50p/litre off petrol with extreme couponing, lock in debts at 5.9%, Verbaudet code and zoo 2for1s – these are just some of Money Saving Expert 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 (26 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: £15 off £20 at Vertbaudet
Until 31 January new customers can enter the code 4698 online at Vertbaudet to get £15 off a £20 or more spend at the babies’, kids’ and maternity online retailer. In other words, spend £20 but only pay £5, though delivery’s £3.99.
Lock in existing card debts at 5.9% for life
If you've costly credit card debt, a balance transfer means you get a new card that pays off your existing one, so you now owe it instead. Normally we talk about short-term 0% deals, which if you can repay within 18 months or so, are the winners. Yet for those who need longer to repay or can’t be certain of their repayment ability, the holy grail is a permanently low rate for life. Sadly, they haven’t been around for nearly a year – until now.
Accepted new MBNA Rate for Life cardholders (you’ll be credit-scored – so not everyone will get it) get a fixed 5.9% APR for life, and for transfers within the first 60 days it’s a one-off fee of 1.5% of the amount transferred. “For life” means that rate lasts as long as you have the shifted debt on the card.
There are some important warnings though. Do repay at least the minimum each month, or you can lose the special rate and it’ll cost you much more - the easiest way is by direct debit. Plus, balance transfers after the 60 days and spending on the card are at a much higher rate – so avoid this, by simply shifting your existing debts to this card – then lock it away and pay it off as quickly as you can.
Zoo 2for1s
There’s currently a number of 2for1 offers on at different zoos – though as always, check for exclusions before using.
You can get a 2for1 voucher to use at Dudley Zoo from the VisitHeartofEngland website, and a 2for1 voucher for Drayton Manor Zoo from the VoucherCodes website.
Plus, at Chessington Zoo, London Zoo and Isle of Wight Zoo, you can currently get 2for1 entry from the Days Out Guide website. To make these valid you need to take the voucher from the Days Out Guide website and a National Rail ticket to that destination on the day. However, as these tickets can cost up to £23 and you can get a rail ticketfor just a few quid, it’s worth popping into a station to buy one even if you’re not using it.
50p/litre off fuel via extreme couponing
The key here is ‘voucher stacking’ where you can combine vouchers on one fuel redemption. Normally it’s not allowed, but with these Tesco vouchers it is.
To get a 10p off a litre voucher you need to buy either a bumper sized Fairy non-bio powder pack, 4 x Heinz tomato ketchup, 2 x 9 packs Andrex toilet tissue, Nescafe Gold Blend or 2x Robinsons double concentrate – and these can be costly, eg, the Nescafe is £7.
These vouchers can then be stacked to give up to 50p/litre discount - saving £25 on a 50 litre fill-up.
If you shop at Tesco and normally buy the items anyway, it's a no-brainer. It’s worth noting some items are substantially cheaper in other supermarkets, but for most people with a decent-sized petrol tank to fill it up, the saving is likely to outweigh that. The crucial calculation is that 10p/litre off could save £5 on a typical 50 litre tank, soprovided you're not overpaying by £5+ for any one item, you can make a saving.
Martin’s quickies
£5 for unlimited kids’ summer DVD rentals: Sign up for a Blockbuster Summer Movie Rental Pass for £5. This lets you rent one kids’ DVD or Blu-ray at a time, in-store, as many times as you like until 16 September (2 September in Scotland) from 2,500 of its 99p kids’ titles.
‘Free’ £12 Balance Me skincare: Until 31 July, or while stocks last, if you buy the August edition of Glamour magazine (£2) you'll find one of four Balance Me products enclosed with the magazine worth between £9 and £12.
Free McFly, Tom Jones and more tickets: Go via The Sun’s website and you can pre-book free tickets for any day of the BT London Live 2012 festival (there’s different big names on different days), which is on during the Olympics at Hyde Park and Victoria Park. There's normally a £3.50 booking fee for these tickets, but there isn’t if you go via The Sun.