Free stuff, bargains and pennywise tips to make your £££s stretch further this winter
Are you the sort of consumer who:
- Thinks it’s far better to receive than to give?
- Pretends not to be at home when carol singers come-a-knocking?
- Regards Big Issue vendors with suspicion?
- Carefully unwraps Christmas presents in order to reuse the wrapping paper next year?
Then Bah and Humbug! You’re clearly more Scrooge than Santa.
However, there’s nothing Scrooge-like about keeping your eyes peeled for a bargain, in fact, in today’s world it’s just common sense. And let’s face it, where would Confused.com be without all those cash-savvy web surfers who are just trying to keep the rising cost of living at bay?
So to help you stay afloat, read on for seven money-saving tips with the emphasis on keeping cosy, entertained, or both during the cold winter months.
1. City break for two – just £23
Head to London, or any of the big shopping cities, and get a dose of retail therapy. Travelodge is currently running its biggest-ever sale, with rooms starting at just £19 a night (though you’ll have to book 21 days ahead to grab this rate).
Prices are definitely worth leaving home for and are available at all 329 Travelodge locations throughout Britain and Ireland. The offer must be booked by December 1st so get a move on.
If you fancy taking advantage of the above offer but don’t want to get a second job to pay your petrol or rail costs, then hop on board the Megabus. The cut-price coach operator now travels to and from over 50 UK destinations, and one-way prices start at just £1.
Both these deals mean that if you book enough in advance, two people could bag themselves a comfy, overnight city break in London for just £23.
Click Here to Find a Cheap Travel Insurance Quote, and Many Other Great Deals
2. Catch a TV show being filmed
Need entertaining while on your city break but don’t want to pay premium theatre prices? Then get yourself listed at the Applause Store – the award-winning FREE television and radio audience ticket unit.
Tickets are available (at time of writing) for shows including Parkinson, Westlife on Demand, The Friday Night Project, Ready Steady Cook, Transmission, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, QI, Dancing on Ice and Top Gear.
You can also source free tickets directly from the BBC by joining their mailing list.
TV recordings do tend to be London-biased, but there are a surprising number of regional recording venues - particularly with BBC shows.
3. Find love in the flickering light of a movie projector
If you’re both a lonely heart and a film lover then this one’s for you. The Guardian newspaper’s Soulmates dating site has teamed up with Picturehouse Cinemas to screen a film a month for members.
Register with Soulmates (it’s free) and you can enjoy all films ‘gratis’. What’s more, there’s even free coffee afterwards for you to clutch onto ‘security blanket-style’ whilst mingling.
You can find Picturehouse Cinemas in Aberdeen, Bath, Brixton, Cambridge, Clapham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Greenwich, Henley, Liverpool, Oxford, Southampton, Stratford East (London), Stratford upon Avon and York.
Classics so far screened include Thelma And Louise, Manhattan and To Have and Have Not.
4. Watch top films at home for free
If you’re the stay-at-home type but still love your movies, why not sign up to one of the numerous postal DVD clubs.
Benefits
- Clubs are generally a lot cheaper than ‘video store’ rental
- Choose films online
- DVDs are delivered straight through your letterbox
- Keep films as long as you like
- Return post is prepaid
But best of all… most companies run introductory trials where you can receive FREE films for two weeks, a month, and sometimes even longer.
Home DVD clubs include MyMovieStream (voted top DVD club in a recent Which Magazine trial), Blockbuster, LOVEFiLM, Cinema Paradiso and Amazon, all of whom run a 14-day free trial, and also WHSMith, who are currently running a 30-day free trial.
And after the trial offer expires you’re free to cancel your membership and jump onboard another club’s free trial offer.
However, some of the above are actually run by the same company, and when they recognise your postcode upon sign-up for a second time, your free trial may be blocked. But there are still plenty more unrelated DVD rental companies, so you’re virtually guaranteed months of free film rental.
5. Switch energy supply
So you’re on the settee watching a DVD that’s just popped through your letterbox, but the movie’s being spoilt because it’s cold and you can’t afford to crank up the heating. Solution: change to a cheaper supplier.
Confused.com can help find you a better energy supply deal. Just enter your details online and in a matter of moments we’ll search the utilities market and show what savings you could be making. The switchover process can be instigated there-and-then online.
Click here to start making savings on your gas, energy or dual-fuel supply
6. Winter fuel bill allowance
Silver surfers listen up! Don’t forget to check whether you’re eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment.
If aged 60 or over you could receive extra money to help with heating costs during the winter months.
To be eligible for a tax-free benefit of between £100 and £300 you’ll need to be aged over 60 during the 17th to 23rd of September 2007 and you should normally live in the United Kingdom. All claims for the 2007-2008 payment must be received by 30th March 2008
Click here to download the Winter Fuel Payment claim form
7. Give a little back for Christmas
Registered charity do-it.org.uk is a volunteer-work search engine that can hook you up with over 800,000 opportunities for you to donate your time to.
Simply go to their site, select the type of volunteer work you want to do, enter your postcode and available dates, and you’ll be presented with a list of opportunities in your area with details on how to take it further.
Prove you’re no Scrooge by turning it around and giving a little of yourself back this Christmas.
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We hope you’ve found our magnificent seven tips useful and interesting, and you can look forward to plenty more pointers on getting a great deal in the future.
Season’s greetings to all and happy savings for 2008!
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