Monthly Archives: September 2008

Frugal Luxuries

Posted on September 30, 2008 by piperterrett

After a week of testing Asda Smart Price products, some of which were fantastic, others I’d prefer to live without, I have to say that it was seriously good to tuck into some of DJ’s fresh produce from the vegetable … Continue reading →

Posted in Moneysaving tips | 5 Comments

Brand vs Budget Brand: Food for Less

Posted on September 27, 2008 by piperterrett

It may have been the rain or the quick blow dry I gave my hair, rather than the Asda Smart Price 14p shampoo and 27p conditioner, but my crowning glory was like something out of a horror movie all day … Continue reading →

Posted in Budgeting | 3 Comments

Brand vs Budget Brand: the Toiletry Test

Posted on September 24, 2008 by piperterrett

It’s day two of my Asda Smart Price brand experiment and already I’m feeling slightly off colour after dining on cut price goodies and…well…itchy. Today I tried out the range of toiletries I’d stocked up on for a mere £1 … Continue reading →

Posted in Budgeting | 28 Comments

Brand vs Budget Brand

Posted on September 23, 2008 by piperterrett

The bad news this week is that, according to research by Asda, families are £11 a week worse off now compared to last year. And all thanks to a 7.4 per cent jump in the cost of living. The good … Continue reading →

Posted in Budgeting | 34 Comments

Credit crunch munchies

Posted on September 18, 2008 by piperterrett

Am I the only one, or does anybody else out there have a severe case of credit crunch fatigue? At first I was calm when the HBOS furore began this week. Then it dawned on me our mortgage is with … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and drink | 4 Comments

Redundancy – 11 ways to soften the blow

Posted on September 16, 2008 by piperterrett

Looking at newspaper photos today of Lehman’s employees carrying their belongings out in boxes brought back memories today. I was made redundant after September 11th. I was working for a new company trying to do business with airlines which, after … Continue reading →

Posted in Budgeting | 3 Comments

Our gas bill shocker

Posted on September 12, 2008 by piperterrett

So much for my advice on trimming energy bills. I thought I was being clever recently changing gas and electricity suppliers from Npower to Scottish Power through USwitch. I felt smug when details of the new direct debits came through … Continue reading →

Posted in Utilities | 3 Comments

Fuel crisis: Gordon the energy outlaw

Posted on September 11, 2008 by piperterrett

What a strange situation our government is in. As the body that creates our laws, it’s bizarrely found itself on the wrong side of it. Back in 2000 it made a commitment to outlaw fuel poverty. The Warm Homes and … Continue reading →

Posted in Utilities | 7 Comments

UK motorists turn frugal

Posted on September 8, 2008 by piperterrett

I received an interesting email today – a rare thing for a Monday morning – a set of stats on how motorists are attempting to become more environmentally friendly. How lovely, I thought, that the UK’s drivers aspire to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Frugal travel | 12 Comments

Energy prices: Gordon is no Robin Hood

Posted on September 5, 2008 by piperterrett

I’m not a great one for politics or politicians, even though my late grandfather was one, God rest his soul. But I’m getting a bit fed up with the way the government and its media spin keep raising people’s frugal … Continue reading →

Posted in Utilities | 18 Comments