Pamper and Save

My daughter recently treated me to a pamper session at a hotel spa, something which I’d never actually experienced before, but which turned out to be very relaxing.

Unfortunately, I didn't leave with a
figure like this!

This pamper treat took the form of a five-hour session at the Bridgewood Manor Hotel, Kent, part of the Q Hotel chain. The spa area itself, though not large, houses a pool, sauna, steam room, relaxation beds and treatment rooms. If you’re not feeling as lazy as we were, (we went for the relaxation and pampering not a workout) then there’s a gym, and there’s also a lounge area to slump with a coffee. Sadly, what was missing in my view was a Jacuzzi/hot tub, which I would have loved!

On arrival, we had to fill out a health questionnaire, on which I was impressed to actually see ‘hypermobility’ as a category. I suffer from hypermobility* syndrome, but a lot of people and places still fail to acknowledge this condition, so it was refreshing to see it taken into account on this occasion.

Still, on with the spa. We were shown the facilities by a member of staff, then left to wallow at our leisure until the time of our pre-booked facials. We promptly changed into our swimwear (changing rooms were adequate, lockers nice and large for belongings) then took to the pool. This was quite modest in size, but reasonably warm, and not overcrowded as there weren’t too many people there.

My daughter ventured into the sauna, but found it much hotter than others she had tried, but I bowed out of that one. However, we did both enjoy a couple of sessions in the steam room, which was small, accommodating about four people. Unfortunately, we never did manage to spend any time on the heated relaxation beds, as these were always in use when we were free to go on them, but did relax on the poolside loungers.

We were both booked in for express facials, which involved 25 minutes reclining on a warm bed in a dimly lit room, listening to relaxation music, whilst a therapist massaged our faces with a selection of oils and treatments (having first assessed skin type and any problems). I can be a bit of a sceptic when it comes to beauty treatments, and was doubtful as to whether there would be any lasting effects, but have to report that my skin did feel softer for several days after – and it may have been my imagination but looked a bit more glowing too!

Following our facials, we enjoyed a little more relaxation time before adjourning to the lounge for coffee and pastries.

“And what did all this cost”, I hear you ask? Well, not as much as you may think. Although this was a gift from one of my daughters, she operates on a budget, so had made use of a deal from Groupon, a company that I’d heard about but never used. Our five-hour session, including towel hire and the coffee and pastries (actually choice of tea, filter coffee or hot chocolate and two mini Danish pastries each), but not the facials, cost £11.50. For a further £7 each we could have hired robes and slippers, but found that we didn’t really need these. As part of the Groupon deal, we could choose up to two beauty treatments apiece for a 20% discount, meaning that the mini facials came to £24 each as opposed to the normal £30.

My overall verdict of the day? I did feel quite relaxed and enjoyed my time at the Bridgewood Manor Spa, and may repeat the experience once in a while, when offers are available. And I’ll certainly be looking out for other great deals via Groupon.

* You can read more about hypermobility syndrome here  

January’s Highs And Lows

It’s been a strange month. The weather has been freezing cold one moment and unseasonably mild the next. With a general election looming this year, there have been debates on how and even whether there should be party debates and slanging matches have started between party leaders.

I’ve been trying to keep warm in the ‘glorified shed’ (you can keep up with the latest on that at www.ruraljoy.blogspot.co.uk) and despairing as to whether any party leader is actually fit to run the country!

 

Anyway, here are a few of my other highs and lows for the month.

Highs

Discovering a handy website for knitting patterns and wool, as I had been very frustrated at the lack of decent patterns available. My local craft and wool shop only seems to stock patterns that appear to belong in the 1970s and knitting magazines tend to print lots of patterns for small items, with only the odd cardigan or jumper that may or may not be appealing. I was very pleased therefore to discover www.deramores.com where you can sign up for a newsletter giving you access to free patterns as well as purchase reasonably priced patterns and wool. My order was processed and despatched literally within hours and I was very pleased with my purchases.

Grabbing some late sale bargains, including a pair of trousers from Wallis reduced from £30 to £10, a cardigan from Dorothy Perkins down from £25 to £10 and a perfume set from Boots for just £8 as opposed to its original £28! That amounted to £83 worth of shopping for just £28 – well £20 actually, as I used my Boots Advantage points for the perfume!

Receiving my first £5 Morrisons’ Match and More voucher, despite only purchasing quite minor amounts of shopping in the store and targeting offers most of the time, these points still added up very quickly!

