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January 2, 2025   |   ArticlesBest Buy

Best Current Accounts 2025

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These banks accounts are my top picks for the year

I’ve got 25 different personal current accounts right now. Yes, that’s far too many for most people, but trying them all out really helps me recommend to you the good from the bad.

You could just switch your existing account to get a better deal, or you could open a handful to take advantage of the different offers. Personally I’d look to have at least two accounts just in case of tech failures stopping you from getting access to your cash.

But there are other reasons to look around, from improved banking experiences to rewards to cashback to interest on savings.

To help you decide I’ve shared below my top picks of the best current accounts (you can also check out a full list of the latest offers).

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.

You can watch my video round up of the top offers, or keep reading

Best dummy current account for switching

If you’re looking to take advantage of switching deals, it’s often worth setting up a dummy account you’ll use purely for this purpose.

Winner: Chase

A couple of reasons why Chase wins here. First, there’s no hard credit check when you first apply. Second, once you have one account, you can set up nine more in the app – and it’s these ones you’ll want to use to switch away.

Just be sure not to switch away your only Chase account as that’ll close your whole account down and you won’t be able to reopen it.

Best bank account app

Banking apps are improving all the time and the best have features such as freezing your card if it’s lost and features to help you save.

Winner: Starling

Recent improvements to the Monzo and Revolut apps made this a close call this year. Chase is decent too. But Starling still edges ahead. All of these digital only banks have features to help you track spending and manage your card, but I think not only does Starling do it best, it does a little more on top.

You can use it on both app and desktop, you can pay in cheques with your phone, you can deposit cash at Post Offices and more.

Runner up: Monzo and Chase

It’s worth taking a look at these other digital banks as often it’s personal preference which makes one stand out over the other. You might prefer them to Starling.

Runner up: Natwest

If you’re after a high street bank then the app I like the best is from Natwest (or RBS which is basically the same). You can do most things you need to do, and it’s clearly set out. A nice extra is you can use it to take cash out at Natwest or Tesco ATMs if you don’t have your card.

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Best bank account for spending

I’d normally suggest using a specialist credit card for your spending so you’re earning a little cashback with every purchase and also one that won’t charge you for spending abroad – and there’s a current account that does both of these.

Winner: Chase Bank

You can make 1% back on spending for the first 12 months you have with Chase Bank, which is as good as it gets right now (unless you opt for the stoozing method of spending and saving).

It is capped at £15 a month, so that’s on your first £1,500 a month. Some spending categories are excluded (like adding money to savings or credit cards, and buying cars or gambling).

I tend to transfer money across rather than use it as my main bank. That’s no bad thing as it helps you control your spending!

There’s also 5% interest on roundup payments and it’s fee free to use abroad. Here’s my full Chase Bank UK review.

Runner up: Monzo

Though many banks offer additional cashback offers linked to specific retailers, Monzo has the easiest one to view and manage. Here’s our review of the feature. You can also spend overseas fee-free, though are limited on cash withdrawals.

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Best bank account for your bills

Winner: Santander Edge

Only Santander will give you money back each month on direct debits for your bills – but sadly the better paying Santander 123 and 123 Lite accounts are no longer open to new customers (if you’ve already got either, then keep using it).

Instead you can choose between the Edge and Edge Up accounts, and it’s the former that will probably earn you more cashback each year.

Both give 1% back on household bills such as Council Tax, energy and broadband, though the Edge costs £3 a month vs the Edge Up’s £5 monthly fee. That extra £24 a year for the Edge Up really cuts into your returns.

Though the earnings aren’t as much as they once were, this cashback via the Edge is better than nothing, and you’ll also get access to the 7% paying Edge Saver.

Runner up: Chase

You can also get cashback on some bills via Chase Bank’s debit card (not direct debits), and also use this to earn money back on other regular subscriptions such as TV and music streaming.

Runner up: Monzo/Starling

If you’re more worried about budgeting than cashback then both Starling and Monzo will let you segregate money into separate pots and then assign one to pay bills direct from it.

Best bank accounts with rewards

Some accounts will pay you each month, either in cash to your account or with a freebie. You often have to pay a monthly fee and meet other criteria.

Winner: Halifax Reward

Though it takes a little more effort than the runner up, I’ve gone for Halifax as you’ll get a better return.

You can get either £5 a month, 12 cinema tickets or 24 movie rentals as long as you jump through a few hoops. The main one to watch is spending at least £500 on a debit card each month, though there’s a hack to get around this. Plus you can have three of these accounts, so there’s potentially £180 a year to make.

Runner up: Club Lloyds

You’ll get less each month from Club Lloyds – either 6 cinema tickets or a year of Disney+ with Ads – but once you’ve set up standing orders you can just leave the account alone. Here’s my full Club Lloyds review.

The best bank switch bonuses

Check out our list of all the bank switch offers you can get when opening a new current account

the best bank switch offers on a blue background

Best packaged bank account

From inclusive insurance and breakdown cover to extras, sometimes it’s worth paying a fee each month for a packaged account.

Winner: Virgin Money Club M

For £12.50 a month you’ll get worldwide family travel insurance and phone cover, as well as UK and Euuropean breakdown cover for the account holders (so it’s worth opening it as a joint account). That’s decent value if you need two or three of those policies. Here’s our full Virgin Money Club M review.

Runner up: Monzo Perks

If you’re going to buy a railcard, grab a Greggs and go to the cinema each month, this £7 a month account from Monzo is worth a look. You’ll also get access to enhanced budgeting features. Here’s our Monzo Perks review.

Best bank account for savings

Current accounts often give you access to higher rates than elsewhere, though with limits. Here’s my look at the best savings accounts.

Winner: First Direct

For ongoing savings the highest paying account is a regular saver that’s only open to First Direct current account holders. It pays 7% AER – and that’s fixed for 12 months. You can only add up to £300 a month into this regular saver. Read more about other regular savers here.

Winner: Santander Edge

The highest interest rate on larger balances at the moment is from Santander. As long as you have the Edge current account you can open the Edge Saver. This offers 6% on up to £4,000 – though that previously mentioned £3 a month fee needs to be factored in if it’s not covered by cashback. The rate also drops by 1.5% after a year.

Runner up: Kroo

I don’t think having your money separate to your main current account is a problem (in fact it has benefits). But if you want to earn on money that is in there (so not in a separate account), you can get an okay rate of 3.65% at Kroo (though it’ll fall when the base rate drops).

The best savings accounts

Check out our list of the highest paying regular, easy-access, fixed and ethical savings accounts

Best bank account with an overdraft

If you use an overdraft you’re probably paying around 40% in interest – far more than it’d cost to borrow elsewhere. So they’re best avoided. But if you are overdrawn then it makes sense to reduce that cost ASAP.

Winner: First Direct

You can currently get a £250 0% buffer from First Direct. That’s not amazing, but it can be useful if you occasionally go a little below zero.

Runner up: Monzo/Starling

If you really need to use an overdraft then you might be able to get as low as 15% of 19% with these digital banks.

