Free £5 Disney Store Voucher with every pack of Persil

With the new live action Beauty and the Beast film showing in cinemas nationwide, our love for all things Disney has once again been rekindled. From films to merchandise, we can't get enough of the Disney brand!

To celebrate Disney's latest remake of the treasured classic Beauty and the Beast, Persil are offering shoppers a free £5 Disney Store voucher with every pack of capsules purchased – making shopping for laundry detergent a whole lot more magical! Look out for the promotional packs in stores now.

Persil Capsules offer all-in-one triple action cleaning, in just one dose, providing you with the ultimate fuss-free, convenient way to clean and care for clothes. 

The offer features on all Non Bio, Bio and Colour Capsule packs and you can redeem the limited edition £5 Disney Store vouchers online at www.persil.co.uk by entering the unique code printed on every pack. Vouchers must be claimed by July 31st 2017 and redeemed by September 30th 2017. There is no minimum spend in-store and a maximum of ten vouchers can be claimed per email address, although only one voucher can be used per transaction. Perfect to treat the kids to a little something for free!

Persil understands that ‘Dirt is Good’, and as parents we can happily let our little Belles and Beasts play outside, get muddy, enjoy messy adventures and explore the great outdoors, knowing that Persil will wash away the dirt  from their clothing.

Persil Capsules 22 wash pack RRP £8.00

Persil Capsules 38 wash pack RRP £11.00

Christmas Party Food from Aldi

Whether you are having a big Christmas party or a more intimate family affair, Aldi can save you lots of money when it comes to feeding your guests.

The Let's Party range and the Specially Selected frozen party food range offer some great choices including some good vegetarian options, perfect for a buffet. The 60 piece Indian Snack Selection is great value at just £3.99 and includes onion bhajis, vegetable pakoras and samosas. For £1.99 you can choose 24 mozarella sticks, 26 cheese and jalapeno bites or 10 hand crafted vegetable Gyozas. The vegetable spring rolls are just 99p a pack. 

There are lots of frozen dessert items in the ranges including chocolate dessert shots, macarons and cheesecake. You can make a really impressive Christmas buffet with ease.

Other great party snacks include the Jumbo Dry Roasted peanuts £1.99, Tortilla Chips 62p, Christmas Tree Pretzels £1.49 and the Mince Pies £1.15. The Specially Selected Milk Chocolate Brazils are just £1.85, which is a great price when compared to branded packs. Dairyfine Chocolate bars are just 85p each and the Moser Roth range is excellent value and great quality. The Aldi After Dinner Mint Thins are just 67p and will make the perfect ending to a meal. You get so much more for your money at Aldi.

The Aldi range of confectionery, biscuits and snacks is really extensive and caters for all tastes and budgets. There are so many Christmassy choices available.

To raise a glass to the season, Aldi offer some superb value drinks at a fraction of the price of the big brands. Church's Ginger Wine is £2.99, Ballycastle Irish Country Cream is £3.75 and the Peach Schnapps and Cocobay Coconut Liquer are just £4.79 each. These savings really do add up and allow you to enjoy a great party for less.

Aldi have some incredible buys in the fruit and vegetable aisle - carrots, potatoes and broccoli were just 29p a pack today. Christmas dinner really doesn't have to cost a fortune!

I really enjoyed buying some Christmas party items from Aldi and was very impressed with the value for money, the extensive ranges and the quality. I am looking forward to sampling all the food and drink over Christmas with my family!

Save money on baby essentials at Aldi's Baby and Toddler Event

Having a baby or a toddler does not come cheap!  The seemingly never ending need for baby wipes, nappies and other baby related paraphernalia can really add up, but thanks to Aldi's Baby and Toddler event, parents can save  money on a whole host of essentials.

On January 29th, Aldi stores will be selling a great range of baby and toddler items, all at low prices. 

Mamia is Aldi's award winning baby range that is available in store everyday.  Their nappies and wipes are much cheaper than the big brands on the market, but perform every bit as well.  Mamia also sell a range of 100% organic baby food at great prices.  Saving money on baby essentials does not mean having to compromise on quality when you choose Mamia. 

