95 Santander branches to close in 2025 and 2026

Find out which Santander branches are set to close and what you can do if yours is closing

santander branch

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Starting in June this year, a massive 95 Santander branches will be closing their doors for good. The bank didn’t close any branches in 2024. Santander is also reducing the hours or removing counter services from another 36 branches, which we’ve listed below.

The move is down to more and more customers using online banking and apps rather than visiting their branches — a trend we’ve seen over the last few years from many other banks. We reported on the closure of 260 branches from other banks in 2024 alone.

It’s understandable in many ways. Santander says that it’s seen a 63% increase in digital transactions since 2019, with a 61% reduction in transactions made in branches over this time.

This can be incredibly frustrating for customers, especially those who don’t want to go digital.

What you can do if your bank closes

If your Santander branch is set to be axed, you’ve got a couple of options.

Stick with Santander

If you want to stay with Santander then you can use your local post office. You can pay in money and cheques into your account, and withdraw cash too – though that has the same limit as if you used a cash machine. It’s not perfect but at least it gives people in remote areas somewhere to go.

Change your bank

A better option might be to switch bank to one which has a branch near you. Of course, there’s no guarantee your new bank won’t close in the future. But you’re at least protected for a while – and you might be able to take advantage of a switching bonus.

And of course, you can take your banking fully digital. There are newer banks that have been designed from the beginning to work better for you on your phone, such as Monzo or Starling.

Which Santander branches are closing down and when?

Here’s the full list of Santander branches announced to close.

19 March 2025 announcement

LocationStreet AddressTownPostcodeClosure Date
Aberdare17 Victoria Square, AberdareAberdareCF44 7LH24/6/2025
Arbroath167 High Street, ArbroathArbroathDD11 1DY17/6/2025
Armagh19 Upper English StreetArmaghBT61 7HG1/7/2025
Bexhill-on-Sea45 Devonshire Road, Bexhill-on-SeaBexhill-on-SeaTN40 1BDTBC
Billericay97 High Street, BillericayBillericayCM12 9BDTBC
Blackwood148 High Street, BlackwoodBlackwoodNP12 1YZ23/6/2025
Blyth22 Regent Street, BlythBlythNE24 1LB5/8/2025
Bognor Regis42 High Street, Bognor RegisBognor RegisPO21 1SP14/7/2025
Borehamwood105-109 Shenley Road, BorehamwoodBorehamwoodWD6 1AX1/7/2025
Brecon18 High Street, BreconBreconLD3 7AL25/6/2025
Brixton498 Brixton Road. LondonLondon – BrixtonSW9 8EX11/8/2025
Caernarfon1 Bridge Street, CaernarfonCaernarfonLL55 1AB7/7/2025
Camborne6 Trelowarren Street, CamborneCamborneTR14 8AA7/7/2025
Canvey Island28 Furtherwick Road, Canvey IslandCanvey IslandSS8 7AF5/8/2025
Clacton9 Station RoadClacton-on-SeaCO15 1TD16/6/2025
Cleveleys98 Victoria Road West, Thornton, CleveleysCleveleysFY5 1AG23/6/2025
Colne3 Church Street, ColneColneBB8 0EB14/7/2025
Colwyn Bay16 Penrhyn Road, Colwyn BayColwyn BayLL29 8PR14/7/2025
Crowborough4 High Street, CrowboroughCrowboroughTN6 2PY23/7/2025
Croydon128 North End, CroydonCroydonCR0 1UE16/6/2025
Cumbernauld40-42 Teviot Walk, CumbernauldCumbernauldG67 1NG7/7/2025
Didsbury712-714 Wilmslow Road, ManchesterManchester – DidsburyM20 6DQ8/7/2025
Dover24 Cannon Street, DoverDoverCT16 1STTBC
Downpatrick49-51 Market Street, DownpatrickDownpatrickBT30 6LP6/8/2025
Droitwich15 Victoria Square, DroitwichDroitwichWR9 8DETBC
Dungannon1 Market Sqare, DungannonDungannonBT70 1AL23/6/2025
Dunstable11 High Street NorthDunstableLU6 1HYTBC
East Grinstead56-58 London Road, East GrinsteadEast GrinsteadRH19 1BJTBC
Edgware Road388-390 Edgware Road, LondonLondon – Maida Vale – Edgware RoadW2 1DR12/8/2025
Eltham73 Eltham High Street, LondonElthamSE9 1UW23/6/2025
Exmouth19 Rolle Street, ExmouthExmouthEX8 1EZ15/7/2025
Falmouth13 Market Street, FalmouthFalmouthTR11 3AE21/7/2025
Farnham17 The Borough, FarnhamFarnhamGU9 7NG29/7/2025
Felixstowe61 Hamilton Road, FelixstoweFelixstoweIP11 7BS16/7/2025
Finchley50 Ballards Avenue, FinchleyFinchleyN3 2DPTBC
Fleet152 Fleet Road, FleetFleetGU51 4BJ30/6/2025
Formby12 Chapel Lane, FormbyFormbyL37 4HU11/8/2025
Gateshead Metro63 Intu Metrocentre, GatesheadGateshead – Intu MetrocentreNE11 9YP16/6/2025
Glasgow301 St Vincents, St Vincents Street, GlasgowGlasgow – Sauchiehall StreetG2 5HN24/6/2025
Greenford26-28 The Broadway, GreenfordGreenfordUB6 9PT24/6/2025
Hackney392 Mare Street, LondonLondon – HackneyE8 1HP15/7/2025
Hawick56 High Street, HawickHawickTD9 9HE24/7/2025
Herne Bay135 Mortimer Street, Herne BayHerne BayCT6 5EZ8/7/2025
Hertford20 Maidenhead Street, HertfordHertfordSG14 1EA29/7/2025
Holloway408 Holloway Road, LondonLondon – HollowayN7 6QF14/7/2025
Holyhead40 Market Street. HolyheadHolyheadLL65 1UNTBC
Holywell69 High Street, HolywellHolywellCH8 7TF13/8/2025
Honiton108 High Street, HonitonHonitonEX14 1JW14/7/2025
Ilkley7 The Grove, IlkleyIlkleyLS29 9LLTBC
Kidderminster2 Rowland Hill Centre, KidderminsterKidderminsterDY10 1EJ18/6/2025
Kilburn131-135 Kilburn High Road, LondonLondon – Kilburn – High RoadNW6 7HS17/6/2025
Kirkby4 St.Chads Parade, KirkbyKirkbyL32 8QZ22/7/2025
Larne54 Main Street, LarneLarneBT40 1SPTBC
Launceston19-21 Broad Street, LauncestonLauncestonPL15 8AB16/6/2025
Louth21 Market Place, LouthLouthLN11 9PD17/6/2025
Lytham St Annes54 St.Annes Road West, Lytham St.AnnesSt Annes On SeaFY8 1RFTBC
Magherafelt9 Rainey Street, MagherafeltMagherafeltBT45 5DA24/6/2025
Maldon53 High Street, MaldonMaldonCM9 5PTTBC
Malvern22 Worcester Road, MalvernGreat MalvernWR14 4QW2/7/2025
Market Harborough4 High Street, Market HarboroughMarket HarboroughLE16 7NJ1/7/2025
Morley91 Queen Street, MorleyMorleyLS27 8EFTBC
Musselburgh123 High Street, MusselburghMusselburghEH21 7EQ30/7/2025
New Milton120 Station Road, New MiltonNew MiltonBH25 6LLTBC
Newton Mearns7 The Avenue at Mearns, Newton MearnsNewton MearnsG77 6EY23/6/2025
North Walsham6 Market Place, North WalshamNorth WalshamNR28 9BPTBC
Peterhead6 Marischal Street, PeterheadPeterheadAB42 1HU16/6/2025
Plympton2 St Stephens Place, PlymptonPlymouth – PlymptonPL7 2ZN14/8/2025
Portadown24 Market Street, PortadownPortadownBT62 3LD30/6/2025
Pudsey5 Lidget Hill, PudseyPudseyLS28 7LG28/7/2025
Rawtenstall15 Bank Street, RawtenstallRawtenstallBB4 6QS15/7/2025
Redcar60 High Street, RedcarRedcarTS10 3DR18/6/2025
Ross-On-Wye32 High Street, Ross-on-WyeRoss-On-WyeHR9 5HD30/7/2025
Ruislip73 High Street, RuislipRuislipHA4 8JB7/7/2025
Rustington6 Ash Lane, RustingtonRustingtonBN16 3BP5/8/2025
Saffron Walden35 King Street, Saffron WaldonSaffron WaldenCB10 1EUTBC
Saltcoats19 Chapelwell Street, SaltcoatsSaltcoatsKA21 5EB21/7/2025
Seaford28 Broad Street, SeafordSeafordBN25 1NH15/7/2025
Shaftesbury53 High Street, ShaftesburyShaftesburySP7 8JE23/7/2025
Sidcup39 Sidcup High Street, SidcupSidcupDA14 6ED11/8/2025
St Austell36-38 Fore Street, St.AustellSt AustellPL25 5PA8/7/2025
St Neots56 Market Square, St NeotsSt NeotsPE19 2HL30/7/2025
Stokesley48 High Street, StokesleyStokesleyTS9 5AX31/7/2025
Strabane64 Main Street, StrabaneStrabaneBT82 8AX23/7/2025
Surrey Quays53-55 Redriff Road, LondonLondon – Rotherithe RoadSE16 7NB10/11/2025
Swadlincote52 High Street, SwadlincoteSwadlincoteDE11 8HS30/6/2025
Tenterden32 High Street, TenterdenTenterdenTN30 6AW7/7/2025
Torquay41 Fleet Street, TorquayTorquayTQ2 5DN17/6/2025
Tottenham472 High Road, LondonLondon – TottenhamN17 9JX8/7/2025
Turriff17 High Street, TurriffTurriffAB53 4EDTBC
Uckfield15 High Street, UckfieldUckfieldTN22 1AGTBC
Urmston6-8 Flixton Road, UrmstonUrmstonM41 5ASTBC
Whitley Bay269 Whitley Road, Whitley BayWhitley BayNE26 2SS6/8/2025
WillerbyUnit 4, Willerby Shopping Park, WillerbyWillerby – Willerby Shopping ParkHU10 6EB13/8/2025
Wimborne8 High Street, WimborneWimborne MinsterBH21 1HYTBC
Wishaw2 Main Street, WishawWishawML2 7AF22/7/2025