Enjoying Father Brown on TV, although why it’s shoved into an afternoon slot on BBC1 I don’t know – it would make great evening viewing. In fact, that’s exactly when I do watch it, as I record it on my Humax box. It has a great cast and if you’ve never seen it I strongly recommend you start watching!

Lows

Finding out that Sainsburys’ online grocery shopping slaps on an extra charge for orders under £40, although I can report that Tesco only put an extra fee on the bill for orders under £25. My elderly mother-in-law particularly wanted to order some groceries from Sainsburys’ and enlisted our help. As she is only catering for herself, we checked that the minimum order for delivery was indeed £25. It was not until we got to the checkout stage, that we discovered the extra charge. Fair enough, there has to be a minimum amount to make delivery viable, but I don’t believe any supermarket should be charging extra for orders above the £25 mark.

The return of Broadchurch to our TV screens has been somewhat of a disappointment to me. I’d read various articles saying that the story was going to be really different and exciting, yet half of the programme each week seems to be going over old ground and dwelling on the court case relating to the last series. I would have much preferred more emphasis on a new story than dredging up the past – I can only hope it will improve as the weeks go by.

Reading ‘Natural Causes’ by James Oswald, which I’m not criticising for its writing or characterisation, but purely saying the plot was not for me. I like a good detective story, but this was too gory for me, with a higher body count than even a series of Midsomer Murders! It has some great reviews, but personally I prefer a little more mystery and a little less graphic content.

I Want More!

When it comes to loyalty cards, I’m a serial collector, as many a blog post has demonstrated. It’s little surprise then, that when I heard about the Morrisons’ Match & More card, I just had to grab one and find out, well more.

Strictly speaking, this is not so much of a loyalty card as a price match tool. When shoppers get their card swiped at the checkout, the grocery spend is compared with Tesco, Sainsburys’, Asda, Aldi and Lidl – a selection of supermarkets that just sent the automatic spellchecker on my computer into meltdown!

Always looking to save valuable pounds!

If you would have spent less at these stores, then the difference (with an added zero) is converted to points and put on your card. My first shop with the card could have theoretically been 54p cheaper elsewhere (despite the fact that I targeted offers), and so earned me 540 points. Once I have accumulated 5000 points I will qualify for a £5 voucher.

When I first heard the details about the card, I was unsure whether the benefits would be worthwhile, but considering I’m already a tenth of the way to getting my first £5 following a relatively small grocery shop, it could prove quite handy.

In addition to the ‘match’ points, I’ve spotted a few items in store for which extra points are awarded and you also get 10 points for every litre of fuel that you buy at a Morrisons’ garage.

But what really struck me when I picked up my new temporary card and accompanying leaflet, was that Morrisons actually provide customers with a choice of ways to register – either online, by post (postage paid) or by dropping off the completed form to a box in store. Following previous posts bemoaning companies that only expect customers to communicate with them online, this was a breath of fresh air. After all, there are still people (some of my more elderly relatives included) that either do not have or cannot use the Internet. Well done Morrisons!

I Love My Loyalty Cards

Like many shoppers, I was quite incensed to hear that Sainsburys’ are halving the amount of Nectar points that they award to customers as of April next year. They will only be awarding one point per pound spent, as opposed to the current two (two points are only worth 1p ).

It’s true to say that Nectar points always have been slightly inferior to those awarded by Tesco Clubcard, with the exchange rate of the latter being four times their face value when converted to Days Out vouchers, and each point being equal to 1p .

There are some shoppers (misguided in my opinion) that question the value of loyalty cards, but I believe that any reward you are given for shopping is better than no reward at all.

Less effective than a loyalty card

The argument goes, that if stores are operating reward schemes, they subsequently have to set their prices a little higher to offset these incentives. However, I would refute this, as many good value items I buy are purchased in shops that offer reward points.

Many of the products that I purchase in places such as Tesco and Superdrug, are not only cheaper or at least comparable to those offered at other shops, but earn me points. Over the years I have acquired so many points under the Clubcard scheme, that we have been able to pay for several family days out each year, including trips to expensive theme parks, which we would not otherwise have afforded. Even if I have occasionally paid a few pence more for the odd product or two, I have received this amount back umpteen times over. It’s true to say, that if I could have bought some items slightly cheaper elsewhere and put the pennies I’d saved into a savings account, I would not have accumulated anywhere near enough to pay for the equivalent number of fun outings.

I regard all loyalty cards (and I can boast a considerable collection) as mini saving schemes that allow me to enjoy life’s little extras. Unless prices are considerably higher in a shop that offers a good value scheme, I am unlikely to shop for identical products somewhere that does not offer me these extra benefits.