During the Baby Event there are some specialbuys on a range of baby essentials and equipment in store.  You can pick up a twelve pack of sensitive baby wipes, each containing 64 wipes for the special price of £5.99 making them less than 50p a pack!  And remember, Mamia wipes have won awards for their quality, so this is a great buy that will keep baby clean for weeks.  I still use baby wipes for when we are on the go, for mopping up messy hands and faces, for make-up removal and even for cleaning my leather sofa!

Other bargains include bath toys, baby bottles, cups, socks, tights, blankets, towels, clothing, bibs, dummies and toiletries (including top branded products such as Sudocrem 125g pot for £2 and Calpol 100ml bottle for £1.99). Many everyday essentials are available at low prices.

Other specialbuys include:

Hauck buggy for £22.99

Lindam stairgates for £14.99

Mamia Comfort Baby Monitor for £19.99

Avent Electric Steam Steriliser for £19.99

Mini baby food blender for £8.99

There are also some absolutely gorgeous Very Hungry Caterpillar gift sets available for just £14.99, each set containing different products such as a money box, photo frame or tableware. They would make great gifts for new babies, christenings or birthdays.

Specialbuys are available from January 29th while stocks last.

Revamp Your Kitchen with Aldi Kitchenware Special Buys

If you want to give your kitchen a new lease of life, be sure to pop over to Aldi this week for their Kitchen Special Buys.  With a range of fabulous small appliances that will inspire you to cook up some new recipes to tasteful kitchen accessories that will look fantastic on any worktop, Aldi have some excellent value buys in store now.

I was lucky enough to receive some items from the range to try out.  I received a stylish 4 slice toaster in mint green along with some useful storage caddies.

I am really impressed with the toaster (a matching kettle is also available).  The retro look is really cool and it is covered by the Aldi 3 year warranty.  I have missed having a four slice toaster, so I am delighted to get one back in my kitchen.  It has all the functionality you need including a very useful high lift facility and self centring guide. It has six time settings, a reheat, cancel and defrost button. It cooks toast really evenly and doing four slices at once, has sped up my morning toast making routine!

The toaster and kettle come in four colours, red, black, mint green and cream, to match any decor.  At £19.99 for the toaster and £17.99 for the kettle, this is a great value way to add some colour and style to your kitchen.

I also really like the Storage Caddy Set, which is a great buy if you want to organise shelves and cupboards.  They are great for holding spice bottles, cake baking ingredients or other little items, keeping them altogether.  They fit into the bottom shelf of my kitchen cabinet and make things so much tidier!  Also really useful for make-up and toiletry storage or for the kids' stationery.  At just £2.49 for two medium or three small containers, they are a great value storage solution.

Aldi are also selling an excellent value juicer at £39.99 and a smoothie maker for £14.99, so if you are planning a healthy eating regime they would be very useful.  The Russell Hobbs pressure cooker is a great buy for anyone wanting to make quick family meals at just £22.99.  It comes with a 10 year guarantee and has a 4l capacity. And the Halogen oven at just £24.99 could revolutionise the way you cook and uses much less energy than a conventional oven.

Here is a list of all the Specialbuys, but remember they are only available while stocks last!

Lock & Seal Storage Containers:   £1.79

Soft Grip Bowl:   £1.99

Can opener:  £1.99

Kitchen Brush Set:  £1.99

Premium Tableware:  £1.99

Storage Caddy Set:  £2.49

Meal Planner and Recipe File:  £2.99

Printed Tea Towels – 3 Pack:  £2.99

Madras Mat: £3.99

Pasta, Biscuits and Utensil Holder : £5.49 each

Small Pan Selection:  £5.99 each

Single Pan Selection:  £7.99 each

Tea Time Accessories:  £7.99 each

24cm Ceramic Coated Fry:  £9.99

Tea/Coffee/Sugar Canisters:   £9.99 set

Omelette Maker:   £12.99

Compact Food Processor:  £13.99

Smoothie Maker:  £14.99

Bread Bin: £17.99

Bullet Kettle:  £17.99

Family Grill:  £19.99

4 Slice Toaster:  £19.99

4L Russell Hobbs Pressure Cooker : £22.99

Halogen Oven:   £24.99

Contemporary Kitchen Mixer Tap : £29.99

Juice Extractor:   £39.99

Financial Thinkings

When it comes to finances, we should never bury our heads in the sand.  With the current economic climate affecting us all, now is the time to discuss money matters and make plans to protect our families from the recession for now and the future.

