DS Games – Ghosts and Rooms

I’m a big fan of DS games, chiefly of the mystery/puzzle genres, and find getting ‘lost’ in a game is a great way to unwind.

Almost all my games have been bought from Amazon – either new or used but in excellent condition – where I can find almost every game imaginable at a reasonable price.

Many of the games I play contain a ‘hidden object’ element, often with added minigames and features, but there are some that are really quite unique. In the first of my DS game reviews, I look at some of these more novel games.

Ghost Trick (Phantom Detective) – An odd concept, but certainly a different game. The story starts with murder of the character that you then play as, which you attempt to solve, in addition to other mysteries, in the form of a ghost. This allows you to ‘inhabit’ various objects and manipulate them to change the course of events. Some of the sequences that you need to perform take quite a bit of working out, but in a challenging rather than a frustrating way. I really enjoyed the game, despite its odd quality and the irritating character in the white coat, as it’s just so different from others I’ve played, and lasted longer too. I can certainly recommend Ghost Trick if you enjoy a bit of problem solving.

Rooms – An interesting take on traditional sliding puzzles – where you rearrange squares to form a picture – with some unusual twists. Your aim is to make your way to the exit of each set of rooms, with the difficulty level increasing all the time. Extra features include finding keys and explosives to use, swapping the location of rooms and ‘travelling’ through a ‘magic’ wardrobe. I did find this a little frustrating in the later stages and thought the underlying story a bit strange, but enjoyed the individual puzzles at face value. Certainly a challenge!

Zenses (Ocean and Rainforest editions) – I love the somewhat simple concepts of these puzzles, which are anything but simple to master. If you do find a few of the puzzles a bit too easy, just up the difficulty level for more of a challenge. Activities include combining patterns, matching shapes, building stacks and clearing boards of patterns, interspersed with memory challenges. It’s difficult to do these puzzles justice with words, as they are really quite clever – you just have to play them to appreciate them. I definitely recommend Zenses if you love a good, visual puzzle.

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Cunning Callers

Have you ever received a phone call starting, “I’m calling about your BT/EDF/British Gas account”, only to discover some considerable way into the conversation that it is not actually BT/EDF/British Gas actually ringing?

The question is do the callers actually intend to deceive us into believing that we’re talking to our existing phone line provider/energy supplier, or are they just extremely bad at wording their calls? Personally, when I received such a call I only continued with the conversation because I believed that I was talking to BT about my account. OK, so the ‘rogue’ company got my attention, but fortunately as the conversation progressed I realised that I was not speaking to any representative of BT. But supposing I hadn’t worked this out – would I have been mislead into signing up for a new, unwanted provider, quite unwittingly?

That is certainly what happened to an elderly relative of mine. The name of her then phone company was clearly stated at the beginning of the call made to her, as was the name of a call plan used by that provider. Therefore, when she was given the opportunity to sign up for an 'improved' plan, she believed she was being offered a better deal from her existing provider, and verbally agreed to it.

This was outrageous! She is elderly, hard of hearing and not always as quick to think as she would like to be – but these companies seem to believe it is fine to ‘prey’ on vulnerable, potential customers in this way.

It certainly took me time to realise that I was not speaking to who I’d first thought, even with better hearing and a (hopefully) quicker mind.

It should not be permissible for such calls to be made. Companies should only be allowed to state their own name, clearly at the start of the call, and not introduce their sales pitch by naming other firms, which at best is misleading and at worst fraudulent.

Do take time to check very carefully who is calling when an energy/phone company rings, so that you don’t sign up for a dodgy deal by mistake. Sometimes when I ring a company, I have to quote a password, or at least an account number; perhaps companies that have legitimate dealings with us, should need identifying information that they quote to us too, to verify their credentials and stop other firms from claiming to be them.

What do you think? comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk

10 Of My Best Blog Buys

Since starting my blog I’ve reviewed many products, commenting on their quality, effectiveness and price, so I thought I would highlight ten of my best product discoveries to date.

The Dart Tag Like many of you I resent the Dartford Crossing charges, currently £2 per crossing per car and set to rise further, but have at least discovered that by obtaining a Dart Tag at www.dart-tag.co.uk you pay only £1.33 per crossing, a reasonable saving if you are a frequent user.

Poundland Shower Curtain I am a rare visitor to Poundland, but was thrilled to discover their shower curtains when I did venture inside, which are available in a variety of designs and are as good as other more expensive versions. They are cheaper to replace once they do get past the cleaning stage too!

Tesco Australian Red Wine A budget buy (£3.99), which I first purchased for cooking, but discovered it makes a tasty tipple too!

Wilko Heat And Relief Pads At 99p for 2 (Wilkinson), these self-heating, adhesive pads are as good as their more expensive counterparts (Cura-Heat are £3.85 for 3) at relieving aches and pains with their warming action. Just apply to your clothing over the affected area. 
STOP PRESS! Have discovered these in local Wilkinsons today for just 70p!

MUA Pro Brow Kit A compact containing tweezers, mirror, powders and gel for eyebrow grooming anytime, anywhere, £3.50 at Superdrug.

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Day Cream & Serum A great product containing an effective moisturiser and a treatment serum, leaving skin soft and smooth. Normally sells at £11.99, but can often be found on half price offer at Superdrug, Tesco or Sainsburys.

Sainsbury’s (frozen) Stew Pack Vegetables Buy 1kg bag for £1.49 or two bags for £2.50, these are a great cheat for rustling up a casserole or stew with minimal preparation.

Skin Therapy Cotton Wool Pads These large, thick, oval pads are great for make-up removal, performing as well as dearer brands, but cost just 65p for 50 at Wilkinson.

