Look out for these hidden ways to save on anything from theme park visits to insurance.
There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but you could still be missing out on a whole raft of freebies that you never knew you were entitled to. We’ve got some top tips to help you keep your money in your own pocket.
At work
Your employee benefits could range from a subsidised canteen to free dental, health and life insurance, or discounts on associated products and services. The biggest giveaway, though, is usually the pension scheme. If your employer matches your contributions that’s quite literally free money and could be worth a fortune after a lifetime of saving.
Many perks, particularly if you’re part of a large company, are extended to include your partner or children so it’s worth checking the small print. Certain professions also offer access to discount and cashback websites including in you're an NHS employee, a teacher or a member of the police force, and bear in mind that professional membership with unions, associations and societies regularly include member discounts on a variety of goods and services.
At home
Entitlements really step up a notch when it comes to local council initiatives. Your basic services will always include policing, access to healthcare, refuse collection and others, but many councils go above and beyond.
Alongside the Freedom pass for the over 60s and disabled, local authorities may offer reduced local travel outside off-peak times or free parking in town centres.
Don’t have internet access at home? Free wireless internet is being rolled out across many areas and should also be accessible at your local (and also free) library. Many, like Preston City Council, offer residents free computer training courses.
If your gym fees are crippling you, the local council might be able to help. Birmingham City Council, for example, offers all its residents free swimming, group exercise classes and gym sessions. And like numerous others around the country, all London boroughs offer free or subsidised cycle training.
As for museums, you may be able to get in for nothing if you live locally. For example, Bath’s 2011 Year of the Museum offers local residents with a Discovery Card free entry to the city’s revamped museums and attractions on certain dates. Meanwhile, if you fancy visiting, say, Warwick or Nottingham castles, there’s no charge for residents. Each venue has its own rules, so contact them in advance.
The street where you live
Commercial operations looking to find favour with the local council and residents may also offer discounts at cinemas, restaurants and leisure facilities. Chessington World of Adventures, for example, offers four free tickets to those who can prove they live nearby and even Lord’s cricket ground has been known to give away sought-after tickets to its immediate neighbours.
Large developments may also be obliged to open facilities to local residents as part of their planning permission, so it’s worth finding out if you live close to a new hotel complex or shopping centre.
Financial products
Before taking out any extra policies for your family, check the details of your own travel, critical illness and life insurance, as some cover dependent children at no extra cost. And if the worst should happen, counseling services for your immediate family are often also free of charge as part of a life or critical illness policy.
If you have a packaged or premium bank account, make sure you don’t double insure - thousands of people take out extra travel, breakdown and mobile phone policies simply because they forget they already have cover.
As for buying expensive insurance against identity theft and fraudulent transactions, you are probably already protected against the financial effects under the Banking Code. This means that if you have your card stolen and copied, you should be compensated for any loss as long as you can prove that you haven’t acted fraudulently and took “reasonable care” to prevent it happening.