Like many families we have financial concerns.  We have two older children who live away from home who we worry about financially.  We often need to help out the kids and a lot of our savings have dwindled because of cars, house deposits and unexpected expenses that they can't afford to pay.  Our 17 year old daughter is going to be going to university in 2014 and will not be entitled to any financial help from the government other than her student loan.  We will be supporting her to fund her living expenses.  Most worryingly of all, Ian's job is yet again under threat as his company has been bought out and many of the personnel are in fear of compulsary redundancies.  It isn't the first time that the fear of being made redundant has reared its ugly head, but it is still just as frightening.  I try not to worry about it too much, because I don't want it impacting too negatively on my everyday life.  But we do need to have plans in place in case of the worst.

I was really interested to follow the Live Financial Q & A (broadcast in conjunction with the Markettiers4dc Parenting Broadcast Blogger Network and brought to you by Bright Grey) which offered advice on financial planning and answered questions that were put to them by other families.  We have always been good with money and have no outstanding debts aside from our mortgage.  However, for the reasons listed above, I can not become complacent about our future. Today's economy is causing us all to feel the pinch, and supporting grown-up kids who are struggling to make their own way in the world is eating up our nest egg. 

The best advice is to balance the incomings and outgoings.  Our income is generally pretty static, but there is lots of maneuverability with what we spend.  Obviously there are the utility bills, mortgage, council tax etc but other expenditure can be cut resulting in big savings.  Keeping a budget plan can really help keep the finances in check.  It is a real eye opener to see where your money goes each month.

Keep an eye on your spending

Living today is expensive, but things we think of as essentials really are not!  Sky TV packages, eating out, takeaways, Starbuck's coffees, top of the range gadgets with high end contracts - these are all luxuries!  There is always room to cut down on your outgoings and spend less on life's incidentals.  Cutting down can save a small fortune every month.  This money can be set aside.

My parents always advocated "saving for a rainy day" and I have followed in their footsteps to some extent.  As I've spent a good proportion of the last 20 years as a stay-at-home-mum, I have not got a retirement plan.  I was pleased to hear that you can make provision for your future through regular savings, you don't need an actual pension.  So I am less panicky about my future income and will be disciplined enough to put something aside for that purpose.

Every penny counts

We currently pay out on a life insurance policy and also have an endowment policy from an old mortgage which we still pay into as a windfall for our future.  I often think that we could stop paying into them to save a few pounds and cash in the endowment, but that these are still sound investments.  However, we should consider some financial advice from a professional to make sure all our policies are still  the best for us now.  Circumstances constantly change and we are never sure what lies ahead, so regular financial check-ups can help keep our finances healthy.  Otherwise it's like buying a car and never servicing it!  We need to take care of our finances and professionals are best placed to advise us.

I hope my eldest children soon become financially independent, which will be a massive help to our finances.  However, we still have three other kids to raise and help to  teach the value of money.   In the short term, we will be having a family finance meeting to work out where we can all make savings and to ensure that we put something away every month to build up our savings giving us some financial protection for our futures.  This security is invaluable, because none of us now what tomorrow may bring.

Here is a link to a live financial advice clinic:

http://www.studiotalk.tv/show/live-financial-advice-clinic

It gives plenty of helpful advice to anyone who wants to plan their finances for now and for the future.

The Weekly Essentials Challenge - How Much Could YOU Save??

Switch To Poundland and Save Money

With everything in the supermarket costing so much more these days, shopping around for bargains and special offers can really cut a chunk off of the weekly shopping bill.  But this can be complicated and time consuming as we try to work out which supermarket will be the cheapest option from one week to the next.   So it was with real interest that I heard that Poundland has launched over 100 new grocery lines, selling big brand favourites for just £1!