Best ethical bank account

Winner: Triodos

This account tops the charts on Ethical Consumer’s list of ethical current accounts and it’s hard to beat. However it does come with a £3 a month fee and the app is limited. Here’s my full review.

Runner Up: Nationwide, Starling or Co-op

These banks also score well. As it’s a building society, Nationwide is committed to putting the bulk of its lending towards mortgages so it can’t invest heavily in non-ethical practices. It also has positive policies in place to avoid this.

Starling has the edge over its challenger bank rival Monzo, while Co-op is the top-ranked from the other high-street banks.

Best “I only want one” bank

If you don’t want to have multiple accounts, and really want everything in one place, then these banks combine multiple extras.

Winner: Chase

The 1% cashback on spending makes it the account that’ll be most profitable over a year (up to £180). Alongside this you can get 5% interest on roundups and fee-free spending abroad. The app too is good, if not the best.

Runner up: Santander Edge

We all pay bills, so we may as well get cashback on these, and there’s also 1% back on supermarket and transport spending. On top there’s access to the 6% paying Edge Saver account. The app is average though.

Runner up: Club Lloyds

I think Club Lloyds is also worth a shot. The app is pretty good, and the six cinema tickets or year of Disney+ with Ads is potentially worth £60 a year and there’s a decent (though not best buy) monthly saver at 6.25%.

Read next: other bank reviews

January 1, 2025   |   Articles

The best reward current accounts

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How to earn rewards & freebies from your bank

There are a number of reasons to change your bank, with switching bonuses, cashback and interest often a big draw. However, the easiest ones are often ‘reward’ accounts as they usually require very little effort to make something extra every month – and you don’t even need to switch to get them.

From free cinema tickets to a fiver paid to your account each month, they’re certainly better than the accounts we’re all used to which give nothing in return.

But they aren’t without some drawbacks, including fees and requirements that you set up direct debits or deposit money each month.

So whether you’re just after one account or are happy to game the system for a handful, here’s how they work and my picks of the ones to go for.

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.

Rather watch than read? Here’s my video review of reward current accounts

What is a reward bank account?

Here’s how reward accounts work:

You can earn monthly cash or freebies

Some accounts offer cash, some offer a freebies and others give you the choice between cash and freebies.

Reward accounts come with a fee

These benefits aren’t actually free! All the accounts charge a monthly fee. Some you can avoid by paying in a certain amount of money each month. Others you’ll need to take into account when working out how much you’ll make.

You might have to ‘claim’ the reward

Though some will pay the reward into your account, others (NatWest or RBS) put the money in a separate rewards wallet which you have to manually withdraw. It’s a bit pointless really.

And if you’re claiming a non-cash reward then you will have to select it, though you shouldn’t have to do anything else each month.

There will be additional requirements

Some reward account require you to either set up direct debits or pay in a minimum amount each month.

Here are the typical ones. You’re unlikely to be required to do all of them, probably just one or two.

Set up direct debits

Often banks require one or two direct debits, sometimes with a minimum value. Though ‘active’ usually means the money has to have been paid in the last year, the banks that use this only pay you the months a direct debit is paid.

It’s not such a huge issue as if you pay bills you’ve all got direct debits you could use – though they might be better suited to a cashback current account.

If that’s the case direct debits can easily be set up for other things too, such as credit card bills, memberships, subscriptions and charity donations. Here’s our guide to where to find additional and cheap direct debits.

Pay money in each month

Reward accounts often require a minimum deposit each month. This is to encourage you to pay your salary there. You can do that easily if you want – just tell your HR department of the new details.

But you don’t have to. It’s easy to transfer money in from a different current account via a standing order. You can do this as one lump sum or break it into smaller amounts over the month if that’s better for you.

And it doesn’t have to stay there either. You can transfer it back out straight away.

Spend on your debit card

A couple of accounts require you to spend on the debit card too. You can do this as part of your regular spending but it does mean you’ll miss out on cashback from a different card. Once again there are ways to get around this, as explained in this Halifax Reward hack article.

Use your internet banking or the app

You might also need to log in to your banking app or online account once a month to qualify for the reward. It’s worth setting a reminder in your calendar to do this if it’s not an account you’re using regularly.

My top reward bank accounts

Here’s my opinion on the different reward accounts.

Club Lloyds account

  • What you get: six free cinema tickets (Vue or Odeon), a year of Disney+ with Ads, a magazine subscription OR a dining membership
  • Exclusive savings: 6.25% regular saver
  • Monthly fee: £3, though refunded if you pay in £2,000 a month
  • What it’s really worth each year: between £40 (magazine subscription) to £60 (equivalent value of six £10 cinema tickets)
  • Requirements: none
  • Maximum number of accounts: one individual and one joint

The Club Lloyd account is my top pick as it’s the easiest one to get. There’s no reason why you can’t just open this up (ideally via a switching bonus), set up a standing order to pay the £2,000 in (and out) each month, and keep claiming your reward.

You can have one personal and one joint account and claim the rewards on both, so that’s potentially three between a couple.

Here’s my full review of the account, where I break down which freebie “Lifestyle Benefit” I feel gives the best value.

Read customer reviews at Smart Money People

The best bank switch bonuses

Check out our list of all the bank switch offers you can get when opening a new current account

the best bank switch offers on a blue background

Halifax Reward account

  • What you get: £5 a month, one Vue ticket a month, OR 3 digital magazines a month subscription
  • Monthly fee: £3, though refunded if you pay in £1,500 a month
  • What it’s really worth each year: £60 (if you go for the cash option) to up to £120 (if a cinema ticket costs £10)
  • Requirements: £500 spend on your debit card or £5,000 held in the account
  • Maximum number of accounts: three per person

You get more from the Halifax Reward account so it was a close call between the two accounts for my top spot – you just need to jump through an extra hoop to get this one.

To get your choice of reward (more on how the account works and what you can get in my review here) you need to spend £500 a month on your debit card or save £5,000 every month.

To start I wasn’t a fan of this as it meant missing out on interest elsewhere or on cashback from my cashback debit and credit cards.

But I’ve since found a workaround where you use your Halifax debit card for other payments, such as paying off your credit card or adding money into an NS&I or Chip saving account.

So with this in mind it should be an easy reward to claim and well worth having it alongside the Club Lloyds account.

In fact, you can have three individual accounts and earn three lots of rewards, meaning you can earn £180 a year in total. I’ve explained all – and how to get around the requirements – in this Halifax Rewards hack article.

Read customer reviews at Smart Money People

Monzo Perks account

  • What you get: an annual railcard, one free Vue ticket a month, a free Greggs treat a week
  • Monthly fee: £7 (£84 a year)
  • What it’s really worth each year:
  • Requirements: £500 spend on your debit card or £5,000 held in the account
  • Maximum number of accounts: three per person

If you need a railcard (worth £35), go to a Vue each month (let’s say 12 times £6, so £72) and pick up a £2 Greggs treat twice a month (£52 a year), you’d be well in profit versus the £7 monthly fee. Of course, that’s only good if you actually need those things!

We’ve written up a full review of the Monzo Perks account so you can decide if it’s for you or not.

Other reward accounts

For completion, here are the other main reward current accounts. It might be worth looking at these if you already bank with them, or if there’s a switching offer on top.

