In today's article: why you should almost never buy a Deutsche Bahn ticket without a BahnCard (and the math to back it up), an ever-popular free-item promo from Yves Rocher, a dictation app that changed my life, and a bank bonus of up to €250 for those who are willing to do a bit of work. Let’s get into it.
Note: this article contains affiliate links, which are marked with *.
🚂 Tip of the Week: Don't Buy Train Tickets at Full Price
If you travel by Deutsche Bahn* even a couple of times a year, there's a good chance you're leaving money on the table by not buying a BahnCard. The math on these cards is more favorable than you’d expect – and right now, the BahnCard 50 is on sale, which makes the numbers even better.
Here's how it works. You can choose between two discount levels:
BahnCard 25 gives you 25% off all long-distance fares (Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis, and Flexpreis). The 3-month trial version (Probe BahnCard) costs €19.90 and pays for itself after €80 of ticket spend. The 12-month version is €62.90, with a break-even of ~€250 over the year.
BahnCard 50 gives you 50% off Flexpreis fares and 25% off saver fares. The 3-month trial is €76.90 and breaks even after ~€150 of Flexpreis tickets. The 12-month version is normally €244 – but until July 31, it's on sale for €199 for 2nd class.
The reason the BahnCard 25 is so easy to justify is that €80 is really not much – a single medium-distance round trip will do it. Even if you only have one or two trips planned, the 3-month Probe version will typically pay for itself on the first booking.
One thing to keep in mind: Probe BahnCards automatically convert into a full 12-month subscription unless you cancel 4 weeks before the trial period ends. You can do this online in your Deutsche Bahn account – just set a reminder for yourself. Get your BahnCard here*.
P.S.: For more ways to save on Deutsche Bahn and train travel in Germany, you can also check out my full train travel guide.
🔥 Hot Deals
🧴 Yves Rocher: First Item In Your Cart Free
This reader-favorite Yves Rocher promo is back: until May 5, you get the first item in your cart for free with code LOVEMOM (advertisement). The offer applies to the full range, excluding sets and limited editions, and the minimum order is €20.
What makes this offer so lucrative is that the first item is free regardless of its price. So here is what your strategy should be: add the most expensive thing you want first – that could be a serum at €69.90* or a rich day cream at €57.90* – and then fill the rest of the basket with lower-cost basics like shower gels, hand creams, or soap to reach the free shipping threshold.
Last time Yves Rocher had this promo, I came away with 5 products for just over €20 – including a moisturiser* that normally costs €49. This coffee-scented shower gel* smells absolutely divine. The products are good quality, and they make nice gifts too, so even if you don't need anything for yourself right now, this could be a good opportunity to stock up ahead of time. Shop the Yves Rocher offer here*.
💶 Up to €250 Bonus from comdirect
comdirect* is one of the most established online banks in Germany, and their current offer is the highest bonus I’ve seen in a while: up to €250 for new customers who open an account by June 2.
The bonus comes in two parts. The first €100 is straightforward: give marketing consent during the application process (and keep it in place until the bonus is paid), and have at least €700 deposited into the account in at least two out of the first four months. Salary, pension, or student loans (BAföG) all count, but manual transfers do not. The bonus is paid from the fourth month onwards.
The additional €150 requires using comdirect's account-switching service within three months of opening. This is a tool that lets you notify your existing payment partners – landlord, electricity provider, phone contract, employer – of your new bank details, and transfer your standing orders over. To qualify, you need to inform at least two payment partners through the service. It's more involved than a typical bank bonus condition, but not complicated once you sit down to do it; the tool walks you through it step by step.
The account itself is free if you receive at least €700 per month, are under 28 and studying or in training, or make three Apple Pay or Google Pay payments per month. It includes a free Visa debit card, an optional Girocard for €1/month, and a linked savings account. If you're willing to go through the switching process, €250 is the highest bank bonus currently available in Germany. Open your comdirect account here*.
