Martin Lewis' money-saving deals of the week
Get Martin Lewis' money-saving deals for the week.
Important Santander 123 account fee changes, 3for2 on Argos toys, free eye tests, bottle of Coke and pint of ale. 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: 20% off Kurt Geiger shoesGo online to footwear brand Kurt Geiger (or register for the newsletter in-store) and you can get 20% off most full-priced items when you enter the code KGTWENTY until 11.59pm on Wednesday 30 September. Delivery's £4.95 or you can collect from a Kurt Geiger store for free. It's not valid on UGG Australia, sale items, kids' shoes or gift cards.
Important changes to the Santander 123 accountMy mailbag has been jammed with people asking me about whether I still think the Santander 123 bank account is still worth it, as last week it announced that the fee on the account will rise from £24 a year to £60 a year, for both new and existing customers, from 11 January 2016. It will also be raising the fee on its 123 credit card to £36 a year from £24.
So do I still think it’s a good account? In short, yes. The 123 current account has been massively popular as it gives up to 3% cashback on certain household bills and 3% interest if you have £3k- £20k in it. To find out exactly how much people earn from it, I did a poll, and 88% earn enough cashback to cover the fee at current levels, while 70% do at the new level. In fact, the account is still a winner for most people with over £5,000 of savings who earn some cashback, even if it isn’t enough to completely cover the new £60 a year fee.
Yet if you’ve smaller savings and don’t make much cashback, there are better options elsewhere. Plus, if you’ve no (or very small) savings, and make less than £150 elsewhere, you may want to look at the short term gain of switching to an account that gives you a switching bonus. Read Martin’s ‘Should I ditch Santander 123 due to the fee increase?’for full analysis.
Massive 3for2 sale on all Argos toysThere are 91 days left till Christmas now, and the Argos 3for2 sale on toys is one of the most eagerly awaited for by discount toy-hunters, as it’s great for stocking up on items for Christmas.
The sale is running in-store and online until 11.59pm on Tuesday 29 September, and is on everything in the toys department – from Lego sets to Leap Frog tablets, Star Wars figures, Barbie dolls and kids' bikes. Even toys already reduced in the clearance are in it, but video games and consoles aren't included. The sale also can't be combined with other offers (eg, 2for£15).
Now if previous years are anything to go by, it's likely we'll see the same 3for2 deal for a second time in November - though I can’t guarantee this and Argos won't confirm it until much nearer the time.
Plus, it's also worth keeping an eye out for other toy sales. Boots normally does a 3for2 on toys in the run-up to Christmas (though it doesn't have as wide a range as Argos) and Sainsbury's has a 25% off toys, usually towards the end of October.
Of course I can’t say for sure if any of these sales will go ahead, so if you're after things for Christmas and can afford to buy now, buy now. Or if you think buying later will work better for you, then wait - just bear in mind the second chance isn't guaranteed and sometimes a bird in the hand's worth two in the bush.
Martin’s quickies (freebies)
- Free Vision Express eye test: It’s National Eye Health Week this week and if you register with Vision Express you’ll get emailed a voucher for a free eye test (normally £15-£28) in its stores. You need to get the voucher by 5pm on Monday 5 October and book the test by Saturday 31 October. Remember, if you need a prescription you don’t need to buy glasses there – you can take your prescription to any optician.
- Tesco Opticians also offers a free eye test with no voucher needed, if that's more convenient for you. Remember, if you're under 16 (or up to 19 and in full-time education), over 60, or if you live in Scotland, you're entitled to free eye tests anyway.
- Free 500ml bottle of Coke Zero: Get a voucher from Coca-Cola and either print it or show it on your smartphone at one of 60,000+ stores across England, Scotland and Wales (including all Asda and Co-op stores) to get a free bottle of Coke Zero (norm £1.25ish).
You have until Sunday 28 February 2016 to download the voucher, but once you do you have two weeks to use it. There were 100,000 free bottles when the deal started on 31 August and as of Tuesday 22 September Coke said the “vast majority of bottles are still left to claim”.
- Free pint of ale: From 11am today (Thursday) if you download and go to the VoucherCodes app on your mobile and get a voucher for a free £3.50ish pint of cask ale from Punch Taverns pubs until Sunday 4 October. However, each pub can only give away 72 free pints - so go quick if you want one (downloading the voucher in advance won’t guarantee you get a free pint if they are all gone). There are soft drink alternatives, and please be Drinkaware.
I’m also delighted to announce that ITV has commissioned a fifth series of "The Martin Lewis Money Show", to be aired this coming winter on Monday or Friday nights. So, I’ll be out and about filming my roadshows over the coming few weeks and would love for you to come along and ask me a question or tell me if you’ve made a huge saving.
I’ll be in Reading on Sunday 27 September in the Oracle Shopping Centre, in Birmingham on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 September at Grand Central Birmingham (the new shopping centre), in Manchester Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October in the Arndale Shopping Centre, and finally in Leeds Wednesday 7 October in the Trinity Shopping Centre. So come down and say hello. If you have any questions e-mailmartinlewismoneyshow@itv.com.
You need to be 18+/terms and conditions at itv.com/terms