Poundland stocks more than 3000 everyday essentials and over 1000 top brands including household favourites such as Warburtons, Heinz, Cadbury's, Kellogg's, PG Tips, Dorset Cereals and Ambrosia.

I was challenged to spend £15 in store instead of in my usual supermarket to see how much I could save by  incorporating my Poundland shop into my weekly spend.  I mostly opted for breakfast items and packed lunch and snack products as these are essentials that we buy week in, week out for the kids.  The range also included chilled items, fresh fruit and vegetables and baked goods.

Here is my shopping list with the prices of the products that I would have paid in a supermarket at full price excluding any special offers (sourced from mysupermarket.com):

                       

Kellogg's Cornflakes 375g                           £2.09                                        

Kellogg's Rice Krispies Bar                         £1.99                                         

Oreo Cookies snack pack                           £1.29                                          

Mug Shot Pasta (3 for £1)                           75p each

Tilda Mushroom Rice (3 for £2)                  £1.59 each

Fruit Bowl Yogurt Raisins                            £2.00

Fruit Factory Lunchbox Snacks                   £1.49

       Quavers 5 pack                                   8 for a 6 pack

Heinz Squeeze and Stir (3 for £1)               59p each

Daddies Brown Sauce 600g                       £1.98

Nestle Shreddies                                         £2.29

Ready Brek Squeezers                               £2.18

Harvest Chewee Bars 8 pack                     £1.69 for a 9 pack

Capri Sun 5 pack                                       £1.86

Total cost in Poundland £15.00

     Total cost in supermarket £29.33

Obviously supermarkets may sometimes have BOGOFs, 3 for 2 offers or price cuts on the products you want to buy, but it is good to know that with Poundland everything costs just one pound every single day, making it easier to budget and compare deals.  Some of the products came in slightly smaller sizes but the savings were still impressive. Just be sure to do a quick weight comparison to see if it is still better value. The sell-by dates are all well in the future so you are not compromising on shelf life or quality.  These are the same top brand products that you will find in a supermarket, consistently on sale for just £1.

The Ready Brek Squeezers are a brand new product on the market that we've seen advertised on TV.  I didn't mind giving them a try for £1 but wouldn't pay the £2.18 price tag that the supermarket next door to Poundland was charging.  Freddy was particularly pleased with this bargain and wanted to try one as soon as we got home.

I was quite amazed at the savings to be made in Poundland on everyday grocery items.  I've never really considered Poundland for food shopping before, but was pleasantly surprised!  The only downside is that my nearest store is in the middle of a shopping centre.  I could only buy what fitted in my hand basket and then I had to carry my bags back to the car park which is quite a trek, meaning I couldn't buy too much, but for buying a few big brand essentials it is excellent.  I will definitely stock up on Kizzy's lunchbox snacks.  The Fruit Bowl and the Fruit Factory dried fruit snacks are her favourites, but they are so expensive in my local supermarket.  For £1 a pack, she can have them every week!  I am very glad to know about all the grocery items available to buy in store at Poundland and will definitely include them when considering my weekly shop in the future.  The 15 items I purchased in the challenge saved me a whopping £14.33 against a supermarket shop, that makes a Poundland basket virtually half the price of a supermarket basket.  That is a saving you simply can not ignore!!

Find out more on their website's Food and Drink section. 

I received a £15 voucher in order to take the grocery challenge with Poundland.

Superkids Savers Challenge

Being a mum with five children, budgeting our money has always been a very important part of everyday life.  I am quite frugal and do lots of things to make our money go further, so we can get to enjoy our lives without having to stress about debt or not having enough money to enjoy the odd family treat.  Teaching these skills to the children is really important, especially in this day and age where the economy is not working in anyone's favour.  I'd hate my children to end up in a spiral of financial difficulties when they are adults and I believe that learning about saving and handling cash starts when they are very young.

