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M&S Customers save 20% off Gardeners World Live tickets
I love gardening so am chuffed to share this offer with you. To get 20% off tickets, simply quote MS1 when booking. You can use the offer on any-day tickets too – perfect if you want to take advantage of the discount but want flexibility. That’s what I did.
Remember to bring your Sparks Card on the day for exclusive access to the Sparks Members Lounge where you can relax and plan your day. And be sure to visit the brand new M&S stand with a great display of their outdoor plant ranges to view and buy, with some great Show offers.Even better, all tickets include free entry to the BBC Good Food Show. Ticket type Full price Quote MS1 Adult standard Thu/Fri/Sun £24 £19.20 Over 65s standard Thu/Fri/Sun £22 £17.60 Any-One-Day £25.50 £20.40… -
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10 ways to cut the cost of your new kitchen
I have a kitchen that’s over 10 years old but it looks pretty good, and here are some tips to updating your existing kitchen if you are on a budget.
-Complete kitchens on eBay-
With lots of refurbs going on, pick up a kitchen from eBay. You’ll probably need to collect, but sometimes applicances are thrown in. And if you don’t like the colour, just get some kitchen cupboard paint and spruce up the doors…probably still cheaper than buying new!
-Just replace the doors-
Most kitchens cupboards are well made, but just dated. So head to places that sell cupboard doors online.
-Flooring-
I found that using flooring companies from less affluent areas saved me a lot of money. Depending on where you live, head to a less well off area of town, and …
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Summer baking bargains – Aldi Specialbuy
From fruity treats and fairy cakes to tempting tray bakes and crowd-pleasing three-tier cakes, Aldi is making baking easier than ever with its new Summer Baking range, available in stores and online on 27th August.
Budding bakers can create the perfect cake with a Classic Stand Mixer (£64.99), including a six-speed rotary control with a balloon whisk, beater and dough hook. With four colours to choose from, it should hopefully fit in with most of your colour scheems.
Aldi’s Sweet Treat Maker (£19.99) will take the stress out of whipping up homemade goodies. Choose from teacake maker, mini pancake maker or waffle maker. Featuring automatic temperature control, an auto-lock clip and cord-wrap for compact, upright storage, this great-value gadget (see pic below) will leave bakers tucking in to tasty treats in no time.
With a …
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Aldi’s new inflatable hot tub at £299 in store Sunday 9 April
Big tip here, get there when the shop opens if you want this hot tub and even ring them early to find out exactly when stock will arrive, sometimes it comes in a day or two earlier than advertised.
Aldi is cutting the cost of luxury outdoor relaxation this summer with the launch of its first ever inflatable hot tub. Taking on big brands, Aldi’s Spa Pool, available for just £299.99, will launch in stores on 9th April and aims to bring relaxation to the masses, without compromising on quality or performance.
A long-time spa staple and celebrity must-have, sales of hot tubs in the UK have soared in recent years with more than 100,000 Brits now owning one. Now, thanks to Aldi even more of us can pamper ourselves with a bargain …
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Want to permanently reduce your household bills? Invest in solar panels
We installed our solar panels back at the end of 2015, but even though the Feed In Tariff has reduced, having panels can save you money long term, so I asked solar lighting specialist, The Solar Centre, to discuss how harnessing solar power throughout your home could mean huge long-term savings.
Whilst there are many ways that you can save money on day-to-day bills, consumers are, understandably, always on the lookout for long-term ways to make substantial savings. One way of doing this, while also being more environmentally responsible, is through solar power.
How does it work?
Solar panels work by capturing energy from the sun using photovoltaic cells. The cells convert sunlight into electricity, which can be used for home appliances and lighting, thus substantially reducing household bills. Once you have paid the …
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Get 20% off Crown paints with their paint recycling scheme
An award-winning recycling scheme is hoping its fifth anniversary year will be the biggest and best yet, with a little help from UK homeowners.
With the return of the annual Kick Out The Can recycling campaign, Crown Decorating Centres’ are urging householders to bring unwanted paint containers into their stores to help the environment, charitable projects and ensure they are rewarded too.
Last year was the most successful Kick Out The Can yet with 20,000 containers of surplus paint brought into the network of 135 Crown Decorating Centres.
Homeowners can drop off any brand of unwanted paint at their local Crown Decorating Centre from April 1st to 30th and as a thank you they receive a 20 per cent discount voucher which is redeemable throughout 2017.
Now in its fifth year, the campaign has collected …
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Getting Ready For The Summer Garden with Jive Hippo Club
The seemingly endless winter is finally drawing to a close. The daffodils are blooming, and – every so often – we are getting a glimpse of warm sunshine. I have already been gardening for a few weeks clearing up the dead leaves, sewing new seeds and bulbs and more.
So to help you on your way, here are some tips to get your garden ship shape for the summer, and to save money, we’ve made it more interesting and put in a sample of the discounts and money back that you could get if you used Jive Hippo, a membership club that gets you discount on high street prices.
Reset The Beds
It’s time to grab that shovel and that trowel and get down and dirty pulling up the weeds and roots. The roots …
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Ideas for saving money in the garden
I love gardening, so was excited to hear about a fella called Peter Burkes who’s offering free gardening advice at his “virtual garden cente” www.potterandrest.co.uk. I know I have raved about Garden Compass, but you still have to pay for it, even though it’s great value for money, so this is another option.
Anyway, make over your plot on a budget with some of Peter’s tips below and then you’ll have more money to spend on other plants, products and gadgets on your wish list:
1. Always check out special offers. Garden centres are always offering deals and money off on certain plants so make sure you do your research.
2. Save money on buying canes and collect sticks and twigs now for use later as pea or bean supports.
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Five money saving tips for your home
Swinton Insurance shares its simple but effective tips that’ll help you avoid any emergencies in the home, and minimise your bills:
1.Dispel those draughts
Once you’ve warmed up your house, it’s important to try keep the heat in – after all, the more often you have to turn the heating on, the bigger the bill. Make sure no chilly breezes sneak in by filling any gaps around doors with a draught excluder and windows with draught proofing strips.
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Insulate and insulate again
Not only will insulating your home keep you warm and toasty, it could cut your energy bills too. Consider the following:
- Cavity wall insulation to avoid losing heat through your walls
- Draught proofing so cold air doesn’t creep in through doors or out through windows
- Floor insulation – make sure gaps in
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Review of free plant ID apps
I have what can only be called a forest outside, so wanted to find a way to identify plants cheaply.
I bought the Readers Digest Garden Plants and Flowers (on eBay), but it was a bit difficult to use as it groups plants and I don’t know which groups loads of them belong to. Basically, I can tell a holly from a rose, but not a jasmine from a honeysuckle.
So what about getting a gardening expert in? Well this costs and they can’t always be there, so I downloaded 7 plant identifying apps, and would recommend Garden Compass, and here’s why:
Garden Compass gives you 3 free IDs per month or £4.49 per month, or £25.99 for the year for unlimited. They ID your plant and you can ask the expert questions. Once your …
