£1 kids’ books, magazine beauty freebies, free Angry Birds app, last chance cheap line rental, RBS/NatWest/Ulster refund info and more - these are just some of Martin Lewis' Real Deals.

The nature of deals is they move fast – prices, terms and stock levels can change rapidly, even while Martin’s on the programme (12th July), as so many people are checking them out. So go quickly, always double-check before spending or making a special trip, and check the terms and conditions.

Plus, while we hope these are cracking deals and save you cash; as Martin always says, if a specific deal involves spending and you can’t afford it, don’t need it, or won’t use it, please don’t do it.

Remember, deals can change quickly...

Web exclusive: £1 kids books

Until midday on 20 July, you can get kids’ books for £1 and £1.50 on the special Scholastic sale website (see the useful links) though you need to spend at least £10, so it’s a case of stocking up. Bargains include: The Gruffalo book and CD (was £5.99), Horrible Histories books (were £5.99) and Cookie by Jacqueline Wilson (was £12.99). There is a 20% postage charge on your total spend.  

RBS / NatWest / Ulster / Think Banking - How to reclaim costs

If you were, or still are affected by the RBS Group computer screw-up, you can get your money back. The computer crash left millions with unfair charges or costs as money didn't show in their accounts (and it’s still going on for many customers of Ulster Bank). This week, the RBS Group’s  boss has apologised and explained how to get a refund on all costs. Here’s what you need to know:

RBS will cover direct costs and credit score issues. The bank says it'll auto-refund all charges and interest due to this on overdrafts, mortgages, loans and credit cards. It will also refund charges from other banks and try to ensure your credit file's unaffected. This applies to:

All RBS, NatWest, Ulster and Think Banking (which isn’t part of RBS but uses its system) customers.

All others who were indirectly affected, eg, your employer banks with RBS so you weren't paid.

It will cover knock-on costs too. For example, the woman who couldn't check out of a hotel, so missed a flight and had to buy a new one. If anything like this has happened to you, keep receipts, paperwork and any proof.

You could ask it for time too. The Ombudsman can award up to £10/hour for time if it's been an extreme hassle, though this isn't guaranteed. If you've spent many hours, it is worth asking (no promises).

See the useful links for further info.

Big brand beauty freebies in magazines

As always, the key here is if the freebie costs more than the magazine, and you’re likely to have bought it or something similar anyway, then it’s worth buying it in the magazine deal even if you don’t read the mag. All these mags cost around £4 and are all August editions.

  • Red magazine has a Ren 15ml hand and body cream, a 15ml day cream and a 5ml eye gel (“worth” around £16 altogether) on the cover.
  • Elle has a 75ml St Tropez Gradual Tan on the cover (“worth” around £5).
  • Marie Claire has a few different Avon mascaras with a standard retail price of £8-£10 on the cover.
  • InStyle – here the freebies are vouchers, an Armani mini mascara and Shiseido cleanser worth about £7 and £6 respectively. Yet the supply is limited, so no guarantees and you’ll need to redeem the vouchers at an Armani counter for the mascara, or at a department store for the Shiseido cleanser.

Quickies

Travel by train? Free 20% off station eateries card:
Sign up for the free Bite discount card and use it to get 20% off food, hot and cold drinks and alcoholic beverages at certain eateries in railway stations across the UK, as well as selected coach stations. Also, if you've got a paper Bite card you'll need to re-register for the plastic version.

Last chance £6.29/month line rental:
At half BT's price, Primus Line Rental Saver's the UK's cheapest, but it jumps to £7.99/month on Friday. So, sign up now for a one-year contract at £6.29/month – to get this you must do it via the comparison website HomePhoneChoices. You don't get any inclusive calls with this Primus deal, so it's best for low call users.

Free Angry Birds Seasons full version:
A little bit of fun - grab the free Rovio Entertainment version of the Angry Birds game on your mobile or iPad from the Apple App store or via Android on Google Play for free. This usually costs 70p.

Travelex two hour flash currency sale:
Summer's nearly here (not that you'd notice). Travelex has a two-hour flash sale on US dollars today from 11am-1pm, and tomorrow it’ll have a sale on euros at the same time. Effectively it’s boosting the rate temporarily – useful as its airport rates are usually weak, although you can order for airport pick-up in the flash sale to boost them. If you’ve time, it’s best to do a full comparison of other providers to check how good the Travelex rate is.