How you can avoid the January cash blues by dodging retailers’ sneaky tricks — plus find out how to get our Holidays From £9.50
WE’RE helping you beat the January Blues all week in Sun Savers.
With family budgets feeling the squeeze after Christmas, we are bringing you top tips from leading bloggers to help keep more cash in your pocket.
Today, Helen Dewdney, who is behind consumer website , reveals how to avoid retailers’ sneaky tricks.
Helen says: “Most of us have less to spend in January than other months. So think carefully about how you spend every penny and you’ll find your cash lasts a whole lot longer.”
- Don’t be fobbed off. Your rights are the same in those January sales as any other time. If an item is faulty, doesn’t last for a reasonable length of time, is not fit for purpose or not as described, you are entitled to a full refund within 30 days of purchase or free repair or replacement under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
- Booking a holiday? Ensure you clear your computer’s cookies each time you browse for hols online. Otherwise, travel firms might up the cost of the deals you see.
- Think carefully before taking out a gym membership. Work out how many times you would have to go each week to make it worthwhile — and keep that as a reminder on your calendar. If you don’t meet that number, you are wasting money and should consider cancelling. Before you sign up, do read the terms and conditions to see how much notice you have to give.
- Keep an eye out for free trials. You can often pick up deals like three-month restaurant offer cards for £1. But ensure you cancel the direct debit if you aren’t making use of it. If you find you have hardly used it in the first three months, you are even less likely to use it as time goes by. So ditch it.
- Found a bargain gadget or toy online? Buy the batteries elsewhere, as they are likely to be cheaper. Add-ons tend to cost more to make extra money for the retailer.
- PRICES correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
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Reader tip
CHRISTINA O’CONNELL, from Watford, says: “Cut dishwasher tablets in half. They wash just as well and a packet lasts twice as long.”
- Send your tips to [email protected] and get 28 codes worth £5 if it is used. Please include your name and town.
Designer double
SWITCH the £280 Prada Red Button-Embellished Wool Mini Skirt, for the £14 Red Mini Skirt from Nutmeg at Morrisons.
SAVE: £266
Jane's tip
CONCERNED that changes to Tesco’s Clubcard reward scheme will leave you out of pocket? Check out how to maximise your points at .
It's hols from £9.50
OUR unbeatable bargain breaks are back – with new locations, more dates and extra availability.
You can pick from 326 parks in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Croatia, on dates from next month until November 2018.
Book a three-night weekend or go from Monday to Friday, enjoying our midweek offer of four nights for the price of three.
Our Sun Savers rewards club is the quickest way to book Hols From £9.50. Join now using the app or at . We only need your name, birth date and email.
Then buy the paper each day to collect Sun Savers codes and once you have 28, we will GIVE you £5. So over a year, you can earn £65.
After signing up to Sun Savers, opt into the Holiday From £9.50 promotion by clicking “start collecting” in the offers section. Then collect your nine Sun Savers codes from today until January 30.
Already a member? Update your app in the app store.
You can still collect tokens or codewords but you need TEN, so it will take you a day longer until you can book.
Fancy a free fiver?
YOU can get FREE cash with super Sun Savers just for buying your favourite paper.
Our brilliant new rewards club will pay back our most loyal readers.
Just pick up the paper each day to collect your Sun Savers codes and we will GIVE YOU £5 when you have collected 28.
This isn’t a one-off and there is no limit to how much cash you can save.
For every 28 codes you enter, we will give you a fiver. So over the course of a year, that could add up to £65.
We are keeping it super-simple. You don’t have to enter codes from consecutive days, so don’t worry if you forget a day or two.
Download our easy Sun Savers app and quickly scan your code using your smartphone. Or go online and enter your code at .
What is Sun Savers? Here's everything you need to know about our new rewards club
MOST READ IN MONEY
To get you on your way, join today and we will put a bonus £1 in your Sun Savers wallet tomorrow. And the good news doesn’t stop with free cash.
With Sun Savers, we give you the best hacks, deals and tips to save money every single day.
TO JOIN: Don’t worry, folks — joining takes just 30 seconds, in three steps.
All we’ll ask of you is your name, your date of birth and an email address to get you on the way to your first crisp fiver.
You can choose to save or cash out straight to your bank account or instantly with Paypal.
Don’t delay — join Sun Savers now!