Your weekly money saving deals and news from money expert Andy Webb
First, a quick apology if you didn't get last week's email until Monday or Tuesday of this week. Problems with my email software meant it was sent out very, very slowly! Hopefully that's all fixed now.
My top articles this week
1. Is your holiday protected?
If you've got a holiday booked, or are thinking of booking one for later this year, you're no doubt worried about how the coronavirus Covid-19 could impact your trip. And as we saw with the collapse of FlyBe it's not just medical coverage you need to think about.
In this article I've shared the things you can do to protect yourself in the event of any problems you might face before you go and when you're away.
2. How to stockpile for an emergency
Fears of coronavirus has sent some people into a panic at home too, with some reports of shelves cleared of pasta and tinned goods and even Ocado sending out an email which almost encouraged panic buying.
I certainly don't want to do that, but this is a good opportunity to share again my guide to building a sensible stockpile for any kind of emergency.
3. Fairtrade bananas: How much more do they really cost?
As we're now in the second week of Fairtrade Fortnight I wanted to look into one of the most high profile products that have the certification - bananas. Are they really that more expensive?
Plus, my wife Becky has shared a great low-fat and easy recipe for a cake that'll use up any bashed bananas.
4. ISAs explained
We're in what the financial services industry calls "ISA season" - basically the run up to the end of one financial year and the start of the next. So you'l probably see loads of adverts trying to get you to max your allowance or open a new account.
But do you know what an ISA actually is? Or how it works? Here's my run down of the five different ISAs and whether you actually need one.
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More on coronavirus and your money over on the podcast
In this week's episode I've talked more about stockpiling, holidays, work rights and investments in light of coronavirus.
Listen on the blog or subscribe (for free) on most podcasting apps including:
APPLE PODCASTS | GOOGLE | SPOTIFY
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Thanks to all of you who filled in the survey last week - some really useful feedback and some very kind words too!
If you haven't had a chance I'd really appreciate if you can take two minutes to fill in.
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The top deals this week
I only share deals and special offers on the blog which I think are really good value. Click the red titles or blue links for more information.
Plus, it's worth following me on Instagram where I post any extra deals which come too late for the newsletter.
1. Half price Easter Eggs at Tesco
Medium sized Easter eggs are down from £1.50 to 75p at Tesco until next Tuesday. It might actually be cheaper to buy one of these egg than a normal chocolate bar!
2. Free drinks in London
The app Dusk gives away a free drink each day at a decent selection of bars in London. It could be a beer, it could be a G&T, or something else all together.
You can only get one free drink per place per day - unless you're with people who don't want the free drink on offer and they give you their one... (I have a very sore head right now thanks to quite a few free pints last night).
3. 0% finance deals on new Samsung S20 phones
The latest Samsung smartphone will be available next week. If you're thinking of getting one it's usually best to avoid getting one from your network as part of an upgrade as it'll actually cost you more than buying the phone on it's own and choosing a SIM only tariff.
Of course, not many of us have the cash to splash on such a pricey phone, so a better option is to get a 0% finance deal direct from Samsung as you'll be able to spread the cost out over 24 months.
4. 50% off Pizza Hut every day
You can now use Tastecard to get 50% off Pizza Hut deliveries every day of the week. There's a £30 minimum spend though, and you can't combine it with other offers. Here's how to get a free three-month Tastecard membership.
5. Free £20 from Monese
Open an account with digital bank Monese and you'll get £5 with your first purchase and another £15 once you've spent £500.
Plus in the last three and a bit months the bank has run five or six promotions offering 15% to 20% off gift cards. The last one was just last week but was finished within 24 hours. I don't know if similar deals will return but I'd say it's worth getting the account just in case - I've saved £65 on the four gift cards I managed to get.
6. LAST CHANCE: Get 5 Odeon tickets for £23.75
This Groupon offer ends Friday, though you'll be able to use your tickets until the 20th March. It's either two tickets for £10 or five for £20. There's a 75p booking fee per ticket on top.
7. LAST CHANCE: John Lewis fashion and beauty promo - claim £30
If you spend £200 in John Lewis on beauty or fashion you can claim a £30 JL gift card. You need to be a member of the My John Lewis scheme, but that's free to join. Ends Sunday.
8. LAST CHANCE: London Theatre Week discounts
Yesterday I went to see Daniel Radcliffe at the Old Vic as part of this promotion - the ticket was £35 rather than £65 so a great saving. You can book as part of this offer until Sunday, but you can see shows all through spring and summer. Prices are either £15, £25 or £35.
Win tickets to Financially Fabulous
On March 26th I'll be speaking at Financially Fabulous Live, an event run by the team behind Good Housekeeping, Red and Prime. It's in London, and you can get tickets here.
However, I've also been given a couple to give away. One of those can be won via a competition on the podcast (listen to the latest episode for more details), but the other I'm holding back for one of you newsletter subscribers.
To be in with a chance I'd love you to subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment on any of my videos (your choice). If you're not on YouTube then you can also do the same with my Instagram account. Just follow me and comment on a picture.
So I know it's you, please take a screenshot of your comment and email me at [email protected]. Put "FF Comp" in the subject.
You've got until 15th March 2020 to send me your entry. Good luck!
Quick deals
Banking offers
- Top switch offer: £175 via Natwest or HSBC
- Best interest: 5% at Nationwide for one year
- Top free cash: £50 cashback for opening a TSB account
Cards and bills deals
Shopping vouchers and other deals
- Free Amazon £6 voucher
- Free £5 credit when you trade in old CDs, books, DVDs or game
- Free £5 B&Q voucher
Bills and utility deals
- Great SIM only offer: £4.56 a month for 8GB of data with Three after Quidco cashback
Entertainment deals
- 12 months of Spotify for the price of 10
- Free issue of Ethical Consume magazine
- A year of Disney + for £49.99
Food and drink offers
- Free Tastecard or Gourmet Society trial for 3 months
- Free Ben & Jerry's ice cream tub
- Free Leon hot box
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Recent articles you might have missed
I know it can be tricky to read everything I write every week, so here are my main articles from the last few weeks.
- The best reward and cashback credit cards
- How to stick to a budget
- Can you really eat ethically?
- Cheaper alternatives to Sky TV and Virgin Media
- Interest rates cut at TSB, NS&I and Marcus
- How to stop spending money
- Sainsbury’s Nectar prices – are they any good?
- Are your Tesco Clubcard vouchers about to expire?
- Joint bank accounts - Good or bad?
- Money transfer credit cards – Can they save you money?
- How to get the best price on your mobile phone contract and save
- Spotify vs Apple Music vs Amazon Music vs Tidal & more
- Should you ditch the TV Licence Fee for other TV, radio and online services?
- It’s time to ditch expensive Sky and Virgin TV subscriptions
- Should you overpay your mortgage?
- The 9 money apps I won’t go without
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