In today's issue: my favorite Amazon kitchen purchases (compiled from nine years of order history), an unexpected Dott & Wolt+ partnership that brings us free e-scooter rides, a €4/month TV package for those planning to watch the World Cup, and my thoughts on how to simplify your money management – plus new supermarket freebies to add to your shopping list.
Note: this article contains affiliate links, which are marked with *.
💡 Tip of the Week: Manage Your Money in One Place
I've been a Trade Republic* user for a long time, and a big part of why I like it is that it lets you manage all things money in one place: you get a bank account with a Visa debit card with 1% Saveback (which is basically cashback that goes straight into your savings plan) on purchases, an interest rate on your balance that matches the current ECB rate (currently 2%), and a full investment platform for ETFs and stocks.
If you're mainly focused on saving and investing, Scalable Capital* has recently launched a competitive alternative with 2.50% interest per year on their new Overnight savings account, plus a full brokerage for ETFs and stocks. The interest rate is higher than Trade Republic's, but unlike Trade Republic, it doesn't come with a debit card for daily spending.
My preferred setup is Trade Republic for everyday spending and investing, plus a fixed-term savings account (Festgeld) for money I won't need for the next 12-24 months. Myntro* currently offers 2.60% for a 12-month term – your rate is locked in regardless of what happens with the ECB rates in the meantime. Worth considering if you have savings sitting somewhere that are paying you less.
🔥 Hot Deals
🛵 3 Months of Wolt+ for Free with Dott
Dott, my favorite e-scooter app, teamed up with Wolt* for a nice promo: if you're a Dott user, you can claim a free 3-month trial of Wolt+, which normally costs €4.99 per month.
With Wolt+, you get €0 delivery fees, 5% off pickup orders, savings on service fees, and lots of special promotions in restaurants and stores. On top of that, the Wolt+ Pass included in the trial gives you 30 minutes of free Dott rides per month (~€12 value).
To get the offer, you first need a Dott account – if you've never used Dott before, you can sign up and get one free 20-minute ride with code Q1DGE8G (advertisement). After that, keep an eye on your Dott emails and app notifications – your Wolt+ voucher link will arrive there, and you can activate your Wolt+ trial in the Wolt app. Cancel any time during the trial to avoid getting charged. The deal is available for new Wolt+ users, or returning users who haven't had Wolt+ for at least six months.
If you're also new to Wolt, you can stack code AFFWOLTDEU26 (advertisement) on top for €10 off each of your first three orders. I love riding scooters when it’s warm and I order from Wolt once in a while too, so I'm definitely gonna be using this offer. Sign up for Dott here or order Wolt here*.
I didn't expect these two brands to partner up, but I like it.
📺 A Cheap TV Package for the World Cup and Beyond
If you're planning to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup and don't already have a TV setup, this is good timing. Through LogiTel*, you can get the Telekom MagentaTV Smart package including RTL+ Premium – and all World Cup matches in HD – for an effective price of €4 per month over the contract period of 2 years.
Here's how the numbers work: the first six months are free, then it's €7 per month for the remaining 18 months of the 24-month contract. LogiTel adds €30 cashback on top, which you claim by uploading your first Telekom bill to their promotion page. That brings the total cost over two years down to €96 – or €4 per month on average. For context, RTL+ Premium alone normally costs €9.99 per month, so just that part would set you back €240 over two years.
The package includes 180+ channels (160 in HD), access to the Telekom Megathek with films and series, RTL+ Premium and three simultaneous streams. It works on most Smart TVs, Fire TV sticks, and mobile devices. The price rises to €11 per month from month 25 onwards – worth keeping in mind if you're planning to cancel after 2 years. Get your package here*.
🛒 Amazon Corner: My All-Time Kitchen Favorites
I went through nine years of Amazon order history to put this together, so you know I stand behind every single one of these! Here are my favorite kitchen purchases – the things I use regularly and would buy again without hesitation.
OXO angled measuring cup 500 ml* (€11.99) – I use this pretty much every time I cook. The angled design means you can read the measurements from above – once you've tried it, going back feels unthinkable. I also have the small 60ml version* (€9.72) for dressings and smaller quantities.
OXO Good Grips kitchen scissors* (€18.43) – OXO can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. Everything I've bought from them has been excellent, and these scissors are no exception.
WMF garlic press* (€21.50) – This is my favorite kitchen gadget, and I've told so many friends about it (much to their confusion about why anyone could be so excited about a garlic press). Trust me on this one – it's just such a pleasure to use. It's actually cheaper now than when I bought it two years ago (I paid €29).
Hand lemon squeezer* (€17.90) – One of those things that sounds non-essential until you have one. You get so much more juice out of a lemon this way than by hand.