So my message to Sainsburys’, and any other stores planning to reduce or withdraw their points schemes, is that this may result in a customer-cutting exercise as opposed to your intended cost-cutting one!

Great Value Crafting

I’ve long enjoyed working on various craft projects and am always looking for good value stockists of craft materials.

A small, fairly local, craft shop is a reasonable source for certain materials that I buy, but choice can be limited and prices sometimes rather high. At the other end of the scale, I’m not a fan of Hobbycraft with its impersonal warehouse set-up, which still doesn’t result in low prices.

So despite my erstwhile reluctance to buy products online, I recently found myself trawling the Internet in the hope of finding some reasonably priced blank coasters for cross stitch, in addition to other useful materials. My research was greatly rewarded.

I’ve discovered a great company called Willow Fabrics www.willowfabrics.com that supplies a range of fabrics, threads, wool and needlecraft accessories at very reasonable prices. For example, a pack of five round coasters costs just £7 (I paid over £2 each in the craft shop), and I bought a large piece (50cm X 60cm) of tapestry canvas for just £3.70. What’s more my order arrived in just under 48 hours and I was really pleased with the products.

I’ve also recently taken up a great deal in Cross Stitch magazines, with Cross Stitch Crazy and World of Cross Stitching running subscription offers whereby you receive five editions of either magazine for just £1 per issue (normal price £4.99). These are great magazines containing lots of lovely charts and they usually come with free mini kits too!

What recommendations do you have for great value crafting?

A Day At Thrigby Hall

During my latest stay in East Anglia, I visited the delightful Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens near Great Yarmouth, which proved to be a real treat.

Thrigby centres on the wildlife of Asia, housing creatures such as tigers, leopards, red pandas, gibbons, crocodiles, snakes and storks. Although not one of the country’s largest wildlife parks, it offers a lovely garden setting, and represents great value for money, with admission costing just £13.50 for adults and £9.50 for children.

One of the things that my son and I particularly liked about our visit was the opportunity to get close to the animals due to the walk-through enclosures, treetop walks and tiger tunnel. The treetop walk near to the gibbons’ enclosure allowed us to watch these fascinating animals swinging through the trees whilst being at their level.

One of the most stunning animals from our point of view, however, was the clouded leopard, which has the most beautiful markings. Other high points as far as my son was concerned were the crocodiles in the swamp house and the snakes (he particularly enjoyed feeding time for these).

Overall Thrigby is very well laid out and I was pleased to discover that the café provided very reasonably priced lunches – soup and a roll for £2.50, hot pasties for £1.80 and a selection of sandwiches, snacks and jacket potatoes. Ice creams were also standard prices, as opposed to the over-inflated ones charged at some attractions.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Thrigby and recommend it for a fun, yet educational, family day out.

Loyalty Vouchers – The Reply

As a follow on from Monday’s post, bemoaning the short expiry date on some of the loyalty vouchers printed at the Sainsbury’s checkout, I’d like to share with you some comments I have received from the store.

They remarked, “I am sorry to hear you have been unable to take advantage of some of them (vouchers) and understand this can be frustrating to find they have expired when you are shopping. We know a lot of customers shop weekly and therefore find these vouchers appropriate and appreciate receiving them each time they shop.  We are trialling different types of offers and validity periods to ensure we meet our customers' needs. I have logged your comments on our internal system and they will be shared with our marketing team.  They take all customer feedback into consideration when issuing similar coupons in future.”

Pleased as I am to receive a prompt response, I do feel this is still all a bit vague. I was not saying I did not shop weekly at the supermarket, just not on the same day each week, so was missing out on valuable offers.

I sincerely hope that they will be reviewing the expiry dates soon, to make it better for all their customers. I look forward to that Sainsburys.

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DS Games – Jewel Quest Mysteries 2

In my first DS game review of 2014, I’m looking at Jewel Quest Mysteries 2, ‘Trail of the Midnight Heart’.

I’d thoroughly enjoyed playing the original Jewel Quest Mystery, ‘Curse of the Emerald Tear’, which combined hidden object scenes with jewel matchboards, as opposed to Jewel Quest games that only have the jewel boards, such as ‘Expeditions’. As Trail of the Midnight Heart offers the same kind of game play, I was eager to give it a go.

