This article covers a few ways to spend less in Germany right now: Shark will pay you up to €100 for the old vacuum cleaner sitting in your storage room, BBVA has improved the interest and cashback terms on their free current account, and there's a new free tool for finding cheap Deutsche Bahn tickets. You'll also find summer picks from Amazon and a fresh batch of money-back freebies for your shopping list.
Note: this article contains affiliate links, which are marked with *.
🚄 Tip of the Week: Better DB Train Ticket Search
If you've ever tried to find the cheapest Deutsche Bahn ticket for a trip with flexible dates, you know the routine: open the DB site, check one date, go back, check another, repeat until you lose the will to travel. Bahnscanner fixes exactly that. It's a free tool built by a developer in Berlin, and it works like Skyscanner for Deutsche Bahn tickets: you pick a date range or a whole month, and it shows you the cheapest days to travel in that window.
The date-range search is the feature I found the most useful. There's also a 30-day price calendar, a round-trip search that finds the cheapest pair of dates, and an "Everywhere" option if you don't have a particular destination in mind. You can filter by direct connections only, or by ICE, IC/EC, regional and night trains. Another feature splits tickets for you, which sometimes makes the same journey on the same train cheaper booked as two tickets instead of one – no changing seats, no changing trains.
There's no sign-up, no app to download, and it's available in English as well as German. Try Bahnscanner here. For more ways to save on train travel in Germany and beyond, have a look at my guide to saving money on trains.
This is what booking a train ticket should have looked like all along.
🔥 Hot Deals
🧹 Up to €100 Cashback When You Trade In Your Old Vacuum at Shark
If you've been meaning to replace your vacuum cleaner, Shark* will take the old one off your hands and pay you up to €100 towards the new one. Any brand counts, and it doesn't have to be in good shape – it just has to switch on and come with its power cord if it originally had one.
The process is straightforward: buy a qualifying PowerDetect cordless vacuum by September 7, then submit your claim within 30 days with your receipt and bank details. Once it's provisionally approved, a prepaid DHL box arrives within a week and you send the old machine back. The money lands within 30 days of the device being checked. One thing to know before you start: if a SharkNinja discount brings your purchase under €200, the trade-in doesn't apply.
The best value right now is the PowerDetect Clean & Empty für Tierhaare* at €399.99 (down from €549.99) with €100 back, which brings it to €299.99. The PowerDetect Speed Pet Pro Clean & Empty* starts at €379.99, minus €100 back. The cheapest option is the PowerDetect kabelloser Staubsauger* at €299.99 (down from €449.99), minus €50 cashback. You can trade in up to two devices per household, and the full list of qualifying models is on the campaign site.
The promotion is valid if you buy your new vacuum on Shark's website*, Amazon*, MediaMarkt* and a few other retailers like Euronics, Expert, Otto and QVC. If your vacuum is on its last legs, a €100 trade-in makes this a good moment to upgrade. Shop the PowerDetect range here*.
€100 off a new vacuum for one you were getting rid of anyway is a great deal.
💳 3.5% Interest and 3.5% Cashback with BBVA
BBVA* has been on my list of the best banks in Germany for a while, mostly because it's one of the few free accounts that pays you both interest and cashback without asking you to move your salary or keep a minimum balance. And now they've improved the perks of their current account by increasing both the promotional rates and the follow-on rates once the promo period ends.
New customers now get 3.5% interest per year on their account balance for the first six months, on balances up to €200,000. Interest is credited to your account monthly. On top of that, you get 3.5% cashback on card payments for the first six months, on up to €350 of spending per month – so up to €12.25 back monthly, or €73.50 over the promo period. It's credited automatically each month.
After the first six months, you get 2.25% interest, but you can push it up to 2.75% if you have a salary or pension paid in or spend at least €1,500 a month on your cards. That's still competitive, so you can leave your money there instead of moving it once the promo ends.
The account is free, comes with a debit card, and can be opened and managed entirely online in English or German. If you have savings sitting somewhere earning less than this, six months at 3.5% is a good place to park them. Open your BBVA account here*.
🛒 Amazon Corner: Summer Edit
We probably have another month of hot weather ahead, so here are a few things that make it more bearable and/or fun, hand-picked by me. Happy shopping!
Gadgets
Diveblues handheld fan* (€26.49) – a portable fan with 100 hours of battery, for your public transport trips this August.
