Saving money is on everyone’s minds right now. Money is tight – but that doesn’t mean you could miss out! That’s why we’ve rounded up all the latest deals and offers just for you. From exclusive discounts to deals, freebies and more! Read on to start saving.

Children and baby

Get 20% off PGL Kids Camps

With the summer holidays fast looming, PGL adventure holidays are offering a discount off Kids Camps running across the whole of the summer. 

First timers to PGL can enjoy 20% off their first multi-activity trips or Trailblaze specialist camps which include surfing or science-themed breaks. 

Residential Kids Camps are available at 11 locations across the UK and the discount will be taken off the final booking amount at check out.

Book a PGL holiday now

Free fitness classes for girls at Nuffield Health gyms

Nuffield Health is currently running free fitness sessions for girls aged 11-16 years old at their gyms nationwide.

The classes are designed to get girls moving in a safe space while building strength and confidence. The weekly classes will be run by Nuffield Health instructors in the community and seem to be cardio-based.

It could be a great way to have fun and make friends, plus it’s totally free.

Sign up and book at Nuffieldhealth.com

Mini Mozart classical music classes for £5

Mini Mozart offers in-person and online classical music classes for babies and toddlers, as a way to help children engage with orchestral music played by professional musicians, who are all music graduates.

The company is currently offering a month-long package of 20 online classes for £5. Hosted by a professional musician, the recorded classes introduce children to the saxophone, clarinet, violin, French horn and piano with a mix of nursery rhymes and classical music with interactive games.

Mini Mozart also offers a bursary scheme for families in receipt of Universal Credit or similar. The scheme offers selected children an 80% discount at their local in-person class.

Find out more and book here

Calling all new parents! Get a sustainable baby box for only £3.95 p&p

Online gift registry Little Wishlist has launched a baby box for new parents, worth £100+.

Little Wishlist want to introduce parents to new sustainable brands and is aimed at parents with babies aged 6 -12 months and includes over eight age-appropriate sample products and a few treats for parents too.

The box is free but you must cover the £3.95 postage & packaging fee.

Samples include:

• Organix Weaning wands and Height Chart, RRP £1.20
• Little Freddie Blueberry & Banana Greek style yoghurt, RRP £1.35
• Mama Bamboo Sustainable Bamboo Baby Wipes – 20 wipes (travel pack), RRP £1.80
• Babymoov Recycled Plastic ISY Feeding Pouches x1, RRP £14.99 for a box of 20 pouches
• Kollo Premium Liquid Marine Collagen, 10,000 MG x1, RRP £35.99 per box
• Brush Baby Toothpaste and 2 x toothbrushes, RRP £5.49
• Sproot Baby Organic Baby bib, white x1, RRP £14 for 2
• In Bloom Drops Sachet x1, RRP £10.99 for a box of 5
• Nimble 100ml Laundry Lover sample, RRP £9.99 for a 1 litre bottle

Get the Little Wishlist sustainable baby box here

Cleaning and laundry

Get £30 off a Henry vacuum cleaner

Act fast! The Henry Red vacuum is currently reduced by £30, taking it from £159.99 to £129.99 right now.

The iconic vacuum cleaner is rarely reduced but you can get your hands on it at Myhenry.com with this exclusive saving, until 30 June.

Clothing and apparel

The H&M 50% off summer sale has started

There’s always bargains to be had in the H&M sale but the latest is pretty impressive. We spotted men’s and women’s sunglasses for £6, tops for £6 and even playsuits for a fiver, so it’s worth a look. The sale runs across adults, kids, baby and the much-loved H&M homeware, so get cracking and don’t miss out!

Shop the H&M sale now

Tu Clothing launches 50% off summer sale

Get your holiday wardrobe sorted with half-price kids and adults clothing, including some top high street brands. Highlights we spotted include a SimplyBe mesh maxi dress reduced from £36 to £18 and men’s t-shirts discounted to just £3!

Shop the Tu Clothing sale 

Days out 

Free ticket for dads at Sea Life centres nationwide (and other Merlin attractions!)

This Father’s Day, treat dad to a different type of fishing trip with free entry to Sea Life centres across the UK.

To take advantage of this fin-tastic offer, simply purchase any ticket and one parent gets in for free.

The free ticket offer runs until Sunday 16 June, plus it’s valid for visits until 4 August.

The free entry offer also extends to other Merlin attractions, including The Edinburgh and York Dungeon and LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Manchester and Birmingham, so this is a great way to plan family fun during the school holidays.

Book tickets at visitsealife.com

Free entry to museums and galleries with National Art Pass trial

Kick-start your summer with a National Art Pass three month trial, available for £15 for a limited time.

You can enjoy free and half-price entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places, plus 50% off major exhibitions for just £15.

Some of the free-entry offers with the Art Pass include Brighton’s Royal Pavilion, Cardiff Castle and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Tickets for those venues usually costs adults at least £10 each so it’s a great way to fill your diary over summer without spending too much.

The trial pass is available until 30 June.

Get a National Art Pass here

Free Kelloggs FC Football Camps

Keep little ones busy during the summer holidays by claiming one of 30,000 free Kellogg’s Football Camp places for those aged 5-15yrs.

In partnership with the English Football League, Manchester City, Celtic and Rangers, parents can sign kids up now for one of 70 day camps nationwide during June and July. You can request a max. of two spaces over the period.

Sign up for a free day camp space at Kelloggsfc.com now

Get 10% off Flambards Theme Park entry, valid for 7 days

Billed as Cornwall’s best value theme park, Flambards gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy SEVEN days for the price of one with every full-price ticket valid for a further six consecutive days from the date of the first admission.

With a further 10% discount if you book online that works out at just £10.52 a day for a family of four (two adults and two children) for a whole week.

Tickets start at £20.66 for adults and £16.66 for under-16s (including the 10% discount) but factor in free parking and the free kids’ indoor soft play area, it’s a great offer.

Book tickets at Flambards.co.uk

Huge discounts with Boundless membership

Boundless is the membership club that gives great deals all over the country to public sector and civil service workers (current or retired), along with their friends and families. This includes teachers, civil servants, local-government workers and members of the armed forces, fire service, NHS, police and more.

Membership costs just £40 a year and perks include unlimited complimentary access to Kew Gardens in London, Wakehurst in West Sussex and all nine Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) centres across the UK, as well as discounts for days out through Kids Pass, featuring kids-go-free deals and savings at nationwide attractions, such as Edinburgh Zoo and Go Ape forest adventure park. 

Members also get free access to Tastecard including Coffee Club – the UK’s biggest dining club and can save up to 37 per cent on cinema tickets through the Cinema Society, including at Vue, Odeon, Cineworld and Showcase cinemas across the UK. 

The new Boundless Plus membership package costs £68 and on top of the discounts, includes free entry to Historic Royal Palaces sites, free access to more than 100 National Trust for Scotland locations plus free membership with the Ramblers – Britain’s biggest walking community.

Sign up at Boundless.co.uk

Health and Beauty

3 for 2 on No7 beauty at Boots

The much-loved No7 range is currently on a 3 for 2 deal at Boots stores nationwide as well as online at Boots.com.

Buy two products from the range and get the cheapest item free. It includes make-up and beauty products but for the biggest savings, pick up the premium skincare.

Get the brand new No7 Future Renew Serum, £34.95, and Future Renew Day Cream, £34.95 to get the Future Renew Night Cream free, a saving of £34.95.

Shop the full range here

Face The Future Suncare edit, worth £257 for £60

Protect yourself in the sun with the Face The Future Suncare edit. The collection is a round-up of some of the best SPF products on the market and includes skincare, haircare, and self-care to pamper and protect you. With eight travel-sized products worth £257.60, the edit is on offer for £59.99!

Here’s a full list of products:

• Institut Esthederm Sun Care Oil Body and Hair Moderate Sun 150ml
• Hello Sunday The One For Your Eyes SPF50 15ml
• Eucerin Hydro Protect SPF 50+ 50ml
• Ultrasun UV Face & Scalp Mist SPF50 75ml
  Gatineau Golden Glow Gradual Tan 75ml
• Avant Velvet Perfecting Rose Sugar Lip Scrub 10ml
• Philip Kingsley Swimcap Water Resistant Mask 200ml
• Hairburst Volume & Growth Elixir 125ml

Shop the FTF Suncare edit here

Superdrug celebrate 60th birthday with 60p essentials

To celebrate 60 years on the British High Street, Superdrug will be reducing selected everyday essentials down to 60p. Items discounted will include face wipes, cotton pads, face masks and other basic beauty bits, but here are a few we’ve spotted so far:

• Superdrug Essential Cleansing Bio Face Wipes, usually £1, now 60p
• Superdrug 100% Pure Cotton Wool Pads (50), usually £1.99, now 60p
• Superdrug Body Puff, usually £2, now 60p

Shop the 60p sale now

Holland & Barrett launches huge new BOGOF summer sale

Buy 1 Get 1 Free across bestselling fitness, wellness, food and travel essentials at Holland & Barrett including Nakd protein bars, £1.20, Magnesium & Zinc vitamins, £8.49 and Manuka Honey MGO 50+, £19.99. There’s also a range of ‘buy one get one half price’ deals available. Sale runs until 18 June. 

Check out the H&B sale now 

Home and garden

Half-price indoor furniture at JSYK

If you don’t know about JYSK, the Danish homeware store, where have you been? The company is trusted for their Scandi style and design and they sell quality furniture at affordable prices.

Furniture Week has just kicked off with up to 50% off all indoor furniture until Wednesday 12 June.

Check out Furniture Week at Jsyk.com now

Shop the huge summer sale at The Range

 The Range summer sale is its biggest ever, with up to 40% over 30,000 items. 

From decorating tools to home appliances, rugs to lighting fixtures right through to bathroom sets, there are so many discounts on top brands.

Turn your garden into a home cinema with a projector screen, reduced from £79.99 to £49.99 – a saving of £30 – or get the canvas bar and gazebo with two bar stools, previously £299.99, now £219.99, saving £50.

Check out the The Range sale

Shop the Ikea 80% off sale

The Swedish homeware giant has launched a huge ‘up to 80%’ off sale, running until 7 July. The sale includes furniture, accessories and decor.

Deals include:

• Huvudspelare gaming desk, was £155, now £60
• Ragrund bamboo shelving unit, was £50, now £30
• Klaememacka desk organiser, was £29, now £15

There’s a huge selection on offer though, with more items added regularly so it’s worth checking below for the full selection

Shop the Ikea sale 

The Original Factory Shop has 75% off fans right now

Customers can now save on a range of fans, coolers and air conditioners to help keep you cool all summer long, with savings of up to 75% off at The Original Factory Shop.

The best deal we’ve seen is on the Homedics Personal Space Cooler, previously £119.99, now £30 – yes, really!

Get yours at TOFS.com 

Massive dining room furniture sale at Dunelm

Looking to upgrade your dinner table? Dunelm has launched a 30% off sale online, but we spotted some 50% off deals that you shouldn’t miss.