Which Santander branches are removing counter services?

These are the branches that are removing counter services. These will have staff in them to help you with queries but won’t have a counter as you’d usually find in a branch.

BranchAddressEffective date
Abingdon23 Bury Street, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3QT16 June 2025
Accrington29-31 Union Street, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 1PL16 June 2025
Bracknell42-44 High Street, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1LL07 July 2025
Bromsgrove93 High Street, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B61 8AS30 June 2025
Camberley72-78 High Street, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3RS11 August 2025
Eastleigh58 Market Street, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 5RU23 June 2025
Edgware115 Station Road, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 7JG23 June 2025
Gravesend4 King Street, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 2HH04 August 2025
Hartlepool110 York Road, Hartlepool, Cleveland, TS26 9DE14 July 2025
Liverpool17 Allerton Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L18 1LG04 August 2025
Neath20 Green Street, Neath, West Glamorgan, SA11 1EA23 June 2025
Northwich40 Witton Street, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 5AG30 June 2025
Nuneaton35 Newdegate Street, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 4HX14 July 2025
Orpington225 High Street, Orpington, Kent, BR6 0NP11 August 2025
Rotherham20-22 Effingham Street, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S65 1AJ11 August 2025
Sittingbourne106-108 High Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 4PP30 June 2025
Stirling49-51 Port Street, Stirling, Stirlingshire, FK8 2EW16 June 2025
Streatham57 Streatham High Rd, Streatham, London, SW16 1PJ30 June 2025

Which Santander branches are reducing hours?

These are the branches where the opening hours will be reduced on 30 June 2025.

Branch NameBranch AddressNew Opening Hours
Alton46A High Street, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 1BJTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Banbury7 High Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5DZMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Barry140 Holton Road, Barry, South Glamorgan, CF63 4HHMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Beeston81 High Road, Beeston, Nottinghamshire, NG9 2LETuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Bicester15 Sheep Street, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 6JLTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Braintree19-21 Bank Street, Braintree, Essex, CM7 1UGTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Bury St Edmunds57 Abbeygate Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1LQMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Caerphilly28 Cardiff Road, Caerphilly, Mid Glamorgan, CF83 1UBTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm
Chippenham15-16 High Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3ERTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Cirencester8 Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 2PNTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Cricklewood161 Cricklewood Broadway, Cricklewood, London, NW2 3HFMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Durham86-87 North Road, Durham, County Durham, DH1 4SRTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Ely37-39 High Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4LTTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Grantham1 St Peters Hill, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6QBTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Great Yarmouth29-30 Market Place, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 1LYMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Harlesden93 High Street, Harlesden, London, NW10 4NXTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Hitchin23 Brand Street, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1HSMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
IrvineUnit 2/4 Rivergate Centre, Irvine, Ayrshire, KA12 8EHTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Kendal35 Stricklandgate, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4LUMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Kettering60-64 High St, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN16 8SATuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Kilmarnock97 King Street, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, KA1 1QDMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Lowestoft81 London Road North, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 1LUTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Newark44 Market Place, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1EGMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Penrith10 Market Square, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7BYTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Petersfield13 Rams Walk, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 3JAMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Retford11 Market Square, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 6UXTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Spalding13-14 Bridge St, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 1XATuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Stamford4 High Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 2ALMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Stevenage96-98 Queensway, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 1EGTuesday & Thursday 9.30am to 3pm, Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
Stroud19 Merrywalks Shopping Centre, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 1RYMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Sudbury7 Old Market Place, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 1TLMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Trowbridge35 Fore Street, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 8HFMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
WashingtonUnit C1 The Galleries, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 7SAMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Wellingborough38 Market Street, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1SAMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
West Bridgford13 Central Avenue, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, NG2 5GQMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Worksop33 Bridge Place, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, S80 1DTMonday, Wednesday & Friday 9:30am to 3pm

Can you pay less on your Council Tax?

Most of us have no choice when paying Council Tax – but there are ways to make sure you aren’t paying too much.

Along with everything else, my Council Tax bill has gone up. For my council, it’s up by 6.4%, which works out as an extra £15 a month. This is the biggest annual hike I’ve experienced, and it adds up to £175 extra over the year.

Though I’ll be able to afford it, I know not everyone will – and some might have seen larger increases. Many councils have voted to increase by the maximum 4.99% that’s allowed, and few others have been forced by financial issues to trigger referendums for even larger hikes.

So I thought it was a good opportunity to share with you ways you might be able to pay less, or at least make how you pay work better for you.

Save money on Council Tax

What is Council Tax?

Your Council Tax largely pays for local services, so the amount you pay is set each year by your local council. It varies all over the country. 

Some of the money will also go towards funding social care as well as police and fire services in your area.

There are eight ‘bands’ of council tax, all based upon the approximate value of the property in 1991. A is the lowest, H the highest.

You can get cashback from Santander 

There are two current accounts you can open which help you save on your Council Tax bill. Though these current accounts have fees, you generally make the money back on cashback from bills, including Council Tax as long as it’s paid by Direct Debit.

The Santander Edge and Edge Up current account will give you 1% cashback on your Council Tax. The money is returned to your account along with cashback on other bills, such as energy, broadband and water. However you will pay a monthly fee.

If you already have the Santander 123 or 123 Lite accounts (now closed to new customers), then that has a lower monthly fee. You can read my comparison of the four accounts to see which I think is best.

Santander Edge vs Edge Up vs 123

Find which out which account is better to earn cashback on your bills.

There are discounts… if you’re eligible

To be fair,  most of you won’t be able to cut the monthly rate unless you fit one of these exceptions:

  • Living alone? In which case you’re able to get a 25% discount on the rate. If you’re the only adult but have children under 18 or not in education, then you qualify for the discount too as a sole adult
  • Students pay nothing if they’re in full-time education
  • If you are unemployed or meet other conditions, it’s possible to claim Council Tax Reduction payments, which could be as much as 100%
  • Got a second home? You might be able to get a discount too. It’s up to the local council, but if it’s furnished it’s possible to get up to 50%. If it’s empty for two years or more, they can charge more
  • If someone has passed away, there is no charge for six months
  • Disabled people who need a bigger house to accommodate space for wheelchairs or extra bathrooms can get their band reduced down a level for example they’d pay C rates on a D property
  • Adults who are medically classed as having a severe mental impairment will get 100% discounted if they live alone or with others who don’t pay, 50% if you live with a carer only, and 25% if you live with just another adult
  • Live in carers can get a 25% to 50% discount if they meet the conditions

You can read the full criteria for all of these on the government’s Council Tax website.

You can check to see if you’re paying too much

Use this government site (or this one in Scotland) to see what band houses around you are in. If it looks like houses around you are less, it might be worth appealing. The StreetCheck website is good to find out neighbouring postcodes.

You can also see what neighbouring houses are valued at, to help get a sense of whether yours is worth more or less. Zoopla is good for this. You’ll ideally want to see valuations from 1991 as changes could have taken place since then.

