En route we travelled through Hull, hardly a fine example of tourism but with it’s own appeal in the form of The Deep a large sea life centre just off the main roads. We got in for the family ticket price of £28.50 and there’s the option to upgrade that ticket at no extra cost to a year long pass, all they ask is for a donation next time but it isn’t compulsory. So, that’s a years entry into The Deep for around £7 each. You can even make use of the local tourist information board who often provide online printable vouchers or key phrases to quote and make even greater savings at attractions around the country.
We even managed to find some places of interest with free entry, like Wold’s Way Lavender Farm and we picked our own fruit at a farm down the road before driving home via Wentworth Garden Centre.

Park even assist with savings, for example you can buy entry for The Sea Life Centre in Scarborough at great reductions instead of the ticket sales at the venue. Alternately look at the internet site and find vouchers on site or sign up for Bview’s local listings to get an up to date link to the latest offers in the area.

No matter what type of holiday you want or even if you just want a day out or two, it’s worth searching around the internet for reduced price entry to visitor attractions and events all over the UK and really making the most of the sunshine.

Tempted and willing to research I had a look at the offers from Ford and found some interesting figures, they’re offering a £2K government scrappage amount and they’re going to match it, which sounds amazing, but that’s for a Style at £12,295 after reductions, then another £1,892 as a fee for the credit which stands at a whopping 7.9 APR. Suddenly the offer isn’t quite so tempting.

And there are caveats: The vehicle must only be first registered on or prior to 31 August 1999 and the owner must have owned the vehicle continuously for at least one year prior to the order date of the new vehicle.
The scrapped vehicle should have a UK address on the registration certificate (V5C) and has either a current tax disc and current MOT certificate, or has a current tax disc and a current Hackney Carriage Licence, or has an MOT certificate which expired no earlier than 14 days before the date of the contract for a new vehicle.
Neither vehicle (scrappage or new) should exceed 3.5 tonnes.
The purchased vehicle must be first registered in the UK on or after 18 May 2009 and have no former keepers.
The registered keeper of the new vehicle must be identical to the registered keeper of the vehicle to be scrapped. The Scrappage Allowance will be payable in relation to the first 300,000 new vehicles purchased nationwide or until 28 February 2010, whichever is sooner.

My reservations were repealed by the more promising offers with Kia, a subsidiary of Hyundai , where you can get a Picanto for a mere £4,495 on the road with a £2,000 combined saving with the new incentive. As a cash purchaser with no ridiculous APR to pay on a credit agreement, you’d actually be making a reasonable purchase for a new car, though it should be borne in mind that a car decreases in value rapidly for those first days of ownership and then drops to it’s usual steadier decline, but with a sensible road tax bracket, great fuel economy, low insurance grouping of 2, 3 or 4 and all around nippy features, perhaps many of the savings are to be made later. You could also look at the Fiat Eco at £5,995 and Peugeot 107 Urban Lite from £6,945.

It’s only a true saving if you don’t pay the hiked credit/ finance fees and interest rates.

First of all there are Tesco deals vouchers.  These have been around for a while now and so many people have already come across them.  Tesco allow you to exchange each £2.50 worth of Tesco points voucher for £10 of deals voucher, making each point you earned worth 4p.  You have to choose which deals voucher you want when you order them, but there’s quite a variety of choice from vouchers for days out at places such as Legoland or the zoo, to vouchers which can be spent at restaurants such as Bella Italia, Café Rouge or Harry Ramsdens.  They can also be turned into vouchers  for jewellery at Goldsmiths, or Air miles as well as a variety of other places.

Alternatively, the new way of using your points vouchers is to use them in store on specific departments where you can now exchange them for ‘in store deals vouchers’ worth 2x the amount of your original points voucher so £5 becomes £10 and each point is worth 2p.  The departments that you can do this for are, Toys, Clothing, Baby & Toddler, Cosmetics & Skincare, Tesco Mobile, and Wines.  To do this, all you have to do is to either use the tesco online system to exchange them using the codes on your vouchers which you can do here or you can exchange them by post by printing out this order form and sending it off to them as it tells you to.  Done online the vouchers normally arrive in about a week, and done by post a little longer.  Then you just use them in store to buy items from the relevant department just as you normally would, and hand over the voucher at the checkout.  The only difference being that you get twice as much for your money.