P.S.: If you'd prefer something simpler, Berliner Volksbank* is offering €200 with no switching service requirements – you can find it and other current bank bonuses in my full guide to the best bank accounts in Germany.
The bonus conditions for comdirect are a bit more involved than in other banks, but the payoff is also much higher.
🎤 Wispr Flow: A Dictation App I Can’t Live Without
Sponsored by Wispr Flow
If I had to pick one app that changed my workflow (and maybe my life?) the most in the last six months, it would be Wispr Flow, a voice-to-text app. I just… don't type anymore. I speak to my laptop and phone instead, and everything is transcribed and cleaned up perfectly. At this point, typing feels absurdly slow by comparison.
The app works on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android. There's a free plan that covers everyday use perfectly well if you’re not a heavy user – and if you want unlimited usage, you can try the Pro plan free for 14 days. I'm super happy to have them sponsoring this issue – below is a message from the team.
Stop typing what you could say in 10 seconds.
Wispr Flow turns your voice into clean, professional text inside any app. Emails, Slack, client updates — speak once, send without editing. 4x faster than typing.
💰 More Deals
iHerb 20% off supplements in-app: iHerb is my forever go-to for supplements and vitamins, and I always time my orders to their sitewide sales – this is one of those times. Until May 1, you get 20% off supplements in the app with code APREUAPP (advertisement). If you're new to iHerb or want to know how to get the most out of it, you can read my full shopping guide here first. Then shop the sale here*.
Vodafone 100 GB deal: If you're an existing Vodafone home internet customer, there's a good phone plan deal running until May 12: 100 GB for €19.99/month, or unlimited data for €24.99/month. If you're on a contract with another mobile provider, you can also get a bonus of up to 6 months free until the old contract runs out. If you're not yet a Vodafone internet customer but are considering it, they're offering up to €250 cashback on new internet contracts until May 11 – check the offer here*. I have Vodafone in my apartment and I'm very happy with it. See the phone plan deal here*.
Bybit €20 in bitcoin: If you've been curious about crypto but haven't taken the plunge yet, Bybit is offering €20 in bitcoin for registering and topping up you wallet with €100. I personally don't have a dedicated crypto wallet – I hold a small crypto position through Trade Republic – but dedicated platforms like Bybit are a lot cheaper and give you more flexibility: you can hold your crypto directly, transfer to external wallets and access hundreds of coins rather than the ~50 available on broker platforms. Sign up here.
Grover €30 off your first rental: Grover is a gadget rental service – you pay a monthly fee to rent a phone, laptop, camera, or other tech, and return it when you're done. It's a smart way to test whether you actually like a device without buying it. New customers save €30 on the first month with code ERSTE30 (advertisement) on any rental of 6 months or more. If you're already a Grover customer, you can get €20 off your first month on a new 6-month+ rental booked through the app with code APP20 (advertisement). Rent on Grover here*.
if you're not ready to commit to a device, renting it with Grover could be a good solution.
🎁 Freebies
Desperados Tropical Daiquiri: Buy a Desperados Tropical Daiquiri (0.5l can or 0.33l bottle) with a promotional sticker until June 28, then upload your receipt until July 5 to get the full purchase price refunded.
Heineken 0.0: Buy a Heineken 0.0 non-alcoholic beer (0.33l can or 0.25l bottle) until May 31, then upload your receipt until June 7 to get your money back – the full purchase price for individual units, or €1.20 for the can and €0.95 for the bottle when bought as part of a multipack.
tetesept Femi Complex: Buy tetesept Femi Complex Chasteberry 15 mg supplement (60 tablets) at Rossmann in-store or online until May 10, then upload your receipt to get your money back. Only 300 entries are accepted per day, so upload early.
Kühne Spice It Up: Buy one of the Kühne Spice It Up sauces (Chili Garlic or Mediterranean Herbs) until December 31, then submit your receipt via WhatsApp (wqco.de/spice) or via email [email protected] to get the purchase price refunded. Full conditions 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 can see this Chili Garlic sauce getting a lot of use on my “boring” veggies.
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