NatWest or RBS Reward account

  • What you get: £5 a month reward
  • Exclusive savings: 6.17% Digital Regular Saver (available to all current account holders)
  • Monthly fee: £2
  • What it’s really worth each after the fee: £36
  • Requirements: two direct debits of at least £2 each and log into your account once a month, deposit £1,250 a month
  • Maximum number of accounts: one personal and one joint from NatWest and one personal and one joint from RBS

This account used to be a favourite of mine, but since its revamp a few years ago it’s not really worth it unless you have direct debits to spare or open it up when a switching offer is running.

The Rewards account is one where you have to log in to a separate ‘MyRewards’ account to claim your bonus. You can send it as cash to your account, donate it to charity, or top it up as an e-gift card payment.

Here’s more on how the account works. It’s the same for the Reward account offered by RBS.

Read customer reviews at Smart Money People

Barclays Blue Rewards

  • What you get: free Apple TV+
  • Exclusive savings: 4.87% Rainy Day Saver on up to £5,000
  • Monthly fee: £5 (£60 a year)
  • What it’s really worth each year after the fee: £57.88
  • Requirements: pay in £800 each month
  • Maximum number of accounts: one

This one is no longer worth it in my opinion, though if you are committed to paying for Apple TV+ every month (which costs £8.99) then this will save you close to £58 over the year. However I think most people are better off just paying full price for Apple one or two months a year and binging the content.

If you decide you want to do that, then you’ll also get access to a 4.87% paying savings account on balances worth up to £5,000.

Here’s my Blue Rewards review.

Read customer reviews at Smart Money People

The best savings accounts

Check out our list of the highest paying regular, easy-access, fixed and ethical savings accounts

TSB Spend and Save Account

  • What you get: £5 cashback for the first six months
  • Exclusive savings: 6 Monthly Saver (available to all current account holders)
  • Monthly fee: £0
  • What you’ll really get each year: £30
  • Requirements: make 20 payments a month
  • Maximum number of accounts: at least one personal and one joint

TSB Spend and Save Plus Account

  • What you get: £5 cashback
  • Monthly fee: £3
  • What you’ll really get each year after the fee: £24
  • Requirements: make 20 payments a month
  • Maximum number of accounts: at least one personal and one joint

I’m not a fan of these accounts either as you’ve got to make 20 debit card payments each month to get a fiver. And the reward only lasts for the first six months. Once for completists only. You can however get an extra £30 cashback from Quidco for switching.

Like the free TSB Spend and Save account you’ll earn £5 a month, but you won’t be limited to the first six months. After the £3 monthly fee you’ll make £24 a year. However, you still have to make 3-20 card payments which I think is a stretch when there are better paying cashback cards out there.

Read customer reviews at Smart Money People

Should you get a reward current account?

Andy’s Analysis

If you’re comfortable with multiple current accounts then I’d definitely look at getting the Lloyds and Halifax accounts.

After this I’d only bother with the NatWest and RBS accounts if I already had one, or get one via a switching bonus.

Even I can’t be bothered with the TSB rewards due to the faff, while the fee for Barclays just doesn’t add up for most.

Having multiple reward accounts

As I’ve said many times, there’s no reason why you only have to have one current account – and that means you can have multiple reward accounts too.

You’ll usually only be allowed one personal reward account with each bank, though it does vary, and most let you can have an extra one as a joint account too. That means you could potentially have three accounts in a household, and three times the rewards.

But the more you have, the more you have to do to be eligible. Some are easy to overcome, others might make it less worthwhile.

Recirculating your inbound payments

Most people should be able to cover the minimum deposit payments for one reward current account. And if you have more than one then it’s easy to repeat for the others by moving the same money between each account.

I actually do this via a standing order where the money automatically goes from bank to bank to hit the eligibility threshold, with it eventually coming full circle back to my original account.

Covering the fees

This is a bit of faff, but manageable. Since some of the accounts charge a fee but don’t pay the reward directly into your account, you’ll have to make sure there’s enough in there each month to cover this charge. You’ll also need to remember to transfer the reward over each month too.

Running out of direct debits

If you have multiple reward accounts then you might quickly run out of direct debits. It used to be you could set up a couple of £1 ones for charities, but the banks have cottoned on to this and made it pretty pointless.

For example, NatWest give you £2 back for each direct debit, but the DD needs to be at least £2. So if you’re setting up a new payment just to get the reward, you won’t actually be any better off.

Of course you could see it as free cash for charity – which is great – but it does require a bit of effort.

Alternatives to reward accounts

Of course, there could be a better bank out there which should be your priority. Things like overdraft fees or savings account rates might be more important to you. Digital banks like Starling and Monzo have great features to help you budget, or perhaps you want to make sure you have access to a branch.

And of course it might work out more profitable to go for switching bonuses or cashback on your bills via Santander or on spending via Chase.

Read next

January 1, 2025   |   Articles

Refer-a-friend: get paid when your friends use your financial referral

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Some banks and other financial companies offer you a cash payout for referring a friend

Word of mouth is a pretty good way of finding great financial companies, and some companies will even give you a freebie for referring a friend. From bank accounts to investment platforms, here are some of the financial companies that pay for your referral.

Latest bank switch offers (A-Z)

As of 12/05/25

Click the links for further details and analysis

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.

investengine refer a friend on a yellow background

Bank refer-a-friend schemes

Very simply, the banks are asking you to recommend them to your friends and family. In return they’ll give you a sweetener that is paid into your account. In the past, both TSB and Nationwide have offered £100 for referring friends, however sadly neither bank offers it anymore. 

To be able to get the referral money, you need to have an account with the bank in order to play matchmaker, but once you do it’s a nice way to earn a little extra. And often your friends will get something in return too. Here’s what you need to know for each scheme.

Monzo refer-a-friend offer

Monzo offers a referral offer that changes from time to time. At the moment, this is £10 for you and a friend. Your friend needs to accept your invite and make their first card payment within 30 days.

Revolut refer-a-friend offer

Revolut routinely offers referral offers that change fairly often. These can range between getting £10 per referred friend to £60, so it’s worth trying to time it when there’s the best offer available.

Monese refer-a-friend bonus

Monese offers £10 via its invite and earn program. You’ll get £5 when you use the card for the first time and the rest after you’ve spent £500 with the card.

Bank switch offers 

If you don’t have any friends to refer you, then you can try a bank switch offer. For these, you’ll need to close your old account completely. However, as part of the Current Account Switch Guarantee, all your Direct Debits and standing orders will be transferred, and any payments in (such as your salary) and out will be forwarded. We have a separate guide with all of the current best bank switch offers if you’re up for one of these, but here are the top ones.

