Money Saving Amy: Advice on cheap train travel and meals out on a budget

Hopefully they will inspire you to get out and enjoy yourself as our bleak January comes to a close.

Don't forget, these are just a taste of what can be found out there. It is worth spending a few minutes looking for deals and seeing how they work for you. You can also plenty of ideas on my moneysavingamy page on Instagram.

The Great British Rail Sale

Today is your last day to bag a bargain train through The Great British Rail Sale, with trains from as little as just £4 one way from Birmingham to London, there’s some real steals to be had.

There’s a bit of a catch with the £4 trains, in that they’re not at the best of times, with some of them being very late at night. But of course, this could suit some people. If you’re not wishing to travel quite so late at night, there’s still some brilliant deals to be had, like a £12.50 train from Birmingham to London at much more reasonable times, making a day trip to London only £25 per person.

Of course, there are many other bargain routes to be had.

You can search on The Great British Rail Sale website to see the type of prices you can get for your journey required, and then head to one of the many train sites to book the tickets, they’re available on The Trainline, LNER, Virgin trains ticketing, South Western railway, Cross country and many more.

Don’t forget to check the cash back sites for even more discount, you can get 1.05 per cent back as an existing customer or 5.25 per cent back as a new customer if you purchase your tickets through TopCashback.

Hungry Horse £5 meals

Until February 9, on a Monday-Friday, you can choose from a selection of nine meals for just £5 each! A brilliant bargain and a great way to head out with friends or family without breaking the bank.

The £5 menu has something for everyone, you can choose from the following main options: nachos, fish and chips, a range of burgers including chicken, beef and vegan, chicken tikka curry, Mac n cheese. Plus there’s also a huge ice cream sundae also available for dessert for only £5 too, with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, cookie dough prices and chocolate galore, it’s bound to be a hit with everyone!

Hungry Horse free drink

Another fab freebie from the Hungry Horse (that you could combine with the £5 deal too!).

You can grab yourself a free drink if you head into your local Hungry Horse pub and show them that you have walked 10,000 steps that day. A great way to get moving and have an incentive at the end too.

This offer ends at 11.59pm on January 31 so grab it while it’s there. You can choose from a range of drinks such as a Heineken 0.0, Schweppes peach coconut, Schweppes watermelon, Schweppes lemonade, Coke Zero or Diet Coke.

More free drinks

If you love a freebie, head to your All Bar One app, where you’ll find a free low or no alcohol cocktail. And if you’ve got the Ember Inns app, they’re offering a free Guinness 0.0%, another fab freebie, great for if you’re doing Dry Jan too.

You can grab both of these freebies until the end of January. There’s also a free pint of Madri Excepcional to be had, if you head to my Instagram page @_moneysavingamy, the link is saved under the highlight 'freebies'. While you’re out and about claiming your free drinks, don’t forget to the check the 'Dusk' app for daily free drinks at selected venues!

Turtle bay free £10 spend

If you’re already signed up to the Turtle Bay app, you’re in luck – there’s a free £10 spend on there, with no minimum spend. Want a tip on how to maximise this £10? Head to Turtle Bay during happy hour, to get double the cocktails for your money. This £10 can also be spent on food.

Please note that if you’re not already signed up to the app, you can sign up now but the £10 spend is only valid on a £30+ spend.

Grab a free bag of sweets

The Marks & Spencer’s swap box scheme is still running, where you donate an item of clothing in return for a free bag of sweets. They’ve now got their valentines and Easter ranges in, so grab a fun themed bag of sweets ready for those occasions, the kids are sure to love them!

I hope you can all make the most of the freebies currently around, enjoy!