The sale includes dining tables, chairs and bar stools and here’s a couple we think are totally worth it:

• Kendall 4-seater oval marble-effect dining table, was £179, now £89.50
• Harvey 4-seater wood dining table, was £249, now £124.50

Check out the Dunelm sale here

Sleep easy with 15% off the new Silentnight Restore range

Cool off in warmer weather with the new Silentnight Restore range, designed for summer nights. The range includes a cooling weighted blanket, a cooling light sleep blanket and gel pillow pad and you can get 15% off the entire range right now.

Shop the Silentnight Restore range now at Sleepypeople.com

NHS, military & Blue Light discounts

Get a £60 gift card when you sign up to British Gas

Blue Light Card holders who sign up to any British Gas fixed tariff will receive a £60 gift card (to include £30 for each fuel) and can choose from John Lewis, Tesco, Amazon and Sainsbury’s vouchers. 

Whether you’re new to British Gas, existing customers on a standard variable tariff or coming to the end of a British Gas fixed tariff, Blue Light Card holders who take a fixed tariff with British Gas will also be eligible to take part in its PeakSave scheme and benefit from half price electricity on Sundays.   

Technology 

Save 25% off top tech appliances at eBay

Treat yourself to a new Dyson or Shark vacuum cleaner, a De’Longhi coffee machine or Ninja airfryer and get 25% off at Ebay.com.

The huge selection includes refurbished and new products, however there is a min. spend of £9.99 and a max. discount of £100.

To get the discount, use the code APPLIANCE25 by 12 June.

Check out the range at Ebay.com

Get £5 off at Currys for your old tech

Get at least £5 off your next purchase at Currys when ​you recycle any old tech in-store (yes any!)

The ts & cs state you must be 18 or over to get the voucher and you have to spend £25 when redeeming the voucher but it’s a great way to get rid of old phones, laptops and TVs and get money off something you need in future.

Travel

Get £5 off train travel when you book with Uber

You can now book your next train via the Uber app and currently, get £5 off your first booking.

Every train, coach, and Eurostar trip you book with Uber also earns you 10% back in Uber Credits to use on future rides or train travel, so if you use the app regularly, it’s a great way to get discounts in the future. 

To book, head to the Uber app and look for the ‘Trains & Coaches’ button. The £5 discount will be applied automatically at checkout once you have chosen your route.

The offer is available until 16 June.

For more info, head to uber.com

Luxe for less with 20% off Hyatt hotel stays

This summer, Hyatt is offering travellers up to 20% off the price of a stay across their diverse portfolio in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, from now until 4 January 2025.

From Bordeaux to Budapest, Algiers to Amsterdam, there are a whole host of participating hotels across Hyatt’s brands, offering a range of opportunities for travellers looking to upgrade to a luxurious hotel for less.

Book your stay here

Get 30% off Cairn Hotel UK breaks

For those planning their next getaway, Cairn Hotel Group has launched a variety of unbeatable deals as part of its annual Summer Sale on hotels nationwide. From sun-soaked city breaks to relaxing countryside retreats, Cairn Group is offering guests the opportunity to bag savings of up to 30 percent on overnight stays this summer at some of its most popular hotels. Featured destinations include Newcastle, Durham, York and Stirling. 

Whether you’re planning a family trip, a romantic getaway, or a solo adventure, those looking to save this summer can use code SUMMER when booking directly until 11 June 2024.

Book your break here 

Reading

Free one month Readly trial, access 7,000 titles

Want to cut the cost of your spending on mags and papers? Travel lighter using Readly, the app with over 7,000 titles and many you can download and read offline, which is perfect for your holidays. 

Get a one-month free trial right now, but if you’re a Samsung phone user, use the Samsung Boosts app to get a three-month trial with a valid code from the app.

The subscription will revert back to £12.99 once the trial ends, but if you use it regularly it’s a great offer.

Find out more at Readly.com

Add to your home library with Books2Door

Get up to 80% off RRP on thousands of brand new books, 10% cash back through Book Points and £10 off when you refer a friend at Books2Door. Books2Door is the place to save on your books. Plus, get 10% off when you download the app! Check it out

Subscriptions

Get 50% off your first month at Niftiee

Check out our other deals pages:

• Beauty deals: Make-up offers, cosmetic deals and more
• Best food discounts, supermarket deals and takeaway offers
• Cinema deals, discounts and offers

The post The best UK deals and offers right now! appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Latest food deals and offers!

Food, glorious food! Whether you have a sweet tooth or prefer something salty to snack on, we have some fab deals for you.

• Sweets, chocolate and confectionary
• Supermarket deals
• Restaurant and cafe deals
• Freebies
• Drinks
• Other

Supermarket deals

Order the Aldi Big Daddy Burger Box

Aldi is launching its first ever Ashfields Grill Big Daddy Burger Box for Father’s Day, measuring in at three times the size of a McDonald’s Big Mac!

The box costs £5.99 and has everything needed to make a giant burger (715g) and includes a beef patty, cheese sauce, and gourmet brioche bun. 

The Big Daddy Burger Box will be available in Aldi stores from Thursday 13 June and you can also order online, to click and collect.

Order at Aldi.co.uk

Get 5,000 Virgin Red points with a Tesco Clubcard

Virgin Red is joining Tesco Clubcard as a new Reward Partner. This means Clubcard points earned through everyday shopping at Tesco can now be turned into Virgin Points to spend on everything from luxury cruises to skydiving experiences with Virgin Red.

Virgin Red members who exchange Tesco Clubcard points into Virgin Points will get 2x the points value, so members will get more points as well as more choice when it comes to rewards.

To celebrate the new partnership, Virgin Red members who sign up to auto-exchange their Clubcard points for the first time by 18 July 2024 will receive a bonus of 5,000 Virgin Points and those points could be swapped for:

• A £25 gift card for Virgin Experience Days, Virgin Wines or the Eurostar
• Comedy night for two
• Two cinema tickets
• £25 off train travel booked through Virgin Trains Ticketing  
• Gift cards for Pizza Express, Caffe Nero and Costa
• 25 free Greggs sausage rolls!

Find out more here

Get a free fiver for your Asda big shop

Download the new Asda Rewards app and get £5 to spend on your next supermarket shop.

To redeem the deal, once you have downloaded the app, you need to head into an Asda store and scan the barcode in the wallet section of the app. Or connect the app to your Asda online shopping account and make your first purchase there.

Once that’s done, £5 should appear in the cashpot section of the app and you can turn it into a voucher to use in store or online.

The offer is available until 30 June.

Download the Asda Rewards app

Morrisons selling five ales for £5

Calling all ale lovers! Morrisons has a new deal where you can get five single bottles of ale for £5.

The selection on offer includes Ringwood Boondoggle Craft Blonde Ale, usually £2.50, Hobgoblin Session IPA, usually £1.25 per bottle and Ruddles Best Country Ale, normally £1.25 per bottle.

If you buy five bottles of the Ringwood Boondoggle you can save £7.50 in total, so it’s worth stocking up.

Restaurant, cafe and pub deals

Get 15% off a McDonald’s order on Monday

On Monday 10 June, McDonald’s customers can grab a 15% discount on any order over £10, exclusively via the McDonald’s app. That’s £1.5o off every £10 spent.

You must order via the app and you can use this on delivery or collection orders, or scan the QR code in the app at the in-restaurant kiosks when ordering.

Download the McDonald’s app 

Score discounts with the Burger King Euros menu

Fans of football and burgers are in for a treat over the coming weeks, as Burger King has launched the BK Footy Royale competition.

By selecting your favourite team on the Burger King UK app, customers will be in with a shot of winning discounts and exclusive prizes after each match day.

To join in on the fun, you need to log into the Burger King app and select the team you are backing to win the tournament by 13 June and the 24hr deals will appear on the app every time your chosen team plays. The further your team gets, the more offers you get.

If your team wins, get 200 loyalty points to claim a freebie such as 6 chilli cheese bites, 6 chicken nuggets, 6 onion rings or a portion of large fries.

Download the Burger King app now

Get 50% off a footlong sub at Subway

Download the new Subway Rewards app to get 50% off a footlong sub. A footlong will usually set you back around £6 so this is a great deal if you’re after lunch on the go.

Once you have logged into the app, the offer should appear in the deals section and you can simply scan the QR code or barcode at the till point or kiosk when paying. It applies to any footlong sub, but extras aren’t included and the offer runs until 30 June.

Download the Subway Rewards app

Students get 25% off the entire Leon menu

Leon is offering students 25 per cent off the entire Leon menu for a limited time, to help students survive the exam period. Until 30th June, just show your student card in restaurants or use the code LEONBIG25 when ordering via the Leon Club app.

Not a student? Join the free Leon Club via the website and get a voucher for 30% off your next order.

Freebies

Free pint of Stella at Bella Italia restaurants

Celebrate Father’s Day at a Bella Italia restaurant with a free pint or bottle of Stella on 16 June.

On Father’s Day Sunday, guests can enjoy a complimentary bottle of Stella Unfiltered, a pint of Stella Draught, a bottle of Stella Artois 0% or a soft drink available with the purchase of any main dish from the menu.

The offer is only valid on Father’s Day Sunday from 12pm, 16 June 2024 (14 – 16 June 2024 in Scotland) and it is subject to availability. You also can’t use this in conjunction with any other discount or promotion such as a Tastecard or Tesco Clubcard.

For more info visit BellaItalia.co.uk

Free drink at Greene King pubs on Friday 14 June

• A shot of Jaegermeister
• A single Malibu and draught mixer
• A single Jack Daniels and draught mixer
• A single Beefeater gin & tonic
• A pint of Heinekin, Amstel, Madri, Carling, Carlsberg, San Miguel or Peroni
• A pint of Thatchers, Strongbow or Strongbow Dark Fruits
• A pint of Icebreaker Pale Ale, John Smith Smooth or Guiness
• A bottle of Heineken
• A Coca-Cola Zero or Red Bull

Free Pastry at Ole & Steen

Tuck into a tasty treat at Danish Bakers Ole & Steen. To celebrate the solstice month of June, claim one 250,000 free slices of their cinammon social pastry.

A cinnamon social pastry normally costs £4.25, but download the Ole & Steen Freshly Baked app and you’ll receive enough points to be able claim the free pastry at the counter. No purchase necessary!

Download the Freshly Baked app here

Free 1L Chocomel drink at Asda and Tesco

Fancy a free chocolate milkshake? Claim a 1L carton of Chocomel at Tesco or Asda now. Sign up via the link below to be sent a voucher to redeem in store.

Claim your 1L Chocomel voucher here

Free Taco Bell crunchy taco

Fancy a free crunchy taco? Of course you do! Just download the Taco Bell app to claim.

Download the app here

Free Krispy Kreme doughnut

Get a free doughnut when you sign up to Krispy Kreme Rewards, as well as member-only offers, discounts and other freebies. Sign up here.

