Last year I visited seven new countries and it’s liberating.”
Now, the fee change is being criticised, with passengers and drivers calling it “disgusting” and “mad”.
Meanwhile, taxi operators are being forced to warn customers that the charge will be part of their cab bill when rides are booked.
Mark Streeter, boss of Norwich’s Courtesy Taxis, told Norwich Evening News: “The main annoyance from our side is that we tell customers it’s an extra £5 or so, and now it’s gone up with no warning. So either the customer or the driver has to pay more than expected.”
Norwich Airport has responded to explain that the drop-off fee increase is a result of growing business costs and worsening energy prices.
A spokesperson for Norwich Airport told The Sun: “We understand that no one welcomes increased charges. But our airport group is facing sharp rises in costs, including a tripling of business rates, higher employment costs such as National Insurance and rising energy costs.”
Admitting that there is no choice but to rely on the public to absorb some of the growing costs, the spokesperson added: “At the same time, we continue to invest millions of pounds in maintaining the airport infrastructure needed to provide an essential public service in our regions.
“We cannot keep absorbing these increased costs without passing some of the additional burden on to our customers.”
Norwich’s change in drop-off policy comes alongside Stansted Airport‘s similar changes.
The London airport took its 15-minute express drop-off charge from £7 to £10 in March, with stays of up to 30 minutes now costing £28 instead of £25.
Meanwhile, London Gatwick‘s fee for a 10-minute drop-off now costs £10, up £5 from when it was first introduced in 2021.