If both look good, you can try to appeal. If successful you’ll not only get a discount going forward, but also backdated payments.

Be aware though that the council could also choose to raise your band – and how much you pay (and for any neighbours who are also then found to be underpaying).

I’ve taken a look and most of the nearby houses are all on the same band, so it’s unlikely I’d be able to get it changed to a lower band.

You can pay Council Tax over 12 months if you’d prefer

Most Council Tax bills are set to be repaid over 10 months, meaning you don’t pay anything in February and March. For some this break gives a little breather after Christmas to pay off extra expenses.

I choose to spread the cost over 12 months instead of 10, so I know exactly what I’m paying each month. You need to ask your council to change this if you want to do the same.

More of our articles to help you cut your bills

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The best auto savings apps and hacks

Automating savings with AI and more is an easy way to see your savings grow

Often one of the biggest barriers to putting money into savings is simply remembering to do it. So your salary comes into your current account and stays there. Some of it goes to bills, some of it to shopping and going out. And before you know it, there’s not much (or any) left to put into savings. So nothing gets saved. And this repeats month after month.

But it is possible to break that chain so some of your money goes into savings before you can spend it – and you don’t even need to do anything each month. After the initial set up, these three methods will automatically move money out of your main account into a separate account.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Set up standing orders 

This is the simplest way to ensure you save every single month. Doing this means the money is automatically saved month after month.

You need to do three things. First, set up a separate account which is just for your savings (try for one with some kind of interest, though that’s hard right now). This doesn’t have to be a standard savings account with your current bank. It can even be a separate savings account at a different bank where it’s possible to get 7% with regular savers from First Direct and Co-op Bank.

Then work out how much you can afford to save each month. This isn’t difficult. Just add up all your regular bills and essential outgoings such as food and petrol for a month and deduct this from how much you earn in a month. What you’ve got left is what you have to spend for the rest of the month until your next payday.

Finally, set up a standing order for that amount to come out of your current account and into your separate account on the same date every month. This is often referred to the “pay yourself first” savings method.

Personally I’d set this to be as close to payday as possible so you can’t spend the cash before you save it. If your payday tends to move when it happens on a weekend, then allow a couple of days before the standing order takes the cash. You can always change the size of the direct debit if you feel it’s too much or too little.

Use an AI app

If you’re not confident you have enough money spare each month to save at payday then there are some apps that will help save smaller amounts as the month goes on.

Once you’ve downloaded the app you need to connect it to your bank account. Doing this gives each app access to see your bank balance and monitor regular payments in and out. The apps then use smart algorithms to analyse your spending.

Now it’s the clever bit. The apps can work out how much they think you can afford to save, and transfer that money automatically to a separate account. Slowly but surely the total saved adds up. You can, of course, use one of these as well as set up standing orders in order to save that little bit more each month.

With each of these apps you have the ability to increase or decrease how much and how often you save, and well as reject a saving if you think you need to keep hold of the money. And if you change your mind it’s easy to withdraw the money back to your current account, though it might not be until the next working day, depending on the app.

I know some people worry about the safety of this but your banking data is all encrypted to keep it safe. Your money is also protected if the companies running the apps were to go bust, though not necessarily if the bank holding the cash goes under. I’m happy with the ones listed below but if you’re not comfortable with doing this then do a bit more reading to put your mind at ease.

Here are the main artificial intelligence savings apps that will automatically move money for you:

Plum

The free version is all you need for the automatic savings, though if you choose to pay more you’ll also have access to Plum Plus which comes with more investment options. The interest rate paid on its easy-access pockets is 3.52% for the free version.

If you put your money into these pockets, it’s held with Investec and protected up to £85,000 by FSCS.

Sprive

Sprive is an app doing the same thing, though it has one major difference – the money saved goes towards overpaying your mortgage rather than a savings account. If your mortgage rate is higher than what you can get in savings, and if you already have a substantial emergency savings fund, this could be a better option for you.

Just bear in mind once it’s in the mortgage it’s much harder to access that cash if you need it later (you’d need to remortgage and release capital). It’s also early days so not all mortgage providers can be connected.

When you first sign up you can get £5 by using the code 5NN3KXFL, or it’s worth checking the rate offered by TopCashback.

Chip

The AI feature on Chip stopped being free to all users in mid-2022. It now charges 45p per save so I wouldn’t use this app for auto-savings.

Trigger auto-savings & savings challenges

The final form of automated savings is something I’m calling ‘triggered’ savings. Effectively, when a certain event happens your bank will move money from your main account into a separate savings pot.

Monzo and IFTT

The main bank for this is Monzo, which has a 1p savings challenge available. Sadly this year’s challenge ended on 31 January for free customers, though if you pay for a packaged Monzo account it’s available all year.

You can also connect to an app called IFTT (If This Then That). You can set up other simple savings challenges very easily, either choose from a catalogue of pre-made options or create your own.

For instance, you could use your maps app as a trigger when you visit a certain shop, or your weather app to trigger a save every time it rains. You’re limited to two free ‘applets’ with the IFTT basic plan.

Plum

The paid version of Plum also offers some of the standard ones, eg the 1p savings challenge, but I don’t think it’s worth paying extra for this.

Round up your spending automatically

The most common way to get money in your savings account without any effort is to use a “rounding up” system. When you spend money on your debit card, the bank will round up the transaction to the nearest pound, moving this spare change across to a savings account. For example, spend £3.75 and 25p will be moved over.

I rarely use this option myself as I tend to spend with my cashback cards instead, but I like the idea of small amounts adding up each time you shop. If you use your debit card a lot it could quickly build up a few quid every day or two.

More and more banks (listed below) offer this and you’ll need to opt-in for the rounding-up to happen. All work a little differently so make sure you understand how what you’re signing up to. And if your bank doesn’t offer this there are third-party apps you can try.

The pick of the bunch is probably Chase as you’ll also earn 5% interest on the top ups for a year on top of the 1% cashback for spending. However, earlier this month Chase announced big changes to its cashback which could limit how much you can earn from April.

What banks offer round ups?

  • Bank of Scotland
  • Chase
  • Halifax
  • Lloyds
  • Monzo
  • Nationwide
  • Natwest
  • Revolut
  • RBS
  • Starling
  • Trading 212
  • TSB

The following also allow you to round up from spending at other banks

  • MoneyBox
  • Plum

Our podcast

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The best auto saving apps

Andy’s Analysis

So there are a lot of options for auto saving, here are the ones I’d recommend:

PLUM

Focus on Plum in the first instance. It’ll be the most impactful. But move your money across to a better paying account at least every month, if not weekly.

CHASE

I’d also suggest you try Chase. Mainly because of the 1% cashback, but the 5% on round ups doesn’t hurt either!

MONZO

Finally, if you already use Monzo, then the IFTT feature has huge potential to add more to your savings. And it could be fun!

Film & TV streaming service deals and trials

Here are the best TV, movie and comedy streaming deals to help you enjoy a cheap night in!

We’ve hunted out ongoing offers, trials and any short-lived film and streaming service deals.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

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Core streaming service deals

Disney + deals

The streaming service has all the old Disney movies as well as new series in the worlds of Star Wars and Marvel. It costs between £4.99 and £12.99 a month or you can pay less for annual passes. Find deals here.

NOW TV deals

We love NOW TV, particularly if you want Sky Atlantic but don’t want Sky. There are often some great deals on its streaming packages which we update on this dedicated page.

Netflix deals

There are three pricing options for Netflix: £4.99, £10.99 and £17.99. You can no longer get a full free trial. It’s harder to save with Netflix, but there are a few deals, which we’ve listed on this page.

Amazon Prime Video

Prime Video comes with a standard Amazon Prime membership (£8.99 a month or £95 a year), but it can also be signed up to without all those extras for £5.99 a month. However it’ll cost you £2.99 extra each month to avoid adverts.

TNT Sports deals

You can get TNT via a monthly rolling contract with Discovery+. There are also some good deals to add TNT to your existing broadband or TV package, as well as deals for EE mobile customers. Again, we’ve got a dedicated page for all TNT Sports offers.

Apple TV+ deals

There are frequent free trials for newbies and existing customers, meaning Apple TV+ can be one of the cheapest options out there.

Save money on Apple TV+

All my ways to save in this Apple TV + article

Apple TV Plus offers

Paramount+ deals

You’ll sometimes be able to get a free Paramount+ trial when you first sign up, but it might be best waiting until there’s a 30 day offer.

Discovery+ deals

You can get a Basic only pass for £3.99 a month, or one with Eurosport on top for £6.99 a month, though there are ways to get it for free via BT and Sky. More on this dedicated Discovery+ page.