Free tea or coffee every week day at IKEA

Sign up to become an IKEA Family member and enjoy a tea or coffee every day, Monday-Friday between 9.30am until 11am in all restaurants excluding Hammersmith and Belfast stores.

Tassimo My Wavy Coffee Machine Offer (includes coffee capsules)

Tassimo My Way Coffee Machine is a perfect coffee pod machine, designed by Bosch. Now with a BRITA filter to ensure that you have the best coffee shop quality coffee every time. RRP £148.63, get it for £60.00 including 56 drinks capsules.

Available for buy here

Sweets, chocolate and confectionary

Buy any 5 sauces, get the 6th free at Joe & Seph’s

With a range of over 50 flavours of popcorn and 10 caramel sauces, there’s something for everyone. Joe & Seph’s buy any 5 sauces and get the 6th free includes the new limited edition Manilife sauce and the hot cross bun sauce, perfect for Easter! Shop your favourites here

EXCLUSIVE 15% off at Sweet Hamper Company

Get a delicious 15% off at Sweet Hamper Company with code MONEYMAGPIE15. The one-stop shop for all goodies, treats and candies, you’ll find a delectable array of sweet hampers, boxes, cones, bouquets and more at Sweet Hamper Company. It even has specially created vegan and vegetarian sweet hampers, so no one misses out! 

10% off your first order from Candyroo

Candyroo is an online retailer of pick ‘n’ mix, sweets, chocolate and free from ranges. Get 10% off your first order with code HELLO10.

Candyroo provide one of the largest selections of pick ‘n’ mix, as well as American candy, drinks and chocolate, fudge, cables, chocolates, drinks, party sweets, gift ideas, and a great selection of vegan sweets and chocolate.

EXCLUSIVE 15% off at Sweet Bouquet Emporium

Sweet Bouquet Emporium is a family run business with a passion for all things sweet and chocolate. From sourcing the highest quality chocolates for chocolate bouquets, to discovering retro favourites for sweet bouquets, its team loves getting creative and crafting the ideal gift for anyone with a sweet tooth. Plus they’re committed to ensuring that their gift bouquets always arrive at their destination in perfect condition. For 15% off, use code MONEYMAGPIE15 at checkout.

EXCLUSIVE 15% off at The Awesome Hamper Company

The Awesome Hamper Company offers a wide range of delicious, beautifully packaged and high quality gift hampers for all occasions. The family-run business operates from the heart of Essex, where they design and create unique luxury gift hampers, gift baskets, gift boxes, alcohol hampers, chocolate bouquets, luxury food hampers and much more.

Full to the brim of top-quality pamper products, confectionery, and food and drink, every order is handpicked and packed by the dedicated team and beautifully presented – making them the perfect gift for any celebration. Get 15% off with code MONEYMAGPIE15 at checkout.

EXCLUSIVE 25% off Giant Personalised Photo Marshmallow at MallowMe

MallowMe creates day-making, special-occasion-saving custom marshmallow creations. They taste every bit as good as they look – seriously soft and sumptuous mallow. Your marshmallow dream awaits…a single, beautifully bouncy piece of marshmallow that showcases your choice of image. Check it out.

Get an EXCLUSIVE 25% off with code MAGPIE25. 

EXCLUSIVE 15% off at Sponge.co.uk

Get 15% off at Sponge, with exclusive code JASMINE15. The cakes and bakes at Sponge are perfect for any occasion and are ready for you to buy online with home delivery anywhere in the UK. Whether it’s a birthday cake, wedding cake, anniversary treat, Valentine’s day gift, a graduation celebration or you just fancy something sweet – there’s something for you! Choose from cakes, brownies and cake cards, including gluten free and vegan options. They also cater for weddings, corporate events and trade. 

Love Raw have 25% off their white choc peanut butter cups and Smooth milk Choc bars. YUM!

Other

Check out our other deals pages:

• Beauty deals: Make-up offers, cosmetic deals and more
• The best UK deals and offers right now
• Cinema deals, discounts and offers

The post Best food and drink discounts, supermarket offers and takeaway deals appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Buying a new car might seem like a costly venture – but there are several benefits that you need to weigh up first before making the decision. Reliability is the number one bonus of a new car – plus they often come with insurance, breakdown, and servicing costs bundled in for the first few years, which could save a lot of cash when it comes to running costs. Of course, buying a new car can mean a bigger upfront payment – but there are ways to save money on a new car purchase, too. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of buying a new car.

Pros of Buying a New Car

Cons of Buying a New Car

Are Grants Available for New Car Purchases?

How to Save with Scrappage Schemes

Finding Deals on a New Car with Motorfinity

Pros of Buying a New Car

When weighing up the initial cost of buying a new versus used car, it’s easy to look at the up front price and think the best deal is a used car. However, a new car can be surprisingly affordable with hire purchase and leasing options like those offered through Motorfinity. If you’re a member of the UK’s Armed Forces, Armed Forces Veterans, Emergency Services personnel, NHS staff, or part of the Education and Social Care sectors, you’re entitled to their exclusive discounts on brand new cars.

New cars will often come with warranties for repairs, several years’ worth of servicing included in the price, and sometimes insurance, road tax, or even fuel bundles to incentivise you to buy. It’s important that you work out how much each ‘extra’ like this would cost you if it weren’t bundled together, but it will usually be a significant saving. On some finance types and agreements, you can also change your car every few years (subject to the necessary checks) to ensure you always have an up-to-date and reliable vehicle for you and your family.

Peace of mind

You also get peace of mind with a new car. Not only does the warranty cover repairs if there is a mechanical or computer issue (i.e., not an issue caused by having an accident), it is far less likely to have any problems compared to a used car. The more miles a car has done in its lifetime, the more likely it is you could be faced with an unexpected, often large, repair bill.

New cars also have the latest in safety technology, so you can rest assured they are completely up to protecting you and your family. Older cars bought used also run the risk of being previously written off or having hidden damage from flooding or accidents, leaving the car less safe than you may think it is.

Finally, new cars also offer favourable options in terms of insurance and running costs, because a car that’s less likely to break down is an attractive option for insurers and breakdown services, while a smooth-running engine is as efficient as it can be.

Cons of Buying a New Car

Buying a new car isn’t for everyone, of course. You might feel the cost of a new car – even with buying schemes – outweighs what you can afford. Or, you may want to be able to own your car outright from the day you buy it – which, unless you have a large amount tucked away in your savings, isn’t possible.

A used car can be beneficial if you need a temporary vehicle while you save up for a new one – for example, if you’re family is about to expand with a new baby, your finances will be focused on planning for your new arrival. But your two-seater sports car won’t handle a buggy in the boot, so a temporary solution is a used car until you can afford a new car.

Used cars can also be good for people who don’t have a great credit score and find it difficult to get car finance loans or credit agreements. If you can’t make the monthly payments on a new car agreement, you could end up without a vehicle and in debt.

Finally, if you buy a new car outright it will almost immediately depreciate in value the second you drive it away from the dealership. A used car will also lower in value over time, but at a much slower rate, so if you’re planning to recoup some costs of your car purchase in a year or two, a used car might hold its value better than a brand new one.

Are Grants Available for New Car Purchases?

There are sometimes grants available to lower the cost of a vehicle, but at the time of writing these are thin on the ground. The Low Emission grant reduces the cost of new low emission vehicles, but this reduction is already included in the price rather than a grant provided to the buyer.

If you’re disabled and need an adapted car, the Motability Foundation charity can provide grants for things like advance payments for adapted leased cars or to pay for adaptations to your car. The costs of adapted vehicles vary widely, and can make what might seem like an affordable car become a very expensive one. These grants are designed to help mitigate the cost of adapting your car, with the aim of you never being out of pocket for your disability adaptations compared to someone who doesn’t need them. Motability is also a scheme for those who receive certain elements of Personal Independence Payment, which can help disabled people afford to buy or lease a new car.

Are Scrappage Schemes Worth It?

You might have seen scrappage schemes which offer cash or trade-in value for your old car in return for buying a new one. The Government ULEZ scrappage scheme is available to some people who live in London and want to change their petrol or diesel car for an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) compliant car.

There are lots of eligibility restrictions and the amount you get could be less than the value of your car, but it’s always worth looking at to do your sums in case it is a beneficial scheme for you. The ULEZ scrappage scheme currently offers up to £1,000 for eligible motorcycles, £2,000 for eligible cars, and £10,000 for wheelchair accessible vehicles.

If you’re in the market for a low emission vehicle, you’re usually much better off using discount services like Motorfinity to access purchase options for electric and hybrid vehicles on a lease arrangement.

How to Save When Buying a New Car

So, you’ve decided to buy a new car. What now – and how can you save on the purchase?

The Money Stuff

First of all, work out which type of car finance you want. Hire Purchase (HP) lets you pay an initial deposit with monthly payments that pay off the car so you own it at the end of the contract. A lease is like renting a car. You have no or a lower up-front payment and more affordable monthly fees than HP. You don’t own the car at the end, but that means you can easily renew a lease for a newer model when your contract is finished, trading in your three-year-old car for a brand new one to keep enjoying the safety, technology, and reliability benefits of a new car.

The third option is to get a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) agreement, where you pay a non-refundable deposit, monthly payments, and then at the end of the lease you decide whether to pay off the rest of the car in one go to own it outright, trading it for a new PCP contract, or return it to the dealership.

One of the best ways to save when buying a new car is to look at how much you can pay up front. The more you can afford to pay as an initial down payment, the better. You can then either shorten your lease length (often saving on interest fees) or take on much lower monthly payments.

Save More with Discount Services Like Motorfinity

It’s important to shop around and look for hidden discounts, too. Motorfinity offers discounts to key workers and defence staff, so if you’re a carer or a teacher or work in the NHS or armed forces, you could benefit from a significant discount on your new car.

You can also talk to dealerships to see what else they can offer when you’re buying a new car – whether that’s a reduction in the purchase price or including added extras like a fuel card, insurance, servicing or even customised elements of the car (like an upgraded SatNav) for free. This might not save you cash up front, but it’ll save you in the longer term.

Finally, if you already own a vehicle, part exchange can be a fantastic way to reduce the cost of buying a new car while also solving the problem of how to get rid of your old car. Part exchange means you will get a better deal on your new car as the value of the old one is offset against the price of the new one.

The post Pros and Cons of Buying a Brand New Car appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Why Do You Need an Accountability Buddy?

How to Find An Accountability Buddy

Setting Goals Together

Saving Money Together: Sharing Deals and Group Buys

Stop Impulsive Spending

Reward Yourselves for Success

Why Do You Need a Financial Accountability Buddy?

If you know you’re bad with money, there is an obvious reason to find moral support with someone who understands your difficulties. However, even if you think you’re quite financially responsible, you could find that there are ways you could be making or saving more money if you look at your financial life through someone else’s eyes.

No matter where you are in life with your savings, investments, spending and debts, a fresh pair of eyes on your situation could help you spot so many more ways you could improve your finances. An accountability buddy is NOT a replacement for independent financial advice – they are more for moral support, to help you through the difficult times of adjusting to living with a new budget or finding new ways to save money, for example. They’re there for emotional support as much as they are to find deals you can split to save money together!