Simple Kind To Eyes Revitalising Roll On This can sell for up to £4.99, which is why I recommend a trip to Savers where it costs just £1.99. Apply to the under-eye area to refresh and revive eyes, without irritating skin.

Ella Valentine Free Range Baking Eggs I was originally buying these for £1.29 for 6, but had to pay £1.59 the last time I bought them at Sainsburys, although they still represent better value than many other free range eggs, as they are large, uniform in size and great for any use, not just baking.

What are your favourite buys?  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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The Aldi Experience

I previously wrote that I had never bought anything in Aldi, as my only local store was dark and dingy, had the appeal of a badly organised jumble sale and offered no choice of items, i.e. only one type of coffee, one type of tea etc.

However, a new branch of Aldi has recently been built within a reasonable distance from my home and so I decided it was time to give it another go.

First impressions were much better – lighter and brighter, with more space, although the central section still vaguely resembled a kind of rummage sale. Product ranges were definitely an improvement, with some items available in several choices of both known and unrecognised brands and varieties.

I still don’t feel I could do a decent shop in Aldi, but have tried a few products that I feel are worth a mention.

Snackrite Crisps, pack of 24 for £1.99. I loved the variety of flavours – ready salted, salt and vinegar, cheese and onion, chicken, barbecue rib and prawn cocktail all in one pack – in Walkeresque style packaging, and the crisps were really tasty. Verdict: a good, value-for-money buy.

Alcafe Latte, 11 sachets (one free) for £1.49. I really enjoy some of the instant latte sachets around, specifically Nescafe Menu Latte, which can work out quite expensive at £2.99 for 8 sachets (although I tend to only buy it when I find it on offer), so I was keen to give a cheaper version a go. I was not that impressed with the initial flavour, but discovered that by replacing about 1/3 of the hot water with warm milk, it became quite drinkable. Verdict: With a bit of modification I can make this work.

Would rather eat them than smell like them

Lacura skin care range, a handy budget range of skincare items including moisturisers for £1.99 and eye care items from £1.49. So far I’ve only tried the Shimmering Day Cream, which is easily absorbed with a pleasant softening effect, but has a bit of a strange, sickly scent – a bit like fruity boiled sweets –which is a bit of a shame. Think the effect was more ‘sparkle’ than ‘shimmer’ really. Verdict: Am tempted to try other products from the range, but worry they will all smell this sickly.

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Savvy Sales Shopping

I know that by the time you read this, the sales will have been in full flow for some time, but I always find that I get the best bargain towards the end of the sales.

If you had your eye on a particular item, then you may well have had to make an early sale visit to secure its purchase, but for a general bargain the ‘end of sale rail’ is the place to head.

Some of my best sale bargains have included Per Una from M&S jeans for £5 (originally £38), Marks and Spencer Ankle boots £3 (originally £40), an Anthony Worrall Thompson Health Grill £10 (from £40) and a Boots water filter jug system £3 (from £20). All were bought in the final stages of the sales; all were in brilliant condition and have been well used.

Many of you may have been flocking to Boots to buy reduced gifts sets, but in previous years I have found that by waiting a bit longer items have been reduced by 75% or even 90% in the closing stages.

Whatever sale items you buy and whenever you buy them, it’s worth remembering a few guidelines to cut the risk of buying something that you don’t actually want:

- Will you really use/wear the item, or are you just attracted to the bargain price?

- Does a garment actually fit you now? Don’t buy for a size you hope to be, only buy if the look and fit is right now.

- Will a garment stand the test of time, or is it already going out of fashion?

- Is the item in good condition, or if it is being sold with a fault, is it easily repairable? Small holes in the seams of garments or missing buttons can be put right easily and are often well worth the reduction.

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This January Why Not …?

Buy Christmas cards and wrapping paper. I know that we’ve only just had Christmas, but now is a great time to buy for next year for less. It’ll really help next year’s Christmas budget – just don’t forget where you’ve put your purchases!

Get your finances in order. It amazes me when people say, “I’ll have to go to the cashpoint to see how much money I have.” Don’t they know? I recommend buying an exercise book and ruling it up with columns appropriate to you (better than a fiddly little cashbook) and recording transactions as they happen. On the front page list which direct debits are due and when, so that you remember to deduct these as they happen in addition to recording transactions in shops, at cashpoints etc. This way you not only know what money you have in your account, you can also check your record against your bank statement to ensure there are no errors. Mistakes do happen (so do fraudulent transactions unfortunately) so check for these regularly – the sooner they are found the sooner they can be rectified.

Have a winter outing. If you’ve been reading my ‘Winter Outings’ series you’ll know that plenty of attractions open their doors during the winter season, including museums, castles, many English Heritage properties and wildlife parks. Some even operate special winter pricing schemes, one of the best being Drusillas Zoo Park, East Sussex, a fun, smaller animal zoo with a wealth of play opportunities for the kids. Between 3^rd and 31^st January prices are: individual adults and children £10.00 each, family of 3 £27.00, family of 4 £36.00 and family of 5 £45.00!

Clear out the old. Make room for the new items you’ve received at Christmas, by clearing out some of your old things and donating them to a charity shop. Unwanted gifts? If you are able to exchange them, you local charity shop will be glad of these too.

Plan for the summer. You may be booking your summer holiday about now, or at least wondering whether the budget will stretch to one. But even if money is tight, there are ways to get a summer break, or at least some memorable family outings: be sure to collect and accumulate your Tesco Clubcard points to exchange them at four times their value for days out – making even normally expensive Theme Park trips a realistic option, points can also be exchanged towards booking holidays; start saving bags of 2p pieces for kids (of all ages and sizes) to spend in the arcades on seaside trips; save up all denominations of coins, then bank and save them towards a summer treat. I will be running lots of holidays tips on my blog throughout the year.

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