I hope you’re somewhere warm and cozy this week – ideally with a mug of Glühwein in hand and no work emails in sight. Before the holiday mood fully takes over, here are a few ways to make your December (and your next year) more financially rewarding.
In this post: why signing up for dental insurance right now could save you a lot of money next year, low-commitment gym deals for your New Year’s resolutions, a sale on luggage if you’re planning a winter escape, and a fresh round of grocery freebies.
Note: this article contains affiliate links, which are marked with *.
🦷 Why December Is the Best Time to Get Dental Insurance
If you’ve been thinking about getting supplemental dental insurance to help cover dental treatment costs that public insurance doesn’t, now is the best time. This is because most plans start with a lower reimbursement limit and increase it every year, and some providers define their insurance year as the calendar year – so if you sign up in December, that first year ends quickly, and your coverage limit already goes up in January.
One of the few providers that let you take advantage of this is Münchener Verein*, which also happens to be one of the best-rated dental insurers in Germany: it’s certified by Stiftung Warentest, an independent German consumer testing organisation. If you take out a policy now, you can get up to €1,500 in coverage for the rest of this year, and then another €1,500 starting in January. They also don’t have a waiting period, which is rare in Germany: your insurance starts as soon as your policy does. However, keep in mind that any treatment that was already recommended or started before you signed up won’t be covered.
Plans start at €7.90/month and the price depends on your age and coverage level. A 35-year old would pay €16.90/month for the 75+ plan, €18.90 for the 85+, and €31.80 for the 100 plan. The numbers in the plan names refer to reimbursement percentages – 75%, 85%, or 100% of eligible dental costs.
A cherry on top if you needed one: if you sign up online for the 85+ or 100 plan before December 31, Münchener Verein will also throw in a €15 Amazon voucher. Sign up here.*
A well-rated dental insurance with a €15 Amazon voucher on top – if you’ve been thinking of getting dental insurance, this is a good time to do so.
🔥 Hot Deals
🏋️♂️ Low-Commitment Gym Deals for the New Year
If your January goals include going to the gym more, but you want to keep your options open (and your expectations realistic), here are a couple of deals that let you try things out without long contracts.
Holmes Place Trial Membership: For €30, you can try Holmes Place for 30 days – including gym, classes, and spa areas in selected clubs. Cancel at least 7 days before the trial ends if you don't want it to automatically roll into a 24-month contract. The offer is available if you’re at least 18 and haven’t used a Holmes Place trial in the last 6 months.
Holmes Place clubs are available in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Essen, Hamburg, Köln, and Lübeck (with the Potsdamer Platz location in Berlin costing €49 instead of €30). The offer is valid until December 28, or until the maximum number of redemptions is reached. Holmes Place offers tend to sell out before the official end date – I learned that the hard way last time I wanted to get their deal. Sign up here.
Fitness First via Groupon: If you’re ready to commit a bit more than a single trial month but still don’t want a super long contract, Fitness First has a pretty solid offer on Groupon* right now. You can get 3, 6, or 12 months of membership, and with the code GESCHENK (advertisement) the prices come down to:
3 months: €189.05 (about €63/month)
6 months: €331.55 (about €55/month)
12 months: €559.55 (about €47/month)
The deal covers training in 198 Fitness First clubs across Germany. All RED clubs are included in the price; BLACK clubs (the larger, more premium locations) are also part of the offer with higher prices.
It’s a nice middle ground: you get proper gym access for a defined period without being stuck in a long contract once your motivation dips in March. The offer is valid until December 24. Sign up here.*
🎁 Free HelloFresh Box
Lots of cooking and grocery shopping going on this week? I feel you. To make next week a little easier, HelloFresh is currently offering a free box* – just pay €5.99 for delivery.
The free box includes 2 meals for 2 or 3 people. If you want more portions, you can add them for an extra fee. It’s set up as a subscription, and if you decide to continue, your next few boxes will be discounted – but if you don’t, you can simply cancel after your first delivery.
The deal is available if you’ve never used HelloFresh before, or if your last order was more than a year ago. Redemptions are limited, so it’s worth ordering sooner rather than later. I’ve been a HelloFresh customer for a while, and I enjoy it – it saves me a lot of time and decision-making around weekday dinners. Get your free box here*.