How to Find an Accountability Buddy

This isn’t a formal arrangement, but you do need to have someone you trust. A partner, family member, or close friend is often better – unless money is a frequent arguing point between you. Some people prefer to have a total stranger to discuss things with – obviously, never ever EVER share your bank details or specific financial details with strangers or, in fact, anyone. However, if you want to keep your goals quiet from your friends and family, turn to social media. There are plenty of forums out there on which you can create an anonymous account and find accountability groups or individuals.

When it comes to sharing information, you can be specific about your overall goals but vague about what you share for accountability. For example, you could say “I want to pay off £3,000 on my credit card and save £5,000 by 2025”. What you share in terms of how you achieve that can be vague: “I made a credit card payment over the minimum today.” This helps you stay accountable without opening you up to risk of being scammed.

It’s important to find a buddy who has similar circumstances to you. It makes you more relatable to each other which means you can give each other authentic support. It can be hard for a stock market pro wanting to invest a spare £25,000 to relate to someone who wants to save their first £500 after graduating university. Life circumstances matter, too. Parents will understand the unique costs that come with having children, while new graduates will understand what it’s like trying to save money while in their first low income job.

The most important two rules are:

1. You must trust each other, and
2. You must be honest with each other.

There is no point having an accountability buddy that you can’t tell the truth to. If you haven’t saved your goal this month, or if you bought that fancy shampoo instead of the pound shop one, you need to be able to talk about it openly and without judgement.

Setting Goals Together

The first step of working with your financial accountability buddy is to decide what your goals are. You each might have different goals and that’s OK – but it’s important you share them with each other. This will help you keep each other on track.

Make your goals specific with milestones to achieve. For example: “I want to save more money” is vague. You could save £1 more than last year and technically have achieved your goal! Instead, try goals such as:

• “I want to reduce my debt by £5,000 this year”
• “I need to save £10,000 in my house deposit account by January 2026”
• “I want to cut my non essential spending by £200 a month”
• “I need to stick to a budget of £500 a month (after paying rent/mortgage)”
• “I will do a no-spend year/six months/month”
• “I will learn about ETFs and invest £250 every eight weeks”

Then break down these goals further. If you need to reduce your debt by £5,000, for example, that’s paying off £417 a month. Some months that might not be possible and other months you will have more spare cash to pay off debts. So, “I will pay at least £400 a month towards my debts” is a goal that is measurable by both time and amount. This makes it easier to track your successes and also to see where you could still improve.

Saving Money Together

The great thing about accountability buddies or groups is that you can all take advantage of money saving opportunities together. Couponing is huge in the United States, for example. People will let others know where to find the best coupons and how to stack deals to save the most money.

Another way is making the most of group discounts. If you and your accountability buddy need the same thing, buy in bulk and share it. This might mean going to a wholesaler together like Costco and saving on the wholesale discounts there, or joining group-buying sites to take advantage of online group discounts.

Stop Impulse Spending

Many of us have things we can’t help spending our money on, even when our budget is tight. You can’t resist that Friday night takeaway each week. You’ve seen a hat to add to your collection. The latest Xbox game is out. You definitely need another candle. Things like this – when we find reasons for spending on unnecessary things – are where an accountability buddy can help.

If you feel like you might make an impulsive purchase, stop. Reach out to your buddy and tell them what you want to buy. Tell them why – and if there is no good reason, tell them that, too. Spending impulsively is just as much an emotional act as a practical one. Do not make that purchase until your buddy replies.

Sometimes, you still might go ahead when you have talked it over with them. This doesn’t mean you have failed. It means you have truly considered whether you actually need this item or just want it. That is the first step to working towards financial stability. Learning how to overcome impulse spending is a lot like following a diet: it’s tempting to say ‘oh well I’ve had a piece of cake, I might as well eat another”. In reality, you should say: “that slice of cake was delicious, and now I am back to my healthy eating meal plans.” Your buddy can help you change the way you think about impulse spending.

Reward Yourselves for Success

The reward is achieving your goals. You’ll end your year with debts paid off and spare money in the bank! However, it can feel like a real slog if all you’re doing is saving every penny and not enjoying life in the meantime.

When you set your goals with your accountability buddy, make sure you include milestones that are important. When you have paid off 50% of your debt goal, for example, go out for dinner together. Or, if you want to be money saving in your reward, check out free things to do together!

Setting rewards as well as the final goal will make a huge difference to staying motivated when things get hard. Celebrating together with your buddy will help you stay motivated together, and cheer each other on when it’s a tougher time of year (hello, Christmas, we’re looking at you).

The post Can An Accountability Buddy Make You Rich? appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

With the current cost of living crisis, it will come as no surprise that everything has gone up, from food to hairdressing, and even our favourite hair and beauty products. 

The UK hair and beauty industry is worth £2.5 billion annually and  British women spend on average £400 on cosmetics every year while owning at least 24 products at any one time. But this has risen by 10.1% since 2022 and is set to go up further this year. 

Shampoo is one of the more costly products with a rise of 18.2% while eye-makeup (an essential for those bleary-eyed mornings!) has gone up by approximately 16%. 

But is there a simpler way to find quality hair and beauty products at rock-bottom prices?  

We think so. We’ve curated some of our favourite ways to save money while still looking preened and polished. Simply read on, or click on one of the links below…

• Become a hair model
• Take advantage of beauty colleges
• Find online beauty bargains and deals
• Save money with a mobile hairdresser
• DIY hair hacks
• Au natural home remedies
• Affordable hair growth alternatives
• Proper product storage

Become a hair model 

A survey of stylists who used the booking app Pamperbook found that their female customers in the UK spend an average of £150-300 on hair appointments each month, and that’s before they’ve forked out on nails and other treatments.

Being a hair model can cut the cost drastically and there are plenty of options to choose from. 

Many places offer a cut, colour or blow dry for free or at product cost. 

There are lots of Facebook groups devoted purely to being a hair model including one of the biggest Hair Models Directory UK which posts regular salons that are looking for models. 

You can also try Gumtree.com or Nextdoor and search for your local area. 

Beauty colleges  

Whether you love regular beauty treatments or just an occasional treat, a beauty college can be the stuff of dreams for a quick and easy refreshment. It is also a hive of beauty bargains from tomorrow’s next big stars of the beauty world. 

While you will have your appointment with a practising student many are at the end of their qualification or doing a test. Many colleges offer a variety of treatments including facials, massages, nails, pedicures and radiofrequency. 

If in London, the London College of Beauty Therapy is a great place to start with prices starting at £7. 

There are also Facebook groups with newly qualified aestheticians looking to practice or gain portfolio shots for social media. In the capital, the London Models for Beauty and Cosmetic Treatments group features lots of beauty and hair treatments to cover all bases. 

Online beauty bargains and deals 

Got a little extra time but want to save some pennies? If you have a flexible schedule then booking a last-minute appointment is often cheaper and you can even find exclusive deals online. 

Wowcher, Groupon, Voucher Codes and Living Social all cater for bargain hair and beauty deals that can save up to 90% off the original price. 

Treatwell also offers last-minute appointments which can be cheaper than a  normal booking at a salon. It is also a bonus that you can search by location which saves money on transport costs too. 

Mobile hairdressers 

Do you have a busy family life and find it difficult to travel to a salon? Maybe you work full-time or unusual hours and find that salons are either fully booked or closed when you need them?  

Or maybe you just wanted to have your hair perfected in the comfort of your own home? Well, booking a mobile hairdresser may be the best solution for you. 

Most mobile hairdressers have reasonable rates as they don’t have many overheads and frequently use your own shampoo and conditioner, which also helps if you have a preferred product you use. 

Try the Yellow Pages for local mobile hairdressers or NextDoor.co.uk. There are also a few apps that offer hairdressing services including Ruuby, Blow Ltd, and Glow and dry. 

DIY hair hacks 

If you want to visit the salon less, and save more money in the long run, then experts recommend looking after your hair well at home. 

One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by applying regular hair masks, which can give the hair extra shine and gloss. You can find some at reduced prices too including Pantene at £2.50 and a Banana hair mask for £1 at The Range. 

When styling, protect hair by using heat protective spray, serums and leave-in conditioners and give the hair regular breaks from styling tools such as straighteners or curling tongs. 

There are many rave reviews online that a silk pillowcase  is a great investment, as it helps your hair retain moisture. Silk is also a friction-free material that allows your hair to smooth the follicle while sleeping and has even been hailed to help with fine lines and wrinkles.  

Had a fabulous blow dry but want to make it last longer? Then a dry shampoo can help absorb any grease and keep it looking fresh for a few more days. 

While many stylists don’t recommend cutting your own hair when you’re in need of a little TLC, basic cuts can be done at home. 

If you want to freshen up your split ends, then the trick is to start off slow and only do a very basic trim straight across. 

When washing hair always make sure to rough dry hair with a towel and pat it dry.  And always wash hair after the swimming pool to avoid chlorine damage or after a workout when there may be more sweat. 

Use a shampoo that is recommended for your hair type. If you have colour-treated hair, dry, or dandruff then there are many suitable options that come in under a fiver at Boots or Superdrug. 

Au natural home remedies 

If your hair is in need of some extra help, then look no further than the fridge. Homemade products can give your hair some much-needed shine and extra conditioning, and in some cases even promote hair growth. 

Coconut oil, avocado, and eggs can all be blended and applied as a hair mask for 20 minutes (just don’t forget to use lukewarm water when it comes to washing eggs off rather than hot). 

Some also cite apple cider vinegar, bananas, and yoghurt as beneficial ways to make your hair perfectly shiny in a mask form. 

Hair growth  

Rosemary oil, mixed with a carrier oil such as olive oil or almond oil, has received rave reviews on TikTok with many claiming its hair growth properties. 

Never use pure rosemary oil without a carrier oil as it can be too irritating for the scalp. Mix three to six drops of rosemary oil with one teaspoon of carrier oil instead. Leave to sit for a couple of hours then wash off. 

Some people also try rosemary water for hair growth in a spray bottle. 

For this, you simply boil several sprigs of rosemary with water for 15 mins then drain and put the remaining water into a bottle. Then you spray on the roots of your hair daily. 

For already mixed rosemary oil, one of the cheaper brands is from Sephora or if you prefer to mix yourself with a carrier oil try Nikura. 

Proper Product Storage

This may sound obvious, but the better you look after your products, the more they last. Therefore keep certain products in the fridge. Often skin fanatics claim that toners, facemasks and aloe veras etc retain more potency when kept refridgerated. Whilst some people claim that this is a fad, I personally love both how they feel cool and also feel they do last longer.

The fridge I personally have is the STYLPRO Four Litre Beauty Fridge (Black) £44.00, exclusive to Argos

It is super cute and contains a suprising amount of space. With a “built in low-temperature protection for product cooling optimisation (20 degrees below room temperature), built-in noise reduction and a sizeable 4 litres to hold all your goods”, there’s a reason the STYLPRO Beauty Fridge has been a bestseller for years. Products will never spoil or freeze, plus you can switch your fridge to a heating setting to keep warm if needed.

