Half term? Keep the kids entertained for less
Free or cheap things to do with the kids this half-term, mortgage rates have dropped – can you slash home loan costs? All toys at Sainsbury’s 25%-50% off, Molton Brown £10 off £20 in a £4 magazine and a free cocktail or lager at Pitcher and Piano – 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: Burton and Dorothy Perkins 25% off
Enter the code STYLE25 online at Burton or if you’re shopping atDorothy Perkins, enter the code DPFW25 to get 25% off full-price items. Delivery’s £3.95 at both retailers or you can collect from a store for free. You can also get the offer in-store with this Burton voucher or this Dorothy Perkins voucher. Both codes are valid until 11.59pm Sunday 26 October. They can’t be used on sale items, gift cards, delivery or with other offers or discounts, such as student or military discount.
Free or cheap things to do with the kids over half-term
Most schools have half-term this week or next. So if you’re looking to keep the kids entertained, here are some cheap and free ideas…
Free kids DIY classes: B&Q Kids Can Do It classes help children aged 7-11 learn basic DIY skills through small projects such as building Halloween treat tubs, hedgehog houses, toy boats and ‘Santa stop here’ signs. They usually cost £5 a session but register to the B&Q Club to get it for free. You’ll need to book classes in advance and they’re available at 38 stores – availability depending.
Kids visit the Shard for ‘free’: Up to two kids aged 4-15 go ‘free’ to the viewing gallery of The Shard in London any day from Monday 27 October to Sunday 2 November. You must buy a full-priced adult ticket (£24.95 if booked 24 hours ahead or £29.95 on the day) and select one or two tickets for children (usually £18.95 each). Tickets can be printed at home or collected on the day. Between Friday 24 and 31 October, there will also be a giant, spooky spider’s web in celebration of Halloween.
Cinema tickets from £1.50: On weekends and school holiday mornings, pay £1.35 per film showing, per person (if booked online with a myCineworld account) or £1.50 for tickets bought at the cinema box office with theCineworld Movies For Juniors offer. Or at Vue, children aged 2-12 can get £1.75 tickets to select morning screenings with the Kids AM offer. Accompanying adults get in for £1.75 too. If your nearest cinema’s anOdeon, adults and kids can pay £2.50 for selected screenings. Just turn up on the day or book online, though it’ll cost 50p extra per ticket.
Free tennis coaching: Check out Tennis For Free’s website to see if there’s free coaching sessions in your area. There are 27 free coaching sites and there’s no limit to availability for each session. Depending on your nearest site, you’ll either have to book or can just turn up on the day. The sessions mostly run on weekends and are suitable for anyone aged three or over. The equipment’s also provided free. It’s not professional coaching, but more about having fun.
Heads up – check if you can save on your mortgage now
The amount lenders pay for cash to lend to us often depends on ‘swap rates’ – recently these have plummeted. On offer now is the lowest ever new mortgage rate - HSBC’s 0.99% variable for two years (though the fee is high at £1,999 and you need to be borrowing less than 60% of your home’s value). Yet the bigger point is that across the board right now, deals are at or close to the all-time historic lows of a year ago, and with many predicting rate rises in 2015 this is the perfect time to check if you can get yourself a better deal.
See Martin’s full mortgage help or find yourself an independent mortgage broker through Unbiased.
Martin’s quickies
Sainsbury’s all toys 25% - 50% off: This is the toy sale canny parents wait for each year to stock up for Christmas, so you’ll need to go quick as it’s likely to be hugely popular. The key is that ALL toys are discounted between 25% and 50%. It’s in-store at Sainsbury’s only until Tuesday. Bargains we’ve heard of people finding include Baby Annabel bath time set (including doll) for £22.50 (next cheapest £35), the Lego Creator Car for £14.99 (next cheapest £18.47) and Disney Frozen soft doll for £9.97 (cheapest elsewhere, £14).
Molton Brown £10 off £20 in £4 magazine: Pick up November’s edition of Good Housekeeping magazine (£3.99 with Kirsty Allsop on the front cover) and on page 159 is a voucher to get £10 off a £20 spend in-store and online at Molton Brown. The offer ends Wednesday 5 November but the magazine will only be on sale until Friday 31 October. Using the £10 discount, you can get an Oudh and Gold body wash for £10 (usually £20), mini travel Pack & Pamper gift set for £15 (usually £25) and Orange and Bergamot body lotion for £15 (usually £25). Delivery’s £4.95.
Free £7.50 cocktail or £4 lager at Pitcher and Piano: Sign up online to Pitcher & Piano’s newsletter and you’ll be sent a code for a free Tequila Fizz cocktail (usually £7.50ish) or a pint ofKrušovicelager (usually £4ish) at any of its 18 bars until Friday 31 October. If you’re already signed up to its newsletter, it should’ve sent you this so check your spam box. There are 18 of these bars, 17 in England – usually in big cities and one in Swansea, Wales.