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For a more detailed explanation see How MSE is financed.
The Works deals
0 Current Deals
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Get more bang for your book, when you head online to The Works* or into a store (find your nearest*), as you can get 10 kids' picture books for £10.
The offer's valid on all books in the 'Mix & Match' multibuy section* and when we checked online on Tuesday 22 February there were over 170 books to choose from. If you're shopping in store, this selection of books will be clearly marked. No discount code is needed, this deal is automatically applied at the checkout.
If you order online, you'll qualify for free Click & Collect when you spend £10, too. Alternatively, standard delivery is £3.99, or free when you spend £25 or more. Both options will take around three working days to be delivered in-store or to your delivery address.
The Works has told us that the 10 kids' books for £10 is an ongoing offer with no specific end date.
RRPs for these books are usually between £4.99-£6.99, while The Works usually sells them for £2 each. See 16 free or cheap kids' book tricks for more like this.
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Latest Expired Deals
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The Works three fiction books for £6
Choose from over 130 titles
ExpiredIf you go online to The Works* or into a store (find your nearest*), you can get three fiction books for £6 until Sunday 11 June.
The offer's valid on all books found in this multibuy section* and when we checked online on Thursday 25 May there were over 130 books to choose from. If you're shopping in store, this selection of books will be clearly marked. No discount code is needed, this deal is automatically applied at the checkout.
If you order online, you'll qualify for free Click & Collect when you spend £10, too. Alternatively, standard delivery is £3.99, or free when you spend £25 or more. Both options will take around three working days to be delivered in-store or to your delivery address.
The Works has told us that the 10 kids' books for £10 is an ongoing offer with no specific end date.
RRPs for these books are usually up to £9.99 and The Works normally sells them for £2.50.
See 16 free or cheap kids' book tricks for more like this.
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Board game deals round-up
Incl £13 Articulate (norm £30ish), and free virtual games
ExpiredBoard games are an integral Christmas Day activity for many, as well as a good idea for a gift with plenty of mileage, so we've rounded up the best deals on some of the most popular titles. Plus, given the current restrictions, we've suggested how you can adapt a few of the most popular games to play virtually.
The Government's guidance for staying safe over Christmas suggests avoiding playing board games with members of different households because of the risk of contamination, and only playing with members of your own household. So if physical board games are off the table for you, we've highlighted below whether or not you can adapt each game to be played over video call instead, and listed an app or online version, if this is available – though these may not be like-for-like to a physical copy. We've mentioned some virtual games and quizzes below, too.
Most popular and highest rated board games
We researched the best board games by scanning review listicles and best seller lists (see all our sources below), and collating some of the titles which appeared most often. The results cover both new and classic games, and varying levels of difficulty. For more about how to play each game, see our 'what's the gist?' table below.
Board game Lowest price (and next cheapest) How easy is this to play over video call? Is there an online version instead? Articulate! £12.99 at Ryman, £20 at Asda (norm up to £33) Easy – it has an online version of the game (see right). Yes – for free via the Articulate! virtual cards, specially launched for lockdown. Gloomhaven £105.94 at Amazon*, £109.19 at Zatu (norm up to £150) Not possible – you can't play over a call. No – there's no online version. Ticket to Ride
£32.95 at Amazon*, £36.99 at Zatu (norm up to £40) Not possible – you can't play over a call. Yes – via an app (currently £3.09 via Google Play or £2.99 on the App Store). Scrabble
£11.99 at Amazon* and Smyths Toys, £12 at Argos (norm up to £20) Difficult – you'd need to make sure the same letters were removed from each player's bag each time. No – but there are free apps such as WordFeud which let you play a similar game with friends via your phone. Pandemic £17.99 at IWOOT, £28.98 at OnBuy (norm up to £40) Not possible – you can't play over a call. Yes – you can play virtually online for £7.19 on Steam. Carcassonne
£17.99 at IWOOT, £21.61 at Amazon* (norm up to £35) Easy – it has an online version of the game. Yes – thanks to the free online version at BoardGameArena. Exploding Kittens
£9.99 at OnBuy, £14.99 at Amazon* (norm up to £30) Not possible – you can't play over a call. Yes – via an app (currently £1.79 via Google Play or £1.99 on the App Store). Five Second Rule £9.99 at Smyths Toys, £12.96 at OnBuy (norm up to £13) Bit fiddly – one household could manoeuvre the pieces and read from the cards while other households could shout out answers. No – there's no online version. Cards Against Humanity (family edition) £25 at Cards Against Humanity, £27.99 at John Lewis* and £29.99 at WH Smith (norm up to £30) Easy – you'd all need to print free pack from the Cards Against Humanity website. To save paper, consider downloading and viewing onscreen instead. Yes – you can download for free from the Cards Against Humanity website. Prices at 5.56pm on Tue 22 Dec
Classic board gamesBoard game Lowest price (and next cheapest) How easy is this to play over video call? Is there an online version instead? Jenga £9.99 at Amazon* and Smyths Toys, Next cheapest, £10 (norm £12) at Argos, John Lewis* and Tesco Not possible – need to be in the same room to play. No – there's no online version.