We also round-up our top 10 beauty saving websites here. Let us know in the comments where you find your own beauty bargains…

The post Ways to save on hair and beauty products and treatments appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

With the May half term and Spring Bank Holiday coming round fast, it is more important than ever to think about how family finances will be impacted. Many businesses have great offers where kids can eat for £1 or less during the school holidays.

The school holidays can be an exciting time for many. Children are excited at the prospect of time away from the confines of school, and families can spend some quality time together. Some may even have a nice holiday booked or finally have the time to visit family who live far away.

But holidays are not all sunshine and rainbows. For many, it induces a sense of anxiety. Financial worry clouds the minds of many, as household costs increase during this period.

Time off school means many parents are spending more time at home with their children. This leads to increased energy use due to more electronics being used, food being cooked and let’s not forget the seemingly endless piles of laundry! Similarly, more food is being eaten at home, with the break not only on education, but the provision of free school meals. Many people rely on these meals to feed their children one full, hot meal per day.

It can all add up. But, luckily, there are many restaurants and cafes which offer low-cost and sometimes free meals for children during school breaks. Whether it be a low-cost or free breakfast, lunch or dinner, you are bound to find somewhere your little ones will enjoy.

• Beefeater and Brewers Fayre
• Purezza
• Dobbies
• Bella Italia
• Morrisons
• Hungry Horse
• Sizzling Pubs
• Angus Steakhouse
• IKEA
• The Real Greek
• TGI Fridays
• Gordon Ramsay Restaurants
• Dunelm
• Yo Sushi

Beefeater and Brewers Fayre

Two children up to the age of 16 can eat a free breakfast with every adult breakfast purchased. This offer is available at any Beefeater or Brewers’ Fayre branch and includes their delicious unlimited all-you-can-eat breakfast. So, whether your little ones fancy a full English or a more continental option, there is bound to be something they enjoy.

This means if you plus a friend or a partner purchase a breakfast, four children can get a free breakfast. There is currently no end date to this scheme as of yet, but it is currently available for all customers to enjoy.

You can also take advantage of the Half Term Special: a three-course kids meal for just £5.99.

Full T&Cs here.

Purezza

If you fancy a light lunch or a spot of dinner, why not visit vegan Italian favourite Purezza? Children under the age of 10 can get a delicious free mini pizza with a topping of their choice! These mouth-watering options include mushrooms, courgette and vegan sausage.

Only one child can get this offer per adult who is dining. Full T&Cs here.

Dobbies

Garden centres can provide a surprising amount of fun for kids. From the wonderful colours of blossoming flowers to water fountains, shrubs and the wildlife they bring, children can become immersed in the magical surroundings nature brings.

You can get one free kids meal or breakfast at Dobbies garden centres with the purchase of an adult traditional breakfast or main course lunch purchased. Children can choose from the children’s breakfast or lunch menu. There is a £1 supplement for kids’ Sunday roast meals. During half term, you can also get a free child’s hot meal or pick n mix lunch box with every adult meal purchased.

Offer available at all Dobbies restaurants with the exception of Andover, Lelant, Marple, Reading, York and Anchorwood.

Full T&Cs here.

Bella Italia

Family favourite Bella Italia lets kids eat FREE all day every Thursday with the purchase of an adult meal, and for just £1 during the hours of 4-6pm Sunday to Wednesday. This is available for children aged 2-11 years and is available between 4pm and 6pm.

Plus, this offer includes three delicious courses and a drink. For just £1 maximum! You can’t go wrong. Full T&Cs here.

Morrisons

Why not roll your weekly shop and a meal out into one with Morrisons? They have a great deal where one child can eat a free lunch or dinner when you spend £4.50 on one adult meal. Children up to the age of 16 can redeem this offer and get a delicious free meal from the kids menu, including a drink and a piece of fruit.

One free kids’ meal can be redeemed per adult but excludes menu specials.  You can’t use any other offers EXCEPT the Teatime Deal (one adult meal of a toastie or sandwich, hot or cold drink, and a piece of cake for £4.80). Full T&Cs here.

Hungry Horse

Hungry Horse restaurants have a whopping May half term deal: Feed a Family for £15! You’ll get two adult mains and two children’s full meals (main, dessert, and drink) for just £15. The offer runs from Friday 27th May to Friday 31st May 2024, and what’s even better is you can add two more kids’ meals for just £2.50 each.

Throughout the year, Hungry Horse also run a special offer where children can eat for just £1 every Monday. Up to two children can eat per full paying adult. Larger meals are just £1.50.

Choose from a range of mouth-watering delights, from beef  burgers to veggie nuggets. It’s also a good idea to ensure your nearest restaurant qualifies for this deal.

Full T&Cs here.

Sizzling Pubs

Sizzling Pubs is the parent company of many pubs across the UK. Your local may be a Sizzling Pub without you knowing it! You can find your nearest pub here.

During the May half term, kids can eat for just £1 from Monday to Friday after 12pm with the purchase of one adult meal. This excludes breakfast, other offers and the set menu. This offer also runs after 3pm Monday to Friday outside of school holidays.

Full T&Cs here.

Angus Steakhouse

Kids under the age of 8 can eat for free with the purchase of one adult main course every day of the May half term. If you are heading to the big smoke for any reason, it may well be worth keeping this deal in mind! Outside of school holidays, this offer is available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Ensure to request the offer in advance on your booking.

Read more here.

IKEA

If you are browsing for new furniture or want to spruce up your home, IKEA is often the first place people think of to visit. Now, the furniture giant are offering children’s meals from 95p. This offer is valid all day, everyday from 11am.

An item from the children’s menu is just 95p. However, for just £1.50 you can get a combo meal. This includes a hot meal, jelly, a drink and a piece of fruit. Plus, Ikea is a double-whammy during the school holidays, with many stores offering free crafting activities – this May half term, the theme is the ocean. Always double check your local store is participating first!

The Real Greek

Every Sunday, children can eat for free at The Real Greek restaurants, when £10 is spent by an adult. Whether your child is in the mood for a mouthwatering souvlaki wrap with halloumi or would rather a mezze selection, something is bound to tickle their fancy.

One free kids meal per adult (each adult must spend £10) can be redeemed and is available to all children under the age of 12. Full T&Cs here.

TGI Fridays

Kids eat free at TGI Fridays when you order an adult’s main meal, all day, every day. The offer is available for Stripes Rewards members – you’ll just need to join via their app, which is free to download through app stores. You’ll get a complimentary Little League or Major League kids’ meal. The menu includes classic burgers, fish fingers and vegan choices. There is also free Heinz baby food for the smallest guests at TGI Fridays. Find out more here.

OK Diners 

One child under 10 can eat free when an adult purchases a main meal. This offer is available every day at the diners in Derby, Cannock, Leominster, Northop and Oswestry. Read all about it here. 

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants 

At selected Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, kids can eat for free from the Ramsay kids menu when ordering a main. It’s only available for children under the age of eight and you will need to purchase an adult main for every free children’s meal. It’s available at Heddon Street Kitchen, all Bread Street Kitchen and Bars, Bread Street Café, Gordon Ramsay Bar and Grill and York and Albany.

This offer is available all year around, except on select dates like Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It’s advised to book ahead to make sure this offer is available on the date you want to go.

Dunelm

Many of the furnishing retailer’s branches have an in-store eatery, the Pausa cafe. Kids can get a ‘mini main’, two snacks and a drink for free, as long as an accompanying adult spends £4 or more. The offer is available Monday to Friday after 3pm.

YO! Sushi

From 25th to 31st May 2024, you’ll get one free child’s bento box with any adult meal, up to three children (minimum spend £10 per child on the adult meal – so if you want two free bento boxes, the adult must spend £20). Applicable for children under the age of 12 and for dine-in only – some restaurants are excluded, so check the details before you go.

The post Where Can Kids Eat for £1 or Less for May Half Term? appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Borrowing Books

CDs, DVDs, Toys and Games

Community Cafes 

Free Computer Access

Free Activities and Learning

Borrowing Books

OK, this is the obvious one but we can’t mention a library without talking about the incredible book borrowing service they offer. Did you know that if you want to borrow a book your library doesn’t have in stock, they will order it for you? So, if you’re looking for a specific research book or want to get your hands on a title that isn’t currently on their shelves, you can ask your librarian.

Libraries are moving with the times, too. The Libby app is the most common, but your local library might have their own app, for borrowing eBooks. So, if you love reading on your Kindle or eReader, you still don’t need to worry about buying them. You can borrow them online!

The same goes for magazines. Libraries give you access to a wide range of newspapers and magazines, which is particularly helpful if you’re researching something.

Your librarian is your resource, too. Whether you’re not sure how to navigate the Dewey Decimal system or need a recommendation for your next summer read based on your previous reading history, talk to your librarian. They’re passionate about reading and books, and very eager to help fellow readers find what they’re looking for.

If you like to read proper books instead of eBooks, but can’t get to your local library, ask them about home library services. Many will offer a drop-and-collect service for people who are unable to physically attend the library, with volunteers helping you to order and collect books on your behalf.

CDs and DVDs

Did you know that libraries also have a media section? Instead of spending on DVDs you watch once or CDs you get bored of after one summer, you can borrow from the library for free. Save hundreds of pounds each year by using the media library instead of Spotify, a TV licence, and streaming subscriptions! You might not be able to watch the very latest streaming shows, but if you need to save money while keeping yourself and your kids entertained, the media library is worth checking out. You can also borrow audiobooks, so you can save on your Audible subscription, too. Lots of the media, such as audiobooks and magazines, will be available on your library’s app (like BorrowBox or Libby – your librarian can tell you more).

Many libraries have a toy library that includes board games for all age ranges. If you want to have a fun night in with friends, or keep the kids entertained during the school holidays, take a look at what your library has to offer. Make sure you return all the pieces for the next borrower!

Community Cafes

The old school belief of being shushed at the library has moved with the times – while the main library areas are still quiet, many now have adjoining cafes. These are ideal if you want to borrow a magazine and buy a coffee for a quiet hour to yourself, or to meet a friend in a child-friendly cafe environment.

Libraries are notoriously under-funded, and their cafes offer them an opportunity to raise funds all year around. The prices are kept reasonable, to encourage people to choose their library over a chain coffee shop down the road, and they’re often run by volunteers.

You’ll often find that community groups are run from the library cafe too – from knit and natter to guerilla guardening, ask about what’s on in your area to find like-minded people who use the library as their community hub.

Free Library Computer Access

If you work from home and would like to be able to go somewhere to work for a few hours, but don’t want to sit in a loud cafe, check out your library! Many have booths you can hire for private study, but even working from the tables in the library will be nice and quiet. Most libraries will also offer you a slot to book for your child to do their homework on their computer, up to two hours usually, which gives them access to a lot of the library online subscriptions for research papers and magazines etc to help with their education.