ArsMotin table fan* (€32.99) – it oscillates (turns from side to side), and it's very quiet. An easy WFH upgrade.
Outdoor
Sekey picnic blanket* (€24.99) – a waterproof 200x200 cm blanket for all your picnic needs.
Dock & Bay beach towel* (€29.99) – a stylish quick-drying microfibre towel with a bag included.
Columbia Pine Mountain 2 bucket hat* (€16.29) – a unisex bucket hat; I find Columbia very good value for money.
Sunscreen
NIVEA SUN Schutz & Pflege sun spray SPF 30* (€9.25) – Nivea sunscreens are the smell of summer for me. I prefer the spray version because of its lighter texture, but there's also the lotion* (€8.85) if you'd rather have a cream.
ISNTREE Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+* (€16.45) – for face I prefer Korean sunscreens: the texture is unparalleled and the value for money is excellent. This one is very nice and light.
Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Mild-Up Sunscreen SPF 50+* (€14.15) – another Korean one, on the more moisturizing side.
haruharu Black Rice Moisture Airyfit Daily Sunscreen SPF 50+* (€15.47) – one more option; wears really well under makeup.
TOCOBO Cotton Soft Sun Stick SPF50+ PA++++* (€12.95) – a sunscreen stick to reapply during the day. Love the form factor, so convenient.
If you have any favorite Amazon products (from any category) that you love and want to recommend to people, don't be shy and share them here – I will be running more Amazon roundups in the next issues and would love to include your favorites.
💰 More Deals
Netflix, Disney+ and RTL+ for €10.67/month: Telekom's MagentaTV package is €17/month over a 24-month term, but right now you can get it free for the first 6 months and get €50 cashback on top, which brings the effective price down to €10.67. Netflix and Disney+ are the ad-supported Standard plans, and you also get over 180 TV channels included. The app works on most Smart TVs, so no receiver box needed. Sign up here*.
iHerb 20% off supplements: Spend €70 or more on supplements and get 20% off with code AUG26EUSUPP (advertisement). iHerb is my go-to for vitamins and supplements – the value for money is excellent, and I've been ordering from there for over a decade (here’s my full guide to iHerb). The offer ends on August 12 at 19:00 CEST. Shop here*.
Omio 12% off: Omio* compares trains, buses, flights and ferries in one search, and I use it all the time for traveling around Europe and within Germany. Use code AUGUST12 (advertisement) for 12% off your next booking, up to €10 off, on trips booked before August 19. If you're a new user and spending over €50, you're better off with this link*, which gives you €10 off your first booking in the app with no expiration date. Book here*.
Wolt €30 for new users: New Wolt users get a good welcome deal on their food or grocery delivery – €10 off each of your first three orders (€30 in total) with the code INF-DE-055 (advertisement). The minimum order value is €15, and it applies to delivery orders only (not pick-up). Order here*.
🎁 Freebies
Valess vegetarian products: Buy any Valess product – Schnitzel, Gouda Schnitzel Escalope, Tomato Mozzarella Schnitzel, Crispy Sticks, Crunchy Tenders, Nuggets or Crispy Chikn Burger – by September 30 and upload your receipt to get your money back. Weekly redemptions are limited, so if the form is closed, it reopens on Monday at 8:00.
Deli Reform Omega 3 Daily Margarine: Buy a pack of this new plant-based spread (vegan margarine) by September 30 and upload your receipt and a product photo to get a full refund. There's a daily cap, so submit your receipt early.
Rockstar Mocktails: Despite the name, these are actually energy drinks in mocktail-inspired flavors like Piña Colada, Berry Spritz and Mojito. Buy up to three cans, find the code printed under the pull-tab, and enter it here to get €1.19 back per can. Valid until February 28, 2027.
On That Ass boxer shorts: Get a free pair of men's boxer shorts (XS-3XL or boys' sizes 104-152) when you sign up here*. Shipping is included. After the 14-day trial, the subscription continues at €12.99/month for a new pair delivered to you monthly, but you can cancel before the trial ends at no cost.
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.
Rockstar energy drinks in mocktail flavors, free for up to three cans.
Späti Stories is a Berlin newsletter about the people who make up the city, told through the most democratic institution it has: the Späti. What you get is stories of ordinary Berliners, Kiez guides written by people who love their neighborhoods, and cultural editorials. It's very authentic and human, and I enjoy it very much. You can subscribe here.
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