Free streaming services

Fed up with all those subscriptions? You don’t have to pay for these – but you will have to watch adverts in most cases.

Tubi

This service from Fox was new to the UK in July 2024. You can watch a handful of films you’ll have heard of, and 20,000 you haven’t! Hopefully the quality of content will increase in coming months, though it’s not all bad – we spotted Billy Elliot, Child’s Play 2 and Kill Bill in a quick look. Check out Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar – it’s hilarious.

Film rental deals

Rakuten: free rental via Octoplus

Every month until the end of Jun 2025 you’ll be able to claim a free rental via Rakuten if you have energy via Octopus. You’ll need to go via the Octoplus Rewards tab in your account to claim the voucher.

New codes are released each Friday, but you can only use one each month.

Amazon: £1.99 new releases for Prime members

Amazon often has selected new rentals for £1.99 if you’re with Prime. If you’re not already a Prime member you can get a 30-day free trial once a year.

Chili: 20% off your first rental

The first time you sign up you should be able to get money off your first rental. The discount code is usually automatically applied at checkout, but check first. It used to be 50% but has now dropped to 20% off.

Also you might find a limited choice – many of the big titles aren’t available there.

YouTube Premium deals

YouTube Premium: family and student plans

If you pay for more than one account in your household a Family plan works out cheaper at £19.99 a month. Or if you can validate your student ID you can pay just £7.99.

YouTube Premium: one month free

The standard free trial for YouTube Premium is one month (it’s occasionally increased). You’ll get ad-free viewing, the ability to download and access to YouTube Music Premium (a bit like Spotify). You can only get this if you are a new user of YouTube Premium, YouTube Music or Google Play Music. At the end of the trial it’s £11.99 a month, so cancel if you don’t want to keep paying.

ITVX deals

ITV Hub is now ITVX. It’s free to watch most of the content, but if you pay £5.99 a month you’ll get Premium which has even more shows, access to Britbox and no adverts.

ITVX: 7 day free trial

You can try ITVX for a week for free, though you’ll be charged after this if you don’t cancel.

ITVX: One year for £59.99

You’ll get 12 months for the price of 10 if you pay upfront for the whole year.

Mubi deals

Mubi shows a selection of cult, indie and world cinema. It’s £11.99 a month but sometimes there are decent deals.

Mubi: 30-day free trial

The standard Mubi free trial is just a week, but this offer gets you a month for free.

Other subscription deals

BFI: 50% off one year

If you’re aged 16 to 25 you can use the code 25UNDER to save 50% on a 12 month BFI Player subscription.

BFI: 14-day free trial

You can get a 14-day free trial of the BFI Player streaming service. It’s then £6.99 a month.

Arrow: 30% off your first month

You can sign up direct with Arrow and save on the first month. There used to be a free trial.

Shudder: 7-day free trial

You can sign up direct with Shudder and get your first 7 days for free.

Next Up: 7-day free trial

New users can try the stand-up comedy streaming service for free for a week.

Next Up: 7-day free trial for Prime members

You can also watch NextUp on Amazon Video and Prime members get 7-days for free right now. After the trial it’s £9.99 a month (unless you cancel). Sign up here.

Should you ditch the TV Licence?

With so much quality TV now online from the likes of Netflix and Disney, I’ve taken a look into whether paying for the BBC represents good value for money.

It’s been announced that in April 2025, the TV Licence is increasing by £5 a year, with the annual cost set to be £174.50.

This is the first inflation linked increase in three years, and that’ll continue until 2027. However, it won’t reverse years of underfunding thanks to zero or below inflation hikes, which led to budget cuts – and many would argue a lowering of quality in BBC output.

For some, this latest increase means they’ll advocate for people to cancel their TV Licence now rather than pay more. I’ve shared in this article who needs to have one and who doesn’t.

However for me, the big question isn’t how to ditch the licence fee, but should you?

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Who needs a TV Licence

Here’s when you need a TV Licence:

  • If you watch any live TV
  • If you record any TV
  • If you watch BBC TV on iPlayer, no matter the device (eg on your phone, games console, TV etc)

Despite more and more of us using streaming services, this is still pretty much most TV viewing.

So realistically the only way you’re eligible to avoid the licence fee is if you only watch online streaming or catch up services (not including iPlayer), and if you never watch or record broadcast TV.

Now if that’s the case, then you don’t have to pay, and I’ve shared further down how you can cancel your TV Licence.

Over 75s

A rule change a few years ago meant not all over 75s get a free TV Licence. However, many will still be able to claim one as long as they already receive pension credit. Here’s more information on the TV Licensing website.

Before we start

Everyone has an opinion about the BBC, especially the news output which those on the right say is too left wing and those on the left say is too right wing. We’re going to put that aside for this analysis and focus just on what you get for the money you pay.

I also want to put my cards on the table here at the start. When I was five or six, I declared that I wanted to work for the BBC when I was older. And I did. From 22 to 33 years old I worked all over the Beeb, before leaving to start up Be Clever With Your Cash. So it’s important to me.

Though it’s certainly not perfect (what large organisation is?). I do believe we’re better off as a country with the BBC than without. And that will obviously inform on my analysis below.

But it’s more than a decade since I left the broadcaster, and so much has changed in that time – not just at the BBC, but also how we consume our media – which goes for me too.

And the cost of living crisis has made every penny we spend so much more important, making value for money as a licence fee payer something that really does need interrogating.

What I watch

So do I get value from BBC TV? Over the last few years my TV viewing has changed drastically. Many of my favourite dramas and comedies can be found on Netflix, Sky Atlantic and Disney+.

Yet I do still watch plenty of excellent normal TV, mainly BBC and Channel 4 (you need a TV Licence to watch or record any live TV). In fact some of the best shows I’ve watched over the last year have been on these channels.

Happy Valley, Ghosts, Traitors, Race Across the World, Match of the Day, Wimbledon, Ludwig and Outlaws (all BBC), through to It’s a Sin, The Great British Bake Off and The Handmaid’s Tale (all C4). And there are plenty of great older shows available on-demand too, such as classic Attenborough, Motherland, His Dark Materials, Peaky Blinders, The IT Crowd and The Bridge.

And I’m not alone. Most TV viewing is of a free to watch channel, whether that’s via Freeview or Sky. And the most-watched shows every year are on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. Even big import TV shows like Game of Thrones or Stranger Things haven’t come close.

Still, £175 every year is a lot of money. And there are some cheaper alternatives with very good programmes.

How the TV Licence cost compares to other media services

If you pay for the TV Licence monthly at the new price it’ll work out as £14.54 a month.

It’s far cheaper than paying for TV via Sky or Virgin, where you’re looking at at least double that amount every month, and potentially as much as £100.

Elsewhere we’ve seen a number of streaming services hike prices, closing the gap to the licence fee.

Sky’s “on-demand” service NOW is £9.99 a month for the Entertainment channels (not movies or sport), or £119.88 a year – though there are deals to get this even cheaper, often half the price. But if you want HD and to ditch adverts you’ll pay another £6 to £9 each month.

Amazon Prime now comes in at £95 for the year, which is £7.92 a month (and streaming only is available at £5.99 a month) – though you’ll need to pay extra if you don’t want adverts.

After clamping down on sharing, Netflix starts at £5.99 a month (with adverts), but the most popular package is £12.99 a month, working out at £15588 a year. You can pay more, at £18.99 a month for the top tier

Disney revamped prices in October 2024, so you’ll pay either £4.99, £8.99 or £12.99 a month, while Apple TV+ also increased monthly costs (again) to £8.99 a month.

And there are others like Paramount+ (£4.99 with ads, £7.99 or £10.99 a month without adverts), while you can pay for extra content and no adverts via ITVx (£5.99 a month).

So on the whole, though there are more and more of these streaming services, and they all keep getting more expensive, they can be cheaper alternatives (if you get them on their own, or cut the price you pay via offers or go for the basic versions with adverts).

That’s a persuasive argument for ditching the Licence Fee as far as cost goes. However, I believe that as long as you can afford it, you get more for your money from the BBC than the premium services.

What the Licence Fee pays for

The thing people ranting against the TV Licence tend to forget is the money doesn’t just pay for BBC TV drama, documentaries and comedy. It also funds BBC news, sport, CBBC, radio and online.

And it’s these areas which I think make that £14.54 suddenly feel like really good value. So I’ve broken down this price between all the things it pays for and calculated below what I think is a fair representative value for each BBC service.

These figures are just for me – you will have your own views on what you use and don’t use.

BBC TV & iPlayer

My price: £7 a month / £84 a year

So imagine the drama, comedy, entertainment and factual part of the fee was the same price as the other streaming services at £10. Oh and iPlayer.

