Your Guide to Smart Spending — August 14

📱 Featured Tip: Where (Not) to Buy an iPhone

I recently bought my first iPhone (yes, really) and was surprised to discover just how wide the price spectrum among Apple retailers is. On one end sits the Apple Store (in-store and online) where you pay full retail – no discounts, no coupons, and no cashback. On the other end are the “lowest price” results on Google, often from shady shops with bad reviews.

So, where to buy an iPhone (or anything Apple, really)? My top picks are Galaxus, a Swiss online electronics store, and Coolblue, a Dutch one. Both are authorised Apple resellers, which means you are guaranteed to get an original product, you can exercise warranty through them and you can add AppleCare at checkout if you wish. I’ve ordered electronics from both multiple times and always had good experiences — delivery was fast, prices fair and returns free and straightforward.

When I bought my iPhone 16 a couple of months ago, the Apple Store price was €949, MediaMarkt and Saturn were selling it for €839, and Galaxus and Coolblue for €785. I also used Shoop, a cashback browser extension which usually gives 2.5% cashback on Galaxus – that day, they had a promo for 6% cashback, so I got another €50 back! That brought my total down to €740, around €200 less than buying from the Apple Store would cost me. Shoop’s cashback on Galaxus sometimes goes up to 8%, so timing your bigger purchases for these increased cashback days can really pay off. Coolblue also partners with Shoop. Sign up for Shoop with a €15 welcome bonus or read more about how it works in this article.

🔥 Hot Deals

🛒 Save €30 off on Groceries with Knuspr

There’s a strong case for trying Knuspr this week — especially if you like the idea of getting €39 worth of groceries for just €9. Shoop (a cashback browser extension we discussed above) is offering €30 cashback for new and reactivated (meaning your last order was at least 60 days ago) Knuspr customers. The minimum order is €39 and first delivery is free.

I used the deal myself a few days ago and loved it (I mean, who doesn’t like to shop with 75% off?). I ordered in the morning and had everything delivered three hours later — you can choose a one-hour slot or narrow it down to 15 minutes, so you don’t have to spend all day waiting at home. Their own brands are priced like Lidl or Aldi (e.g., €0.99 for a litre of milk, €0.79 for spaghetti), but they also stock higher-quality groceries, organic and regional products, so there is something for everyone.

Shop Knuspr here and claim the €30 cashback via Shoop. Be quick — the promo is valid until August 15. If you’re not using Shoop yet, you can sign up here with a €15 welcome bonus.

👗 Up to €100 Back with Zalando Bonus Vouchers

Zalando is running a promotion until August 31 where you collect 1 point for every euro you spend – and if you reach 100 points, you’ll get a €10 voucher; 250 points gets you €40, and 500 points gets you €100. Orders placed during August count, and your points are confirmed once each order’s 30-day return window has passed. The vouchers will be sent out by email in October.

If you’re planning to shop at Zalando this month, this is a nice extra. I buy most of my clothes there, so I’ll definitely be taking part too. They’ve also been running a lot of sales this summer — usually 15-20% off — and those purchases also count toward your voucher total. The sale announcements and promo codes are sent by email, so it’s worth subscribing to their newsletter if you haven’t already. Check the promotion details here.

📚 Summer Sale on Lingoda Language Courses

If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll finally tackle German this year — or switch to a less frustrating language, like Spanish or French — Lingoda has a summer sale running until August 25.

The discount is available on Lingoda’s Flex plans, where you choose how many classes you want to take every four weeks. There’s no fixed time — you just book whichever sessions fit your schedule. Classes are live on Zoom, taught by certified teachers in small groups of 3–5 people. Each one is 60 minutes, and between sessions you can use their library of self-study materials. One-on-one lessons are also available, but cost more — you can compare prices here.

With the code SUMMER30, you get 30% off the first month on the 12-, 20-, or 40-class plans (the 5-class plan is excluded from the promotion). Here’s what the final pricing looks like:

• 12 classes: €125.99 (€10.50 per class)

• 20 classes: €159.99 (€8 per class)

• 40 classes: €251.99 (€6.30 per class)

Lingoda also offers a 7-day free trial – you can take up to three group classes or one private class before your subscription kicks in — and cancel anytime during the trial without being charged. I find Lingoda’s pricing really fair for what you get — and with the summer sale, it’s even better value. Sign up here.

💰 More Deals

• AmEx Payback credit card: Until August 17, you get 2,000 Payback points (worth at least €20) plus a €20 Amazon voucher when you sign up — no minimum spend required. It’s the only free credit card in Germany that actually gives you rewards: 1 Payback point per €3 spent, plus regular promos. Sign up here or read my full review.

• HelloFresh: New customers (or anyone who cancelled more than a year ago) can get their first box for €15.49. That covers three meals for two people, which works out to just €2.58 per meal — great value. The second box is €32, the third is €37. I’ve been ordering the boxes for a few months now and been really enjoying it. Get the deal.

• Comdirect: Open a checking account and get €100 welcome bonus — available to anyone who hasn’t been a customer in the last 6 months. The account is free for the first 6 months. After that, you can avoid the €4.90/month fee by receiving at least €700 monthly, making 3 card payments, or being under 28 and in school/training. Open an account here.

• Blinkist: For when you want to read more, but the heat has melted your attention span, Blinkist Pro is now €41.99 for the year (down from €139.98) — that’s 70% off. You’ll get 7,500+ book and podcast summaries, each condensed into about 15 minutes of text or audio, plus a new Blinkist AI tool that can summarize YouTube videos, PDFs, web articles, and more. Get Blinkist Pro.

🎁 Freebies

• Galbani Mozzarella Fior di Latte: Buy one of the promotional products (Pizza Perfetta or Pasta e Gratinati – the low-moisture, pre-shredded mozzarella made for cooking) and upload your receipt on the campaign site to get your money back. Purchases at REWE are eligible until August 31; purchases at other retailers count from September 1 to October 5.

• Hohes C Vitamin Water: You can choose from five varieties like Orange Passion Fruit (Energy) or Cherry Raspberry (Boost). Buy by August 31 and upload your receipt by September 14 on the promo page. Limited to 7,777 redemptions per week.

• Lily’s Kitchen: Get up to €10 back when you buy their dog or cat food (including treats) by August 31 and submit your receipt by September 5. Purchases on Amazon are also eligible. You’ll be refunded the amount paid, up to €10.

Money-back promos are one of the most underrated ways to save money on shopping in Germany. Some offers from the previous issues (July 31, July 22, July 8, June 18, and June 3) are still running too — check them out before they expire. If you want to test more grocery items for free, take a look at the Rewe product test page as well.