I’ve personally found that sometimes these shops appear to offer excellent value for the odd occasionally bought item, a vase, a set of mugs or a cake tin – for example I recently bought 100 wooden pegs in my local pound shop, and 100 pegs for £1 is crazy cheap – I mean that’s 1p per peg! It’s got to be a bargain at that price hasn’t it?  But the items that they sell which I do buy regularly I’ve never really found them to be much cheaper for.  Toothpaste for example – well yes, £1 is not a bad price for a tube of branded toothpaste, but most of the supermarkets sell it at a similar price on a fairly frequent basis, so I normally just buy it from there when it’s on special.  Soft drinks look good when you compare them to the RRP prices– For example I spotted Pepsi Max and Fanta 2 litre bottles in there at £1 each, but when I popped across the road to Farm foods I found that they sell the same 2 litre bottles cheaper – Pepsi Max at 79p and Fanta at 59p, so we’re not talking a couple of pence cheaper either, we’re talking more than 20% and 40% cheaper.  They do however do some excellent deals on coffee and sweets in my local store, so it does seem to be a little bit hit and miss really and the rule seems to be to keep checking other stores to make sure you are getting a bargain.

The other part of the question is whether these sorts of shops are good for the high street, do they make the supermarkets and other shops have to put their prices down, or do they just encourage us to spend money on things because they’re cheap when in fact maybe we don’t need them.  Might I have been better buying fewer pegs for the a slightly higher price somewhere else, but getting decent quality ones that would last longer?  There’s a good possibility that I would be to be honest, but like everyone else, I couldn’t resist the feeling of getting a bargain, so you tell me, do you think I got one? I’m not sure I know.

On the one hand I have to think of my own pocket don’t I? I mean, if I can save a few pence here and there buying from the supermarkets, I can afford to treat my family to a few extras along the way, and that’s a good thing for us.

The conflict for me is that if we all think like that, then the little shops go out of business just leaving the big chains who then have a hold over us because there’s no one to challenge them. Add to that, the choice issue – with a small seller, if you want something specific they can often get it for you, but a big chain can’t do so because the people working in the shop have nothing to do with the buying process.

The same problem occurs for me when I think about other products too – buying a TV or a Washing machine for example, do I go to the big chain store where they have loads of tellys on display but that’s all they have. Or do I go visit the independent dealer who can’t afford to have them all there on display because it costs too much and he doesn’t have the space, but he can actually offer you a much wider choice range because he can choose to deal with any manufacturer and can get any of their range of products even if he doesn’t normally carry it.

Personally I generally try to choose the smaller independent dealer for the big items like Stereos, Fridges and computers because I think that I get much closer to what I actually want that way as well as supporting the local economy. When it comes to supermarkets however, I’m afraid I tend to go the other way I go for cheaper and all under one roof – mostly for ease to be honest. It’s much harder to have to go to 20 different small stores than to go to one large one each week. Do you have something different that influences your thoughts? I’d love to hear if you think differently to me!

Having established what was important, we decided that we would have new cots and mattresses but anything else could be second hand. Cots are known to harbour MRSA and may well explain many 2nd and consecutive sibling cot deaths when cots are reused but not cleaned properly in the interim.
My parents stepped in and bought two cot beds, half price at Toys R Us, just under £80 each. My twins are still using them at age 3 in their bed form and with at least another year or two of use to come.
The other grandparents bought the mattresses, also from Toys R Us, using vouchers we received when the cots were bought and we bought the type suitable for cots then beds with wipe over covering on one side and breathable cloth on the other. In other words, lifetime mattresses instead of the flimsy foam cot mattresses which would need replacing again as the cots became beds.
Our choice of cot beds was a slightly unusual size so we bought some of the sheets at Toys R Us too, again using vouchers from the back of the in store magazine and making use of a 3 for 2 offer, so I bought 6 which still see us through in rotation.
The rest of the bedding came from Dunelm Mill, which has a great selection of pretty, themed baby and child bedding in sets, which also have a great resale value later down the line. Dunelm Mill have a website if you don’t have one close by.

Now we had somewhere to put the babies we thought about transport. In a fit of organisation I posted a wanted advert on our local Freecycle website. Freecycle is all about reducing landfill by giving away items you intend to get rid of. You can post ‘wanted’ or ‘offered’ adverts. Some people are very rude and ask for things to sell, we’ve fallen foul of that, but some are pleasant and genuine and give things away which save other people no end of trouble.
Freecycle can be found by googling along with the name or your area or nearest town. It’s all free!
Our advert asked for any baby items for twins. From that one ad we got a McLaren double pushchair, two single Graco pushchairs with car seats and bases, two bouncers, two moses baskets and stands, a bottle warmer and a highchair. That’s around £800+ of baby kit and the givers were pleased to see it go.
We used a wallpaper stripper to steam clean everything, MRSA loiters in fabrics and the weave of moses baskets too. Research told us that bleach and high temperatures kill MRSA and most other nasties. Bleach isn’t kind to newborn skin so steaming was the way for us. Everything was in great condition anyway but looked brand new and gleaming once steam cleaned.

We gave the bottle warmer away pretty fast. It was a pain in the neck on the side in the kitchen. We found two Tesco 33p measuring jugs did the job just fine when filled with boiling water and the bottles placed inside.