However, although the game did indeed contain some of the very elements that made me enjoy the first of its kind, I was disappointed that the inventory lists on the hidden object levels appeared somewhat shorter than on the previous game, meaning that I was able to complete them that much more quickly. I also found the objects themselves easier to find as the graphics did not seem quite as detailed as in the earlier game.

However, I did like the new addition to the game,  the moving scene where you have to collect 20 versions of a given object. This at least presented a new challenge, which I found a little tricky at first, but improved at as I progressed through game.

As with the first Jewel Quest Mystery, you collect jewels and coins as you progress, which you can use as hints and to boost your points.

I did still enjoy ‘Trail of the Midnight Heart’, but have to say I found it that much less of a challenge, and finished it in a shorter time than the previous game, If a third version is made, I would like it to contain the best elements of the two versions to date combined.

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Shopping Around

You may well compare prices when purchasing goods in the shops, getting to know where the best offers are and stocking up on them when you can.

However, many consumers aren’t as good at shopping around when it comes to buying services such as insurance or roadside assistance cover. Because of this many of us may be paying far more than we need to obtain these services, falling into the trap of automatically renewing cover, however much it may have risen in price, rather than comparing a quote with what else may be available.

Our AA cover recently came up for renewal, but my husband positively balked at the price, which had risen to £129, despite being loyal customers of some 10 years standing. He decided that the time had come to look at other roadside assistance providers.

Hubby duly got to work online, not using price comparison websites you understand, that may in turn have their own agenda, but visiting the sites of individual companies. He discovered that if he bought AA cover online as a new customer it would cost £79; he could get cover from Green Flag for £64 per year and cover from the RAC as a Tesco Clubcard holder for £55 per year.

Armed with this useful information, he promptly rang the AA to reveal his findings. A very charming adviser listened carefully, apparently did a few calculations (probably referring to a crib sheet telling him what to do in this situation, i.e. match price, adding a few pence so it didn’t seem too obvious) and promptly declared that full relay cover could, on reflection, be provided for the reasonable sum of £55.80!

Delighted with the new price, hubby renewed the AA cover, but the point is, if he’d just paid the requested amount on receipt of the quote, he would have been £73.20 poorer, whilst the AA would have offered identical cover for more gain.

So a word from the wise, never automatically renew any insurance, roadside assistance or similar policy or service, without first checking directly with other companies offering the same thing, as to what price they will charge.

Be sure to shop around!

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Old-Fashioned Thrift

Over recent years, due to the recession and a change in personal circumstances for many of us, we probably consider ourselves to be exercising ‘thrift’.

Paying bills by direct debit to ‘spread the cost’, stocking up on cheap supermarket offers, making use of discount vouchers, swapping branded products for shop’s own, limiting treats and so on are all ways that we try to cut our costs.

However, the so-called thrift measures that we employ today aren’t quite on the level that I remember from my childhood (cue violins). Not that we actually suffered then as such, but people’s priorities have changed, and some now consider themselves hard up if they can’t afford the latest gadget or sunshine holiday.

A survey last year revealed that many young women would rather go without food than cut back on trips to the hairdresser/manicurist/tanning salon!

As a child, I remember the excitement when my family acquired our first chest freezer. We visited our local frozen food warehouse (Cartiers in Rochester), which also sold bulk-sized containers of grocery items. Once all the purchases were safely stowed away at home, my mother proceeded to break down the costs of all the food items, calculating how much each sausage/pie/bag of crisps/chicken portion actually cost, noting down the prices. From then on each time that an item was used, the cost of it was placed in a specially allocated jar. If I wanted a bag of crisps, I would either ‘buy’ it with my pocket money, placing the necessary coins in the jar, or my mum would ‘treat’ me and put the money in herself. When the original supplies ran out, there was enough money in the jar to re-stock them.

Early on in my married life I had one of those cash boxes with little compartments marked ‘gas’, ‘electricity’, ‘food’ and so on. Once the required amounts of money had been allocated to each, then I knew that any ‘surplus’ funds (if any) were available to save or splash out on a treat.

I don’t use any of these actual methods today, but I do collect odd coins until they are sufficient to use for a treat, and in a more 21^st century way, accumulate loyalty card points to pay for ‘extras’. Some of you may collect supermarket savings stamps, putting a few odd pounds on your card at each shop, to help buy supplies when things get tight.

Personally, I would never sacrifice food or skimp on other essentials to pay for beauty products or treats, but hope that by employing a bit of good old-fashioned thrift, careful budgeting and a little of the ‘make-do-and-mend’ mentality, I can afford not only the necessities, but the odd little treat too!

