Get the cheapest ever credit card loan
The cheapest ever three-year 0% credit card loan, reclaim and boost Tesco vouchers, magazine freebies, free Lego and Homebase 15% off this weekend. These are our Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis Deals of the Week.
Remember, deals can change quickly, even while I’m on the programme. So always double-check the terms and conditions before spending. Plus, while I hope these deals will save you cash, don’t spend if you can’t afford it, don’t need it, or won’t use it.
Web exclusive: Habitat 25% off
Enter the code HAB25 online at Habitat to get 25% off full-price items until 11.59pm today (21 May). You can also get the offer in-store today (including in mini-Habitats in selected Homebase branches) where the discount is applied automatically. Delivery’s from £4.95. It excludes gift vouchers, fitted kitchen installation and kitchen appliances, and home delivery.
New three-year 0% ‘loan’
If you want to borrow for smaller amounts, special credit card loans via ‘money transfers’ massively undercut standard loans. Of course never borrow unless you need to and if you do, always ensure it’s budgeted for, affordable, and as cheap as possible. You need to be careful doing this though, Martin’s full Money Transfer 36 month 0% loans guide takes you through it step by step.
Accepted new MBNA 36 month 0% cardholders can now do a 36 month 0% money transfer for a fee of 2.99% (min £3) of the amount transferred. This means the card pays money into your bank account, which you can use as you like - effectively a loan - then you owe it instead. If you can repay more quickly, MBNA 24 month 0% is two years 0% for just a 1.94% fee (min £3). Do clear it before the 0% ends though or both are 22.9% rep APR. Don’t assume you can do this on other cards though – it’s a rare function.
It’s especially useful for borrowing sub-£3,000, where even the cheapest loans are costly, eg, borrow £2,400 over three years and the cheapest loan is 14.9%, so that’s £590 interest. Do the same via MBNA and you pay just the £72 fee.
Do always pay at least the monthly minimum, on time. If not, you may lose the 0% deal.
New Tesco double-up
If you’re a Tesco shopper, you’re due your latest batch of vouchers in the post this week. Don’t just spend them on the weekly grocery shop though. Until 28 June, online and instore, each £5 of Clubcard vouchers you swap gets a £10 Boost voucher spendable in gardens, toys, cosmetics, games, electricals and its equivalent of the Argos catalogue, Tesco Direct. See its full Tesco Boost info.
You don’t have to pay solely in Boost vouchers, you can make the rest up in cash. My top picks are an Apple 16GB (5th Gen) touch iPod Blue for £60 in vouchers (usually £139), LEGO Disney Princess Frozen Elsa's Sparkling Castle for £16 in vouchers and a Tefal Delight 5-piece saucepan set for £15 in vouchers.
Before that though, check if you can quadruple rewards. Redeem vouchers via Tesco Clubcard partners and you can get 3x or 4x points’ value, eg, £10 voucher becomes £40 at Café Rouge, £30 at Goldsmiths jewellers and more.
Martin’s quickies
- ‘Free’ £11 Clinique serum and £10 Neal’s Yard cream: Buy the June edition of InStyle (£3.99, Daisy Lowe on the front) and on the cover you’ll find a mini (10ml size) Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum, worth about £11. Or pick up the June edition of Marie Claire (£3.99, Kerry Washington on the front) and on the cover you’ll find a full-size (50ml) Neal’s Yard hand cream, normally £10.
- ‘Free’ £4 - £6 Lego: Until 24 May, if you buy the Daily Mail or Mail on Sunday (60p Monday-Friday, 90p Saturday, £1.60 Sunday), you’ll find a voucher inside for a free Lego toy. To get one, in England, Scotland and Wales, take your voucher to high-street WHSmith branches on any day or customer services at Morrisons on Sunday. In Northern Ireland, collect the toy from Easons. Daily Mail vouchers need to be redeemed on the day they're printed, while Mail on Sunday vouchers can be redeemed on Monday as well.
- Homebase 15% off almost everything: From Saturday 23 May, go online to Homebase or to your nearest store where you’ll get an automatic 15% off almost everything until Monday 25 May. It applies to most full-price and reduced items so check the item you want is included before you pay. Delivery starts from £3.95 and varies depending on the item’s size, but with most items, you can order online and collect instore for free.