• Leading by example is one of the most effective ways to instill a respect for finances in your kids.  My children see me being careful with my cash and understand that resources are not unlimited.  I'm not one to spend lots of money on myself (in fact I'm very low on the list when it comes to buying things for myself!)  I don't aspire to own the best brands, the latest must-have items or designer labels and I'm more interested in finding good quality, good value products on the market and keeping my money in the bank.  Thankfully, my girls are following in my footsteps and do not expect the latest mobile phones, designer clothes or shoes.  In fact they are proud to be individuals who don't follow the fashion hungry crowd.  They have developed a love of Primark, which will stand them in good stead for the future!  Being a savvy shopper goes hand in hand with being a savvy saver!

• I've always let my children handle money and introduced ideas of spending and saving through play.  From popping pennies in their money boxes to counting it up to see how much they have saved, it starts an early understanding of cash.  Playing a game of shops is great fun.  Letting your toddler be the shopkeeper or the customer and buying and selling things with pretend money is a good introduction to money handling.  The song "Ten Currant Buns in a Baker's Shop," is all about money and shopping and another idea for an activity for pre-schoolers to enjoy.   "Paying the lady" in the supermarket is also something we do with the children from a young age so they understand that the money is handed over in exchange for whatever we have purchased.  Freddy at 3 asks if we have enough money for our shopping when we do our weekly shop, which shows he is starting to grasp the concept of cash and whether we can afford what we are buying!  This is definitely a good firsts step in becoming financially aware.

• Saving is so important.  I always tell me children about the fact that I saved my money when I was a child which meant that by the time I needed to buy a car and pay a deposit on my first flat, I had the money to do so.  Surely being able to do that is more important than buying packets of sweets every week?  In fact it is useful to make them understand that if they are spending £2 a week on sweets they are spending over £100 a year.  If they are buying the latest released CDs from One Direction, JLS or Nickie Minaj every month, they will have spent in excess of £150.  Yes it is nice to buy things, but be sure you really want them and you aren't just buying them because your money is burning a hole in your pocket!!  All those £1's soon add up to a substantial amount that could make a real difference to your future if you had popped those pounds into a savings account!

• Each of my children has had a bank account since they were born.  When birthdays and Christmases have seen them receive a nice chunk of cash, I always encourage them to put some into their savings.  Again, if they want something specific they can buy it, but I do not support the idea of them frittering it away on bits and pieces they don't need or even really want.  The girls have always been happy to save at least half of what they get given.  In fact they enjoy going into the local branch of the bank and paying the cash in.  Seeing the total balance going up gives them quite a thrill and they enjoy some healthy competition with their siblings as to who has the most money in their account!

• We recently discovered  Roosterbank, an online virtual savings account where Kizzy is given 'pocket money' which is recorded in her Roosterbank account.  To access the money she has to send me a request and funds are then used to make a purchase or are deposited into her real bank account.  This gives her control over her finances and allows her to watch her money grow.  A virtual wishlist can be created so if she wants to save up for something specific, she can see the total cash she has in her account approaching the target sum she needs.  When given such a visual incentive, the urge to spend the odd pound here and there on sweeties is nowhere near as powerful.

• As a family we talk about money openly which I think is important.  Money should not be a taboo subject and I want my children to experience real life finances within the family.  Ian and I discuss our credit card bills and the fact that we pay the full balance off every month in full so we are not charged interest.  We never take out loans or buy things on HP.  Ian really wants a 3D TV but he is having to wait.  I don't think it is a good message to buy such a luxury item straight away...I don't want the children to think they can have whatever they want whenever they want.  (Especially with powerful advertising from shops like Brighthouse who suggest otherwise!)  We do enjoy treats as a family, but we don't ever take them for granted.  We often say "yes we can afford it, but we can't justify the expense" if one of the kids asks for something that is expensive and unnecessary.  I think it is important to realise that just because you have cash doesn't mean it needs to be spent! Our financial viewpoint is conveyed to the children naturally and organically and will hopefully help shape their opinions and give them first hand experience of what it's like to be an adult responsible for making financial decisions.  Fingers crossed they will see how being savers has benefited our family.

I am proud of how my girls handle their money and I hope Freddy follows in their footsteps with a respect for saving and an understanding of what you save today helps you in the future when you really need it.  Living in the 21st century isn't easy.  Everything is so expensive and we are earning less due to cuts in hours, pay and benefits.  Loan companies are constantly trying to seduce us with promises of quick cash fixes.  Their adverts are shown on the kid's TV channels, exposing our children to them from an early age. It's more important now than ever before to make sure our children understand money so they can become a future savvy saver!! 

