Your Guide to Smart Spending in May

🛍️ Tip of the Month: Save Money with Google Shopping

When you search for a product on Google, the row of offers at the top with prices, store names, and photos is Google Shopping. It shows you some stores that are selling the item, and how much it costs including shipping – and can often save you a lot of money.

Most people in Germany know Idealo as the go-to price comparison tool, and it’s useful – but I often find better deals through Google Shopping. Shops compete in an auction to appear there, so they’ll sometimes offer a lower price on Google than if you search for the product name directly on their website. I’ve noticed this most often with beauty retailers and online pharmacies. Just have a look at the screenshots below: it’s the exact same product in the exact same store (ShopApotheke), yet it’s 23% cheaper when you search for it on Google Shopping compared to searching directly on the website!

Consider this a reminder: don’t just buy from the first store you remember or have used before — just one extra Google search can save you real money. Smaller retailers often have better prices, and it’s also a good way to spot shops that are generally overpriced (which is why I avoid Douglas — I don’t need to help subsidise their rent in premium locations). If you’re ordering from a shop you haven’t used before, it’s worth checking Trusted Shops or Trustpilot to avoid fake products or sketchy service.

🔥 May’s Best Deals

☕ Nespresso: Free Coffee Machine for New Customers

I used this deal myself a few weeks ago and it made me genuinely happy. When you order 35 sleeves of Nespresso coffee as a new customer, you get a Pixie machine in Dark Blue for free. Capsules are around €5 per sleeve, so you’ll spend about €175 in total, and this machine is worth €159! If you already have a machine and don’t want to replace it, just resell the extra one on Kleinanzeigen. The offer is valid until Jun 30.

It took me years to make peace with Nespresso prices (currently around €0.50 per capsule). I’ve tried just about every cheaper brand of Nespresso-compatible capsules out there (check out Kaffekapslen or Tuttocialde for good prices on cheaper brands) — but nothing comes close in taste to the original. And when I finally did the math based on how much coffee I drink, the monthly difference was really small: about €20 for Nespresso vs. €14 for cheaper capsules. A no-brainer decision.

😋 A Free HelloFresh Box

I wrote about the generous €120 off HelloFresh reactivation deal several times in this newsletter, but this one’s even better — you can get a full HelloFresh box completely free and just pay €5.99 for delivery! The box includes 2 meals for 2 or 3 people, but you can add more portions if you want – for instance, 3 meals for 3 people will cost you €11 plus delivery fee. If you continue the subscription, your next few boxes will be discounted too, but you can cancel any time. You can take an advantage of this deal if you’ve never used HelloFresh or haven’t ordered a box in over a year. Limited redemptions, so don’t wait too long if you’re interested.

🤑 Consorsbank: €200 Bonus for Opening a Free Bank Account

Consorsbank (part of BNP Paribas) is offering a €200 bonus when you open their Essential checking account and receive a monthly incoming transfer of at least €1,500. The bonus is paid out in four chunks of €50 — after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of incoming payments. They don’t mention anything about self-transfers being excluded, so standing orders from another account should be fine.

The account includes a free Visa debit card and Girocard, plus free ATM withdrawals for amounts over €50. It’s free if you’re under 28 or receive at least €700 per month — otherwise a €4/month fee applies. If you’re planning to transfer €1,500 per month to get the bonus, this won’t matter in the first year anyway.

I’m planning to use this deal myself and switch my salary there – a €200 bonus for a free bank account is just too good of a deal to pass up! If depositing €1,500 per month isn’t doable and you’re under 30, check out the Comdirect bank account bundle instead — it offers a €150 bonus with much easier conditions.

📺 YouTube Premium Lite Launches in Germany

YouTube Premium Lite is now available in Germany for €5.99/month – less than half the price of the full Premium (€12.99/month). Lite removes ads on most videos across all your devices (including mobile phones and smart TVs), but ads may still appear on music videos, Shorts, and when you search or browse. YouTube Premium Lite doesn’t include background play, offline downloads, or YouTube Music Premium, but if you just want get rid of the ads, it’s a good deal.

🚗 Don’t Stay Loyal to One Carsharing App

If you’ve signed up for one carsharing app and stuck with it, you’re probably missing out on welcome bonuses from the others. You can get €10 credit if you sign up to Miles with code 3bJB7en5cp, while Sixt is offering new customer €60 credit in total — €30 off Sixt Rent, €20 off Sixt Share, and €10 off Sixt Ride if you sign up via this link. Sixt Ride is quite expensive so that voucher probably won’t be that useful, but the first two should come in handy. Bolt only offers a welcome discount on rides, but Bolt Drive carsharing often has lower prices than other apps – so it’s worth a look too.

✈️ 40.000 Membership Rewards Points with AmEx Gold

If you’re looking for a credit card to earn flight rewards, AmEx Gold is the one to get. Right now, you’ll receive 40,000 Membership Rewards points if you apply by June 30 and spend €6,000 within the first six months. That bonus alone can be worth anywhere from €400 to €800 in travel value, which is a really good deal.

This credit card has a €12/month fee, which doesn’t make sense for everyone — but if you’re interested in collecting miles to redeem for flights, this is easily the best option available in Germany. I have this card and can genuinely recommend it — I go into more detail about how to make the most of it in my full guide to the AmEx Gold. If a paid credit card is too much of a commitment, have a look at the AmEx Payback Card instead – it’s free and comes with 4,000 Payback points (worth €40) welcome bonus, no minimum spend required. Here is the full review.

🎁 What’s Free This Month

I’m a big fan of money-back promos — they are one of the most underrated ways to save money on shopping in Germany. Some freebie offers from the April and February issues like Ariel detergent and Kinder sweets are still running — check them out before they expire. Here are a few new promos I’m eyeing this month:

• Nutella cookies: Buy a pack of Nutella cookies with a “Gratis testen” sign on the packaging and get your money back. Upload your receipt and photo of the product here until June 30.

• Milka Schokomilch: Get a bottle of Milka chocolate milk (original, Caramel or Noisette flavor) and upload your receipt here until June 8. There is a weekly limit that resets every Monday at 9 a.m., so best to submit early in the week.

• Somat products: Get 100% cashback when you buy one pack of Somat dishwasher capsules and up to three additional dishwashing products in the same purchase. The capsule options are Excellence 4-in-1 (20 tabs) or 5-in-1 (16 tabs), and add-on products include rinse aid, machine cleaner, or deodorizer — see the full list on the promotion page. All items must have a promotional sticker and be on the same receipt to qualify; the deal is valid until June 30. Somat is hands down my favorite brand for dishwasher tabs, so I will definitely hunt for these products in Rossmann.

• Coral Magic Wash (€6.45 value): Buy a bottle of Coral Magic Wash detergent at dm (physical stores only) and get a full refund when you upload your receipt here. Valid until May 11.