If you can’t afford a computer, most libraries have computers you can book time on, too. And you can get some printing done, at a small surcharge (usually around 10p a sheet). And if you’re struggling to get to grips with technology or accessing particular information (such as getting onto your Universal Credit online account), your library will have a tech savvy person who can help.

Free Activities and Learning

Your local library will run a range of schemes to help people of all ages with their education. There’ll be Reading Well courses for children and teenagers, to help encourage them enjoy the past time of reading, as well as Story Time readings for younger children on a regular basis. Your (or your child’s) favourite author might also come to do a reading during a book launch tour, so sign up to your library’s newsletter to stay ahead of event news. During the school holidays, your library will run extra events for children to give you somewhere to go on a rainy day and participate in a free activity.

More than this, libraries will offer adult education courses. These may be courses to help you learn to read and write, or they might be one-off free or low fee courses to encourage you to try something new. It’s a great way to meet new people as well as try something out – and if you’re a homebody or unable to attend the library in person, many will record ‘Ted Talk’ style videos of their education sessions, so you can listen to talks in your own time at home.

Find your local library here. Remember, some communities have smaller ‘reading cafe’ libraries with a central hub larger library, so make sure to check out the different ones in your area!

The post Five Ways to Save With Your Library appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Selected Iceland stores across the UK, that are located nearby a Domino’s, are offering customers free vouchers to spend in-store to swap their Domino’s takeaway pizza… for Iceland Takeaway pizzas instead. 

On Saturday 13th April only, the first 100 Iceland Bonus Card customers (per store) that buy into Iceland’s 2 for £5 deal on their delicious Takeaway pizzas, will receive a £15 Iceland voucher to spend in-store at Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores between 14.04.24 and 30.04.24.  

The free £15 Iceland voucher can be used to buy anything from Iceland or The Food Warehouse stores, including more pizza from their entire pizza range. 

Savvy shoppers buying into the 2 for £5 deal on Takeaway Pizzas can use their £15 voucher to then bag 6 more pizzas from the Takeaway range – all for the same price as just one medium Domino’s Pizza which costs around £20. 

Andrew Staniland, Group Buying Director at Iceland Foods and The Food Warehouse, said: “We want customers to swap their usual takeaway pizza for our exceptionally priced Takeaway pizza range. We know once they try ours, they’ll never look back and they’ll be saving money on their usual takeaway every week!” 

What’s more is Iceland’s range of Takeaway pizzas has an amazing variety of toppings to rival those of fast-food favourites. 

Toppings such as meat feast, BBQ chicken and bacon and double pepperoni are all available as well as stuffed crusts.  

The money-back offer, which is only available in selected stores, has been launched in an effort to get local customers to swap their Domino’s pizzas for frozen pizzas and help to save money in the process. 

The post Iceland give away FREE food in cheeky dig at DOMINOS appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Almost half of all adults aged 17 to 85 in the UK have either had an addition or been directly impacted by one, such as a spouse or sibling. That’s a whopping 22 million UK adults affected by addiction in some way. From alcohol to sex, shopping to food, addictive behaviour causes destruction to relationships, careers – and finances.

This is a comprehensive guide to help you recognise addictive behaviours in yourself or a loved one. We’ll show you how to address and overcome addictions, and make sure you’re not left in debt.

• The cost of addiction
• How do you know if you’ve got an addiction?
• Effects of addictive behaviour
• Addiction and mental health
• How to help a loved one with an addiction
• Types of addiction
• How addiction makes debt work
• Your addiction doesn’t rule you

First Thing to Remember: You Are Not Alone

Addictions are scary. They take over your life – even if it’s not your addiction. Family relationships and friendships become strained, and the financial burden deepens the risk of harm to your mental health.

But DO NOT WORRY.

You’re not alone. Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK experience addiction every year – and that means there’s plenty of help out there for you.

This guide will help you understand the cost of addiction and how you can start to seek help.

Take a deep breath. It’s going to be OK.

The Cost of Addiction

When we hear the word ‘addiction’, our minds often jump to illegal drug misuse or alcohol consumption. In reality, addictive behaviour is related to many different things, from gambling to food.

Drug misuse statistics show that almost 10% of adults have tried a drug in the last year. This doubles for the 16 – 24 age bracket to one million people (17.6%). Of course, the real statistics will be even higher, as these are just from those willing to report they have used drugs. The cost of addiction to the economy is staggering: the UK loses £15 billion to drug misuse every year (and a whopping £21 billion due to alcohol addiction).

However, addictive behaviour isn’t solely linked to using illegal drugs or consuming excessive amounts of alcohol. Gambling, for example, cost the public purse £412.9 million in 2023. Often, someone with one addiction is likely to have a related addiction, too.

For example, men who gamble are more likely to smoke and/or drink excessive alcohol. So, the cost of one addiction can’t really be analysed on its own. The whole picture makes it look bleak: very often, someone trying to kick one addiction moves onto another to replace it.

How many smokers do you know, for example, who have switched to vaping instead? The root cause of addictions is usually in the behavioural patterns – not the thing you’re addicted to.  So, without getting professional help for an addiction, you (or your loved one) risks replacing one costly addiction with another.

How Do You Know If You’ve Got an Addiction?

While each type of addiction has their unique quirks (which we’ll look at later), there are some common signs you’ll notice in yourself or your loved one that signals addictive behaviour.

If you notice any of these signs, don’t panic. It’s important to remember that addictions – and addictive behaviour – can be treated.

Signs of addiction to look out for:

1. Compulsive behaviour despite knowing the action is detrimental (such as smoking)
2. Loss of interest in hobbies and favourite activities
3. Secretive behaviour
4. Mood swings when the subject is brought into conversation
5. Obsessing about the subject when you’re not doing it (such as thinking about when you’ll get your next fix)
6. Feeling depressed or withdrawn if you try to stop doing it
7. Using the behaviour as a coping strategy for stress or other triggers
8. Neglecting work or becoming absent altogether
9. Not engaging with friends and family as much
10. An acknowledgement that the behaviour dominates your life
11. Willingness to take risks to achieve your addiction (such as getting fired from your job or doing something illegal)

Effects of Addictive Behaviour

The impact of addiction isn’t just taking more risks or becoming obsessed by your addiction. It has bigger effects, too.

Relationships start to suffer as the addictive activity is prioritised over social interaction. You might cancel plans all the time, or start avoiding people altogether. This social isolation can drive your addiction in a vicious cycle: without the support of family and friends, the small positive reinforcements you get from your addiction are what keep you happy.

For example, those with a shopping addiction may not leave their home for days on end. However, with access to the internet, it’s easy to have the thrill of ordering shopping online. This thrill – which feels like validation of yourself or your actions – is what makes the addiction powerful. You want it again, so you’ll buy more things.

Addiction is related to dopamine, the ‘feel good’ hormone. When we get a little rush from something exciting, that’s dopamine kicking in. But, over time, we need to do more drastic things to get the same hit. This is where the cycle of addiction is insidious: it builds slowly over time, changing your habits until it runs your life. You might find yourself prioritising your addiction over family, friends, and social events – and at first it’s easy to say you can’t afford to go out (so you can spend your spare cash on your addiction), but then you actually can’t afford to go out. Addictions also get in the way of work as well as worsen your mental health.

Addiction and Mental Health

Addictive behaviour goes hand-in-hand with other mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. There is also some evidence to suggest that addiction is more common in neurodivergent people such as those with ADHD, because of the dopamine cycle it offers as a coping mechanism for being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world.

It’s important to understand that poor mental health often works in a vicious cycle: sometimes, someone is depressed so they become addicted to something that gives them a temporary sense of positivity. When that feeling goes away again, they turn to their addiction once more to feel better.

Other times, addictive behaviour has a negative impact on a person’s life which causes depression. They then continue their addiction to feel that thrill or to fill the empty feeling that so often comes with depression.

The cycle is very hard to break and can lead to devastating consequences. For example, there are around 400 suicides each year by problem gamblers (those gambling outside of their means and in an addictive cycle) in England. This is, of course, reductive as studies don’t usually take into account the combination of mental health issues and co-addictions such as self-medicating with alcohol to avoid depression caused by gambling debt. It is, still, a sobering figure.

If your addiction is severely affecting your mental health, seek help and advice immediately.

You can call:

• The Samaritans on 116 123 (any time of day or night)
• Your local GP for a Crisis Team referral
• Mind charity on 0300 123 3393
• Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – for men – on 0800 58 58 58
• Papyrus (for under-35s) on 0800 068 41 41

If feelings of self-harm are immediate and urgent, go to your local Accident and Emergency department straight away.

How to Help a Loved One With an Addiction

Addictions affect more than one person: it takes a toll on those around them, too.

Loving someone with an addiction, whether they’re your spouse, sibling, parent, or friend, is hard. You want to take responsibility to help them overcome their addiction. It also creates a lot of friction in your relationship, too: anger and resentment can build up as the addiction starts to take priority over people.

Getting help for an addiction is very much up to the person with the addictive behaviour. However, there are things you can do to support them on their way to getting help:

1. Avoid judgmental statements when talking about the addiction. For example, instead of ‘Drugs make you a bad person’, try ‘I worry about your health if you continue to use these drugs’.
2. Gather information about where they can seek help for their addiction.
3. Offer to go with them to appointments if they need moral support.
4. Don’t enable their behaviour: if their finances are dire and you want to help, offer to pay a bill directly instead of giving them money.
5. Take time for yourself: if you burn out supporting them, you’ll suffer too!

Sometimes, all the person with the addiction wants you to do is to listen to them. Talk to them about their addiction, how they feel about it, and why they think they do it. Ask what they want to do about it, too: they may want to seek help but not know how to ask.

Addictions aren’t easy to get over: it’s a long road and it’s exhausting. If you feel you can’t help your loved one any more than you already have, remember that it’s completely OK to tell them this.

Put some distance in your relationship if you need to take time away to regroup: you’ve got to look after yourself first. It feels selfish, but you’re no use to anyone if you’re burned out, too!

Types of Addiction

Almost anything can be an addiction. It’s the behaviour pattern of crave, fix, heightened pleasure, crash, crave that makes it an addiction. Here are the most common ones seen by GPs and addiction centres in the UK – and how to get help for them.

Smoking

In 2006, 22% of adults in the UK smoked. The smoking ban came into effect in 2007 – and had a massive impact on the number of smokers. In 2023, just over 12.9% of adults smoked, down from 14% in 2018. The new smoking age rules may mean this figure drops radically in the future.

We don’t often think of smoking as an addiction. We know it’s harmful to our health, but taking smoking breaks from work, lighting up on a night out, or having a coffee and cigarette for breakfast are still socially acceptable.

However, the habit doesn’t just affect your health. It’s directly linked to reduced finances, too!