Extra £75 via Quidco
First Direct £175 switch offer
Switch bonus
£175
Offer ends
Unknown
More Details Full review and analysisRead customer reviews
Apply via cashback site Quidco for a £45 bonus, plus activate another £30 bonus before 11 May 2025 - see our First Direct switch offer article for more info
More details ▼
Additional Info

Bonus paid: By the 20th of the following month after meeting the criteria

Existing customers?: No

Requirements

Move two direct debits or standing orders from your old bank

Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close old account

Pay in £1,000 within 30 ays of opening the account (and leave it there for 24 hours)

Use your debit card five times in the first 45 days

Log into mobile banking or the banking app in the first 45 days

Exclusions

You can't have or have ever had a First Direct account

You can't have opened an HSBC account since 1 January 2018

Offer limited to once per person

▲
Plus £32 rewards
NatWest £150 switch offer
Switch bonus
£150
Offer ends
Unknown
More Details Full review and analysisRead customer reviews
More details ▼
Additional Info

Bonus paid: Within 30 days of meeting criteria

Existing customers?: Yes

Eligible accounts: Reward or Premier Reward (for new customers, longer list for existing customers)

Requirements

Pay in £1,250 within 60 days of switching

Log on to online or app banking within 60 days of switching

Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close your old account

You must start the switch from the Natwest website or your mobile app

The old account must be from a different bank (not NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank)

Exclusions

Offer limited to once per person

Cannot have ever received a switching bonus from RBS, Ulster or Natwest

▲

Credit card referral schemes

While there are quite a number of credit card referral schemes out there, you need to think carefully before recommending a credit card to someone as you’d want to be confident that they can manage the payments. 

American Express refer-a-friend offer

If you refer a friend for the  American Express Cashback Credit Card and they successfully apply then you’ll get £30 (up to £150 per calendar year) and they get £25, which makes it fee-free. 

They’ll also get the normal introductory offer, currently 5% cashback for three months up to £125. Other Amex cards have similar schemes though the rate might vary. It’s also possible for your friend to get a similar bonus via cashback sites but you’ll miss out. We have a full guide on the best American Express cards. 

Vanquis credit card refer-a-friend offer

Vanquis also offers £25 to you and your friend if you recommend someone to their credit card, but this isn’t a cashback credit card so there’s probably a better reward out there for your friend – even if it means you don’t get your referral bonus.

Savings account refer-a-friend offers

Plum refer a friend offer

Savings app Plum sometimes has referral schemes that let you refer a friend for a savings account. Your referred friend usually needs to deposit a certain amount to get the payout, but this’ll depend on the T&Cs at the time. 

Investing refer-a-friend offers

Investment accounts also tend to have refer-a-friend offers. If you don’t already have an account with some of them, you can sign up with our link to get free shares or cashback. Here are some of the offers.

Here at Be Clever With Your Cash, we’re not regulated to give you financial advice. We aim to give you the facts about a provider or investment but it’s up to you to decide if it’s suitable for you. If you’re looking for more personalised guidance, find a financial adviser who can give you specific advice. Remember that your capital is at risk when investing — don’t invest more than you are prepared to lose. 

Trading 212 refer-a-friend offer

Trading 212 routinely offers a refer-a-fried promotion that can get both you and your friend free fractional shares when they sign up using your link. You can check if this is running by going into the Menu – if there’s an option called ‘Get free shares’, then it’s currently running. You then choose ‘invite friends’.

Hit ‘share link’ to share your referral link, which you can then send to your friends. They need to sign up and deposit £1 within 10 days.  Within three working days of your friend signing up and depositing at least £1. 

If you’re not already a Trading 212 customer, you can get a free fractional share using our referral. 

InvestEngine refer-a-friend offer

InvestEngine’s refer-a-friend offer can get you and your friend a bonus between £20 & £100 when your friend invests at least £100.

To get it, you need to send your friend your referral link. They then need to sign up, choose investments and fund the account with at least £100. You’ll both then get a notification to generate your welcome bonus. 

It’ll land in your accounts within five business days. 

You can refer up to 25 friends but you have to keep your bonus invested for at least 12 months before you can withdraw it.

If you don’t have InvestEngine yet, you can still get a welcome bonus via our link.

Expired refer-a-friend deals

Nationwide referral bonus

This was one of the best refer-a-fiend offers when it ran, but it’s sadly ended. Both you and your friend could get £100 when you referred them. However, higher paying bank switch offers regularly run.

TSB refer a friend bonus

This was another refer-a-friend offer that ended on 28 February 2020. You and your friend could get £100 each as long as they completed a full switch that included two active direct debits and paid £500 into the account. 

First Direct referral bonus

First Direct used to offer a  referral scheme, but this was put on hold and never returned. When it ran, you could get between £50 and £100.

Santander refer a friend bonus

The Santander referral offer ended in June 2019. It got you and your friend a £50 Amazon voucher for a full switch. 

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December 28, 2024   |   Articles

Should you regift an unwanted present?

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The do’s and don’ts of passing on unwanted or duplicate gifts.

There’s a good chance at some point each year you’ll be given a gift you don’t want or need. Unwanted presents are frustrating and disappointing but also a bit awkward. So what do you do with it?

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.

What to do with an unwanted present

The worst thing you can do with an unwanted gift is just throw it away. Not only are you adding to landfill, but the money spent by the gift giver has been wasted. Not much better is just putting it out of sight in a cupboard or drawer. It’ll probably just sit there gathering dust for a few years until you have a clear-out, and then go to the tip too.

You could try to make use of whatever you’ve been given, even if you don’t like it. But why wear a jumper, use the vase or eat some chocolates that aren’t to your taste simply because you feel you should? It’s not your fault the gift wasn’t right, so you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. Saying that, you might find you later learn to love it.

You could try to sell the present, though the admin and fees associated might be enough to put you off. It’s worth having a look online just to see what similar items have gone for, but it’s something likely only worth it for higher-value items.

Perhaps the best option, if you’re brave enough, is to be honest about the present. Tell the gift-giver why it’s not right and ask if they would be able to give you a gift receipt so you could exchange it, or if they would do it for you. This will be a lot easier if the gift is something you already have than if it’s just not to your taste. Still, it’s worth a go.

But if you can’t see that working, your next best bet is to pass the present on, also known as regifting. This can be controversial. Imagine how you’d feel if a gift you put thought into wasn’t just unwanted, but given to someone else? Not great. But it’s better to know someone, somewhere is making use of it rather than it getting chucked away.

And if you can avoid the awkwardness, then it’s a winning strategy. You’re giving someone a gift they hopefully will like, you’re helping the environment by not chucking it away and you’re saving yourself some cash by not having to buy something new.

So here a few simple rules and tips to help you navigate the minefield of regifting.

Do: only regift to someone you think will appreciate the present

Regifting doesn’t mean you can just palm off an unwanted present to any old friend or family member. If they won’t appreciate it, you’re just passing the buck, and it could still end up in the bin.

Instead have a think about who might like it, and there’s a good chance you’ll have a few contenders. Most unwanted gifts aren’t bad gifts. They might simply not be to your taste, or perhaps be a duplicate of something you already have.

Don’t: regift everything

It’s worth taking into account any politics within your family or friendship groups. It might be better to keep hold of something and just bring it out from time to time to avoid any rifts. Yes, that could mean keeping hold of that awful painting your gran got you. But that might be better than the potential fallout if she found out.