This is my entry into the MoneySupermarket.com Superkids Savers Challenge. 

Morrison's Saver Summer and Easy Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe

Enjoy Summer On A Budget

We are half way through the summer holidays and if you are feeling the financial pinch from spending cash on days out and buying things to keep the kids entertained, then Morrisons is here to help.  They have come up with lots of yummy recipes and handy hints to make sure that little ones have a fabulous time without breaking the bank.  They have put together a selection of M Savers recipes and have teamed up with Play England and money saving expert Sarah Willingham to provide great tips to make the most of your summer.  You can find out more by visiting the Saver Summer website where there are details on ways to find low-cost ways of entertaining the family this summer:

• Easy to cook, low cost, nutritious M Savers summer-themed recipes, perfect for picnics, barbecues and kids’ summer snacks starting from as little as 16p per portion
• Free or low cost family activities developed with Play England
• An interactive map of the UK to locate free play spaces
• An M Savers Summer ‘Pop-Up’ Play Park which will tour the country in August which will have cooking demonstrations as well as low and free play workshops hosted by Play England to teach all sorts of game ideas including arts and crafts and den building

Morrison's have challenged me to cook up one of their M Savers summer recipes and I have made a Cheat's  Lemon Drizzle Cake which will be the perfect post picnic pud!  Best of all it is super easy to make and costs just 90p for a 10 portion loaf.  The children can help with the baking and the family will be enjoying a tasty, Summer loaf cake in no time!

• 2 x packets of M Savers Sponge Mix
• 2 x eggs from store cupboard
• Water
• 4 x tablespoons of M Savers Lemon Curd
• Juice and zest of 1 M Savers Lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C Line a one litre loaf tin with grease proof paper. Mix up the cake mix as instructed on the packet using the eggs and water. Stir two tablespoons of lemon curd into the cake batter.
2. Pour the cake mix into the tin and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the centre of the sponge springs back when pressed with your fingertips.
3. Remove from the oven and repeatedly pierce the top with a kebab skewer.
4. In a bowl, mix together the leftover lemon curd and lemon juice and zest. Pour over the cake and allow to cool in the tin.

Easy To Make Lemon Drizzle Cake

Savings at Shoe Zone

In these times when our finances are being stretched by the ever increasing cost of living, it is nice to find a company who offers good quality and good value.  Shoe Zone is the "No 1 Value Footwear Retailer" with over 550 shops across UK and Ireland.  They sell approximately 30 million pairs of footwear per annum...which is about 57 pairs every minute!!  Prices are kept keen with an average price of 40% of the national average.

They sell a great range of shoes for Men, Women, Boys and Girls at really competitive prices.  Their range includes footwear for fashion, work, school, sport and fun  I have been lucky enough to get a selection of shoes for Kizzy and Freddy to try out.

Check out these gorgeous wellies in multi-coloured heart print.  They have a trendy buckle trim and a low heel.  The design is fun and girly and Kizzy loved them.  They are going to perfect for sploshing through puddles.  At just £9.99, they are excellent value.

The Heart Buckle Girls' Ballerina Shoe is a sensible but stylish shoe, perfect for school.  The heart shaped buckle is a lovely detail that adds a pretty touch which girls love. The flat heel is something that is important to me when choosing footwear for my daughter, and it is nice to find a flat shoe that is so girlie and which Kizzy loves. They cost just £9.99.

The Boys' Cross Over Strap Shoes with Lights are perfect for little lads.  They are practical and durable to withstand rough and tumble.  They have light-up soles which is not only fun, it also adds a safety element which is important now the evenings are getting darker.  I love how chunky and hard wearing they are because Freddy is tough on his shoes!  The fit was really good for an off the shelf shoe and the adjustable velcro strap was secure.  They are just £12.99.

Freddy and Kizzy have loved modelling their new footwear, especially Fred who is jumping everywhere to light up his blue flashing soles!!