The average smoker gets through ten cigarettes a day, or half a pack (the minimum pack size is 20). At the time of writing in April 2024, a pack cost an average of £15.45. That’s a cost of around £7.75 per day, depending on the brand. For a daily habit, that adds up to 3.5 packs a week – a cost of £54.25. Over the course of a year, that’s £2,821.

How to Stop Smoking

The NHS offers lots of help for people who want to quit smoking. Specialist nurses can help support you through your quitting journey. They may also help you access certain prescriptions to help you stop smoking, too.

Find out how to contact your local stop smoking NHS service here.

If you’re struggling with how to quit smoking, you can also try to wean yourself off cigarettes with nicotine patches or gum. However, the support you’ll get from your local stop smoking service is likely to be the boost you need to stick to your dedication to quit.

Alcohol

Another socially acceptable drug, excessive alcohol consumption is a huge problem for health and social services in the UK. One in five hospital inpatients admits to harmful alcohol consumption, and one in ten rely on it every day.

It’s so easy to abuse alcohol: we live in a culture where going to the pub is a standard social event. We’ll go for a drink after a hard day’s work, drag friends on a pub crawl to celebrate birthdays, and give alcoholic gift sets at Christmas.

We joke about needing a stiff drink for courage or to cope with a stressful day. Even fashion items have made drinks like gin and Prosecco fashionable to a new generation, with mugs adorned with slogans like “There’s too much tea in my gin”. The casual approach to alcohol means it’s easy to not realise an addiction is forming.

Signs of an Alcohol Addiction

You might not think you’ve got an alcohol problem if you still go to work every day and don’t binge drink. We imagine alcoholics to be unable to work due to being drunk all the time, or someone who has to drink a litre of vodka every day to stop the shakes.

In fact, you may have an alcohol addiction and not realise it.

1. You drink alcohol every day
2. You couldn’t skip more than one day without a drink
3. Drinking after work is a daily occurrence
4. You’re showing signs of alcohol withdrawal
5. Hangovers are more common for you than hangover-free days
6. It’s common for you to drink more than your personal limit
7. You regularly drink more than the recommended 14 units a week
8. Alcohol is your go-to for coping with stressful situations
9. You hide your drinking from others

How to Overcome an Alcohol Addiction

Overcoming an alcohol addiction is particularly hard because it’s such a huge part of our culture in the UK. Becoming tee-total is a challenge in itself, made all the harder when we’re expected to go to social gatherings where alcohol is served.

However, it’s important to address your drinking sooner rather than later. It doesn’t just cause irreversible health problems: the financial strain of drinking is phenomenal.

Take your first steps to recovery and:

• See your local GP
• Find local community alcohol support services
• Ask friends to do alternative things when you meet (go to the cinema, go for a walk etc, instead of the pub)
• Cut down how much alcohol you have – try alternating alcohol-free beer to start with
• Contact the org helpline on 0203 553 0324
• Get in touch with Drinkaware’s Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 for help
• Contact Addaction for support
• Find an Alcoholics Anonymous to attend
• Book into a private rehab like The Priory

It is getting easier for sober people to participate in social events, too. You might have noticed a recent boom in non-alcoholic drinks, ranging from whisky to Prosecco, to alcohol-free gin and rum. Pubs and restaurants are getting in on the new profit-maker, with many more non-alcoholic options available on menus, and gift sets now easy to get hold of for Christmas. Going to the pub might not be right for your recovery journey, but if you do there’s no longer any need to stick to a boring Pepsi (or Coke).

Drugs – Prescription and Illegal

Illegal drugs are what most people think of when we say the word ‘addiction’.

However, more people are addicted to prescription drugs than ever before. It’s easily done: you have an injury and the doctor prescribes very strong painkillers. These drugs are addictive – so when you’re fully healed, you still want the fix of the drug. Recent TV series such as Dopesick have highlighted the scale and damage of the prescription opioid crisis – confirming that, if you find yourself relying on your painkillers in a way that disrupts your behaviour, you’re not alone.

Whether you’re addicted to illegal narcotics, marijuana, or prescription drugs, the impact is the same. Your behaviour changes as you prioritise the substance over your relationships, career, family, and even self-care.

Drugs, like alcohol, also affect your brain chemistry. You’re more likely to suffer related mental health problems – and this is why drug-related suicides are so desperately high every year, too.

The financial implications of drug addiction is clear. Many with substance misuse problems end up neglecting other finances in their lives, such as rent or mortgage payments, to buy their drug of choice. What might start as a small £20-a-week habit for a weekend party hit can easily spiral into thousands of pounds over the course of the year.

How to Overcome Drug Addiction

Always seek help from your GP first. If you don’t want to see your family doctor, or don’t have one, there are other services with registered doctors who can help. It’s vital that you don’t try to attempt ‘cold turkey’ quitting: you’ll need medical supervision.

You can also contact:

• The Samaritans on 116 123
• With You
• Turning Point
• Frank

For help accessing drug recovery services.

Drug and alcohol charity, AdFam, has a fantastic list of resources for you – and your loved ones affected by your addition – too. Click here for a list of organisations.

Sex

We don’t talk about sex addiction much in the UK – but it’s a growing problem. It’s not only about those who feel the need for intimacy with a lot of people, as addictions to pornography affect a huge number of the population, too. In fact, two-thirds of young people are addicted to online pornography, according to a 2023 study.

Financially, a sex addiction may seem mild – but it quickly adds up. You may choose to pay for sex – or even go on a costly ‘sex tourism’ holiday to countries in which it’s legal. Other people find their addiction to porn means they’re paying for premium website content – or spending a lot of money on webcam shows. The rise of OnlyFans as a way to access porn on the go has led to some high-profile cases of people spending thousands of pounds (or dollars), as the simplicity of a transaction makes it easy to send money for ‘customised’ pornography.

How to Overcome a Sex Addiction

Sex addictions are most commonly rooted in a behavioural need for validation or gratification. This means the best approach to overcome your addiction is to seek behavioural therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, to re-train your brain. Unlike quitting a substance you’re physically addicted to, sex addiction requires a deep look at the cause of your behaviour.

Try contacting these organisations for support:

• Sex Addicts Anonymous
• Sexaholics Anonymous
• Relate (If your addiction is affecting your current relationship)
• Sex Addiction Help
• The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity

If online porn is your main problem, you can try setting up website blocks for your most frequently visited websites or set a child lock on your Internet Service Provider (which helps limit what adult material can be viewed by anyone on your broadband network).

Gambling

Gambling addictions have rocketed since online gambling became easy for any adult to access. While online casinos have financial limits, there’s nothing stopping you from holding accounts with several websites at a time.

This makes it easy to lose thousands of pounds in one day. The trouble with gambling, unlike other addiction types, is that you don’t always get the fix you need. The big win is what keeps you going – but in chasing that feeling of winning, you can easily lose a lot of money.

While it is now harder to rack up a gambling debt on lots of credit cards (as only debit cards can be used in the UK), this doesn’t stop people from taking loans or depleting other financial resources to fund their gambling addiction.

Signs You Have a Gambling Problem

Unlike other addictions, you don’t have to need the substance or habit every single day. Problem gambling occurs when:

1. You can’t stop at your set limits
2. Your bank balance is low but you gamble anyway
3. You feel compelled to gamble when you know it’s a bad bet
4. Family and friends have highlighted how much you gamble
5. You hide your gambling from others

How to Overcome a Gambling Addiction

The good news is that there are many places to get help.

Try these resources to start with:

• Your local doctor
• Gamcare
• The National Problem Gambling Clinic
• The Gordon Moody Association
• Gambling Therapy

You can also speak to friends and family and, if you feel it necessary, ask someone you trust to help by managing your money for you. This way, you won’t be able to spend money without explaining what it’s for – and can really help highlight to yourself how large a problem your gambling has become.

Shopping

A shopping addiction might seem harmless – but imagine what it’s doing to your finances.

Onoimania – the real name for it – is a strange addiction as it comes in two parts: the thrill of browsing or online shopping, and then the thrill of finding and buying something. If you’re shopping online, there’s the third peak of joy when the parcel is delivered.

Shopping addicts often try to justify their purchases by sounding thrifty. “It was 70% off”, “I got it on a two-for-one offer”, that kind of thing. However, unless you need the thing you were buying, 70% off is still 30% more than you’d planned to spend in the first place!

The financial impact of a shopping addiction is clear. People carry on spending even when they don’t have the cash for it. Store cards are a huge problem here, too: the ‘buy now, pay later’ easy credit makes it really straightforward to access ‘free’ purchases.

They’re not free: a store card has a huge rate of interest, too! So, instead of paying £10 for an item, you could end up paying back £15 for it. It’s easy to see how debts from shopping addictions rack up without you realising.

How to Overcome a Shopping Addiction

Shopping addictions are less health-related than some other addictions, in that it won’t cause illness. However, it’s still rooted in a mental health disorder – so make sure you speak to your GP as the first port of call. They’ll be able to refer you for behavioural therapy to help you address the root cause of a shopping addiction.

You can also:

1. Literally freeze your credit cards in water (so you can’t use them)
2. Hand control of your spending to a loved one
3. Recoup some losses by selling unwanted items on Ebay and similar sites
4. Write down every single expenditure to see the real cost
5. Pay for everything in cash only (so you see the physical money handed over)
6. Ask yourself if you really need the item you’re about to buy (if not, put it back!)

How Addiction Makes Debt Worse

People with addictions also start to lose focus on other things in their lives – such as their job. They make take more sick days or simply stop going to work altogether. This, in turn, worsens the financial impact of addictions.

Addictions need money, too. Whether you’re gambling, paying for sex, or have a binge relationship with food, it all needs funding. This makes it very easy to fall into debt.

The impact of addictions on mental health is significant for financial reasons, too. Many people with depression and anxiety struggle to face tasks such as opening letters or paying bills. As the debts of unpaid bills mount up, the stress increases.

Not only does it mean debts build as bills go unpaid (either intentionally or forgotten about) – but it also means the addiction takes centre stage. Stress builds, they turn to their addiction, spend money on it to feel better – and increase their debts.

If Your Finances Are Affecting Your Mental Health

If you’re struggling to keep on top of your bills or feel anxious about opening letters and managing your admin, don’t panic.

First, speak to your local GP for advice and help. They may refer you to a specialist or be able to recommend local services in your community who can help.

Next, ask a close friend or family member to help with your admin. It’s really hard to ask, but sharing the burden with them will immediately take some of the stress off. They can help you to assess what you owe and who needs to be paid.

Finally, and this is a tough one, get in touch with your credit card company, bank, and utilities providers. If you’re too anxious, ask your friend to call them on your behalf (but you’ll need to be present to authorise this on the phone).

Ask your bank and credit card company to freeze any payments for a short period of time. If they can’t or won’t do that, negotiate a reduced amount or at least freeze interest charges. This will give you some breathing space to sort out your finances.

You can call a specialist agency for help with your finances, too.

Try:

• StepChange on 0800 138 1111
• Money Advice Service on 0800 138 1677
• National Debtline on 0808 808 4000
• Your local Citizens Advice Bureau

These are all completely free services to help you overcome and manage your debts.