Also some gifts are just plain bad. The kind you can’t understand why someone would manufacture it, let alone buy it. If you’ve got one of these and there’s no one you can think of who would like it then don’t regift it.

Do: have a regifting box

It’s worth keeping any unwanted gifts together in one box or cupboard. This way if you need to buy a present you can check what you’ve got and see if there’s anything suitable.

Don’t: forget who bought you the unwanted gift

There’s a danger with regifting of whoever you gave the gift to finding out, or perhaps even getting it back themselves. You hear stories of presents being passed around the same group year after year. Neither of these scenarios are desirable.

To avoid this, make a clear note of who gave you the gift and when. Then when you regift it, make sure it’s given to someone in a different circle.

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Do: remove any tags or personalisation

Take a good look at your unwanted present. Have they inscribed a message in a book? Is there a tag stuck to the bottom of the box that you missed? If you’re sure there are no tell-tell signs the item is regifted then it’s fine to re-gift.

Don’t: regift anything that’s been used

Any unwanted present you want to pass on has to be in as good a condition as if you’d just bought it yourself. Packaging is key here so ensure any tags are intact and the box unopened. It’s important to check use-by dates on any food or drink gifts too.

Do: remember charity shops

Finally, as we’ve mentioned a few times above, you can also give an unwanted present to a charity shop. But don’t just dump a bag outside the shop. Take it in and see what they will take and then you can deal with anything they reject.

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December 16, 2024   |   Articles

Gift cards: should you ever use or buy them?

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Gift cards are a popular present option, but they have some major downsides.

From birthday and Christmas through to leaving and wedding gifts, at some point, we’ve all received and purchased gift cards. It makes sense – they’re an easy choice when you don’t know what to buy someone. The issue is that every time you buy a gift card you risk losing the cash on it.

The majority of the time you’ll be fine, but there are a few risks of gift cards, many of which can be reduced or avoided. Still, to be safe you need to know the good and bad of gift cards.

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.

When gift cards are bad

I’ll lead with the dangers of gift cards – the reasons you could find your gift card is wasted cash.

Gift cards prevent you shopping around

One of the key tenets of Being Clever With Your Cash is getting the best deal. The easiest way to do this is very simple – shop around for the best price.

Yet if you have a gift card to use at Shop A, but the best price for what you want is at Shop B, you’ve no choice but to buy it from Shop A.

Ok, so it’s not the end of the world if we’re talking about a few quid, but you won’t want to miss out on larger savings.

And what if the shop you have a gift card for doesn’t have anything you want? You’ll end up using it to buy something you don’t need and probably won’t use. It’s a waste of money.

Refunds go back to a gift card

Another big risk of buying with a gift card becomes apparent if you need to return your purchase.

The money will go back to a gift card for the same shop. This is less of an issue if you shop frequently at the retailer, but what if it’s a one-off purchase?

It’s particularly bad if it’s a large purchase leaving hundreds of quid on a gift card rather than in your bank account.

This is why I never purchase discounted gift cards for anything I’m not certain about.

You also need to be careful here that you don’t chuck out your gift cards once you’ve used them. While most retailers will issue a new gift card, some will require the funds to go back to the original card.

Be aware that online purchases could also be refunded to credit that can only be used online. John Lewis is one worth highlighting here.

Say you’ve got a paper or plastic gift card you can use at both John Lewis & Waitrose shops and websites. Use it on the John Lewis website and any refunds are in credit just to use online only at John Lewis – but not Waitrose.

They often have hidden expiration dates

Most gift cards will have an expiration date. If you don’t use them before this date you lose the cash. That’s fine with paper vouchers, and most sent by email, where you can see this date in black and white.

But you need to be particularly careful with plastic gift cards. These can be loaded with different amounts at purchase, which means the details printed on them are often generic.

This makes it hard to see when the card expires, or how much is left on them. This means that a huge number will expire unused.

There are also different rules for different cards. Sometimes they’ll be valid for a set period, perhaps one or two years. Others will be valid for a certain time since they were last used. But it’s not always clear which is which.

Some, such as the One4All card will start charging you a monthly fee after a certain time (with One4All it’s 90p per month after 18 months).

The best way to prevent them from expiring (other than using them straight away) is to make a note of when you bought/received the card and its value. Then each time you use it, make a note of the date and new value, or keep your receipts with it, they typically have details of what’s left on the card.

It can be hard to spend the full amount

Often you’ll find that if you don’t use the gift card in one go you’ll be left with a few quid, or even pennies, left over. They’re not enough to buy something outright, so you keep hold of the card until you next go to that retailer.

And then you forget. And that money sits there until the card expires. More wasted money.

There can be limits on using multiple cards

If you’re asking multiple people to give you cards to go towards a purchase, check if there’s a limit to how many cards you can use in a single transaction.

Marks & Spencer and Curry’s, for example, will only allow 10 to be used at once.

There’s no protection with a gift card

Spending with a credit or debit card can give you some advantages over gift cards. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act protects credit card purchases over £100, while the Chargeback scheme for credit and debit cards is a route if you’ve problems with purchases under £100. 

If you pay with gift cards, or cash for that matter, you lose this protection.

And much like cash, if you lose your gift card there’s no way of getting it back. So try not to carry too many gift cards around with you.

They can be worthless if the shop goes bust

We’ve seen a succession of high street staples shut their doors over the last few years, and when this happens the administrators don’t have to honour any gift cards. 

A few years ago Arcadia only allowed gift cards to be used for half the total purchase, with the rest covered by another form of payment – forcing people to spend extra money so they didn’t lose the value of the cards.

Often shops closing down just stop accepting outstanding cards. Jessops, HMV and Peacocks all made gift cards and vouchers worthless overnight when they entered administration.

It’s also unlikely that buying gift cards on a credit card and using Section 75 would help you get your money back in these situations as gift card balances are usually far less than £100.

If, despite this, you still want to give a card, it would be wise to avoid any retailer which appears to be struggling.

When gift cards are good

That’s one long list of negatives when it comes to gift cards… but there are a handful of times when they can be worth the risk.

When you get an extra discount

You don’t have to buy them as gifts – you can buy them for yourself for your own shopping. And that can be a good thing when you’re able to buy discounted gift cards.


It could mean you pay less for your everyday shopping, including at places where it’s hard to find offers. For instance, though small you could get 2% back at Amazon or 4% at the supermarket – better than the rate you’ll get from a cashback credit or debit card.

And since the gift cards are like cash, you can stack them with other promotions and savings, such as in tandem with Meerkat Movies at the cinema, or with BOGOF offers.

The top places to look for these are:

For example, I often get an extra 6% off John Lewis gift vouchers via my Scottish Friendly ISA perks. It comes as an email but I print it out and I’m able to use it both online and in-person at the department store and in Waitrose.

Supermarkets often run promotions on selected gift cards, such as Spotify, Pizza Express, Cineworld and Footlocker. If we spot decent deals we’ll share them on our gift card deals page.

When you spend them straight away

The main way to avoid the bulk of risks outlined above is to spend your gift card as soon as you get it! That way they can’t expire, be lost or lose their value of the shop goes bust.