No matter what you might instinctively think if you just turn the TV on and watch something live, I think if you really looked at what’s on, you’d find plenty of quality new and old content to keep you going throughout the year. We’ve actually got a long list of shows we want to watch and not got around to, and add at least a couple every month.

But let’s say it’s £7, representing half of the money you pay. That’s even cheaper than most of the other options (and no adverts). I think many people would think that’s pretty fair for what you get.

And don’t forget this includes funding the production of BBC programmes you might actually end up watching on a service like Netflix! Without the licence fee they wouldn’t be made in the first place.

BBC Radio & BBC Sounds

My price: £3.50 a month / £42 a year

I’ve got a cool digital radio for the shower. There are four presets, and we’ve got BBC 5Live, BBC 6 Music, Heart 80s and Absolute 90s saved. My god, I hate the adverts on the latter two, making BBC radio essential.

And during the first lockdown in particular I was mainlining 5Live – a fantastic example of national broadcasting when we needed it most.

BBC podcasts are no longer just radio shows put online. Many are commissioned just for BBC Sounds, including the excellent documentary Vishal (produced by my friend Satiyesh) and music shows. Plus it’s a great way to catch up on radio you might have missed.

I do listen to a lot of Spotify, and there are some great podcasts out there (have you listened to our Cash Chats show yet?). So it is possible to get good quality music and speech content (though you need to pay to avoid constant adverts).

However, given the choice between paying for Spotify (at £11.99 a month) and paying for BBC Radio, I’d pick BBC Radio. And at an equivalent price of £3.50 a month I think that’s a bargain.

BBC Sport

My price: £2 a month / £24 a year

If you had to pay £2 a month, that’s just £24 a year, to get Wimbledon, Match of the Day, 6 Nations and smaller sports like snooker, athletics and so on, plus every few years the World Cup, the Olympics and Commonwealth games, I think most people would think it’s fantastic value – especially when compared to the £14.99 cost to watch Sky Sports for one day on NOW TV.

BBC News

My price £1 a month / £12 a year

This is certainly an area where my view on value for money has changed (though a lot of that is down to budget cuts enforced by the government through frozen or below inflation increases to the licence fee).

I’ll now go to the Guardian first for my news updates, rather than the BBC News website, and even listen to podcasts like the News Agents over Newscast.

However, BBC News is the first place I’ll go for breaking news. And if you’ve ever watched news in the USA, you’ll appreciate not only just how good BBC News is, but how it makes sure the other news networks raise their standards.

I’d say it’s well worth paying £1 a month for this – that’s just 3.3p a day.

CBeebies and CBBC

My price: 75p a month / £9 a year

Let’s say it costs 75p a month (£9 a year) to have these channels – and I don’t even have kids! If you do you probably would say it’s worth paying more to get this essential content.

I grew up watching shows like Going Live, Blue Peter and so on. And more recently my niece and nephew loved programmes like Justin’s House and Operation Ouch.

And during the pandemic the BBC really raised the bar in shows to help with homeschooling.

Yes, you can get other kids shows via Sky but these are largely cheap overseas imports and I don’t think they have the same education and quality you get from the BBC.

BBC Online

My price: 0p a month

In previous years, I’d allocate 50p a month for this, as it was the place I’d go to check the weather, the news, the football scores and more? Now I hardly visit it other than to play Sounds or iPlayer, which I’ve covered in other sections. So lets treat it as something you get as part of your ‘contribution’ to news, sports etc.

Other stuff

My price: 29p a month / £3.50 a year

Then there’s plenty of stuff we don’t see, but do benefit from.

There are technology developments which make a big difference to how we watch TV (such as iPlayer) and how other programmes are made by other people (like the cameras built for Blue Planet).

We might not listen to the World Service, but it does a fab job of promoting the UK around the world and supporting nations that really need it – while also building ‘soft power’ across the globe.

Oh, and the licence fee is also used to make sure everyone in the UK gets broadband, especially rural areas. It did the same for digital TV.

Right, I’ll shut up now. But let’s say we pay 29p a month towards all this (a total of £3.50 a year).

Money well spent or a waste of cash?

So just to quickly summarise, for me the £14.54 monthly TV licence cost could be broken down like this.

  • £7 a month for all the drama, comedy and documentaries (£84 a year)
  • £3.50 a month for all the radio (£42 a year)
  • £2 a month for sport (£24 a year)
  • £1 a month for news coverage (£12 a year)
  • 75p a month for children’s TV (£9 a year)
  • 29p a month for the innovations (£3.50 a year)
  • plus all the BBC websites

I still think the licence fee is a really good investment. In fact I think these values I’ve assigned are too probably too low for what you get, especially in the cases of sport and radio. 

Yes I have made up the values above (in reality the split is different), and there will certainly be parts you don’t use at all. But it’d be easy to justify assigning higher values to the ones you use and less to those you don’t – for example if you’ve got kids you’d probably think £2 a month for CBBC is great value.

And if you consider what you might pay for all the separate parts at commercial rates, even if you only chose one or two, you’d likely pay just as much. 

Should the Licence Fee be scrapped?

Andy’s analysis

I do recognise there’s growing resentment in some parts of the public, particularly by people who simply don’t watch any BBC (or live) TV at all. I’ll often see posts in money saving Facebook groups about scrapping it, with the majority of the hundreds of comments in favour of ditching it.

However, much of what I see in these conversations is misinformed, and fuelled by media like the Mail and Murdoch’s News UK (The Times and The Sun), and the previous Conservative government, who all have vested interest in getting rid of the BBC.

So I hope this article can help balance some of the arguments (I find it frustrating that the BBC’s own impartiality policies prevent it from delivering any decent defence).

Like the NHS, we’d really miss the BBC if it was gone. No matter how many amazing US imports are available to watch, there’s still fantastic TV made in the UK, and a big part of it is down to the BBC. Even if you still think it’s too much money, I do think that it’s important we fight to keep the BBC independent and strong.

Alternatives

If people genuinely don’t use any BBC service then I do think it’s unfair that they should be forced to pay for it. It seems something really does need to change. But what?

It’s really tough to find a solution that could protect what the BBC stands for and enable it to produce the services it does to the standard it does without the full fee.

Lots of people talk about a subscription method, as you have with Netflix. It’s certainly an option, but people don’t realise that Netflix makes very little profit, and hardly pays any tax in the UK.

I also think there is a chance that for lots of people the cost will go up in order to get all the services. A report from the BBC said it’d likely cost £37 a month to get all the services.

That doesn’t sound too far off. The pick and mix approach to Sky via NOW TV can save you cash versus a normal Sky subscription, but if you want Entertainment, Cinema, Kids and Sport you’re still looking at paying £60 a month. 

An advert funded model is another option, but ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 aren’t swimming in cash, and adding the BBC into the market will mean there’s less money to go around. So we’ll see all the free-to-air channels suffer.

And we could see the BBC outbid for some of the important big events and programmes by the likes of Amazon – forcing people to shell out more.

I imagine it’d have to be some kind of blended model. Perhaps some services funded by a reduced licence fee with others subscription only.

How to stop paying the Licence Fee

If you genuinely don’t watch any BBC TV, reckon you could do without, or don’t feel you should pay for the other BBC services then you can cancel your licence.

You can tell TV Licensing that you don’t require a licence here. Just make sure you don’t watch any live TV or use iPlayer.

The best birthday freebies and how to get them

Get more than £60 of birthday freebies from shops and restaurants

Birthday freebies

Everyone likes to feel extra special on their birthday. Which is why some companies offer birthday freebies, with everything from free cake to a bottle of Prosecco. The best thing about some of these is that you often get a few weeks to claim your freebie, letting you take advantage of more, and spread your birthday out even further. 

One birthday, Editor-in-chief Andy managed to bag himself a free meal at his favourite burger joint Meat Liquor, some posh Hotel Chocolat treats, a Body Shop shower gel and he saved money on some flatpack furniture at Ikea, totalling £28 worth of freebies.

And here’s how you can get up to £60 worth of freebies for your birthday. 

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

How to get birthday freebies

While most retailers’ emails end up unread and clogging up your inbox, when it comes to a few weeks before your birthday, it’s time to pay a little extra attention to them, just in case you’re getting a little gift. 

Of course, these brands aren’t giving you something for nothing. In all cases, you need to be signed up for their newsletters, loyalty schemes or apps, which means handing over your data and dealing with constant emails.

If you’re selective, and only pick the brands you regularly shop at and want to hear about, then it’s well worth doing. And often the birthday freebies aren’t the only offers and deals you’ll get sent during the year.

Don’t forget that you can always unsubscribe from emails once you’ve had your birthday, and possibly even sign up again – though it’s worth doing this at least a month before your birthday to allow time for your details to be processed.