We used all the pushchairs, the double at times and the single if we were both out, the car seats and bases were used everyday and eventually we gave them all away again to be used by others with their children.

We bought a single changing mat and kept it slid underneath an armchair when not in use, thereby not bothering with a changing unit, though my Nannan, excited about forthcoming babies bought one anyway so we had the luxury of having one in their bedroom too.

I joined the Boots and Tesco baby clubs, which has yielded a great deal of coupons, even during pregnancy, for stocking up on essential baby products and a few treats for the burgeoning mother to be.

Then I began shopping on eBay. Buying in bulk was great. I bought expensive washable nappies (Kooshies) in large quantities for far less than you can find on the high street. I’ll admit to failing entirely with washables, it was such a headache and I gave in and bought disposables to my own disgust.
However, I resold all my nappies and recuperated almost the entire cost back on eBay!
I then used the money again on eBay to buy bulk Tommee Tippee bottles, dummy clips, MAM teats and dummies and the other small paraphenalia which comes later. These are small items which not every baby or mother wants but if you do use them they begin to aggravate with their inflated prices.
Our girls would only have orthodontic teats and dummies, which was fine but they cost a little more than most.

Breastfeeding is the cheapest way to feed a baby of course, but not everyone can. I was able to make use of the local Surestart services who loaned out breastpump which had all brand new pieces, ensuring hygiene. This meant I could express to make the most of my milk even when one of my babies couldn’t feed. Eventually we used formula and even then, chose Farleys, one of the cheapest on the market but with the better balance of casein for babys instead of the much heavier products like Cow & Gate.

As the girls grew I would give away what they had outgrown or no longer needed and readvertise in need of each new stage of development on Freecycle and on the local forum. This gave us clothing and toys, a couple of lightweight strollers for a holiday, two bed guards when the cot sides came off, a baby walker and no end of other useful bits and pieces. Even now I can advertise second or third generation pre-loved items, continually passing on.

Car boot sales are a veritable gold mine for baby items, but only if you go early. The good stuff is sold quickly but the prices are usually excellent. We usually buy toys or clothes and we’ve had some John Rocha clothes and hugely expensive Fisher Price toys for as little as £3 for the £65 toy and 50p for clothing. A huge contrast to items when bought brand new in Mothercare or Adams.

eBay was handy for shoes too. Clarks cost an arm and a leg if you keep twins in them but since most toddlers barely make a mark on shoes until about 18 months old, you can get first walkers in mint condition for a snip on eBay. So, we had the girls feet measured but bought online, usually saving up to 80% or 90% of the cost and still having the right sizes and in the current trends in the Clarks stores.

After the initial few months of shed loads of baby clothes as gifts for the new arrivals, I began buying their clothes in bulk on eBay and in sales. It’s a habit I’ve stuck with. I keep a separate wardrobe of clothing for the year ahead as I buy all their clothes for the next age group. So, at the end of 08/09 winter stock sales I was buying the clothes  for winter 09/10 in the appropriate sizes.
This means I’m prepared for any growth spurts and I can spread the rather diminished cost over the years sales.
We made full use of the Woolworths closing sales and stocked up on clothing, shoes and school uniform for when they need it in 18 months or so. At 45p - 99p each item instead of £7 - £15 each I’m happy to keep a little space aside for them.

There are no end of freebie websites which can help new parent with allsorts of items like feeding spoons and samples. They need to market their products and we need to save the cash, no problem. We tried no end of products by signing up to many websites. Just be careful to tick the privacy boxes or you’ll be plagued by junk mail forever more.

Anything we buy new generally has a resale value on eBay or on the local forum for sale section. We picked up two Bumbo seats on there for £15 and £13 and resold them on there 6 months later for the same prices. Both in the same condition and used well for several months.

Though we’ve saved money every step of the way where possible, occasionally sacrificing beauty for practicality, it’s been worth it. The days of empty nurseries full of antique furniture are long gone, we live in practical houses for the most part and most of the products we are instructed we ‘need’ are just luxuries which we must eventually part with. So why buy new and waste money? It might be a worthwhile investment if you plan to use any item for more than one child but there are so many baby sales items because they get very little use. The best part of the day a baby sleeps, nothing wears out, except patience now and then when they lie awake at night!

Some of London’s sights can be expensive, that’s absolutely true, but others are a lot cheaper than you might think.  Here are a few ‘must see’ attractions that are absolutely free to visit:

Big Ben & The Houses of Parliament – Westminster
The houses of parliament’s official name is the Palace of Westminster, and it’s a pretty impressive building to look at whether you see it from afar or close too.  The clock at the top of the tower above the houses of parliament is called Big Ben, and it’s world famous chimes are known as one of the main symbols of London.