When you can use them on lots of things

If you’re set on buying a gift card for someone then you could look at one you can use at multiple retailers.

Though there’s always the risk that the companies selling these could go out of business themselves, you’ve got a choice where you shop. The main ones are One4All and Love2Shop.

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Episodes every Tuesday.

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Alternatives to gift cards

Really you’re better off giving cash, sending a cheque or transferring money to a bank account. Yes these can feel lazy and seem impersonal. But really, is that very different from a gift card?

I know people worry that the money will just disappear from a bank account on everyday spending than buy something special. That certainly is a risk, but you can steer someone to use the gifted money in a certain way.

Perhaps you can say “use this for a nice meal out”. Or to “put it towards a new winter coat”. Hopefully if you suggest this you’ll get a nice text or email sharing when and where it is spent.

And don’t be put off sending a cheque (if you’re still got a chequebook). There are a number of banks now that let you pay in a cheque via the app.

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December 13, 2024   |   Articles

What are inflation and deflation?

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CPI, RPI and core inflation explained

Prices are changing all the time, usually upwards, and the rate these changes are measured is generally called inflation. However there are a few different options here, so we’ve broken down what they all mean, and why they matter.

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.

What is inflation?

Inflation is a measurement that helps us track the price increase of goods and services over time. 

It compares the cost of things today with how much they cost a year ago. And the average increase in prices is what we call the inflation rate. 

Let’s take a loaf of bread as an example. If it costs £1 to buy a loaf today and next year it costs £1.10, the annual inflation for that loaf of bread is 10%. 

And falling inflation doesn’t mean prices will go down. If a rate moves from 5% to 4% month on month prices are still increasing, they’re just doing so at a slightly slower rate.

What is deflation?

Deflation works the opposite way and tracks the rate that prices decrease for goods and services over time. 

So looking at that loaf of bread again. If it costs £1 to buy a loaf today but that falls to 90p next year, then the deflation rate would be -10%.

What’s the latest inflation rate?

Inflation is measured over a 12 month period, with the latest figures announced in the middle of each month. You can find out current rates in our UK Inflation: what is the current rate? article.

How is UK inflation measured?

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is in charge of measuring inflation in the UK and publishes figures each month to show how prices have changed. 

There are three common measures of inflation; Consumer Prices Index (CPI), Consumer Prices Index with Housing (CPIH) and the Retail Price Index (RPI). 

This can get a little confusing at first with all of the different figures, but the breakdown below shows how each one works and how relevant it is to you. 

CPI inflation

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the UK’s official measure of inflation and the rate you’re likely to see make headlines. 

For CPI, the ONS tracks around 180,000 prices of 700 hundred everyday items in an imaginary shopping basket (called the basket of goods) to work out the inflation rate. 

These everyday items and services fall into one of the following categories: 

  • Food & non-alcoholic beverages
  • Alcohol & tobacco
  • Clothing & footwear
  • Housing & household services
  • Furniture & household goods
  • Health
  • Transport
  • Communication
  • Recreation & culture
  • Education
  • Restaurants & hotels
  • Miscellaneous goods & services

The basket of goods gets reviewed each year to make sure that it gives an accurate picture of how price rises relate to our spending habits and patterns.

This means that products and services might get added to the basket each month, while others are taken out.  

What is core inflation?

Another measurement for inflation you may have come across is “core inflation.” Core inflation tracks the same goods and services as CPI but doesn’t include food, energy, alcohol and tobacco. 

These are taken out as they’re generally seen as the most volatile, so core inflation should give us a better understanding of how prices are changing outside of the everyday essentials.

What’s in the basket of goods?

Inflation in the UK is measured by looking at the price changes for an imaginary shopping basket, known as the “basket of goods.”

The basket includes lots of products and services that we use and tends to change to reflect our spending habits to make sure that the inflation rate is relevant.

The contents are refreshed each year, and in March 2024, 16 were added to the basket including air fryers, vinyl music and gluten free bread. Items that have been taken out of the basket include hand gel, rotisserie chicken and bakeware.

You can see how prices have changed for individual items in this ONS calculator.

CPIH Inflation

CPIH is a measure of UK inflation that takes into account housing costs, as well as everyday goods and services. 

It uses the same basket of goods as CPI but also includes prices for things like the cost of owning, renting or maintaining your home. It also takes into account expenses like council tax.  

CPIH is the newest measure of inflation and was introduced in 2013 to plug some of the gaps left by CPI (mainly the lack of tracking of housing costs.) 

RPI inflation

RPI used to be the main measure of inflation in the UK until it was replaced by CPI in 2011. 

It tracks the same basket of goods currently used for CPI but also includes things like estate agent fees, buildings insurance, TV licence and mortgage interest payments (which aren’t included anymore!) And, it tends to be higher than the CPI and CPIH measure of inflation. 

Although RPI isn’t the main inflation figure anymore, it’s still used to set the price of things like interest on student loan repayments and rail fare increases we get each year – though there is the flexibility from the government to pick a lower rate if RPI is significantly high.

RPI also plays a big role in the level of retirement income people get from final salary pensions and annuities. 

Do we really need RPI?

So you might be wondering why we still use RPI if it’s technically been replaced. Well, there’s an ongoing debate about its purpose and relevance. 

On one hand, final salary pension schemes and annuities may see less of an income boost if RPI was scrapped altogether. 

However, the government’s use of RPI compared to CPI, in particular, has also come under fire. 

Usually, the government links its own spending – which includes things like the state pension, statutory sick pay and benefits – to the CPI rate of inflation, which is lower. 

However, it uses RPI (which is higher) when it comes to the costs we pay such as train tickets, car tax and student loan interest to name a few. 

At this stage, it remains to be seen what will happen with RPI and whether it is replaced completely by one of the other inflation measures. 

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Episodes every Tuesday.

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How does inflation affect me?

Inflation shows how much the cost of living is rising and gives you an idea of your spending power. So, the higher the rate of inflation, the more expensive everyday expenses tend to be. 

With the current cost of living crisis, we’ve all seen how sharply prices have risen over recent years. From eye-watering grocery bills to the cost of heating and powering our homes, prices have risen across the board. 

High inflation has also caused significant increases to the interest base rate by the BoE. That’s because the BoE raises interest rates in an attempt to bring down inflation to its 2% target. And changes to interest rates can impact both borrowing (especially mortgage) and savings.

Inflation also increases the risk of your money losing value in real terms. One area is wages. If they don’t increase in line with inflation you’ll need to use a higher proportion of your income to buy the same goods and services.

Similarly, your savings could lose value as well because, if your money is earning less interest than the rate of inflation – you won’t be able to buy as much with it.

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December 10, 2024   |   Articles

How to get a refund for delayed trains

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Not only can you claim back money if your train is delayed, you can get cash rather than those annoying train travel vouchers.

I hate being late. I’ll always try to leave early, if not bang on time, so any kind of delay is the kind of thing that really annoys me. And trains are among the worst for getting me somewhere later than I planned.

Just a few weeks ago my train down to London from Yorkshire was cancelled. Though my ticket was valid on the next train it would mean I’d arrive back 30 minutes later than planned – and this meant I could get a partial refund!

