Before we get to this week’s post, a recommendation for your weekend reading: my friend Maurice Frank from 20 Percent Berlin has launched a new newsletter called Update Germany – a sharp weekly digest of what’s happening in German politics, business and culture. It’s thoughtful, quality journalism in English, and an easy way to stay informed about the country we call home.
And now, back to saving money. In this post: exploring second-hand shopping platforms beyond Kleinanzeigen, discounts on groceries and meals, a 160Gb phone plan deal for €14.99 and more.
♻️ Second-Hand beyond Kleinanzeigen
Buying pre-owned instead of new is one of the easiest ways to save money, and while Kleinanzeigen and eBay are the first options that come to mind, there are plenty of alternatives. For clothes, shoes and accessories, Vinted is the best option: it’s built for fashion, with proper filters for size, brand and condition, and it feels much less chaotic than scrolling through Kleinanzeigen. They’ve been expanding into other categories like homewares, electronics and books, though the choice there is still fairly limited. If you’re into perfume, Parfumo Souk – the marketplace within the Parfumo website — is worth a look. You’ll need to register to access full listings and prices, but you’ll often find bottles at half their retail price.
Keep in mind that on these platforms you’re dealing with individual sellers, so there’s always an element of trust involved. I do it regularly and haven’t had a bad experience yet, but it’s worth looking for sellers with good reviews and paying for tracked delivery when feasible. For extra security, you can use payments through the platform itself (both Kleinanzeigen and Vinted offer them) – though that usually means an extra fee.
Some platforms buy items from individuals and then resell them on their website, which gives you the comfort of buyer protection and a familiar “add to cart” experience instead of arranging deals in DMs. Momox Fashion is the biggest one for clothes, shoes and accessories. Stuffle is another good option (they also have home goods and beauty products): after signing up, I got €5 off for subscribing to the newsletter and then, over time, they sent me multiple €10-off codes with no minimum order value – you better believe I used them all.
Even large retailers are now running their own resale sections on their websites: Zalando Pre-owned, Zara Pre-owned, and Amazon Resale (plus Amazon Renewed for refurbished electronics) offer returns and buyer protection. I guess circular economy is here to stay?
🔥 Hot Deals
💶 €200 Bonus from Berliner Volksbank
Berliner Volksbank is offering a €200 bonus for new customers who open an account and receive at least three incoming payments of €700 or more within the first three months. Salary, pension or student aid all count (transfers from your own accounts don’t). Despite the name, you don’t need to live in Berlin to qualify – the offer is available across Germany.
The standard account costs €3.95 per month and includes both a Girocard and a credit card. If you’re under 30, the Blue Orange account offers the same benefits with no monthly fee. The €200 bonus is paid by the fourth month after opening and goes straight into your account. Many of our readers have already signed up for this offer, and for good reason – it’s still one of the best banking offers (and I checked them all) available in Germany right now. Open your account here.
🎁 Free Box from HelloFresh
New HelloFresh customers can get a box with two meals for two or three people (that’s 4 or 6 meals in total) completely free – just pay €5.99 for delivery. If you’d like more portions, you can make the box bigger for an extra fee.
The subscription continues with discounts on your next few boxes, but you don’t have to keep it – you can cancel right after your first box if you prefer. I’ve been a HelloFresh customer for a long time now and I really enjoy it: the recipes are fun to cook, and it saves me a lot of time on grocery shopping.
The deal is available to anyone who hasn’t ordered before, or who last used HelloFresh more than a year ago. Redemptions are limited, so it’s worth ordering soon. Get your free box here.
This is my next HelloFresh box, and I’m already excited.
🛒 €15 Off and Free Delivery from Rewe
There can’t be too many deals on food and groceries as far as I’m concerned, and this is a good one: first-time Rewe delivery service customers can get free grocery delivery on their first order, plus €15 off with the code LIEFERN15.
I like Rewe delivery a lot: prices are the same as in-store, and the minimum order of €60 is very reasonable. For existing users, Rewe also offers one free delivery day each week, which varies by area, so you pay the exact same price for getting your shopping delivered to you as you would if you went to the supermarket yourself. Order here.
💰 More Deals
Deutsche Bahn: From October 17 to 21, get 12% off Spar- and Super-Sparpreise for domestic train tickets. That means short routes from as little as €6.99, plus extra savings if you have a BahnCard 25 or 50. Tickets can be booked up to 12 months in advance. Buy your ticket here.
GetSafe: If you’re under 40, you can get a full year of travel insurance completely free – and after that it’s just €15 per year. Everything is managed digitally through the GetSafe app, which is available in English and (unlike many German insurance apps) looks great and works smoothly. I just switched to GetSafe from another provider: a free year of coverage is hard to argue with. Sign up here.
MyProtein: this is one of those brands that’s almost always on sale — which makes it hard to tell when a discount is actually worth it. This one is: up to 70% off sitewide, plus an extra 10% with the code DACH25 (limited time). They’re best known for protein powders, but also sell snacks and supplements. Shop the sale.
Lyca phone plan: The Lyca Plus XL prepaid plan currently offers one of the biggest data packages around – 160 GB, now for €14.99 per 4 weeks instead of regular €29.99. It also includes unlimited international calls to 100 countries and 39 GB EU roaming. Good value if you need plenty of data or call abroad often. The plan renews every four weeks and can be cancelled anytime — there is no commitment. Get the offer here.
If you are a heavy data user or call abroad often, you might like this plan.
🎁 Freebies
Money-back promotions are one of the most underrated ways to save in Germany, and I always add these products to my shopping list. You can find all past and still-running promotions from the previous issues here. Here are some highlights for this week:
Sante Perfect Curls haircare: Buy Sante’s new Perfect Curls Shampoo or Conditioner in-store (look for “Neu” on the packaging — see the image below) and get a full refund after submitting your receipt here until October 26. Daily participations are limited and reset each morning at 7 a.m., so it’s worth submitting early.
Kinder Paradiso: You can get 4-pack of Kinder Paradiso sponge cakes for free when you buy a promotional pack marked with “Gratis Testen”. Upload your receipt and a photo of the pack here to get your refund. Runs until December 31, limited to 40,000 participants.
Tulip Bacon: Buy Tulip Bacon Slices 125 g or Bacon Strips 200 g and receive a full refund through the campaign page. The promotion runs until December 24.
Activia: Eligible products include Activia Frühstücks-Müsli (Apple, Red Fruits), Activia Drink (Apple-Cherry-Banana, Peach-Pineapple, Cereal, Strawberry Cereal), and Activia Zero 4-pack (Natural, Cereal, Raspberry, Pineapple). You can be reimbursed for either two Frühstücks-Müsli, two Drinks, one Müsli plus one Drink, or one Activia Zero 4-pack (up to €2.79 total) by submitting your purchase on the promo page. Buy until December 31, submit until January 1.
Sante deal is a high-value money-back promotion from a well-known hair care brand.
That wraps up this week’s round-up of ways to save money in Germany. If you’d like this kind of content delivered straight to your inbox, you can subscribe to my newsletter here. It’s free, and every week I send practical deals and tips that make life here a little easier and cheaper.
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