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Tinted Moisturisers

Although I use a foundation that offers good coverage during the winter months, once we get into late spring and summer I often swap to a tinted moisturiser, as hopefully my skin improves somewhat with the arrival of sunshine.

For the last couple of years I’ve used Boots No7 (Triple Protection) Tinted Moisturiser but due to the changes to some of the products in the range, which to my mind have been for the worse, this year I thought I’d try something new.

My latest make-up buy is Olay Complete Care Touch of Foundation, which offers the benefits of an Olay moisturiser, with the addition of Max Factor foundation, to enhance your complexion rather than smother it.

I really like this product; it’s light, easily absorbed and leaves my skin looking and feeling smooth and fresh. A great product for the summer, but unfortunately sunshine isn’t included.

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This March Why Not…?

Remember Mum on 10^th March (Mothers’ Day) and show your appreciation for all that she does. Why not make a personal gift this year, instead of just giving the usual chocs and flowers? Cross stitch a card or bookmark, take a special family photo and put it in an eye-catching frame, make mum’s favourite meal or take her out somewhere that she’s always wanted to go. Note: When I tried looking up events for Mothers’ Day I found very little, except for restaurant offers, however there seemed to be a fair bit going on for Fathers’ Day. So what’s that about?

Clear out the junk. With the advent of spring, now’s the time to have a really good clear out of all those things that you tend to hold on to, but never get round to using. Remember the rule: if you haven’t worn/used/looked at an item during the past 12 months, then it’s time it went (with a few sentimental exceptions). Once you’ve cleared out all your unwanted items (good quality ones can go to charity, car boot sales or eBay), then invest in some clever storage, to neatly stow away and file all the things that you do need. Supermarkets and shops such as Wilkinson and The Range, stock a great selection of hard-wearing, colourful, storage boxes, with and without lids, that can be arranged neatly in cupboards or on shelving. They’re great for craft items, toys, stationery, keepsakes etc. For paperwork I use A4 clear pocket files, which display letters and bills in a way that are easy to find.

Enjoy the great outdoors. With some warm, spring weather hopefully round the corner, get out and about in some of the lovely parks, woodland areas and country parks around the UK. Many are free to visit, or charge parking fees only. I can recommend:

• Knowle Park, Sevenoaks, Kent – great for a walk amongst the deer!
• Bedgebury Pinetum, Goudhurst, Kent – great for wooded walks and adventure play
• Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Nr Ringwood, Dorset – great for play and tree top trails
• Dalby Forest, Pickering, North Yorkshire – great for walking and bike-riding

Remember the ‘spring forward’ rule! British Summertime begins on 31^st March, so remember to put the clocks forward one hour to avoid running late.

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Public Transport – A Sorry Tale

With congestion, poor air quality and global warming being poignant issues, the theory is that public transport should be accessible and affordable to all, in order to reduce traffic on the roads.

However, as many of us know, this is not always the reality with services often unreliable and fares costly. Of course, there are some more reasonable transport operators out there, but many of us have public transport related tales of woe to tell.

My local bus operator, Arriva, have been increasing fares at an alarming rate, whilst cutting out buses on a whim. Their latest trend is to take out of service buses that are running late – carry on with that approach and we’ll have no buses left on our roads!

My most recent unfavourable experience of my local buses occurred when I was attempting to get home from a nearby shopping centre, trying to use a supposed ‘every 20 minutes’ service. The bus arrived 15 minutes late and the driver was instructed to return directly to the depot without passengers (although he drove off without explanation at the time). However, the next bus due was also running very late, meaning that no bus ran on that route for about an hour. If only Arriva had allowed to the first bus that arrived (the 3.15pm service) to leave the shopping centre at the time of the next bus due (3.35 service) then passengers would not have been left stranded for so long.

An email of complaint to Arriva resulted in a call from a very unsympathetic, somewhat disinterested individual, who stated that my comments had been noted, but basically ‘tough’. Ok, that’s not exactly what she said, but it certainly was the sentiment.

STOP PRESS!

Since the original incident with Arriva, I have since experienced the same scenario on a larger scale (and spoken to others encountering similar problems) this time involving two differently numbered bus routes and longer waiting times. In Medway, Arriva appear to be struggling to fulfil timetables, some of the drivers are lovely (with a few exceptions) but organisationally the service is a shambles. Come on Arriva, you can do better!

I would welcome any comments from Arriva or fellow disgruntled passengers. We’re paying for a service which just isn’t being delivered.

And the good?