You can also check out our guides on debt management to help get you started.

Your Addiction Doesn’t Own You

The biggest thing to remember when coping with an addiction is that you’re bigger than it will ever be.

You’ve lived well long before your addiction took hold: you don’t NEED it to live. You can get back to that feeling of independence (instead of dependence).

It’s not going to be easy – especially when you’re recovering your finances, relationships, and wellbeing all at the same time. There are so many places to go and people who want to support you, the only thing you need to do is ask for help.

It’s worth it. You’re worth it. You’ve got this.

When you’re ready, check out our other sections about benefits and debt management, and how to make money, to start your financial recovery, too.

The post Addiction, finances, and getting help appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Saving when you’re on a low income seems impossible – but with the Government’s Help to Save account, it’s not only possible but lands you with a whopping 50% bonus.

Designed for those in receipt of Universal Credit, this little-known savings account is available for many people on a low income. Over the course of 4 years, you could earn a massive £1200 FREE BONUS from the Government.

Here’s everything you need to know about this well-kept secret!

1. What is Help to Save?
2. How it Works
3. Who is Eligible for Help to Save?
4. When Do I Get My Bonus?
5. What Are the Advantages of Help to Save?
6. What Are the Disadvantages?
7. Will it Affect My Benefits?
8. How to Open a Help to Save Account
9. More Ways to Save Money on a Low Income
10. Extra Ways to Earn More Money

What is Help to Save?

The Government wants to encourage those on low incomes to save money. But, is saving really worth it when interest rates are so low and you need all the cash you’ve got?

Help to Save is the answer. It’s an easy-access savings account that comes with an added Government bonus in the second and fourth year you hold the account. The bonus isn’t interest – so it doesn’t count towards the annual £1000 tax-free allowance for interest earnings.

For the self-employed, it’s also worth noting that these bonuses don’t count as generated income – so no need to add them on your tax return.

The key things to know about Help to Save are:

1. You can save up to £50 a month (and there’s no penalty for months you don’t pay in)
2. If you’re in a couple, you can each have a Help to Save account
3. You’re eligible if you’re on Universal Credit and earn a household income of £793.17 in one month
4. You only need to hit that earning amount once to qualify
5. In years two and four you get a bonus worth 50% your total savings of the highest amount saved in that year
6. You can withdraw your money at any time
7. It’s a Government scheme, so your money is safe (unlike, for example, a savings app that’s not covered by the FSCS rules).

How does Help to Save work?

You can pay between £1 to £50 a month into the account for a maximum of four years. You don’t have to pay in every month, either.

Withdrawals are easy and penalty-free at any time you have the account – but taking money out will reduce the amount of bonus you’ll get.

At the end of the second year and fourth year of holding the account, you’ll get paid your bonus.

This bonus is a whopping 50% of the highest amount you’ve saved to date in the account. That’s not 50% on the account balance at the time of payment: it’s the highest balance you’ve achieved ever on the account in the bonus period (which is years 1 and 2, then years 3 and 4).

That’s an important distinction: it means that, if you REALLY need to dip into your savings, you can still get the bonus on them. You just won’t be able to get the biggest bonus (as you can only pay £50 in each month).

For example, let’s say you’ve saved £400 in your account by the end of the second year. You actually managed to save £500, but had to withdraw £100 for an emergency bill payment.

Your bonus would be £250 – 50% of £500 – as that’s the highest amount you’ve held in the account so far.

Of course, if you pay in £50 a month for the full four years, that means you’ve saved £2,400 of your own money – leading to a huge £1,200 bonus total from the Government. This is paid in two instalments: at the end of year two, the maximum bonus is £600 (if you’ve saved your full allowance of £1,200). At the end of year four, when the account closes, you’ll receive a further £600 if you’ve saved another £1,200.

There are no savings accounts AT ALL that offer such a generous and GUARANTEED return! If you can get this account, do it!

Who is Eligible for Help to Save?

You need to show that you’re earning enough money through some paid work before you become eligible for the account. Don’t worry: it’s not a large amount and can be earned by your household so if you and your partner both have some work, both incomes count towards the amount (as Universal Credit is shared for couples, too).

You can’t use your Universal Credit payment to qualify for the account. This is where the account encourages people to work and save: if you’re earning through a job, but have a low income, you can still receive some Universal Credit – and it’s these people that the account is aimed at.

If earning the minimum amount to qualify means you won’t get Universal Credit that month, don’t panic! Your Universal Credit doesn’t automatically stop the minute you earn more than your UC entitlement. That’s why monthly assessments exist: it monitors your AVERAGE income over a period of time (making it ideal for the self-employed or those working irregular hours).

To qualify, you must:

• Receive any amount of Universal Credit
• OR receive Working Tax Credit OR Child Tax Credit
• Earn at least £793.17 from paid work in your last monthly assessment period
• Be resident in the UK

If you stop receiving benefits after opening a Help to Save account, you can keep the account for the full four years and still receive the bonuses.

When Do I Get My Bonus?

You receive your bonus directly into your bank account. It happens twice: once at the two-year anniversary and again at the four-year mark when the account closes.

It’s not paid into your Help to Save account – it’s paid into your dedicated bank account. That means if you want it to go straight into another savings account, you can put that as the account you’d like it to be paid into. Otherwise, it’ll go to your current account.

At the fourth-year anniversary, you’ll get your bonus payment and have to withdraw your full amount saved as the account closes.

What Are the Advantages of Help to Save?

The most obvious advantage here is FREE MONEY! You have to wait a couple of years to get it – but for a relatively small monthly investment, it’s a fantastic and guaranteed return of 50% on your savings. NO other savings product offers such surety or high returns. 

Other advantages of Help to Save include:

• The bonus is tax-free
• Couples can each hold an account
• You can save as little as £1 a month
• You can withdraw money if you need it
• Bonuses paid every two years (so you can anticipate the payment)
• The account doesn’t cost anything to have
• It encourages regular saving habits
• It’s easy to build an emergency savings fund

It’s also worth noting that the account is operated by NS&I, the state-backed platform – so your savings are safer here than any other bank account.

If you have a joint Universal Credit claim with a spouse or partner, and you’re both eligible, you can BOTH have a Help to Save account. That means, between you, if you save £50 each a month across the four years, you’ll have saved £4,800 PLUS get bonuses totalling £2,400 between you – that’s enough for a house deposit.

If you’re saving for a house deposit, you could maximise the Government returns by putting your bonus payments into a Lifetime ISA, and when the Help to Save account matures move across your savings into the LISA, to get an EXTRA £1,000 tax-free. There are lots of restrictions with this type of account, so make sure you research first.

Are There Any Disadvantages?

There are few disadvantages to having a Help to Save account.

You do have to meet the eligibility requirements to open an account. However, these are quite easy to meet and you only need to have met the earnings requirement of £793.17 in ONE assessment period before you open a Help to Save account. That is also a joint amount if you live with a partner or spouse – so if one of you earns £300 in a month and the other earns £500 in a month, that’s £800 total so would qualify.

That means people on irregular hour contracts, or the self-employed, may have an overall low income – but find one month makes them eligible to apply for the account.

If you have lots of debt you may be better off paying off high-interest debts than saving your money.

You can’t open another Help to Save account once your four years is over. Similarly, if you close it before your four-year term is up, you cannot open a new one.

Your savings could impact your benefit entitlement – read on for more detail.

Will Help to Save Affect My Benefits?

If you’re only saving into this account, and have no other savings, then your benefits won’t be affected.

If you already have some savings, however, it could affect your entitlement to some benefits.

For example, any savings over £6,000 could impact your Council Tax benefit, while savings above £16,000 disqualify you from receiving any benefits at all.

The bonus, however, is not a taxable income. This means it won’t affect your Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit eligibility.

How to Open a Help to Save Account

The Help to Save account links to your Universal Credit online account. This means it’s easy to find out if you’re eligible to apply: it’ll tell you during the application process if you’ve earned enough in your last assessment period.

Bear in mind that it can take up to a week for your assessment period to update, so wait at least 7 days after your most recent monthly assessment to apply for a Help to Save account.

Go to the Help to Save Application link to start your application. You’ll need a Government Gateway ID and password – if you don’t have one, you can set one up during this process.

Follow the steps on the screen to apply. You’ll need to add your mobile phone number so that when you log in, the system can send a security code each time for a secure login process.

When your account has been accepted and set up, you can amend your bank details. If possible, set up a direct debit to transfer a regular amount each month. This helps you remember to save every month to make the most of your saving potential!

More Ways to Save on a Low Income

The biggest challenge with having a Help to Save account is finding the £50 a month to save. You don’t have to save that much, of course – but if you can, that bags you the biggest bonus.

Here are just a few ways to boost your income – even without much time on your hands.

Take surveys

Online survey sites like Swagbucks and Toluna offer an easy way to make small bits of cash here and there in your spare time.

Answer surveys about your spending habits, opinions, or lifestyle for just a few minutes each day and you’ll quickly see the fund build!

Become a mystery shopper

Get paid to go shopping, visit the cinema, and even travel! Mystery shoppers review all sorts of places from retail outlets to restaurants and even airlines.

You’re sent on a mission to try a product or service. You have to then provide feedback about your shopping experience – both positive and negative – to help companies improve their service.

You’ll be paid for your time and reimbursed for your purchases – so it’s a great way to dine out for free, too!

Sell your crafts

If you’re a crafty person with a hobby that’s a passion, use it! Whether you’re a keen knitter or avid woodturner, there’s a market for your items out there.

Online shops like Etsy make it easy to sell your creations to a wide audience across the world. Just be sure to declare all income as you would a normal self-employed business – and make sure you’re not being stung by platform or shipping fees, too.

Sell your skills

You don’t have to make things to make money! Offer your skills as a tutor if you’ve got a knack for teaching, or take on the tasks everyone hates but you secretly love – like ironing.

The digital age means we’re all consuming more content than ever – and that means writers and graphic designers have come into their own as a freelance force. Use these skills to side hustle until you’ve built a solid customer base – then you can always launch as a full-time business!

You can earn up to £1,000 a year before declaring income from ‘ad-hoc’ jobs, too.

Register as a childminder

Many people on Universal Credit are either part-time workers or stay-at-home parents with children. If you’re already looking after your own children, consider registering as a childminder to watch other kids, too.

This is a hugely responsible role, but is ideal for parents who need to work around their young family.

Again, like any of these income-generating ideas: make sure you declare all payments (even cash ones) in your tax return and any Universal Credit assessments.

Use cashback websites

We don’t advocate shopping for the sake of ‘a good deal’ if you wouldn’t have bought something without that incredible discount!

However, websites like Quidco and Topcashback offer a great way to boost your income on things you’re planning to buy anyway. You earn a small percentage of each purchase back – which quickly adds up to hundreds of pounds each year.

Cashback is seen as a refund of your money and not income – so it’s not taxable for basic-rate taxpayers (so you don’t need to declare it as income, like you do for the above suggestions).

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