Connect 4 £10.99 at Smyths Toys. Next cheapest, £11 at Argos Bit fiddly – one person would need to put all the tokens in. Yes – via an app (currently free via App Store or £2.39 via Google Play). Monopoly £17.99 at Smyths Toys. Next cheapest, £18 (was £20) at Argos Bit fiddly – each player would need to move/place all pieces on their own board. Yes – via an app (currently £3.99 via Google Play and the App Store). Prices at 5.56pm on Tue 22 Dec
Top board game picks from MSE HQ
Board game
Lowest price (and next cheapest) How easy is this to play over video call? Is there an online version instead? Dobble
MSE Laura B's pick£5.66 at OnBuy, £8 at Amazon* (norm up to £13) Possible – for some versions, you'd all need your own pack.(See Connect and Play for which versions can be played virtually). No – there's no online version. Dominion
MSE Laura F's pick£32.49 at Zatu, £41.36 at Amazon* (norm up to £45) Not possible – you can't play over a call. Yes – there's a free Dominion online version. What do you Meme?
MSE Sarah's pick£22.99 at Zatu. Cheaper at £22.39 at Hive but currently out of stock (norm up to £28) Not possible – you can't play over a call. No – there's no online version. Cluedo
MSE Rhiannon's pick£15 at Asda, £20 at Argos (norm up to £30) Possible – so long as one person has the set, they can move pieces for everyone. Yes – it's £11.99 on Steam or there's an app (currently £1.99 via Google Play or £3.99 on the App Store) Guess Who? Norwich City FC edition
MSE Kelvin's pick£24 at Official Norwich City FC Merchandise. Not available elsewhere Possible – you'd all need your own (same version) board. Yes – Twinkl has a free printable Guess Who-style game. Linkee
MSE Laura F's pick£21.38 at Zatu, £22.97 at George at Asda (norm up to £27) Easy – only one person needs a pack. Everyone else can listen and call out. No – there's no online version. Prices at 5.56pm on Tue 22 Dec
More virtual gamesIf you're not fussed about physical games, perhaps you'd rather keep your gaming solely in cyberspace where human infections hold no sway. In that case, if the games listed above don't take your fancy, there are plenty of free sites you can use to find games of your choice.
BoardGameArena features a selection of popular games and lets you play online against friends or strangers. If you've had enough of board games after reaching this section, you might prefer the free quizzes over at Sporcle.
If your Christmas game-playing usually involves a festive tipple, see our Christmas bubbly deals.
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Use the Money Mantras
Before spending, use Martin’s Mantras. If you answer 'NO' to any, then don't buy!
Then ask:
- Do I need it?
- Can I afford it?
- Have you checked prices elsewhere?
Then ask:
- Will I use it?
- Is it worth it?
Free protection for all shopping!
There's a little-known piece of legislation that turns any credit card into a financial self-defence superhero. 'Section 75' of the Consumer Credit Act means your plastic must protect anything you buy for more than £100 for free, so if there's a problem or the company goes bust, you can still get your money back.
And although Section 75 doesn't apply to debit cards, there is something else to fall back on if you've paid using a debit card, or used a credit card for a purchase under £100. Known as Chargeback, this is part of banks' and card companies' internal rules and not a legal requirement. Read full details of Section 75 or Chargeback, plus how to claim, in our guides.
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If a link has an * by it, that means it is an affiliated link and therefore it helps MoneySavingExpert stay free to use, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site. It's worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements.
You shouldn’t notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. Plus the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by these links. We aim to look at all available products. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link. For more details, read How this site is financed.
Duplicate links of the * links above for the sake of transparency, but this version doesn't help MoneySavingExpert.com:
19 September 2023
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Martin: Car insurance up 41%
Home not far behind. Lock in now to save
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