I often find that local journeys can be quite an ordeal, although when I have stayed in different parts of the country, served by different bus companies, I have experienced more reliable, cheaper services.

On a long haul journey, I have had a much better experience with National Express. Travelling from my home to London and then on to Bournemouth (visiting family) I found that services ran to time, were reasonably comfortable and were, with offers often available, more competitively priced.

What are your experiences of public transport? comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk

Mastering Multibuys

There’s no doubt that multibuys can be great money-savers if bought wisely, but don’t be enticed into buying large quantities of items that you will never get round to using, just because of the amazing ‘savings'.

First and foremost, you should reserve your multibuy purchases for items that you regularly use, so that the savings are genuine. It’s good to stock up on items with a long shelf-life (providing you have the storage space), making savings while you can. Toilet rolls, baked beans, cans of soup, bottles of squash and tea bags are all items I regularly purchase on multibuy offers.

Of course, perishable goods may not always be a good idea to buy on such an offer. You possibly won’t get through three bumper bags of casserole veg before they go rotten, although there is a way to make use of this kind of multibuy – join forces with a friend or relative. Just buy the offers between you and split the cost and therefore the savings.

Don't overdo the perishable stuff!

When buying any offer goods, I would advise you to read the promotional labels/posters very carefully. Sometimes ‘3 for 2’ or ‘buy one get one free’ offers exclude certain varieties from the product range. For example, a certain flavour of soup or colour of toilet roll many not be included.

However, another reason for reading the offers carefully is that they are sometimes BETTER than you would first think. The first time I spied a Tesco ‘buy 1 get 2 free offer’, I really thought that I must have read it incorrectly. But no. It really did say that – and deliver it. Do watch out for these offers in Tesco from time to time: so far I have bought cereals, crisps, chocolate, baked beans, instant cappuccino and tinned tomatoes on this kind of offer. When ‘buy 1 get 2 free’ promotions do occur, they tend to be for quite a limited time, much shorter than the other offers, so grab them while you can!

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2012 Review

What a memorable year it has been!

In June communities came together to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – street parties, concerts and copious amounts of bunting swept the nation.

In August, we wowed the world with the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. Our athletes shone, as did the army of volunteers who cheerfully threw themselves into the proceedings.

Then in September … Shoppers’ Joy was launched! OK, it may not have been on a par with some of the other events of the year, but it has steadily grown in readership and I simply loving writing my blog posts and website features.

I have always had an eye for a bargain, an attraction to offers and a love of shopping, often regaling my long-suffering husband with tales of what I’ve found and how much I’ve saved. It was on his suggestion that I started my blog, as one of my other great loves is writing (or maybe he just hoped that his ears would get a rest). Hubby kindly set up my blog and website (he does that kind of thing for a living) and Shoppers’ Joy was born.

Since then I have posted blogs featuring best buys, product and service reviews, recommendations of places to visit, consumer issues and some fun 'Random Thoughts'.

Some of my most popular blogs have included ‘Loyalty Cards – My Ratings’ (September), ‘Static Caravans Can Move (September), ‘How To Get The Most Out Of The NHS (October), the Winter Outings Series (November/December) and my Christmas related posts (December). I have also explored saying ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ as well as ‘making a complaint’ and reviewed some responses to bad service complaints that I had made.

As a sufferer of Hypermobility Syndrome, I ran an introduction to the condition on my blog, but have written an article, which you can read at www.shoppersjoy.co.uk/features

So please take the time to read some of the posts that you may have missed. You can also read my ‘Cheers and Sneers’ (updated regularly), tips and features at www.shoppersjoy.co.uk

There are plenty more blog posts to come in 2013 – so keep reading!

Thank you and a Happy New Year!

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Christmas Gifts Episode IV – The ‘No Wrap’ Revolution

It can be tricky trying to decide what to buy friends and family for Christmas each year, so why not try some of these more unusual ideas. The added bonus is they don’t really need wrapping – great if you’re as hopeless at it as I am.

Magazine Subscriptions

It can be great to curl up with a good magazine and there are so many available, ranging from general women’s/men’s interest, to specific hobbies and children’s favourite comics. There are currently plenty of good subscription offers around, providing the recipient with something to look forward to all year round, when their favourite mag arrives on their doormat with a satisfying thump. IPC Media have some great value 12-month subscription deals currently available including: Marie Claire £18.99, Woman & Home £24.99, Living Etc £26.99, In Style £18.99 and Rugby World £35.99 – all available with a gift card as part of the deal.

