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May 1, 2020   |   Deals

Andy’s deals of the week – 1st May 2020

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More deals to check out, including a free movie rental for Vodafone customers, a free drink from Brewdog, how to get cashback on your bills and some entertainment picks for the weekend.

Watch this week’s episode

More on this week’s offers

Free Rakuten voucher with Vodafone

Today only (Friday 1st May), Vodafone customers can access a free voucher worth £4.50 to rent a movie at Rakuten. You need to head to the VeryMe Rewards part of the app. 

It’s possible to get access to this and other Vodafone Rewards if you are with another network but it’ll cost you £10 for six weeks’ access. Right now I think it’s probably not worth it considering it’s harder for brands to offer deals.

Star Wars IX coming to Sky, Disney & NOW TV next week

Seeing as the Rise of Skywalker only became available on DVD and online rental last week, it’s huge news that this latest Star Wars movie is coming months early to SKY and streaming services Disney+ and NOW TV on Monday.

I’ve rounded up the cheapest ways you can access these streaming services, including 7-day free trials and other savings.

Cheap Night In picks

Here’s my latest rundown of some of the cheap and free films, TV shows, theatre productions and music sets you can watch from home this weekend.

This week it includes Benedict Cumberbatch as Frankenstein, a virtual tour of Machu Picchu, free NBA basketball replays and how to support comedian Mark Watson’s fundraising 24-hour online show.

Free Brewdog beer

You’ll have to wait to get it, but Brewdog is giving everyone a free schooner (2/3 pint) of Punk IPA when their bars reopen. You’ll need a voucher – here’s how to get it.

Santander 123 vs Santander 123 Lite cashback current accounts compared

From next week interest will drop on the main Santander 123 account and both it and the cheaper 123 Lite account will have caps on the cashback you can earn on your bills.

I’ve compared the two to help you decide whether you should switch away or open one up – and which one is best.

April 30, 2020   |   Articles

Andy’s £1,000 money makeover part 5: Your TV & Streaming bills

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The £1,000 challenge continues! This week it’s time to tackle those TV and streaming bills. 

If you pay for Sky or Virgin TV then you’re almost certainly overpaying. There are ways to not just reduce what you spend but to even remove some of these high bills completely.

Find out how I’ve cut my bills by hundreds of pounds every year but still managed to watch all the top TV channels and shows.

For subtitles, press play and then hit the CC button at the bottom of the video (you might need to tap the video or hover your mouse over it) and you’ll be able to get auto-generated subtitles.

For a transcript you’ll need to click through to YouTube. Then hit the three dots under the video to access all the subtitles at once. Remember they have been auto-generated by YouTube so there might be the odd word where it thinks I’ve said something else.

There are still 7 episodes to go, all helping you get on top of all your finances. You can see the full playlist for my money makeover as videos are added here 

If you find this useful, please click to watch this video over on YouTube and then click the “thumbs up” icon as it helps the video appear higher up in YouTube’s search results.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos.

Further reading & links

It’s time to ditch expensive Sky and Virgin TV subscriptions

Cheaper alternatives to Sky and Virgin TV

The best streaming deals: Music, film, TV, sport, theatre and more 

 Netflix vs Now TV vs Amazon Prime Video vs Apple TV + – Which is the best value for money? 

 Best value ways to stream movies at home 

Should you stick with the licence fee?

Fire TV stick vs Roku vs Chromecast vs NOW TV stick vs Apple TV: What’s the best value for money?

April 30, 2020   |   Deals

Cheap Night In – 30th April 2020

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Here’s my pick of free and cheap events for you to watch and listen to over the next seven days.

Don’t forget I’m also always checking for the cheapest streaming deals and offers, and there’s more information on these links.

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April 29, 2020   |   Podcast

Cash Chats #121 – Making money part one

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If you’re in need of some extra cash there are a couple of ways you can do this. In this first part I’m joined by money making blogger Emma Drew to talk about how things like online market research, eBay and receipt scanning can boost your coffers.

Please do leave a review and rating. Here’s how to do it on Apple Podcasts and iTunes. 

SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN TO OTHER EPISODES OF CASH CHATS (it’s free!): 


 

Further reading & links

Here’s more information about some of the apps and websites mentioned in today’s episode.

Emma’s guide to survey sites including Prolific and YouGov

Sign up to Research Opinions

Sign up for a cashback site bonus (up to £17)

Sign up for Oh My Dosh

Sign up for 20 Cogs (plus £5 bonus)

Sign up for Swagbucks

Sign up to Qmee

Sign up to Airtime Rewards (plus £1.50 bonus)

Sign up to Receipt Hog

Sign up for Shoppix

 

 

April 24, 2020   |   Deals

Andy’s deals of the week – 24th April 2020

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More deals and offers to save you money.

This week I’ve ways to save on the new iPhone SE, what’s inside the emergency food box from Aldi, how to get a free £50 from TSB and the top cheap home entertainment offers (including free stand-up comedy, discounted The Rise of Skywalker and free theatre).