                              

Shoe Zone offer an online click and collect in store service, free delivery on online sales, free return to any store and next day and Saturday delivery (chargeable).  

Check out this season's new arrivals online at www.shoezone.com or instore now.

Poundland for Easter

With the credit crunch taking its toll, I've been looking at ways of saving money.  With the end of term just a  week away I was glad to receive a parcel of Easter goodies from Poundland to try out, giving me ideas for cutting costs without missing out on the fun!

Poundland have an extensive range of items in store all for just £1!  With character Easter Eggs featuring favourites such as Spongebob,  Barbie, Hello Kitty, Toy Story and Star Wars, there is something to please everyone.  You can also pick up big brand confectionery such as Smarties Egg Heads, Cadbury's Mini Eggs, Galaxy Eggs and Kinder Eggs.  Perfect for Easter Egg Hunts.  We were sent some Malt Easter bunnies to try which are available at 3 for £1!  Ella was very impressed with them and they are cheaper in Poundland than in the supermarkets!

They also stock a great range of Gifts, Cards and Wrap.  The large gift bag we were sent is great quality and a really cute design with googly eyes!  It will be a lovely way to present an Easter Egg or gift to a loved one. The Easter Bunny Cuddly Toy is a lovely, cute, cuddly toy, perfect for your little one and an absolute bargain at £1! They are available in a range of colours, and other designs of cuddly toy are also available.  The box of Easter Chicks will make excellent Easter decorations...perfect for dotting around the house or for using to
make an Easter bonnet!  The range also includes Money Wallets, Make Your Own Card Sets and Hats.

If, like me, you have children who love Arts and Crafts, then look no further than Poundland for an amazing selection of fun Make Your Own Kits.  Ideal for creative fun over the school holidays.  With cookie cutters, colouring mats, cross stitch kits, egg painting kits and dressing up accessories, there is a whole host of things to keep your little ones entertained.  We were sent a Make Your Own Puppet Kit with everything you need to make six fun, Easter finger puppets...just add glue.  Your kids could put on an Easter Puppet Show...great fun for all!

Whatever your budget, Poundland can help stretch your funds that much further.  Whether you are planning a big Easter Egg Hunt or a small family party, Poundland will help make it a weekend to remember without breaking the bank!

The Savvy Shopper's Best Kept Secret...Whatafind.com

We are all feeling the pinch of the economic climate.  With prices skyrocketing, I'm on the constant look out for ways to save money without compromising on quality or style.  However, searching for those elusive bargains, to make my hard earned pennies go farther, can be a laborious process.  That is until now.  I've discovered Whatafind.com, the savvy shopper's best kept secret!  What a Find offer market clearance items, end of lines, overstocks and returns from quality brands at hugely discounted prices all in one place.  They do all the legwork sourcing these bargains saving us considerable time, effort and energy as well as saving us up to 80% on the original prices.

Including brands such as Panasonic, DeLonghi, Dior, Miss Sixty, Emma Bridgewater and Mamas and Papas, this isn't a dumping ground for old stock, it's an Aladdin's cave of hidden treasures. They aim to offer unrivalled value with stock that is constantly being updated.  What a Find act as middlemen, organising delivery to your doorstep direct from the suppliers.

The website lists its goods under seven headings: Electrical, Fashion, Living Room, Bed and Bath, Kitchen and Dining, Baby and Child and Gifts making it easy to browse for what you are looking for. You can also shop by brand.  The site is easy to navigate and user friendly.

All items are fully tested and come with a 3 month warranty.

The prices on the website represent genuine bargains when compared to big high street stores.  It really is worth checking out Whatafind if you are looking to purchase something online.  For instance I've just looked for a DeLonghi Coffee Maker (Model ECO310.BK)

Whatafind Price on 31/3/2011 is £98.00
Amazon Price on 31/3/2011 is £132.58

Delivery times depend on where your item is being shipped from, but generally it will be shipped within 14 days.  Delivery charges vary depending on the supplier, but it is made clear as a price breakdown in your basket exactly what you will be charged.