One of our writers Nicky Selwood, says that she always gives a different birthday, so she’s got birthdays all year round to make the most out of. The odd one might want ID, so use your real birthday for these ones.

Free food and drink

From smoothies to doughnuts, here’s all the free food and drink you can get on your birthday. We’ve ignored a lot of the offers where you get a free main or bubbly when you buy a main, though there are a couple listed at the bottom of this page. They’re still decent offers, but we’re more excited about the freebies. 

If you manage to get a bill for £0, it’s still pretty good form to leave a tip.

Barburrito – free burrito

Barburrito is offering a free burrito on your birthday, as long as you’re signed up to the loyalty app. A few days before your birthday you’ll be emailed a voucher for a free burrito, which should also show in the app. Show this at the till, and you can eat for free. 

You only get four days to claim it, so you have to be quick. 

Benugo – free drink

Coffee shop chain Benugo is giving away a free coffee on your birthday. You just need to sign up to the mailing list and you’ll get a free coffee and another on your birthday.

Boost – free drink

If you sign up for the Boost Vibe Club (you can do this online), you can get a free drink on your birthday. 

This can be claimed up to 3 days before and 3 days after your birthday.

You need to have earned at least one point and you’ll need to show ID proving that it’s your birthday. 

Burger King – free whopper

Add your date of birth to the BK Rewards app and you’ll get a free burger!

Caffé Nero – free cake

If you’re signed up for the free Caffé Nero app and ensure you have your birthday in your settings, you’ll get a voucher for a free slice of cake on your birthday. Plus you can get a free drink for signing up here.

Costa – free cake

If you’re signed up for the free Costa Club you’ll notice a reward for a free slice of cake appear in your app. Costa lets you know it’s there with an email too. 

Make sure you’ve told Costa when your birthday is, you can do this in the app.

Greggs – free cake or doughnut

Sign up to the Greggs Rewards scheme via the Greggs app and you’ll be able to claim a free doughnut, cupcake or cream cake. The voucher is valid for a month.

Krispy Kreme – free doughnut

You get a free doughnut via the Friends of Krispy Kreme scheme each year, though it’s only in full shops, not the ones you find in Supermarkets. 

With this offer, you can choose any doughnut during your birthday month. When it comes to claiming it, you will need to add the birthday reward to your wallet in the Krispy Kreme app. 

Lidl – free doughnut

If you haven’t quite had enough free doughnuts on your birthday, donut worry — you can claim another one from Lidl. 

This one is found in the Lidl Plus app and is valid for 7 days from the birthday listed in your Lidl Plus Account. 

Lola’s Cupcakes – free 5-inch cake

If you join the Lola’s Cupcakes Love Club more than 30 days before your birthday, then you can get a free small cake on your birthday for free.

You have to show ID that confirms your birth date and you have to prove you’ve been a member of the Love Club for at least 30 days. This excludes Lola’s Bakery in West Hampstead.

Muffin Break – free Muffin

There’s nothin’ like a free muffin on your birthday. By signing up for the Muffin Break loyalty scheme, you can get a free muffin in the month of your birthday.

There’s also a free doughnut for joining, too.

Starbucks – free drink

One for regular Starbucks users. If you join the free Starbucks Rewards scheme and reach Gold level (you need to earn 450 Stars, roughly a spend of £150) you’ll get a free drink on your birthday. You’ll also get other freebies throughout the year at this level. You get a free drink for every 150 stars you collect, so you’ll get 3 free drinks on your attempt to reach Gold. 

Subway – free cookie

Join Subway Rewards, add your date of birth and you’ll receive a treat on your birthday, usually a free cookie.

Our podcast

Listen to Cash Chats, our award-winning podcast, presented by Editor-in-chief Andy Webb and Deputy Editor Amelia Murray.

Episodes every Tuesday.

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Free birthday vouchers

With these retailers, it could be worth signing up in order to get a free voucher on your birthday. These are often only £5, but you could get yourself a few freebies or take a discount off something you’ve been eyeing up. There’s often no minimum spend, so you can get something for absolutely nothing. 

I’ve ignored those that give the likes of 10% off as those kinds of codes are regularly available.

Hobbycraft – £5 voucher

Register for Hobbycraft Club and you’ll be sent a voucher to spend in-store or online on the month of your birthday. You’ll also get a 15% off voucher when you sign up.

Marks & Spencer

M&S didn’t used to guarantee a freebie or voucher on your birthday, but it recently changed the Sparks scheme to get one for everyone signed up to the M&S Sparks card who has signed up for marketing and enters their birthday more than 35 days before via the app.

Freebies could include:

  • Chocolate Marks bar
  • All Butter Cookies 8-pack
  • Outrageously Chocolatey Rounds
  • All Butter Scottish Shortbread Assortment
  • Percy Pig sweets
  • Colin the Caterpillar sweets
  • Grapes
  • Blueberries

Hotel Chocolat – £5 voucher

For a free fiver with a £5.50 minimum spend, you just need to be signed up for Hotel Chocolat’s VIP.ME scheme.  

The voucher can also be combined with other offers. 

Andy actually forgot to do this and registered a few days after his birthday and I still got sent the £5 voucher a few weeks later, so it’s worth giving a go!

Extra points on your birthday

Boots – double points for the whole month

Boots Advantage cardholders get double points for their whole birthday month. This will pop up in your Boots app on the first of the month, and you need to load the deal to your card before you scan it in-store. Check your details in the app to make sure Boots knows its your birthday.

Superdrug – triple points on your birthday

If you have the Superdrug Beautycard, you get triple points on your birthday. The offer is valid for 2 weeks after your birthday. You don’t have to opt in or add it to your card, just make sure Superdrug knows when your birthday is.

Birthday gifts

Shopmium – free gift

Cashback app Shopmium often provides a special extra offer on your birthday. Andy’s managed to snag a free box of Celebrations. 

You’ll need to buy the item and scan the receipt to get the cashback. Here’s more on how the app works and a sign up offer.

Hobbs – free gift

Sign up for the Hobbs newsletter to get a free birthday gift. We’re not sure what you get, but in 2021 it was a candle. You also get 10% off your first purchase when you sign up.

Space NK – free gift

Again, it’s often a £5 off code but it could be a free miniature. And again you’ll get it by signing up to a membership scheme – for Space NK it’s called N.dulge

This is a loyalty scheme, so you’ll earn points each time you spend money, which can be converted into money off future purchases.

Free alcoholic drinks on your birthday

Slug & Lettuce – free bottle of Prosecco

If you’re signed up for the Slug & Lettuce newsletter, you’ll be emailed a code to claim a free bottle of Prosecco on your birthday. 

The email says that you have to book a table but we tried it twice (for two birthdays in July) and didn’t book a table either time. 

We simply popped the Prosecco into our basket in the app, entered the code and checked out. Within minutes, we had a bottle of Prosecco at the table, and we didn’t even have to order food.

You get lots of time to take advantage of this offer, with the voucher valid for 6 weeks.

Since being signed up for Slug & Lettuce emails, we’ve also nabbed a free Pina Colada on National Pina Colada Day – not to mention that two arrived at the table because it was Happy Hour!

Good birthday offers that aren’t freebies

Sometimes you’ll be sent a discount voucher or a free meal/ bottle of bubbly as long as you get another meal. These can be good and might be worthwhile if you’d like to eat there anyway, but they’re not strictly birthday freebies. 

Here are some of the things you can be offered:

Meat Liquor – 20% off the bill

Meat Liquor is one of Andy’s favourite burger places. A few years back you could get a free main meal and a side on your birthday, which he took advantage of. 

Sadly it’s now 20% off the entire bill – but that’s still decent if you like the food there. Sign up to the mailing list and you’ll get sent a unique code to use, valid for a week before and after your birthday.

Bills – “free” bottle of Prosecco

Again, not strictly a freebie, as each diner has to order a main meal. 

Make sure you’re signed up for the Bill’s Newsletter 4 weeks before your birthday and you’ll get an email with the gift. 

You’ll also need to pre-book a table. It’s valid for 5 weeks from the date that you get the email. 

Do you know of any other birthday freebies or discounts worth signing up for? Let me know in the comments below.

Our top deals

Here are a few ongoing and recent offers you might have missed:

Banking offers

Savings and investing offers

Shopping vouchers and other deals

Entertainment deals

Food and drink offers

Kids & family days out offers

If you’re thinking of what you can do with your little ones that won’t break the bank, here are some ways to spend less on days out and activities

Days out aren’t cheap, so here we’ll share special offers where you can bring down the price of tickets, as well as any special free events and activities. We’ve also had a look at schemes such as Kids Pass and Little Bird and shared whether we think they’re any good.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Wording that says 'kids and family days out offers' and the be clever with your cash logo on an orange background

Kids & family membership offers

Kids Pass: one year for £28

At full price – £40 a year – it’s possibly a bit pricey. However, there are ways to save which make it worth a go.

