-
Read more
Grocery shopping on a budget – save up to £40 a week
I would love to shop at M&S every day for my food stuffs, but that just isn’t feasible. Sometimes they have fruit and veg that is reduced in price because its sell by date is that day and they have also introduced a “basics range, but the other stuff is too tempting. When I do get a bargain and tell my hubby that I have bought some Maris Pipers that look good enough to eat raw for just over a £1, my excitement never seems to rub off on him.
Anyway, I received a £500 phone bill – no fault of my own (honest – my wi-fi problem!) – and decided that if I had to pay it, I needed to make some cut backs. I ended up paying only £5 of the bill. My …
-
Read more
Tips for saving with coupons and vouchers
I am a couponer I must admit. Not an extreme one though. You know the types that can get their shopping for £5 a week and have stacks of stuff that they didn’t really want just because it was free or cost next to nothing – that is too much effort for me.
I do however save coupons, look out for them in the post and in magazines, readily accept them when handed out around town and have no problem rummaging in my bag to save 20p off an item, get a bogof or some free loyalty points on a purchase.
Invariably I have some coupons floating around in my bag or purse at all times. I do cull them and remove the out of date ones. I also stick ones that are not really …
-
Read more
Get paid to shop with Top CashBack
A website that pays you money as you shop, now I wasn’t sure at first, but what did I have to lose?
I was already signed up to Quidco. While I did use Quidco for two years and got paid £732, I did have to pay for the privilege, so I switched. BTW, the amount is high as I brought quite a few electricals and expensive bits of gear.
I came across Top CashBack and made the move. There are other similar sites around, but Top CashBack doesn’t charge you. It makes money from ads, whereas sites like Quidco charge, if only a little bit, but it’s a charge and I like things for free. I hear that now, however, that Quidco has also introduced a free service, so that may be worth checking out.…
-
Read more
TK Maxx definitely won’t max out your credit card
What do you do when it is not sale season and you feel the need to shop, but without spending loads on a new outfit? Discount clothing stores such as TK Maxx are always a good bet to grab a fashion bargain, whatever time of year it is.
The TK Maxx discount store in particular is a favourite for fashion and price-savvy shoppers thanks to it offering big, designer labels and one-off items at up to 60 per cent discount. So, new season designer staples such as a Michael Kors studded jumper, normally priced from £145, cost you more like £87 while classic pieces – nay essentials – like Dolce & Gabbana’s Pony Skin Tote Bag, costing upwards of £1,000 brand new, can be snapped up from as little as £600, saving over £400.
Another …
-
Read more
How loyalty cards can save you money
In my bag and purse I have 15 loyalty cards from various retailers, including Game, BHS, Boots and Sainsburys.
Although I don’t use all of them every week, they definitely save me money. My favourites are the ones that earn you money off rather than send you vouchers for things that you may or may not buy. The top “earners” are Nectar, Boots Advantage card and Superdrug’s Beautycard. Tesco may be good but I would rather have Avios miles. BHS’ loyalty card is cool and I always get a minimum of 5% off – I don’t think new customers can get the card, but I’ve had mine for over a decade.
So when the shop assistant asks, do you have a store loyalty card, just ask right back, do I have to pay for it? …
-
Read more
M&S furniture and John Lewis curtains at a snip
We overspent when buying our first house, so needed to scrimp on furniture.
Quality was the name of the game, but doesn’t quality cost?
I had wondered around Habitat (sadly no more) and Heal’s and the furniture was gorgeous, but just too expensive, though we had to have the square extendable table (at full price!).
I decided to go high street and M&S was my first port of call.
The Abbey sofas and Sonoma dining table set were just right. I got in touch with M&S and asked if they had any furniture discount or outlet stores and they told me about Bucks Furniture warehouse in Deptford and another place in north Wales. Sadly the Bucks I knew is no more!
Now Bucks just happened to be a few miles away from our new home, …
-
Read more
Using showrooming to beat high street prices
Now showrooming to get cheaper prices sometimes doesn’t feel too moral. It’s the practice of going into a high street retailer and then using your smart phone to surf the internet and locate a lower price, often online or where you can order online and pick up from store.
I don’t always use showrooming, for example, if I’m in M&S and they are offering new season stock, I just buy it. I think it’s really only worth it on large purchases. Once I was in a dress shop and the frock was going to set me back £150, so I was having second thoughts. I searched for the said dress on eBay and bought it for £40.
I’ve used showrooming at Homebase too, where I found that a Karcher pressure washer cheaper online at Argos …
-
Read more
Sainbury’s 12 piece dinner sets at £10 – when to buy for this saving
While I have a beautiful Denby set gifted at my wedding many moons ago, I am rather like most of my friends, too scared to use it every day. It’s too heavy for the kids and the replacement cost makes my eyes water.
I ended up with some nice Whittards plates, then got married and got some other random plates, but never more than four of each plate, bowl or cup.
As a grown up, I decided that I needed to bite the bullet and buy a matching set. I looked at Corelle, thinking unbreakable and long lasting, but I would need to import and even the cheapest sets were around £50 for 16 pieces, so with spares, I was looking at over £100.
M&S and John Lewis, while selling gorgeous dinner sets were still …
-
Read more
How to bag a bargain on eBay
I am a fan of eBay. Before buying anything online, I will see if I can get it on eBay. It’s even more enticing now that I can collect Nectar points for my purchases.
Recently, I picked up a brand new steam generator iron for £50 less than the cheapest online store, and that was Argos. The item has a guarantee card and arrived within a couple of days. I also recently bagged some Berghaus walking boots for £35 inc postage and package. They had been worn but were in fantastic condition (as good as new as far as I was concerned) and better than paying £115 for boots I will wear only a handful of times a year. I buy lots of other things and price is nearly always the reason I choose eBay.…
-
Read more
Occasion wear for kids at less than £2 per outing
As most of our friends get older, we get invited to less weddings, but we still attend one or two a year and we get invited to family parties and special gatherings quite often.
While a few years ago, it was okay to send the kids in cute but casual clothes, now they need to look slick.
I would recommend BHS and Next as nearly every town has either one of them. BHS seems to have the larger range and last week I managed to get a nice shirt, tie and trousers for my 12 year old for less than £40. That was with a BHS loyalty card which gave me 5% off.
Now that doesn’t sound like a bargain and it was definitely a sharp intake of breathe when I got to the till. …