Whatafind have kindly offered to send me a quality, top brand item from their website so I can review it Inside the Wendy House.  I am looking forward to experiencing  Whatafind  for myself and will be giving my opinion on the delivery, the packaging, the quality on arrival and on the product itself.  I am very excited to be trying out Whatafind.com because I am genuinely impressed with what I've seen so far.  If it lives up to my expectations I will be very impressed indeed!

Aldi Swap and Save Conclusions

Over the past few weeks, we've been taking part in Aldi's Swap and Save Challenge to see if we could save ourself money on our weekly shop.  Aldi stock quality everyday essentials at discount prices and by switching from the top brand products to Aldi's own brands you could save up to 50%!

We tested tea bags, coffee, chocolate biscuits, baked beans, tomato ketchup, tinned plum tomatoes and sugar frosted cereals.

Here are the links to all the taste tests we did:
Aldi vs Nescafe
Aldi vs McVities
Aldi vs Heinz Ketchup
Aldi vs Heinz Beans
Aldi vs Napolina
Aldi vs PG Tips
Aldi vs Kellogg's

The idea of the Swap and Save campaign is that although you may like the brand label product, you'll probably like the Aldi one too.  As the Aldi products are considerably cheaper, swapping to them saves you money, without having to compromise on quality.  "Like brands...only cheaper!"

The products that we tasted and compared held up well against the brand leaders.  Aldi's current advertising campaign highlights the idea of switching to the cheaper brands to save money on your weekly shopping bill.  They are even holding a competition for customers to submit their own Swap and Save video commercials showing their favourite Aldi products.  You could win £100!

So, if you are feeling squeezed by the current economic situation, consider switching from your usual top priced brands.  You might be surprised by the results and by the amount of money you could save!

Aldi vs Heinz Baked Beans

Baked Beans are an everyday essential that most people have in their store cupboards.  Once, they were a very cheap product but recently the price has risen to 64p a can for the brand leader Heinz.  Aldi's alternative Corale, are just 29p a can.  We taste tested the two types against each other with surprising results in our Swap And Save challenge!

Both girls failed to tell the difference between the two bowls of beans.  Aldi's beans are less than half the price of Heinz beans.  That equates to a considerable saving over the course of the week!

I'm really beginning to see that sticking slavishly to brand leaders is a surefire way of wasting our hard earned cash!  'Swap and Save' is definitely something that can save you money without compromising on quality or taste.  Check out our final taste tests on Frosted Flakes and Tea Bags!

Aldi vs Heinz Ketchup

We eat a lot of tomato sauce in this house.  Daddy has a real thing for condiments and the little ones seem to have inherited his love of sauces.  We do buy Heinz Ketchup as a rule, we've never considered buying another brand.  It seems ingrained in our psyche to pop a bottle of Heinz in the shopping basket.  However, it is very expensive.  It now costs £1.95 in the squeezy bottle that we favour.  Even when it's on BOGOF it is still fast becoming  luxury item price wise.  Aldi's Bramwell Tomato Sauce came in a virtually identical bottle which I was impressed with, and priced at just 69p is a fraction of the price.

So, the taste test was again very close.  Kizzy preferred the Heinz ketchup because it was "less tomatoey" which I thought was quite ironic.  On reading the ingredients list the Bramwells did contain more tomatoes per 100g of product, stating that each bottle contained 24 ripe tomatoes.  That to me, sounds like a better quality product!  I was surprised at how synthetic and starchy the Heinz tasted by comparison.  For a more natural tasting sauce and a big cash saving, I'd definitely switch brands.

My Tip for a Frugal New Year!

I have recently been lucky enough to win £100 of Argos vouchers in a competition by submitting a tip that would help you cope with the onslaught of January's bills. I am quite proud of my idea, so I thought I'd share it on my blog....


"To tighten my belt in January, I have my annual "food audit"! My family laugh...but I go through the cupboards and freezer and plan menus around what we've got lurking there! It means nothing gets wasted, we only have to buy perishables for a few weeks which cuts our shopping costs and the kitchen gets a good sort out!! We also discover a few new ideas for dinners as we have to get creative and google new recipes to use up all the rogue tins and packets bought then ignored over the previous year!!!"




Time to get creative in the kitchen!