🧳 15% Off Luggage at Koffer.de
If your coping strategy for German winter involves escaping it (I don’t blame you), this is a good moment to upgrade your suitcase or backpack. With the code XMuch (advertisement), you get 15% off full-price items at Koffer.de* on orders from €150 – valid until December 31.
If you’re mainly after suitcases, here are some brands on Koffer.de that are worth a look:
American Tourister or Travelite – very solid value for money, sturdy but affordable. I purchased a large American Tourister suitcase a few years ago, and I'm very happy with it.
Samsonite or TITAN – great quality and durability, an investment that pays off. I have a Samsonite carry-on that is 12 years old, and it still looks as good as new.
Horizn Studios – sleek, minimalist designs from a Berlin-born brand. I have a backpack from them, which looks really stylish, and I’m eyeing their suitcases too.
Tumi – for those of you who are more into VIP lounges than Ryanair flights. I can't see myself spending that much on a suitcase, but they do look very pretty.
The 15% discount applies to regular (non-sale) items. Apart from luggage, Koffer.de also carries handbags, backpacks, laptop bags, wallets and travel accessories like umbrellas and water bottles – handy if you want to sort out all your travel gear in one go. Shop here*.
If your luggage needs an upgrade, this promotion is a good opportunity to make it happen.
💰 More Deals
Ninja cookware set: Non-stick cookware needs to be replaced regularly because of inevitable scratches, and this is a good opportunity to do just that. The Ninja ZEROSTICK Premium 5-piece pot and pan set is currently down to €99.99 from the €299.99 RRP, and with the code TIPTOPF15 (advertisement) you can get it for €84.49. It includes three pots with lids, a saucepan, and a frying pan, all with a 10-year replacement guarantee. Shop the set here*.
Commerzbank current account: Commerzbank is currently offering a €50 welcome bonus when you open a new current account. The account costs €4.90 per month, so it’s pricier than most online-only options I usually recommend, but in return you get a Girocard plus a dense network of physical branches and ATMs. If you prefer a “classic” bank with a familiar name and the option to sort things out in person rather than via chat support, this account makes sense. Open an account here*.
Storytel 2-month trial: An audiobook app Storytel gives you access to thousands of titles in German, English, Arabic and Turkish, and they’re currently running a 60-day free trial for new customers with up to 20 hours of listening included. After the trial, the subscription is €7.90/month and you can cancel any time during the trial if you decide it’s not for you. Start your free trial here*.
Wolt food delivery: Want to give yourself a break from cooking? New Wolt customers can use AFFWOLTDEU25 (advertisement) for €16 off 2 orders (2 × €8), or AFFWOLTDEU2025 (advertisement) for €30 off 3 orders (3 × €10). Order here*.
For those of you whose New Year resolutions have to do with cooking more, and also for those whose scratched pots could use a replacement.
🎁 Freebies
Money-back grocery promos are an easy way to trim your supermarket bill. A lot of offers from previous issues are still active – you can find them all here. For more free grocery products, Rewe product tests are also worth a look.
Smol laundry capsules: Get a pack of 9 Smol laundry detergent capsules for free – you only pay €1 shipping. You’ll need to set up a recurring delivery, but you can cancel as soon as your free pack has been shipped. Order your trial pack here*.
Volvic Touch Sparkling Zero: You can currently get a refund for up to 2 cans of Volvic Touch Sparkling Zero (0.33L) in flavours like Cherry, Lemon, Lime or Mango Passion Fruit. Buy and upload your receipt here to receive the money back. The promotion runs until Feb 28, with limited redemptions.
Lieken Urkorn bread: Buy one of the participating products (Farmer’s Mild 250 g or 500 g, Rye Baker 500 g, or Multigrain Bread 500 g) with a “Gratis probieren” sticker, keep your receipt and product photo, then upload everything until Feb 28 to get a refund.
Ben’s Original Express rice: Buy a participating Express rice product (the microwave pouches or bowls, not dry rice or boil-in-bag), then upload your receipt to get the purchase price (up to €3.99) refunded. Purchases are possible until March 8, and receipts can be submitted until March 22. Daily redemptions are limited, so it’s worth submitting earlier in the day.
A free pack of laundry detergent capsules from Smol – just pay €1 shipping.
If you want more deals like these, you can subscribe to the Smart Living in Germany newsletter here – it’s free, and I send new offers and money-saving tips every week, plus occasional deep dives on things like banking, taxes, and insurance.
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