British Museum – London W1
This museum is huge, so if you go here you may want to either devote a whole day and take a picnic for lunchtime, or choose to visit just some of its headline attractions such as the Elgin Marbles for example.  If you can, take a look at their website before you go, especially if you will have limited time so you know what you specifically want to see.

Imperial War Museum - Lambeth
For those interested in war and the military this is a fascinating museum full of exhibits including much from world war one, the interior of an English home from the time, and much more.

Natural History Museum – South Kensington
An incredible museum full of collections from insects, early humans, and of course the dinosaurs.  Another museum where a visit to the website before you go can help you choose what to see.

Science Museum – South Kensington
This is definitely one that ticks the box for most people, with fascinating displays of technology and science through the ages.  There’s lots of hands on stuff for kids to do here too.

Victoria & Albert – South Kensington
A wonderful collection of decorative arts, from sculptures to paintings, and some of the most incredible collections of clothing and fashion through the ages to be seen anywhere.

Depending on the time of year you visit London, there are events and festivals from the University Boat race between Oxford and Cambridge which takes place on the Thames, to the London Marathon and the Notting Hill Carnival all of which are free to spectators.

Time Out Magazine is worth picking up before you go as it contains listings of free concerts, comedy, art exhibitions, films and it also has a weekly night pass which gives special offers to the reader and reduced or sometimes free entry to various night clubs on presentation of the pass.

Now, boxing clever, you might not know that Littlewoods, Littlewoods Direct, Marshall Ward, Kays, Great Universal and others are all part of the same company, though, in distinction you can join each one with a separate account. Which also means you can use the 30% off code for each account but only on your first order. If you have a number of larger priced items or a families clothing to replace, it’s an offer not to be sneezed at!
I’m off to buy a new washing machine as the last one went the way of the decrepit swing seat.

Currys
For anyone who’s thinking of making an electrical purchase there are some great Curry’s discounts available at the moment.  Which one you use is rather dependent on how much you’re spending, as they have vouchers for money off from £10 off £300 spend to £100 off when you spend £1000, and several others in between.  Really useful if you have a major purchase to make as Currys are often pretty good on price to begin with.

Boots
With the sun showing her face for the first time in earnest recently, we’re all exposing a bit more skin.  Boots are offering 3 for 2 on selected skincare products at the moment so you can get yourself in tip top condition before you head out into the sunshine.  Don’t forget the suntan lotion though, we don’t want you spoiling your skin by turning it lobster red!

Pizza Express
If you’ve got an orange mobile phone, then you can get 2 for 1 on pizzas on Wednesdays with their special voucher codes.  Simply print the voucher and pop your Orange Wednesday code into the box to validate it and you are away.  As well as the pizza deal, you will also get two free servings of either Garlic Bread or Dough Balls it’s a brill bargain!

Chiquito
Now here’s a simple one for you.  Sign up to receive their free newsletter (by e-mail), and they’ll give you a voucher to get some free nachos next time you visit them between Monday-Thursday.

The London Dungeon
With the summer upon us we all start thinking of holidays and days out with the family.  Take a trip to the London Dungeon and you can get 2 for 1 entry with this printable voucher.  If you’ve never been there, it’s quite an impressive place to visit.

There are a number of other places which you could look at visiting which are offering 2 for 1 or other discounts at the moment including the London Bridge Experience and the Imperial War museum.  Don’t forget to look for discount vouchers this summer before you go anywhere, after all if there’s an offer available you might as well take advantage of it.

I’ve found that one way to keep the costs low, and at the same time make the gift – well even more special if you like – is to make it yourself. This can sound a bit difficult, but actually some gifts are really quite easy to make, and they look pretty impressive too. Bath bombs can cost anything from £1 up to £5 each for really nice ones, but if you make your own, you can bring them in for just a few pence each – the ingredients can easily be bought online, as can the moulds to make them with. This is an old peanut butter jar I kept and used when I made some last year as gifts for friends birthdays. I even made up a tag saying what scent each one was, and popped it on a ribbon round the neck of the jar before I did the lid up. Impressive when you think that the ingredients cost me about £20 for enough to make a good dozen gifts like this!

A jar of finished bath bombs

Another sort of home made gift I’ve found which goes down well is gift baskets. These can be made up of all sorts of things from beauty products for someone who’s a makeup fan (saveonmakeup.com is a good site to keep an eye on for bits for this), to seeds and gardening bits and bobs for someone who’s an avid gardener. We did some last year that were chilli based, and included things like chilli chocolate, chillied nuts (just regular nuts which we roasted with chilli seasoning), a chilli plant which we grew from seed, and so on.

If you don’t think you could manage a home made gift, take a look at sites like underfivepounds.com, and shops like Poundstretcher and Wilkinson’s they may not always have what you’re looking for, but sometimes you’ll spot something really nice that you can put away as a gift for someone.