Deals of the Week!
If you're anything like me and are obsessed with a bargain you’re in the right place. But I know that searching out the best deals can take a lot of time, something we don’t always have. The good news is that I will hunt out the bargains that will save you money every single week so you don’t have to!
I only recommend products and businesses I use or would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. Some links in this blog are affiliate links or sponsored by the companies I use and recommend. This means I may earn a small commission but at no extra cost to you.
Legoland Billund
If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know we’re on a trip to Denmark at the moment, as we’re visiting Legoland Billund.
We got an insane deal on this trip because prices on flights are so low at this time of year. We paid £33 per person each to fly out here this week!
Legoland is actually closed but you can still stay on site, the hotel is fantastic for the kids. And most importantly you can still visit Lego House which is AMAZING!
I’ll be doing a full write up on this trip soon but if you’re looking for a last minute fun getaway with the kids, Holiday Pirates has some deals here.
Cricut deal
I’ve recently got myself a Cricut (FYI its pronounced ‘Cricket’ like the insect, rather than ‘Cry Cut’ - who knew!)
I did some crafting for my friend’s hen do last weekend and I loved adding a personal touch.
I have got so many plans on what I’m going to use this for - there are literally millions of things you can make with a Cricut! I have a feeling I’ll be labelling every item in my new kitchen!
Amazon has got an offer on this bundle in the Spring Deals sale!
Is getting cashback too good to be true?
I get so many messages saying surely there must be a catch when it comes to getting cashback and, honestl,y I felt the same in the beginning.
I’ve got an entire blog answering all your questions here but the short answer is - no, it’s not too good to be true!
I had several messages from people last night saying they’ve saved literally £1,000s from using cashback apps, it really does work!
Mother's Day gift ideas
If you’re looking for a good deal on Mother’s Day gifts, the Co-Op are doing this prosecco and flowers deal for £10.
And if you’re looking for an easy handmade gift idea, what about this picture frame idea I shared a few years ago ?
Amazon Spring Sale deals not to be missed
Sometimes the prices in the Amazon sale days can look too good to miss. But, research has shown that often prices are elevated in the weeks before so they can show these huge drops. Use sites like this one to track to the price of item over the last few weeks/months to see if it’s actually a good deal.
Here’s a few things I’d recommend that ARE good deals in the Amazon Spring Sale:
Amazon Fire tablet for kids - we use these when travelling - although not as low as we saw them on Black Friday, its still a really good price.
Jet washer - this is the one we ordered last year. Annoyingly, I paid a lot more for it but this is a great price under £100 and cheaper than the DIY stores are currently selling it for.
70% off at Gousto
Gousto has increased their refer a friend programme again, meaning you can get 70% off your first box!
You can get a box to feed a family of 4 for less than £20 (this is for 4 meals).
You’ll need a referral code to get the discount - there’s a few below - but they’ll only work for the first 20 people. Check the comments for other codes shared by others!
Chocolate egg alternative
If you’re looking for an alternative to buying another chocolate Easter egg this year, this Lego set is in the sale with 20% off.
Loop ear plugs
These are the Loop ear plugs I use and in my opinion, essential for Mum life (especially for when you’re in places like soft play!)
You can still hear enough to have a conversation but they instantly take the edge off from being over stimulated.
Now’s a good time to grab them with 20% off.
Hobbycraft discount
I’ve been making the kids a ‘bored box’ this week for them to have a few activities to come back to throughout the month when they’re a bit bored.
In celebration of National Craft Month, you can currently get £5 off a £20 spend at Hobbycraft with code NCM5 and £10 off a £40 spend online.
Merlin annual pass - is it worth it?
I’ve been so tempted to invest in a Merlin pass but are they worth it? In case you don’t know, a Merlin pass offers families unlimited access to over 30 UK attractions, including Alton Towers, LEGOLAND® Windsor, SEA LIFE centres, and The London Eye.
They’re running their annual discount meaning you can get an annual pass from £79pp for a year! It can be hard to figure out if a Merlin Pass is worth the cost so I’ve done the research for you which outlines the costs for each tier of pass, how many visits to Merlin attractions you’d need to do a year for it to be worthwhile and the areas of the UK where you might be better off if you purchase one!
You can read more here.
Egg-cellent Easter egg deals
Easter is fast approaching (Sunday 20th April), and supermarkets are already rolling out huge discounts on Easter eggs! But with so many deals, it can be overwhelming to know if you’re actually getting the best price. Here's where to find the best bargains and avoid decision fatigue while shopping.
I’ve been hunting deals and you can read the price comparisons here.
Four-year-old birthday ideas
I mentioned last week I was starting to think of ideas for my daughters first birthday (and struggling!). I included the wrong link to the flower building toys on on last weeks email - sorry! Here are the ones I was talking about.
Some of the others suggestions i had were a Baby Annabel (I can’t believe these are still going, I remember having one as a kid!) and a portable camera.
LEGO deal
My kids are still LEGO obsessed and I’ve got to say, since they’ve started spending more time doing LEGO, their writing has improved considerably.
I like these 3-in-1 sets so that they can take them apart and make something different.
I’ve found a deal here where you can get 2 for £30!
6 FREE cinema tickets & £175 cash
Thinking of switching bank accounts? If you switch to Lloyds’ Club Lloyds account, you can get a free £175 as well as six free Odeon or Vue tickets a year or 12 months Disney+.
The account is fee-free as long as you meet its £2,000 a month minimum pay-in – there's a £3 a month fee (rising to £5 a month from 2nd June) if you don't.
£5 Easter bonnet kit
Get sorted for Easter for a fiver!
This cute set includes an Easter bonnet and everything the kids would need to decorate it.
Nothing like getting organised!