An Evening Out

Gift cards for places such as Cineworld, Nandos, Zizzi, Ticketmaster etc make great presents. Instead of buying your loved ones material goods that they can never find a place for, it can make a real treat to provide them with an evening out instead.

Adopt An Animal

For animal lovers it’s possible to adopt an animal in their name at one of the many wildlife parks and zoos that offer this service. Check out some of the animal attractions local to the person receiving the gift, so that they can use the tickets included in the package to pay a visit. For example, Colchester Zoo, Essex, offers a gift adoption package for £45 including adoption of animal of your choice, a personalised laminated certificate, information sheet, 3 issues of Zoo Matters newsletter, mounted photo and two day tickets (usual adult entry price ranges from £12.99 in winter to £17.99 at peak season). Drusillas Zoo, East Sussex, offers packages for £40 (including one entry ticket), £50 (2 tickets) and £60 (3 tickets).

The story continues…

Let me know your ideas comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk

Christmas Gifts Episode II – Return of the Shopper

Christmas cards and wrapping paper, boxes of chocolates and festive goods have been in the shops for weeks, but now the gift guides and catalogues are hitting the shops too. I recommend that you arm yourself with a good selection, in order to get ideas, compare prices and cut down on the time that you spend trawling the shops.

Some stores are having introductory Christmas gifts offers, last time I mentioned Tesco, which has a 1/3 off gifts until 29^th October, but Superdrug is also offering 1/3 off in store until 30^th October.

Choosing xmas gifts can be a prickly business

3 for 2 offers are back in Boots, which can work out a good deal, depending on precisely what you are buying, but beware. Are you buying 3 items just to make up the numbers or is that offer swaying your choice? Depending on what you are buying and the quantity you really need, cheaper prices can sometimes be found for individual items elsewhere. For example, Charlie Enchant Gift Set costs £8 in Boots, but just £5.50 in Wilkinson.

Wilkinson are also selling selected Dove, Nivea and Olay gift sets for just £5 each, or any 3 for £10. This offer includes the Dove Silk Indulgence duo, which retails at £6.50 in Boots.

So get collecting those catalogues and hunt around for the best deals, to ensure that you keep to your Christmas budget.

I’ll be back…

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Christmas Gifts – The Saga Begins

I know it’s over two months until the big day, but everywhere you turn there are displays of Christmas cards, gifts and wrapping paper. It’s true that by starting your Christmas shopping now you can ‘be prepared’ rather than get caught in that last minute rush, but more to the point you can make use of some offers that may be here today and gone tomorrow!

Avon Brochure 16

Avon has started selling gift sets and novelties for you to put on your Christmas present list.

Avon Treasures Collection £8.99 (will be £15) is a gift-boxed set of five perfume sprays (10ml each), so that you can change your scent with your mood.

Prepare To Party Gift Set £10 (normally £20) consists of a handy clutch containing lipstick, mascara, eyeliner and an eye shadow duo – a complete makeover then.

USB Robot (possibly one for the boys) £5 (will be £10) a 4 port USB (ports are in the wheels) with light-up eyes.

Note: Don’t forget to buy your Avon’s Breast Cancer Crusade pin and nail file, £1.50 each, with 100% of proceeds from the pin and 25% from the file going to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Tesco

Tesco has gift sets reduced by 1/3 until 29^th October, definitely worth a look.

Extracts Body Butter Trio, currently £4, a basket containing three tubs of body butter – lemon and bergamot, pomegranate and rosehip and mango and nectarine – leaves you feeling soft and smelling gorgeous!

Nivea All About Mini Treats, now £3.33, a boxed set of mini moisturising cream, shower cream, roll-on deodorant and lip balm – life’s little essentials.

Dove Men Plus Care Gift Set, currently £4, a boxed set of body/face wash (250ml) and a deodorant (150ml), to moisturise the man in your life,

To be continued…

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Loyalty Cards – My Ratings

Oh how I love a good loyalty card! My purse is lined with a very colourful collection and some of them work really well for me. Others, however, could do better.

Strangely enough, it’s often the shops that are already offering the best prices who are giving the best rewards, so I don’t believe the rubbish spouted, sorry the statements issued by some stores claiming they prefer to offer low prices in lieu of loyalty cards.

Besides, it’s thanks to us shoppers that these businesses do so well, so why shouldn’t we be given a little thank you!

Here’s my rundown of store loyalty cards I use and how they work for me.