With that cash arriving in my account this week, I thought it was time to share my Be Clever Basics Q&A for getting a refund when your train is delayed or cancelled.

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.

When can you claim a refund for a train delay?

The main requirement is your train has to be delayed by at least 15 minutes, though a handful will only pay out after a 30 or 60-minute delays.

The rules also say the delay has to be the train company’s fault in order to get a payout. However, most of the operators have signed up to the “Delay Repay” scheme which will pay out for any delay.

How do you claim?

You can do this online with most rail companies. If you’d rather do it on a form you should be able to pick up one at the station or print one out from the different websites.

Make sure you keep your train tickets as you’ll need to send them in with your claim if it’s via the post, or take a photo if you’re doing it online.

A handful, including Northern and C2C, will automatically issue a refund if you meet certain criteria such as holding a smartcard or booked in advance via their website or app.

How much can you claim?

Again, how big a refund you’ll get depends on the different operators.  The length of the delay will also have an impact.

With Delay Repay, the minimum is 25% of a single delayed journey that’s delayed between 15 and 29 minutes. It jumps up to 50% back for delays between 30 and 59 minutes, and the full single fare back if you are delayed by more than an hour. Some will refund your whole ticket, including the return leg, if the delay is longer than 60 minutes.

If the train company isn’t part of Delay Repay you’re looking at 50% back for delays of an hour or more.

When do you need to claim a refund by?

You need to submit your claim within 28 days of the journey.

Can I get a refund if the train is cancelled?

If you don’t travel due to cancellation you can get a full refund from where you bought the ticket.

If you travel on a different train (check with platform staff first that it’s ok to do this), you’ll only be able to get a refund if you arrive more than 30-minutes later than the original booked train.

How can you receive the refund?

You no longer have to get your refund as one of those annoying train travel vouchers. Instead, you should be able to pick one form of payment such as a refund to your card, payment to bank account or even via cheque. For example, LNER lets you choose to have a payment made to your bank account or your PayPal account.

What if I have a season ticket?

You’ll be entitled to compensation equivalent to a single journey. Some train providers will also offer discounts on future season tickets if the service is consistently delayed.

What if you used pay as you go Oyster or Contactless in London?

You can claim for tube and TFL Rail journeys delayed over 15 minutes. It’s a bit of a faff and you need to use your Oyster account for this, but it’s worth doing.

Hacks when claiming for train delays

Here are a few more tricks to boost your claim when you’re on the train, when you arrive at the station and when you get home.

On the train

Track the length your delay

With most train operators you’ll only be able to claim a refund (usually 50%) if you’re delayed by more than 30 minutes. So if a delay had been 29 mins, I’d not only have been inconvenienced, I wouldn’t be able to claim!

On some journeys, the conductor actually informed us that we could get a refund, though this often doesn’t happen – so it’s usually down to you to track the length of your delay.

The rules do change – more will refund you if the delay is 15 mins, while some require at least 60 minutes.

Ask why you’ve been delayed

The cause of the delay doesn’t matter if the train operator has signed up to the Delay Repay scheme. But if it hasn’t, you might be only to claim if the delay could have been avoided (so bad weather or strike action don’t count).

To help your claim, ask the guard if the company has signed up to Delay Repay, and if not what was the cause of the delay

Take a photo of your ticket

You’ll need proof of your journey to claim a refund, so if you have a physical ticket, take a snap with your phone just in case you lose it.

At the station

Don’t use the electronic gates

This one has caught me out a few times. Most automatic gates will eat your ticket, and no ticket means it’s harder to claim your compensation. So even if you’ve taken a photo it’s best to find the manual gate with a guard so you can keep hold of your ticket for the claim. Of course, with more and more tickets now digital when booked online, you can scan and go without worry.

Take a screenshot of live information or the arrivals board

Once you’ve arrived, take a photo of the arrivals board or the live tracking information on an app. You might not need it, but it’s extra proof if your delay time is close to one of the compensation brackets (normally 15, 30, 60 or 120 minutes).

Get a form at the station

You’ll be able to apply online for most if not all train firms now, but if you want to be sure or prefer doing it via post, you can pick up a compensation form at the station. Though it’d be nice if these were easy to find, I imagine you’ll need to ask for one at the ticket or information desk.

It’s not the end of the world if you can’t get one as you can usually print a form from the website.

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When you get home

Find out how long a train was delayed

If you didn’t make a note at the time, then check out the Recent Train Times website. It’s not the most user-friendly, but it shouldn’t take you long to find out exactly how long a delay was.

Work out where to apply

You’ll need to apply directly with the rail company where the delay occurred. So if you’ve changed lines during the journey, then it’ll be the one responsible for the delay who should pay you for the full ticket (assuming it wasn’t a split ticket).

Find the form online

If the train provider allows online claims this is usually quicker. You can upload a picture of your phone, which means it’s often easier to do this from your phone rather than a desktop. Here’s a list of all the different rail firms.

Ask for a bank transfer

It’s not always clear but you are legally entitled to a bank transfer or cheque refund. If you don’t ask for this you could be sent an annoying rail voucher than can only be used at ticket desks.

Take a copy of your ticket and form

If you’re posting your compensation claim form and ticket, make sure you have a copy (just take a photo if you don’t have a scanner). If you’re filling it in online you should be able to save a copy.

And make a note of to chase if you haven’t heard back within the time stated on the form.

Put the refund claim in before 28 days pass

Remember, you’ve only got four weeks to request your refund, so don’t leave it too late.

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December 10, 2024   |   Deals

Home and garden deals

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Save on your home essentials from furniture to paint

If you fancy spending the weekend putting up shelves or sorting out the garden, here are the best home, garden and DIY sales and offers.

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.

Here’s what’s currently on offer.

Current deals

Ikea: £10 off £50 voucher when you dress festive

Pop on your most Christmassy outfit (think Christmas jumpers, reindeer ears, a Santa hat) and visit an Ikea store from 10am on Friday 13 December to 5pm on Sunday 15 December and get a voucher. This will give you £10 off £50 spend that weekend.

This offer is only for Ikea Family members, which is free to join.

Sign up for Ikea Family

Ikea: daily Advent calendar discounts

Ikea is offering daily deals, discounts and competitions in the run up to Christmas, both in-store and online.

You’ll need to check each day on the Ikea website to find out what offers are in store.

Ikea Advent calendar

Ikea: £30 off £300 spend with Home Move Club

You can currently get £30 off a £300 spend with Home Move Club – you just need to go here and sign up to receive the offer. It asks when you moved as it’s a website dedicated to helping you move house, but you can put in any date.

You’ll get an email with a code. This offer can be used with the above offer when you spend £330 or more.

There’s not currently an end date for this offer.

Get £30 off at Ikea

Ikea: Family Card extra savings

If you sign up for the Ikea Family card you’ll be able to get exclusive discounts at your local store including 10% extra off sale items.

More on the Ikea Family Card

Hobbycraft: £5 off £15 spend

If you have the Hobbycraft loyalty app then you can get £5 off a £15 spend until the end of October. You’ll find the voucher in your app or if you’re shopping online, you can use the code HC515 to get the discount.