Living Social is selling an annual pass for £27, plus a £1 admin fee. This saves you £11.99 on the standard annual price.

Kids Pass: get paid for a 30-day trial

Alternatively, if you go via TopCashback or Quidco you’ll get more than £1 back in exchange for a trial (duration can vary when you click through).

“Days Out” offers

Another scheme is the Days Out website. This works slightly differently as there’s no membership, but you might find discounted tickets.

> Find family discounts on the Days Out website

Boundless membership

If you work in the public sector or are a civil servant, a Boundless membership gives you free access to UK attractions, including Kew Gardens, a free Kids Pass and Tastecard.

  • Basic Boundless costs £40 a year
  • Boundless Plus costs £68 a year

We’ve looked in more detail at who can get it and what you get in our review.

Free ticket offers

National Lottery: Open Week

The National Lottery runs a regular promotion where you can get free or low-cost days out, including Eden Project, National Trust, the Tower of London and English Heritage properties. 

The National Lottery Open Week runs between 15 March and 23 March 2025 — booking is open now.

To get access, you need to have a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard, which you can use to visit a National Trust or National Trust for Scotland properties for free or at a discount. The date of the lottery ticket isn’t relevant, but maybe hang on to it until you know if you’ve won. 

You can see a full list of the attractions and the discounts available, searchable by postcode or your current location. The full T&Cs are here too.

Wetlands: free tickets (ended)

You can currently get free tickets to Wetlands for “World Wetlands Day”.

To get the offer, you just sign up for your free ticket using your email address. You’ll then receive a barcode which you can use to get in.

Each person visiting needs to sign up for a free ticket. And there’s a limited number of free tickets per centre. You need to visit between 31 January and 7 February.

MoneySuperMarket: SuperSaveClub hack

If you take out insurance via MoneySuperMarket you can get free membership to the SuperSaveClub, which offers free tickets every week and month to big name attractions like London Zoo.

But there’s a way to get access without buying insurance that won’t cost you anything – simply sign up for the free Credit Monitor service. You can also do this for every adult in your home, increasing how many free tickets you get.

We’ve written up how to get free membership in detail.

National Trust & English Heritage offers

National Trust: free family day pass (ended)

Get a free family day pass to participating National Trust sites until 14 March. You’ll need to use an incognito tab as the original offer was sent in a newsletter.

You’ve got until 10 February to apply or until all 30,000 passes have been claimed.

The day pass admits two adults and up to three children, or one adult and four children. Single adults and couples can also use it. You can use it Monday to Sunday.

National Trust: get a free one-day family pass with the Daily Mirror (expired)

National newspaper publisher Reach is giving away free National Trust family day passes to participating National Trust sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, worth £50, when you buy the Daily Mirror from 18 January until 26 January.

The vouchers need to be used by 14 March 2025. You can redeem it Monday to Sunday.

Check the Ts&Cs before going, as some sites are excluded.

Days out ticket discounts

National Rail: 2-4-1 days out

If you’re travelling by train to an attraction, you might be able to use it for a discount on your entry. Details here.

“Open House” events (ended)

In September each year many buildings open their doors for free across the UK. Here are some of the main organisations, but do check locally to see if there are other places offering something similar.

Open House London – September 2024

From 14 to 22 September 2024 you can get free or discounted access to hundreds of buildings and gardens in London, many of which are normally closed to the public. Bookings open 21 August 2024. Details here.

Heritage Open Days (Scotland) – September 2024

In September 2024 there’s a similar open day festival in Scotland giving you access to buildings and events across the country. Bookings are now open. Details here.

Doors Open Days (England) – September 2024

On weekends from 6 to 15 September 2024 Heritage Open Days will provide free access to events celebrating England’s history and culture. Bookings for some events are now open. Details here.

Open Doors (Wales) – September 2024

Throughout September 2024 you can get free entry and guided tours to more than 200 historic sites in Wales. Loads of events don’t require booking and those that do may let you book now. Details here.

Gardens

BBC Gardener’s World magazine: 2-4-1 entry card (ended)

This annual offer is always worth a look. If you buy the May 2024

edition of Gardener’s World magazine (out 11 April) you’ll get a card that’ll get you 2-4-1 entry to 407 gardens in the UK and Northern Ireland.

This includes:

  • Leeds Castle
  • Warwick Castle
  • 67 National Trust gardens
  • 27 National Trust of Scotland gardens
  • 12 English Heritage gardens

The magazine costs £9.50 and you can buy it in shops or online (you can get it for £9.99 including postage).

The pass is valid until April 2025 and can be used as many times as you like.

Free activities

Free tennis sessions

Tennis for Free is offering free tennis sessions at around 40 locations across the UK. Sessions are usually at the weekend and last about an hour. Some are for kids aged 12 and above, while some are for all ages, and they’re more about having fun than professional coaching.

All abilities are welcome and equipment is provided.

Many of these sessions are re-launching in spring 2025, but some are still running. Once you’ve found a venue near you, you’ll need to sign up for an account and book a slot online.

Theme park deals

Check out our separate guide to paying less for theme park tickets such as Alton Towers and Legoland.

What is Kids Pass?

What does Kids Pass do?

Kids Pass is a membership which gives you discounts on the places and things kids like to do.

Kids Pass promises:

  • Up to 57% off at “family days out” such as theme parks, bowling and play centres
  • Up to 40% off at cinemas, seven days a week
  • Kids eat free or for £1 at hundreds of restaurants
  • Savings on places like Butlins and Haven

You only need one card per family, rather than per child.

Is Kids Pass any good?

The discounts can be pretty decent, especially the restaurant and cinema deals.

Restaurant deals

Some restaurant chains include are Giraffe, Garfunkels, Barburrito, Handmade Burger Co, and Bella Italia, each offering free food for kids or £1 meals. There’s also BOGOF at Pizza Hut (delivery) and a second pizza for £1 at Papa John’s. There are hundreds of independent ones, too. You can see those involved without getting a membership.

Cinema deals

The cinema discounts through Kids Pass are available at most major chains and various independent places. You get up to 40% off tickets for kids and adults, making it a good option even if you don’t have kids. A quick look at a few different chains and it generally works out as £8 per adult ticket.

Check if it’s cheaper to buy your tickets with a different deal.

You’ll need to buy your tickets through the website or app – you can’t just show your pass at the box office. 

Other deals

The theme park and other family activities look good, though as with most entertainment, it’s worth shopping around for other offers. It does look like it includes all the major theme parks and places like Madame Tussaudss and London Dungeon.

You can also save up to 50% at places like Eurocamp, Haven and Butlins.

16 tricks for cheaper train fares

Our top ways to save on rail tickets.

As much as I’d like to use trains over cars and planes (and I do when I can), tickets aren’t cheap. Rail fares went up by 4.6% in March in England and Wales, while a 3.8% increase will take place in April for Scotland.

And some fares might go up more! The size of any annual rise is limited to the Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation figure – but only on regulated fares. Non-regulated ones, such as advance singles and day off-peak are set by the rail companies so could go up by more.

You’ll pay these highest prices if you buy your ticket at the station moments before your train is due to leave, but it is possible to significantly lower the cost. Here are my top tricks to bring down the price.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

flexible train travel

Book in advance

An old tip, but still the best. Train companies generally release tickets 12 weeks in advance, and this is when they’ll be cheapest.

Even if you don’t get the advanced fares as soon as they go on sale, it’s still worth booking as soon as you know when you are going to travel. However, these tickets won’t be changeable or refundable.

Though the best fares often go quick, you can still get reduced fares the day before on many routes, and some even offer an advanced discount up until 15 minutes before departure.

It’s worth noting that some rail companies do sell tickets more than 12 weeks ahead of a journey, but watch out as journeys could be changed once engineering works have been confirmed, and they might also be more expensive.

Useful alerts for finding when tickets go on sale

As much as I hate Trainline (you’ll pay a fee for all tickets other an on the day travel), it does have a useful alert system where you can get email notifications for when advanced tickets are on sale. Simply enter the dates you’ll travel and your route.

Trainline also has a feature where it predicts when prices will change.

Travel off-peak

You’ll want to avoid peak travel. Hours vary by train company but think of peak as the the rush hour in the morning, usually until 9am for local journeys or 9.30am in bigger towns and cities. It’s also sometimes in the early evening too, around 4pm to 7pm, though that might just be leaving those big cities rather other trips.

