Yahoo Finance Free festivals and DIY offers: this week's deals and discounts
There’s a great bunch of money-saving deals and discounts for you to grab this week, including free festivals, a range of DIY offers, and tips on spotting a dodgy online car deal.
But don’t forget, a bargain is only a good deal if you were planning to splash out on it anyway.
Free street festivals celebrating the bike
We’re halfway through a series of free street festivals celebrating the bicycle around the country.
Let’s Ride hits Leicester on Sunday 12 August and promises music, food and drink, fun and games, demos, giveaways, activities, challenges, face painting.
The remaining upcoming Let’s Ride events in August and September are at Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham and Liverpool.
60% off bikes and equipment
Evans Cycles has a 60% off sale at the moment, as well as up to £350 extra off sale bikes if you trade-in an old two-wheeler.
Free Caribbean Carnival in Manchester
Other festivals being held this weekend across the country include the Manchester Caribbean Carnival, which takes place at Alexandra Park, Moss Side, Manchester on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 August. This year’s free event celebrates 70 since since the Empire Windrush.
Kids go free at Kew
You can get a voucher for free entry for two kids to Kew Gardens through family money-saving website LittleBird. The £17 voucher promises to save you 37% off entry costs but must be used by 2 September. Additional adults cost £17 while standard tickets for children aged between 4 and 16 is £5.
Half-price help with student scholarships
To celebrate the release of A-level results this month, you can get 50% off GrantFairy, the mobile app which matches students with scholarships to help pay their university tuition fees and reduce their student loans. The offer reduces the monthly cost to £1.
School will be back soon but you can get £10 off a uniform
Sorting out the kids’ uniform for the next school year can be an expensive business.
But sign up at TopCashback and you can get £10 cash back if you spend £50 on a school uniform at M&S. You have until Sunday 19 August to take advantage.
…Or there’s £15 off at B&Q
Alternatively you could sign up at TopCashback to get up to £15 cashback on a £15+ spend at B&Q. Effectively the deal means you can get something free – such as barbecue equipment to enjoy the warm weather – at the DIY chain until Sunday 19 August.
Half-price kitchens
Rival DIY chain Wickes has 50% off kitchens until Sunday 13 August, as well as a sale of bathroom fittings, which runs until the same date.
Lidl’s DIY deals
If you really fancy doing some DIY this weekend, Lidl has a range of offers on tools. Deals include a Parkside circular store for £34.99 and two-piece multi- purpose spanners for £7.99.
The deals started on Thursday 9 August so there should still be some stock left in stores at the weekend.
Tip of the week
Thinking of buying a used car online? Be wary of scams, warns Mark Bailey, head of CDL Vehicle Information Systems, which owns MyCarCheck.
He says: “The sheer volume of online scams is off the chart this summer, with seasonal favourites like convertibles, camper vans and motor homes being targeted.” He says there are three tell-tale signs of a con:
Is the vehicle being offered for substantially less than other similar models.
Does the number ring out or go to voicemail, prompting you to ‘email the seller’?
Are you then offered a vehicle that is abroad but can be ‘shipped to you’?
“If you encounter any of the above, and certainly all three in order, it should serve as a red flag that you are being lined up,” says Mr Bailey. “The best advice remains: If in doubt, walk away.”