It can’t be used to sign up for workshops or subscriptions or to buy gift cards

Download the Hobbycraft app

B&Q: £5 off £30 spend

Sign up for the B&Q Club online (it’s free) and you’ll get a voucher to save £5 off a £30 spend.

Sign up to the B&Q Club

Emma Bridgewater: Free mug with £40 spend

If you’ve not used the Emma Bridgewater site before and want to spend at least £40 then follow this referral link to claim a free 1/2 pint mug, worth £19.95.

Get a free mug

Expired deals

Ikea: £15 off £50 spend and free breakfast (ended)

Wear your pyjamas to Ikea this Saturday 7 September and you’ll get a £15 off voucher to be used against a £50 spend and a free breakfast. There are also other activities running, but they’re store-dependent.

The breakfast available includes one of: a small cooked breakfast, a small vegetarian breakfast, a children’s breakfast, a breakfast bacon roll, a breakfast sausage roll or a breakfast vegetarian roll. You can’t get the cooked breakfasts at the Hammersmith store.

You can only get the breakfast between 9:30am and 11am on 7 September 2024 and you’ll need one of the vouchers that will be distributed at the store on the day and an Ikea Family Card, which is free to sign up for.

See events at your local Ikea

Ikea Family: £20 off with £100 spend (ended)

Ikea Family members can get £20 off their next shopping trip in December and January when they spend £100 in store by 3 November 2024.

You just need to have signed up to the free Ikea Family scheme and scan your family member card at the checkout.

Once you get the credit you’ve got until January 30 2025 to use it and it must be spent in one transaction.

Shop at Ikea

Decathalon: return used tent for gift card refund (ended)

As part of its ‘No Tent Left Behind’ campaign Decathlon is letting customers buy tents, use them for a few months, and return eligible them for a refund on a gift card.

It says some 250,000 tents are left at festivals each year, which mostly go into landfill. And in a bid to reduce waste it’s promising to accept the return of its M100 range of tents bought between 6 June 2024 and 13 September 2024.

It encourages customers to enjoy the tent at their summer festivals but for it to accept a return, the tent mustn’t be damaged, stained, torn, contaminated, altered or in poor condition.

You must bring the tent back to a store, with proof of purchase, by 13 September 2024, to be eligible for the offer.

Get free tent

Etsy: £5 off £30 spend (ended)

You can currently get £5 off a £30 spend at Etsy when you use the code SMALL5 until 30 April 2024.

The £30 excludes tax and shipping and you can only buy from shops that accept Etsy payments.

Shop at Etsy

December 8, 2024   |   Articles

How to spend less on Christmas food and drink

Written by

Save money on your festive favourites

From big turkeys to posh chocs – Christmas is a time to over-indulge. So how do you enjoy your festive feast, but get the best value possible? I’ve got a few ideas.

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Image of mince pies

Make a list

Really basic, but it’s the best money saver. Once you know who’s coming over for Christmas, work out exactly what you’ll need, and write it all down. Don’t forget to check your cupboards and freezer for any ingredients you already have.

This is much better than just buying more than you need, which will not just cost you more money but could end up as unused leftovers.

Not sure how much to buy for Christmas dinner? Checkout this portion guide from BBC Goodfood – it will help you know exactly how much food you’ll need to buy.

Hunt for bargain veg

To entice you into their supermarkets at Christmas many retailers sell vegetables for pennies in a Christmas veg price war.

So far this year, we know that Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Lidl and Aldi have all announced they are selling 15p veg from 19 – 24 December and Morrisons is beating everyone else by selling theirs for just 10p!

Frozen or fresh – you decide

Frozen turkeys are cheaper than fresh, so you could save money on one of your most expensive Christmas purchases – only if you have a large enough freezer to store it and you’re willing to put up with the faff of defrosting on Christmas eve!

You can also buy it early which can help spread the cost of Christmas

And speaking of frozen, this year Iceland are offering a Luxury Christmas Dinner for four for just £25. That’s lunch sorted for only £6.25 per head.

Go own-brand

For those non-priorities, you can spend less by trying own-brand versions. For example, you might always buy a bottle of Baileys at Christmas, but most supermarket own-brand versions taste exactly the same – but cost a lot less. 

And own-label mince pies are nearly half the price of the well known cake brands, and by the time you’ve consumed dinner and had a glass or two of Baileys, you won’t know who’s mince pie you’re eating!

Avoid festive packaging

Often you’ll find something is branded with Christmas packaging, but there’s a normal alternative available on another aisle that’s either cheaper or better value.

Having different prices for what is essentially the same product can be confusing. Take pigs in blankets from Waitrose. The standard pack of 12 costs £5.25 for 12, whilst the Christmas branded pack is £6 for 12. But the Christmas pack is on a 3 for 2 offer, so depending on how many you need, could work out cheaper!

Ditch selection packs

It’s quite rare that someone enjoys all the biscuits in a Christmas tin, all the chocs in a festive box or all the crackers in a bumper cracker selection.

These selection packs more often than not work out more expensive than buying individual packets, so unless it’s in a pretty tin and you want to give it as a gift, you might want to stick to the individual packets instead, as once they’re out of the packet and on a serving plate, you wouldn’t know if they were from a festive pack or not.

To put this into perspective, the Jacob’s Festive selection box of crackers is currently £4 for 450g in Tesco (Clubcard price), whilst Tesco’s own-label cream crackers cost just 49p for 300g – that’s 73p per 100g cheaper.

Book your online delivery slot

Slots are bookable at all the major supermarkets, with some releasing extra Christmas delivery slots nearer to Christmas. So you haven’t missed out on all the available slots yet.

And don’t forget, if you want to avoid the crowds there’s always lots of ‘click and collect’ slots left, nearer to Christmas.

Wait for some reduced deals

If you can hold your nerve, then the day before Christmas is one of the best days of the year to snap up clearance food, including turkeys, vegetables and fresh gateaux. 

Since many shops will shut on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day, there’s a lot of food that will need to be cleared from the shelves.

But like the clearance section most evenings in supermarkets, you can never count on getting what you want.

It’s obviously a risk buying your turkey discounted on Christmas Eve, so if that’s too much of a gamble, then you can always buy what you need in advance and use Christmas Eve to shop for bargains you can freeze for other celebrations like New Year or even Easter. 

And don’t forget, after the festivities are over, you’ll often find crackers, wrapping paper and cards reduced to clearance, so if you have room in your loft, then stock up on those Christmas essentials for the following year.

Use your leftovers

Turkey sarnies, turkey curry, turkey soup, turkey stir-fry…just think Bubba in his famous shrimp recital in the Forest Gump movie! It’s possibly the one time of year where we actively enjoy using up leftovers. 

There are so many helpful recipe ideas online including this selection at Olive, that there’s no excuse to let any Christmas food go to waste. 

And if your fridge is packed to the rafters like mine is at Christmas, just make note of the use by dates  so food doesn’t go to waste.  If you don’t think you can finish it before the use-by date, just remember, many Christmas goodies can be frozen, including foods like cheese, mince pies and cake.

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