Watch the latest episode

More on this week’s deals

Save on the new iPhone SE

The new “budget” iPhone launches on Friday, starting at £419. As always upgrading via your network will likely cost you more than buying it outright.

Here are the best ways to save, including £10 cashback on pre-orders and where to get 0% finance over 24 months.

Aldi launches food box

Following on from similar emergency food boxes from M&S and Morrisons, Aldi is now selling a £25 parcel full of essentials if you can’t get to the shops. Here’s what to expect.

Free £50 from TSB & Quidco

With most of the bonuses for switching bank paused or cancelled due to the pandemic, there’s only one free cash offer still going.

You’ll need to go to Quidco and then open a TSB current account to get your hands on a £50 reward. There are terms and conditions attached so make sure you read them.

30 days free stand-up comedy streaming

The NextUp website has a variety of offers for you to watch new and classic stand-up sets from famous comedians (eg Ed Byrne) as well as up-and-coming acts.

You can get a 7-day free trial, but Amazon Prime members can get a longer 30-days. And existing users can get 50% off a month. Here’s more on each of those offers.

Cheap Night In picks

Here’s my latest rundown of some of the cheap and free films, TV shows, theatre productions and music sets you can watch from home this weekend.

This week it includes the cheapest way to rent Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, how to stream Yellow Submarine for free, where to watch live darts and an update on the free theatre and musicals.

April 23, 2020   |   Deals

Cheap Night In – 23rd April 2020

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Here’s my pick of free and cheap events for you to watch and listen to over the next seven days.

Don’t forget I’m also always checking for the cheapest streaming deals and offers, and there’s more information on these links.

 

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April 23, 2020   |   Articles

Andy’s £1k money makeover part 4: Your energy bills

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In the next part of my £1,000 money makeover I’m looking at your gas, electricity and water bills.

Here’s everything you need to know about cutting how much you spend on your energy each year, with tips on how to compare for the best rates, what a smart meter actually does and whether a water meter is a good idea.

Scroll down for some related articles and links.

There are still 9 episodes to go, all helping you get on top of all your finances. You can see the full playlist for my money makeover as videos are added here 

If you find this useful, please click to watch this video over on YouTube and then click the “thumbs up” icon as it helps the video appear higher up in YouTube’s search results.

For subtitles, press play and then hit the CC button at the bottom of the video (you might need to tap the video or hover your mouse over it) and you’ll be able to get auto-generated subtitles.

For a transcript you’ll need to click through to YouTube. Then hit the three dots under the video to access all the subtitles at once. Remember they have been auto-generated by YouTube so there might be the odd word where it thinks I’ve said something else.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos.

Further reading & links

My guide to cutting your energy bills 

 My guide to the pros and cons of smaller energy companies 

My guide to automatic energy switching services 

 Cheap Energy Club – my pick of the comparison sites 

 Why the energy cap probably won’t save you money

 Is a smart meter worth it? 

My guide to water meters and whether they’ll save you money 

April 22, 2020   |   Podcast

Cash Chats #120 – Save thousands on your mortgage

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Probably the biggest purchase we’ll ever make is going to be buying a house. But once you’re on the housing ladder it doesn’t mean you can’t still make savings.

In this week’s episode I’ve looked at two key ways you can reduce the overall interest you pay, which can be worth thousands of pounds.

The first is to boost your LTV (Loan to Value) and the second is to make overpayments. Individually they’ll cut what you pay, combined the savings will be huge.

SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN TO OTHER EPISODES OF CASH CHATS (it’s free!): 

Please do leave a review and rating. Here’s how to do it on Apple Podcasts and iTunes. 

Further reading & links

> How to use LTV to lower your mortgage interest rate

> Should you overpay on your mortgage?

> Money Saving Expert’s mortgage overpayment calculator

> Money Saving Expert’s mortgage rate calculator

April 16, 2020   |   Deals

Andy’s deals of the week – 16th April 2020

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Watch the latest episode

This week’s offers and deals

£1 credit for delayed Amazon orders

Amazon Prime members who choose to forfeit next day delivery can now get £1 credit added to their account – and you can do this on every order over £10.

Three months Audible for 99p a month

Personally I don’t listen to audiobooks but if you do or want to give it a try then Amazon Prime customers can take advantage of this offer for three months at 99p a month, rather than the normal £7.99. If you don’t have Prime you can still try it free for one month.

Cheap Night In picks

Another very quick rundown of some of the cheap and free films, TV shows, theatre productions and music sets you can watch from home this weekend.

£55 off noise-cancelling headphones

You can stack a couple of promotions right now to get Sony’s WH-1000MX3 headphones for £214 rather than £269, saving £55.

Yes, they are expensive, but they are really good. I’ve been tracking the price for a while and this is the cheapest I’ve ever seen them.