Money off make-up and FREE coffee

Thursday 29 September at 7:42am

Get paid to shift expensive credit card debt, £30 Smashbox gift set, FREE coffee and tube travel and 20% off Ralph Lauren. 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.

Paying interest on a credit card? STOP. Instead get paid to shift debts.

Anyone who listens to me, knows I talk a lot about balance transfer cards as debt is something you can’t cancel, so focusing on cutting the cost is important. A balance transfer is where you get a new card that pays off the debts on old cards for you – so you owe it instead but at a lower rate, usually at 0%. This means all your repayments clear the actual debt rather than covering the interest – so you’re debt free quicker.

However many cards charge a one-off fee to do this, up to 4% of the amount you’re shifting. Right now though there’s fierce competition in the balance transfer market, with more fee-free cards being launched.

- A new Barclaycard allows you to shift debt to it at up to 23 months 0% for no fee and if you transfer £500+ in the first 60 days it’ll credit £20 into your account – so you’re actually being paid to do it.

- Halifax gives a longer up to 25 month 0%, also no fee. Yet like Barclaycard it’s ‘up to’ 0% so some get a shorter length, Virgin Money gives 24 months 0% no fee, and if you’re accepted you’ll get the full 24 months.

- If you need even longer to repay, then just pay the fee, you can get up to 41 months 0% with Halifax for a 3.44% fee, or with Virgin Money 40 months 0% with a lower 2.4% fee.

Remember to always follow the Balance Transfer Golden Rules: 1. Don’t just apply for cards in hope you’ll get them, that’ll hit your credit file. Use Martin’s free balance transfer eligibility checker to find your chances of getting each card, so you can hone in on your winner.

The same brands have many similar cards, check you’re applying for the right one.
Repay at least the monthly minimum or the bank can end the 0% deal.
Clear the card in full by the end of the deal or the rate rockets to 18.9%-20.9% rep APR.
Never withdraw cash or spend on the card as it’s not at the 0% rate.

Martin’s Quickies:

£30 Smashbox gift set: From 7am tomorrow (Friday 30 September),as part of Boots' first annual 'Star Gift' Christmas promotion – where each week it releases an offer on a different gift product in the lead up to Christmas – if you go online to Boots or visit one of its stores, you can get aSmashbox 'Studio Best Sellers' kit for £30. In it you’ll get a Be Legendary lipstick, Full Exposure mascara, Always Sharp waterproof kohl liner, Photo Finish foundation primer and L.A. Lights blendable lip & cheek colour – which bought individually would cost over £70. Delivery's £3.50 if you order online, or you can collect in a store for free. You need to get this by 11.59pm next Thursday (6 October). You could always break it up and use them as Christmas gifts to give different people.

Free £3ishcoffee every Monday in October. If you’ve an Android phone and it’s NFC enabled (near field communication – that allows you to use your phone as a payment device. Go to your settings it should tell you there if it is), download the free Android Pay app, and register your Mastercard on it. Then show this in any Café Nero store across the UK (except Northern Ireland) and you’ll get any free hot drink every Mondays during October (3, 10, 17 and 24). Drinks include lattes, teas, cappuccino and a flat white and you can get any size. You’ll only get one free drink on each Monday – so in total you can get four free drinks throughout October. And with drinks costing up to £3ish a time this can save you a fair bit.

Plus for those in London, if you use Android Pay to touch in on the tube (or any Transport for London service), on every Monday in October, Mastercard will credit you back the fare, up to a maximum of £30.50/day. It might take up to 28 days for the credit to appear.

20% of Ralph Lauren: Go online to Ralph Lauren and you’ll be able to get 20% off most full-priced items when you enter the code RLGIVE until Tuesday 4 October. While Ralph Lauren’s not exactly MoneySaving, if you’d be buying the items anyway the code can save you a few bob. Examples of what’s included are a men’s polo shirt for £60 was £75 pre-code (next cheapest is £75 at House of Fraser), woman’s sweater for £88 was £110 pre-code (next cheapest is £109 at John Lewis) and a Men’s scarf for £39, was £49 pre-code. All reduced items will have a 20% banner across it, and delivery is £10 or free if you spend over £70.