Your weekly money saving deals and news from money expert Andy Webb
My top content this week
BLOG, VIDEO & ARTICLES
Energy price cap frozen at £2,500
Average gas and electricity bills now won't go up to £3,500 in October, or the predicted £5,400 in January thanks to a new energy cap freeze. But these bills will still go up! Here's what you need to know about how much you could be paying.
Swap old clothes for vouchers
If you need (or want) to buy some new clothes, then it's worth seeing if you can trade in some unwanted items for a discount at shops including John Lewis, H&S, M&S, New Look, George and Schuh. Here's how the schemes work.
Sainsbury's to slash Nectar points on credit card & September credit card update
In this month's update on credit cards and BNPL, find out about a huge cut to points you'll earn on the Sainsbury's Nectar credit card, whether the Amazon replacement from NewDay is any good and how Amex Gold cardholders can get a bonus if they upgrade to Platinum. Plus my top cashback credit cards.
Christmas savings schemes: Boost your supermarket spending by 6%
I'm not a fan of using these schemes to save throughout the year, but there is a trick that means you can benefit from the bonuses, worth up to 6%, without long-term savings. Here's how they work.
CASH CHATS PODCAST
284 | Energy price cap, bill makeover masterclass & cashback on bills
In the latest episode of the pod I’m talking about:
- The new energy price cap freeze
- Which bills to target for bigger savings
- How to earn cashback on these same bills
- A listener question on using Chase overseas
You can listen to episodes via all the normal podcasting apps or over on the blog.
If you do listen on one of these apps, please do remember to hit follow so you get each episode as soon as it's released.
YOUR QUESTIONS
Ask Andy
Watch last weekend's live YouTube Q&A, and read some of the answers to questions you've sent - including:
- Does "profit" from Sharia accounts count as interest for tax?
- Can I switch to or from Chase Bank?
- Will cashback site work with Amex welcome bonuses?
Next live Q&A: TBC
My live Q&As are the best place to ask me your questions.
The next one will be at the end of the month, and I'll confirm in next week's newsletter.
Make sure you follow me on YouTube or Instagram to join in.
Ask a question in the Facebook group
Or, join the Facebook community to ask your questions and share your money experiences and ideas. There are 2,200 of us in there so far!
THIS WEEK'S TOP DEALS
I only share deals and special offers on the blog which I think are really good value. Click the titles or links for more information.
I'll also share a quick update on Instagram on Saturday morning.
1. Natwest/RBS: £175 Bank switch offer
Switch to either Natwest or RBS (sadly not both) and you can get £175. The RBS money will be paid a little faster, but you'll still need to wait until the end of the year to get it. Here's more on the Natwest deal. And here's info on RBS.
2. Quidco: £3 bonus
Download the Chrome browser extension for Quidco and you'll be able to activate a £3 bonus when you spend £3. Here's more.
3. Santander: 1.85% cash ISA
It's likely we'll see more rate improvements in the next few weeks, but for now there's a new best buy on easy-access ISAs with Santander boosting its rate to 1.85%. More here.
4. Kindle: 25% off books with Curve or Santander
This deal could be available via a few different bank account rewards, but I spotted it on Curve and Santander. You'll get 25% back up to £2. Here's more.
5. Tastecard: Three years free with NUS Totum
Last week I shared how ex-students (or those who'd previously blagged an NUS card) could get an alumni card. Well you'll also get a free Tastecard with it, and since it's £35 for a three year Totum card, that's the same price as one year of Tastecard. More here.
6. Buses: £2 fares in January
This is more of a heads up, but from January 2023 until the end of March, most bus journeys in England will be capped at £2. Here's more.
SAVINGS, BANKING & CREDIT CARD BEST BUYS
Bank switching:
Top banking switch and welcome offers:
- Santander switch: £175 bonus
- First Direct switch: £175 bonus
- Nationwide switch: £125 cash bonus
- Natwest switch: £175 bonus
- RBS switch: £175 bonus
- Virgin Money switch: Up to £160 cashback bonus
- Monzo welcome: Free £5 offer
- Monese welcome: Up to £30 offer
- Revolut welcome: Free £10 offer
Top banking best buys:
- Top reward account: £5 a month from Halifax
- Top cashback on bills: Up to 3% back with Santander 123 Lite
- Top cashback on spending: 1% back with Chase
- Top ethical bank: £60 voucher or donation via Triodos
Savings
Top savings best buys:
- Top regular saver: 3.82% with Natwest/RBS
- Top loyalty regular saver: 5% with Yorkshire Building Society
- Top current account interest: 5% with Nationwide
- Top easy access account: 2.1% with Al Rayan
- Top 1-year fixed account: 3.4% with BLME
Credit cards
Top cashback credit card best buys:
- Top welcome bonus: American Express Platinum (boosted 60,000 points & £200 travel credit)
- Top ongoing cashback: Amex Nectar (2 points per £1 = 1%)
- Top non-Amex cashback: Barclaycard Avios
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MORE DEALS!
Here are a few ongoing and recent offers you might have missed:
Shopping vouchers and other deals
- Amazon: Up to £10 off for some
- Snoop: Free £5 Amazon voucher
- Flowers: £10 off Bloom & Wild
- LNER: Free £5 train travel credit
- NUS card: Alumni card trick
- Birthday freebies: Food, drink and vouchers
Entertainment deals
- Spotify: Including 12 months for the price of 10
- NOW TV: 40% off passes
- Apple TV+: Up to 8 months free
- Odeon & Vue: Big ticket discounts
- Vue: Free ticket and movie rental
- Disney+: Save £2 a month
- Paramount+: 30-day free trial
- Ethical Consumer: Free issue of the magazine
Food and drink offers
- Tesco Clubcard Plus: One-month free trial
- Tastecard: 60-day free trial
- Ocado: £20 off your first order
- Gousto & Hello Fresh: More than 90% off your first boxes
- Pringles: Free pack
- Greene King: Free pint or spirit & mixer
- Deliveroo Plus: Free year via Prime
- Brewdog: £150 bar credit for £99
- McDonald's & Burger King: Freebies from new loyalty schemes
- Caffe Nero: 25% off drinks and pastries
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Recent content you might have missed
I know it can be tricky to read, watch and listen to everything I create each week, so here are some articles, videos and podcasts from the last few weeks you might have missed.
- September's savings round-up & news
- September's current account news & offers
- My month in money #8
- How to get an NUS student discount card, even when you’re not a student
- Cheaper alternatives to Sky TV and Virgin Media
- Chase extends cashback for early adopters
- Money transfer credit cards – can they save you money?
- Will you pay tax on your savings?
- Amazon credit cards to switch to Pulse by November
- How to get the best price on your mobile phone contract and save
- Virgin Money offers 25% back at the supermarket for switching
- Asda Rewards: How the loyalty scheme works
- Buy Now, Pay Later explained: Should you use it?
- The best student bank accounts
- What happens if you don’t pay your energy bill
- John Lewis credit cards to close in October
- Have you still got any old banknotes and coins?
- How to stack new Amex Platinum offers to make £900 in six months
- Do supermarket cashback apps really save you money?
- 3 essential credit card rules
- How to switch bank accounts
- Get 2 for 1 cinema tickets all year for just £1 with Meerkat Movies
- Overpay mortgage or add to savings?
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