Afternoon tea for £22
Here’s a great Mother’s Day gift!
Deal stack this experience to get Afternoon Tea for 2 for just £22 per person at Marco Pierre White including Champagne!
It’s already in the sale but to get another 19.7% back in your pocket, pay with a gift card through everup!
How we got a £700 tax refund
Whilst I was on Statutory Maternity Pay, I was earning well under my tax free allowance for the year.
I put in a claim for Marriage Allowance, which meant I could transfer a portion of my tax-free allowance over to my husband. This can save you as a couple up to £252 per year.
You can also back date your claim by up to four years, which meant we also got a tax refund of over £700. More information here.
You can check your eligibility on the Government website.
Mother's Day gifts under £10
The Katie Loxton Outlet is the first place I look for a Mother’s Day bargain. Everything sells out super quick so be quick!
This year I’m looking at this gorgeous hanging diffuser - so cute!
This brand is really lovely for gifting!
May Half Term holiday for £349
Here’s a great holiday deal for the May Half Term. You can stay at our favourite Haven site in Devon for just £349! I have done a little video of this site which you can see here.
The beach is in walking distance and there are loads of activities on-site for the kids included (although the ones you do pay for are really reasonable!)
How we use Monzo to save money
One of the biggest game-changers for our family budget was moving our joint bank account to Monzo and here’s why… the Pots feature!
You can set up a ‘pot’ for all of the different things you’re saving for or need to buy - it’s like cash stuffing envelopes but digital!
I love it and its the first thing I ever recommend to anyone looking to improve their finances. I’ve written a blog on Monzo and it’s features - check it out here.
Our trip to CBeebies Land
As you may have seen on Instagram, we visited CBeebies Land last week during Half Term!
I’ve put together some money-saving tips for your visit to CBeebies Land or Alton Towers.
If you’re looking for a great deal during the Easter holidays, you could stay at the Stargazing Pods for just £130 for a family of four. This price includes accommodation, breakfast, parking, and a round of crazy golf!
By then, the main park will be open (it wasn’t last week) so this would be better for older kids or thrill-seekers.
You’d need to add on your park tickets to this too as they aren’t included but you might be able to snag a discount with 2-for-1 offers or Clubcard vouchers!
How much money are you wasting?
Have you ever stopped to think about how much money you waste each year?
Taking the time to review your spending can be a game-changer for your finances. It’ll allow you to identify problem areas, spot patterns, and create a plan to overcome bad spending habits.
The best tool I’ve found for this is this app - and the best part? It’s completely free! With just a few taps, you can generate a full spending analysis and start making smarter choices.
Deal stack for Orlando Disney tickets
I shared a Disneyworld Orlando discount code with you guys last week which you loved!
They’ve updated it to give you a huge 20% off with code MAGIC! This is even better than what we got on Black Friday!
DEAL STACK! You can stack this with an extra 5% discount with Top Cashback.
May half term bargain break
Have you noticed how expensive holidays have become for Easter?
If you’re looking for a more affordable alternative, France is a great place to visit in May Half Term.
Their school holidays don’t align with ours do, so you can get a great deal - like this one in a Eurocamp.
You can stay at Eurocamp L’Orangerie de Lanniron, a 5-star campsite in beautiful Brittany, for just £265 for a family of four during May half-term.
A great getaway at a fraction of the cost!
And dont forget, I’ve got a full guide on Eurocamps here.
Big bill increases are coming in April—here’s how to save!
Lots of bills are set to rise in April, here’s how to save money:
Electric car owners: From April, you'll start paying road tax. But if you renew now, you can lock in an extra 12 months of car tax for £0 - even if your renewal isn’t due yet! More info here!
Submit a meter reading before 31st March if you're on a variable tariff. This ensures you're charged the lower energy rate before April's price hike. If you have a smart reader, this should do so automatically but worth double checking.
Check if you're eligible for the Warm Home Discount - every little saving helps.
Review your bills - now is the perfect time to go through your bills with a fine tooth comb and make sure you’ve got your finances in order before the changes come into affect in April. I can’t recommend this app enough to help you do that.
How we’re overpaying our mortgage
One of our biggest joint financial goals for the next decade is to overpay our mortgage, here’s how we’re making it happen:
Automated savings: Every month, I use Plum and Sprive to automatically set aside money. These apps take small amounts from our account without us even noticing!
Cashback for overpayments: I earn cashback on shopping and eating out through Sprive, which goes straight toward our mortgage overpayments.
As soon as the savings between the two apps total £500, I make an overpayment (this is the minimum repayment amount required by our lender).
For us, our main goal is to pay less interest. If you do a quick mortgage overpayment calculator you see how much you could be saving in interest by making even small overpayments! We’d also like to become mortgage free as soon as possible! (wouldn’t we all?!)
My extendable airer
This is the one adult purchase that’s worth every penny!
Drying clothes in winter can be a nightmare, but this airer is an absolute game-changer!
I’ve tried heated airers, but I don’t rate them - clothes need space to dry properly, and cramming them together just doesn’t work.
Instead, I use this extendable airer over my radiator, and it dries clothes SO fast!
Highly recommend!
Get £10 off at B&Q
Here’s how to get a free £10 to spend at B&Q:
Join the B&Q Reward Scheme next time you shop in a B&Q store
You’ll get a £10 voucher sent to you to spend on your next purchase
You’ll need to spend £75 to get the £10 discount but it’s perfect if you’ve got some DIY planned as we go into the spring
You’ll also get a couple of vouchers giving you £5 off when you spend £30 or more if you sign up for their emails.
TOP TIP! If freebies are your thing, don’t forget to head over to my freebies blog too!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this blog are affiliate links. This means we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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