Your Guide to Smart Spending | June 18

💼 Top tip: Do a Wallet Revision

When was the last time you reviewed what’s in your wallet? This is your reminder to do just that. A better banking setup can save you money and give you peace of mind. I’m of the strong opinion that you should not pay a monthly fee for a bank account in Germany — with all the banking options available, there’s just no reason to. If your bank charges you one, it’s time to switch.

First, you need a debit card. I recommend to own both a Visa and a Mastercard to be able to take advantage of co-branded promotions. For example, FreeNow still has that €15 off promo I mentioned in the last issue if you pay with a Mastercard (it’s a good one!), and Visa has frequent Click-to-Pay cashback promos. One card I especially like is the Trade Republic Visa debit card, which is free and gives you 1% cashback on all purchases, up to €15/month. For Mastercard, my choice is N26, because their app is so nice to use (and it’s also free).

You’ll also need a Girocard (formerly also known as EC-Karte) for those places that refuse to move past 2012 and don’t accept debit cards — various government organizations and small shops are especially guilty of this. You won’t use it often, so I recommend choosing whichever bank is offering the best welcome bonus — for instance, right now you can get a €200 bonus at Berliner Volksbank (you can read more about this deal in the last issue).

As for credit cards, you don’t need one, but they could be useful if you rent cars abroad or shop online and return items often (owning a credit card means you don’t have to pay up front). You also get the chance to earn air miles (like with AmEx Gold) or cashback (like with AmEx Payback).

One more thing to keep in mind — if you travel outside of the Eurozone, make sure that at least one of your cards (either debit or credit) has no currency exchange fees — otherwise, all your purchases abroad can instantly become 2% more expensive. Both Trade Republic and N26 cards have no FX fees, so you can use either one on your trips — but if you are frequent traveler, you can also consider a card with free worldwide ATM withdrawals like this free Consorsfinanz credit card.

🔥 This Week’s Top Deals

💳 Free Shipping on Kleinanzeigen

One of my favorite Kleinanzeigen hacks is waiting for their free shipping promos that pop up once every couple of months. To take advantage of these, you must buy directly through the platform using the “Buy directly” or “Make an offer” option on the top right of the page. Right now, they are running a promo with Apple Pay (on mobile only) — choose DHL as a delivery option and Apple Pay as a payment method, and enter code APPLEPAY to get free delivery. You’ll have to pay a small buyer protection fee (mine was €1.54 on a €23 purchase), but it’s a solid deal — especially if you’re buying something heavy or bulky. Even if you get a smaller item, that’s still €4-6 savings in delivery costs, so I use these promos every time they come around (I do buy from Kleinanzeigen a lot).

The offer is limited to 20.000 redemptions and is officially running until June 30 — but in reality, these offers never last long. If you’re interested, I’d recommend using it sooner rather than later!

💸 €10 for New PayPal Users

If you’re somehow not on PayPal yet — first of all, how do you transfer money to people?! Please don’t tell me that it’s via IBAN. But second, good news: you can get a €10 welcome bonus when you open a new PayPal account using this link, connect your bank account and phone number and make a transaction over €5 within 30 days — very easy. I’ve been using PayPal for over 15 years now and it’s still my go-to app for sending money to friends or paying to second-hand sellers on Kleinanzeigen — 10/10 recommend.

📚 Audible: 3 Months for €0.99

If you like audiobooks, you will like this Audible promo: as a new customer, you can get 3 months for only €0.99/month (regular price €9.95/month), or for free if you’re an Amazon Prime member. The subscription gives you unlimited access to audiobooks and podcasts, plus one credit per month that you can use to "buy" an audiobook that will be yours to keep even if you cancel your subscription — given how pricey audiobooks are, that’s a really good deal.

The offer also applies to customers who tried Audible before but haven't had an active subscription in the last 6 months. Cancel any time if you don’t want to extend your subscription. Sign up here.

🤑 More Deals

• Winsim mobile plans: Winsim’s mobile plan prices are hard to beat — their 8GB plan is just €5.99/month with a 24-month contract. If you prefer flexibility, you can pay +€2/month to keep it cancellable anytime. For comparison, Telekom charges €19.95/month for just 10GB — triple the price! All Winsim plans come with unlimited calls and texts, EU roaming, and you can transfer your number from another operator. I’ve been with Winsim for years and I think their value-for-money ratio is one of the best in Germany. Right now, you can also get €20 welcome bonus (applied to your next bills) if you sign up through this link.

• dm 44x Payback coupon on food: Yes, dm sells food — and it’s organic, good and surprisingly affordable, especially the pantry items. For example, organic canned tomatoes are just €0.65 — cheaper than even supermarket brands. With the current 44x Payback coupon, you're essentially getting a 22% discount on top — or even more if you use Payback in a smart way (check out this guide for Payback tips). Find the coupon in your app or on Payback website, and if you're not on Payback yet, you can sign up here.

• HelloFresh from €3.25 per meal: New customers — or anyone who canceled over a year ago — can get their first HelloFresh box for just €19.49. That covers three meals for two people, making each meal just €3.25. The second box is €32, and the third is €37, still very good value for what you get. And yes, you can cancel right after the first box too. I’ve been using HelloFresh again lately and it’s been nice not having to think about what to cook. Get the deal.

• AmEx Gold Card: If you're looking to collect air miles, the current AmEx Gold welcome offer is better than usual — 40,000 Membership Rewards points if you apply by June 30 and spend €6,000 within the first six months. Depending on how you redeem them, these welcome points alone can be worth €400–800 in travel or shopping value. AmEx Gold has a €20/month fee, so it won’t make sense for everyone, but if you want to collect miles, this is the card you need. Sign up here or read my full review.

🎁 Freebies

• Oral-B Toothpaste (dm only): Buy an Oral-B toothpaste (Frischer Atem, Professional Protection, Zahnfleisch-Intensivpflege or Sensitiv Pro) from dm by June 28 and upload your receipt and product photo here by June 30 to get money back.

• Finish Dishwasher Tabs: Not technically a freebie, but still a good deal — €5 cashback when you buy selected Finish Ultimate, Ultimate Plus or Quantum packs and upload your receipt and product photo by August 31. New redemptions open daily at 9AM, and spots run out fast. Tip: combine with coupons in the Rossmann app to save even more. Read more and submit here.

• Gerolsteiner Soft Drinks: Get your money back on up to 2 bottles of Gerolsteiner Limos or Schorlen (0.75l) — make sure both are on the same receipt. Purchase by July 31 and upload receipt by August 15; limited to 20,000 redemptions total. Take part here.

• Tulip Bacon: Try one pack of Tulip Baconscheiben (125g) or Baconstreifen (200g) for free. Buy and upload your receipt by July 31. Submit here.

Money-back deals are one of my favorite ways to save on groceries and household products in Germany. Several offers from the previous issues are still live — check them out here and here.