Tesco Clubcard – love it! A point given for every pound spent, but I’m forever getting extra points coupons that raise the total faster. Tesco often send me money off vouchers too, for items that I actually buy. When it comes to using my points, I get four times their value by exchanging them for family days out. We’ve not paid for a family outing in years!

Rating: 9/10, well nothing deserves a perfect score!

Sainsbury’s Nectar Card – confusing points system. Two points earned for every £1 spent, but it takes 2 points to make 1p, so it’s basically a penny per pound like Tesco. Technically this card not just usable in Sainsburys, but personally the only other place I occasionally use it is BP. The deals on point exchange aren’t great, so I tend to use the points in store to buy Tu clothing (especially when it’s a 25% off day). Rewards have to be used in blocks of £2.50, so even if you have a balance of £9.99 you can only use £7.50, as you’re a penny short of the next target. I sometimes get given coupons at the till, but they often relate to things I don’t buy or amounts I don’t spend.

Rating: 6/10, could do better!

The Co-operative Membership – share in profits scheme. This works a bit differently in that you get a so-called “share of the profits” based on the amount you have spent in store over a year. Each year vouchers are sent to the value of profit you have earned, which are then used to take money off your shopping. The rate is quite good, as I shop relatively little in the Co-op, but do manage to get several pounds return. You also get to vote for committee members etc.

Rating: 5/10, certainly different!

Iceland Bonus Card – bit strange this one. This has recently been revamped to include a savings facility where you put money on the card for future use. Not a feature I will use. Am feeling a bit bemused as to what good this one is doing for me. I could use it to have a home delivery (shopping not childbirth), but choose not to. I do get entered into the monthly prize draw when I use it, but I prefer to have a bite of the carrot, not just have it dangled in front of me. Finally, I am supposed to receive money-off vouchers every so often, which in my case seems to translate as once in a blue moon.

Rating: 3/10, oh dear!

Boots Advantage Card – good rate of points. Four points for every pound spent, and I get sent regular extra points and money off vouchers too. There aren’t very many extra point opportunities in store these days though. My one gripe is that when I want to exchange points for goods, I have to have the full value on my card, as they won’t accept a shortfall paid in cash. Annoying if you are only 50p short for an item, and end up having to pay in full for it. Come on Boots, think again!

Rating: 7/10, bit of tweaking needed!

Superdrug BeautyCard – a mirrored card! Awards the average one point for every pound, but with the opportunity for extra points deals in store. Gets the slight edge on Boots Advantage Card though, as points can be used in part-payment for goods (in full pounds) and the difference paid in cash, which I think is much more user-friendly. Superdrug offers good prices too!

Rating: 8/10, feel free to up the points.

Matalan (where’s the snappy name?) Card – not enough benefits. When I first signed up for this card I was sent a great money-off voucher, but it’s gone very quiet since. I apparently get entered in a prize draw when my card is scanned (dangling carrot syndrome again). I was told that if I put my email address on the application form, I would receive a gift on my birthday. Well, Matalan, it was my birthday last month (I share a birthday with Stephen Fry actually) so where’s my pressie? I do receive online newsletters of average interest (that’s me being polite) and did seem to get an increase in spam mail after filling in that form – co-incidence, obviously!

Rating: 2/10, starting to wonder “what’s the point”?

Magazine Prices and Deals

The Good Deal…

I recently took out a great value subscription offer for Prima Magazine, costing just £1 per issue for 6 months, continuing to save about a third on subsequent issues. What’s more I received a lovely toiletry bag containing Avene skincare goodies at no extra cost.

It was one of those offers that I had to read through several times because it seemed too good to be true, but there was no catch involved. I love the saving, the gift and the convenience of the mag arriving with a satisfying thump on my doormat each month.

Prima’s subscription offers seems to change from month to month, so keep an eye out for the best one for you.

The Poor Price…

My son is a big Doctor Who fan and loves to get the BBC Doctor Who Adventures Magazine – but sadly the cost leaves a lot to be desired.

Each week the price seems to vary depending on the attached gift (not a free gift then). In recent weeks I have randomly paid £2.50, £2.60, £2.75 and £2.99 – I never know what the price will be until it arrives in the shops. Even at its lowest cost, this is a weekly mag of fewer than 40 pages being sold at monthly prices. (I can get a good quality 70 page women’s weekly mag for around 90p.)

Even the subscription deal is poor, offering only a 10% discount, resulting in a quarterly charge of over £30!

As some of the gifts seem to be appearing for the second or third time at least, my son would rather have a gift-free mag at a more affordable price. Take note Immediate Media and BBC.