Cooking thermometer* (€8.48) – Looks a bit flimsy, but does the job perfectly well for the price; now I can check chicken's internal temperature like fancy chefs on TV.
Bialetti mocha espresso maker * (€25.09) – A classic that needs no introduction; if you make your coffee on the stovetop, you can hardly do better.
Glass food storage containers* (€23.40) – I've been trying to move away from plastic in my kitchen, especially for warm food. These are a good size (1000 ml) – a lot of containers I saw when I looked were way too small.
Magnetic spice rack* (€19.99) – It's not the exact model I have, but very similar, and it might be one of my favorite things I've ever bought for my kitchen. It clings to the fridge and keeps things off the counter – I use it for my supplements, but you can also use it for spices and small bottles. Also check out a version with a paper towel holder* (€16.99) and a different style* (€15.99).
Washable placemats* (€10.95) – Simple but nice-looking, affordable, easily washable. I have them in beige.
If you have any favorite Amazon products (from any category, not just kitchen) that you love and want to recommend to people, please share them here – I will be running more Amazon roundups in the next issues and would love to include your favorites.
OXO does kitchen essentials so well, and this measuring cup is one of my favorite Amazon finds.
💰 More Deals
60 days of audiobooks free: Nextory is a Swedish audiobook and ebook app that is much better value than Audible – instead of one book per month, you get a generous hourly allowance: 25 hours/month on the Basic plan (€9.99/month), 50 hours on Premium (€14.99/month), or 100 hours shared across four profiles on the Family plan (€19.99/month). New users (and those who cancelled at least 6 months ago) can try it free for 60 days with 30 hours of listening included; cancel any time during the trial. I tried the app and really liked it; the English-language audiobook selection is amazing and they had a lot of the books I wanted, including new titles. Start your free trial here*.
KoRo box with €20 Flaconi voucher: KoRo rarely runs promotions, so when they do, I pay attention. Their limited Mother's Day gift box costs €30 (delivery is free) and includes seven products – organic pistachio cream, raw food bars, nut butter cups, and more – plus a €20 Flaconi voucher on top. This means you're essentially getting all those products for €10, with a Flaconi voucher to spend on whatever you like. I'm getting this one for sure! Order the box here*.
sim24 plans from €6.99: Mobile plans in Germany are a lot cheaper than they were a few years ago, so it might be time to have a look at what you're paying. sim24 has a flash sale running until April 24: 25 GB for €6.99/month, 50 GB for €9.99/month, and 70 GB for €13.99/month. All plans include 5G, unlimited calls and SMS within Germany, and no activation fee on a 24-month contract (or €9.99 one-time charge if you want to be able to cancel monthly). You can port your existing number. Get your plan here*.
Surfshark VPN sale: Surfshark just launched their best-ever deal: you can get the Starter VPN plan from €1.44/month, €1.69/month for One (adds antivirus and data breach alerts), and €3.14/month for One+ (adds data removal). All 2-year plans come with 4 extra months, and 1-year plans with 3 extra months added to your subscription. Valid until April 26. Get the deal here*.
I was very impressed with the English-language audiobook selection on Nextory.
🎁 Freebies
Vanish Oxi Action stain remover: Buy a participating Vanish Oxi Action product (Pink Powder 250g, Powerweiss Powder 250g, or Foam Spray 250ml) and upload your receipt and a photo of the product to get your money back (up to €5). The promotion runs until May 16, and daily redemptions are limited – upload early in the day.
Pepsi: Buy any participating Pepsi product (Pepsi Cola, Cherry, Lemon or Mango in regular or Zero versions various sizes – full list on the promo page) and upload your receipt to get your money back. Up to two entries per person are allowed. The promotion runs until May 31, with a weekly redemption limit – if you miss out one week, try again the following week.
Gefro sample pack: New customers can request a free sample pack with a selection of soups, sauces, and seasonings – a good way to try their range before committing to full sizes. Get the sample pack here*.
WHISKAS cat food sample: If you have a cat or a kitten at home, 1) lucky you; 2) you can order a free WHISKAS or WHISKAS Junior sample pouch (chicken in jelly) sent directly to your address. Available until December 31. Request your sample here.
Money-back grocery and household product promos are one of the easiest ways to cut everyday costs. A lot of promotions from previous issues are still active – you can find them all here if you’d like to try more. For more free grocery products, Rewe product tests are worth a look as well.
I always keep a bottle of Vanish on hand for removing stains.
That’s it for this week! If you'd like deals and money-saving tips for life in Germany delivered straight to your inbox every week, you can subscribe to the Smart Living newsletter here. It's free, and you can unsubscribe any time.
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