But departures outside of these hours and at weekends, known as off-peak, and you’ll pay less. So if you can move your departure a little later to fit these times you’ll save money.

You may even be able to hack this on long journeys which start in peak hours but splitting your ticket to cover the peak period, and then another to cover the off peak part of the journey. Check too if Friday evening has been deemed off-peak.

Split your ticket

In the wisdom of the train companies, they’ve decided that it’s sometimes cheaper to get two or more separate tickets and split your journey along the way.

You might even be able to stay on the same train! We’ve written more here about how split tickets work.

There are a few different companies offering this now and I find they often come up with different routes. A few websites to look at:

Check if two singles are cheaper than a return

Defying logic, it can sometimes be less to NOT buy a return ticket. Hopefully the website will show you those options when booking.

Get a season ticket

Travelling a lot? A season ticket might be cheaper. Most lines will sell weekly, monthly and annual ones.

It’s worth seeing if your employer will provide an interest-free loan to buy the season ticket. You’ll pay it back over the year straight from your salary, so it’s a bit like getting the discount each month. If not, look at 0% purchase credit cards.

There are also now flexible season tickets for those commuting part of the week. When I analysed these they were a mixed bag with some cheaper and some more expensive than buying daily tickets.

Get a railcard

These have just increased in price from £30 to £35, but they’re well worth exploring – especially on an expensive ticket where the discount could cover the railcard’s cost immediately.

The terms & conditions for who and when you can travel vary for each type of card, but you can broadly save a 1/3 on travel, sometimes for people travelling with you.

For the 12-25 and 26-30 railcards, you can buy this up until the day before your birthday. So buy one the day before you turn 31, and it’ll last until you are almost 32.

If you live in London or the South East and already have an annual season ticket (including TFL) then you also have a Gold Card, which is pretty much the same as the Network Card.

From time to time there are discounts on railcards which we feature on our train deals page.

Look for sales and offers

Also on our train deals page you’ll find details of flash sales that happen throughout the year from providers such as Northern and Transpennine, or the network wide Great British Rail sale which usually occurs in January.

Travel as a group

Different providers might also offer special fares, for example three or more travelling at the same time could benefit from a GroupSave ticket. For groups larger than 10 people, it’s best checking with the rail company to see if there are other discounts.

Find a Weekender ticket

Some providers might also have special weekend return offers for departures Friday or Saturday and returning by Monday.

Earn cashback or points

Use the right booking app or payment card and you could be looking at 5% to 10% back on your ticket price, perhaps even more at times. And you can stack this with other offers or railcards.

We’ve covered this in detail in our guide to earning cashback on train bookings.

Don’t pay a booking fee

Use popular companies such as the Trainline and you’ll be hit with booking fees and delivery charges. It’s better to direct with the train operator and you’ll likely save yourself cash – even if they don’t operate the route. I tend to use the LNER site, though there are other decent train booking apps and sites.

You’ll need to pick up at the station or have digital tickets to avoid delivery charges with many booking websites.

Go First Class for less

It can sometimes cost less to travel in First Class if you leave it late and the advance fares are all gone, so don’t discount them completely.

Or on the day of travel the app Seat Frog will let you bid for a reduced upgrade to First. If you factor in the free food and drink on longer journeys this can be a bargain.

Claim a refund for any train delays

Each company has slightly different rules, but essentially if you are delayed more than 30 minutes once the journey has started there is a good chance you’ll be able to claim something, possibly 50%. If it’s over an hour you might get the whole lot back. A handful have cut the time to a 15-minute delay.

Ask at the ticket office or look on the train operator’s website for more information. If your journey is split between two different companies and a delay on the first one makes you miss the connection, it’s less likely you’ll get something. Here’s how to get a train refund.

Book a surprise fare

If you’re travelling via Avanti, then their Superfare gets you a discounted ticket, you just won’t know what time you’re travelling straight away. You’ll pick morning, afternoon or evening for your trip, and 24 hours before you leave you’ll be told which train you’re on. You can book between seven and 56 days in advance.

Buy a travelcard with your ticket

If you pick a train ticket to London and plan to use the tube or buses during the day, then adding in a railcard at purchase might work out cheaper -especially if you’re using the overground or other trains within zones one to six. Plus you’ll be able to benefit from the cashback savings detailed above.

Combine with a day out

Technically this final tip won’t reduce the cost of a train ticket, but you can use that ticket to get you reduced entry to attractions like London Bridge and Legoland. Check out the National Rail Days Out guide to see who’s taking part in the promotion.

Pub & bar deals

Save on drink and food at your local

Here are some offers for when you’re heading out to the pub.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

Pub promotions

Greene King: buy one get one free beer

Greene King is offering buy one get one free for its own craft beers: Level Head, Hazy Day, Flint Eye and Prior Life. It’s running in England and Wales only. There’s currently no end date for the offer, just “while stocks last”.

All you’ve got to do is head to the pub and order your choice to get it.

Brewdog: free beer (ended)

Until Friday 14 February 2025, Brewdog is giving away free beer in its bars between 4-5pm. You’ll probably want to book a table for it though, as the bars are likely to be very busy.

It’s slightly different in Scotland and Wales, where there’ll be £3,000 behind the bar from 4pm, instead. You can get a maximum of two beers and it’ll end when the money runs out.

It’s not available with other offers or discounts and isn’t available at Edinburgh Waverley, Edinburgh Airport, Gatwick Airport, Belfast Grand Central, or Waterloo Arms.

Lucky Saint: free 0% pint (ended)

Grab a free pint across the UK in January. You’ll need to select your location then claim your voucher.

Heineken: free 0% pint or bottle (ended)

Enter your email address to receive a voucher for a free pint or bottle. Runs until 31 January 2025 or until 31,500 vouchers have been claimed.

All Bar One: free champagne (ended)

You can get a free 0% Athletic beer or an Everleaf non-alcoholic cocktail at All Bar One until 31 January 2025. All you have to do is download the app and sign up and you’ll see the code on your homepage. If you’re already a member, you’ll find it on your home screen.

There’s a code to redeem the offer which you can use at the bar or in the app.

You can only redeem it once and you can’t get it at airports or the O2.

Free drinks via apps

These apps often have free drinks to claim.

El Tab: £9.99 a week for free drinks

Smartphone app El Tab offers Londoners up to four free drinks every night of the week in different bars across the city. It usually costs £9.99 a week or £24.99 a month.

We’ve done a full analysis of the app to find out whether it can cut cut the cost of boozing in London.

Free drinks every day with Dusk

The app Dusk gives you a free drink each day at selected bars.

Just download the app and look for the bars participating. If you use the referral code AWEBB5 you’ll earn 500 reward points. I’m not sure they actually do anything right now, but there’s no harm in adding it to your account.

Free drinks with Embargo app

Another app, this one lets you check in to various venues to claim free drinks and discounts. Some are only available if you’ve collected ‘stamps’ from previous visits.

Use the code AMPLIFYING when you sign up. Not sure if there’s a reward but it’s worth a go!

Free drink with Mixr

Mixr is an app that lets you search for, view menus at and book at any pubs and bars owned by Stonegate Pubs. You can also pay in the app and earn points.

There are often free drinks and other discounts.

Free drink with Green King Sport app

Download the Green King Sport app to get 10% off future orders during live sport. There’s also the chance to win more free drinks and prizes such as tickets to gigs, festivals and sporting events.

The full list of pubs can be found here, while the eligible drinks are as follows (they might not be available at every pub):

Draught

  • San Miguel
  • Guinness
  • Greene King IPA
  • Abbot Ale
  • Carling
  • Carlsberg
  • Fosters
  • Coors
  • Strongbow
  • John Smiths
  • Strongbow Dark Fruits
  • Amstel
  • Ice Breaker
  • Stella Artois

Bottles:

  • Corona
  • Budweiser
  • Ice Breaker

Softs:

  • Coke Zero
  • Coca-Cola
  • Diet Coke
  • Schweppes Lemonade

Wine:

  • Blossom Hill – White, Red, Rose
  • El Mazo – White, Red, Rose

Spirits and Mixers:

  • Jack Daniels & draught mixer
  • Red Bull
  • Captain Morgan & draught mixer
  • Smirnoff & draught mixer

Free beer with We Love Sport

Download the We Love Sport app and there are often promos for free or discounted beers.

There seems decent coverage of pubs across the big towns and cities (eg 9 bars in Leeds, 5 in York and 5 in Huddersfield), but you won’t be able to use it everywhere. You can see participating pubs in the offer section of the app.

Our top deals

Here are a few ongoing and recent offers you might have missed:

Banking offers

Savings and investing offers

Shopping vouchers and other deals

Entertainment deals

Food and drink offers