I love a bargain,what did you buy today??

[mrsflibble]

nothing today.... but I am planning to go to the farmer's market on 12th jan to see if I can get any plant bargains.....

most recently I think my biggest bargain was my mum's xmas present. a hand made kindle cover made from vintage liberty peacock feather print fabric. My friend lisa gave me mate's rates for her work so I got it half price and no postage cost. does that count?!

[the.fee.fairy]

Footwarmer! I actually got it a few weeks ago. It's like a cushion that you put your feet in, and the cushiony bit has an electric blanket element in it.

It was £4! and does double duty as a dog bed...It's not supposed to be a dog bed, but it keeps being taken over.

[frozenthunderbolt]

3 feet of heavy gauge steel piping for $2 - using a piece as a socket to weld bits of (free) circular saw blade onto to make a medieval flanged mace

[clare]

Well, what a mixed bag of replies,but all good to hear!!I have carried on my natural foraging in the reduced fridges on a regular basis,as although we are not in debt after Christmas where Hubby is working shut down for 2 weeks so being self employed we are 2 weeks down on wages in January.I got a whole free range chicken for £ 2.50,a small gammon joint for £3.50,3 packs of 2 haddock pieces for 75p each 2 packs of 6 sausages for £1 each 75% off! My usual 29p loaves (5) 4 organic chicken breasts for £ 3 and some prawn and chilli fish cakes 4 for 98p so along with some milk, cheese,butter and fruit and veg I spent a total of £31.62 on a 2 weeks shop.I baked flapjack and a cake from the store cupboard and the chicken and gammon did 2-3 meals so all I need are a few more fresh things this week and a few tins and I will get through another week.I did however buy a pair of jeans in the charity shop for £3,they are like new and are replacing a pair with 2 holes in!!
Keep up the good work,I refuse to give the big stores too much of my cash.........

[Thomzo]

Well I'm glad I didn't take advantage of Morrisons 'Value' offers at the weekend. Their 'Value' chicken was about 99p/kg more expensive than their 'higher welfare standards' chicken. More shocking was that the 'Value' pack of dishwasher tablets was twice the price than the smaller pack - PER TABLET!

Then there's the 'NUME' range of 'healthier' products. Nearly all of which have more calories and fat than the normal range.

Zoe

[Ellendra]

I was at the thrift store yesterday looking for a pair of shoes, found some that look like they were never worn, and fit perfectly. Plus, I found a food processor with a dough blade (my shoulder doesn't tolerate kneading very well, and my no-knead bread attempts always came out lumpy and crumbly), and a pair of single-serving ice cream churns! I love experimenting with ice cream flavors, especially with home-grown ingredients, but my churn is for a gallon and a half. A bit much when it's just me! The new ones are about the size of a coffee mug, perfect for experimenting.

The bread i made with the dough blade is almost ready to bake, and it came out smooth and elastic and springy! Not at all like the gloppy messes that my no-knead breads always looked like. Next, homemade noodles!

[mrsflibble]

I was at the thrift store yesterday looking for a pair of shoes, found some that look like they were never worn, and fit perfectly. Plus, I found a food processor with a dough blade (my shoulder doesn't tolerate kneading very well, and my no-knead bread attempts always came out lumpy and crumbly), and a pair of single-serving ice cream churns! I love experimenting with ice cream flavors, especially with home-grown ingredients, but my churn is for a gallon and a half. A bit much when it's just me! The new ones are about the size of a coffee mug, perfect for experimenting.

The bread i made with the dough blade is almost ready to bake, and it came out smooth and elastic and springy! Not at all like the gloppy messes that my no-knead breads always looked like. Next, homemade noodles!

my dough hook for my Kenwood Chef (second hand, bought by my mum last xmas as my xmas, birthday and my husbands xmas present rolled into one!) is probably the most used item in my kitchen besides the cooker!!! I have arthritic hands and can't knead either, so it's a godsend. if I was kneading my bread I'd not be able to knit as much as I do, it'd hurt too much!

[citizentwiglet]

I recently got a pure lambswool jumper in the Cancer Research Shop in Glasgow for £2.50. It doesn't look like it's ever been worn.

My partner and I set ourselves a challenge to buy each other's Christmas presents from charity shops - I did rather well. He bought me a jigsaw, a candle making kit, some beads and three cookery books for £15.00.

My son's favourite toy for Christmas was an Action Man with a bag full of clothes and accessories that I got in the local school's charity toy fayre for 50p.

[thethriftysquirrels]

My favourite recent find has been a pure lambswool scottish serape in a beautiful Lindsay Clan Tartan. It's beautifully warm and light to wear and it only cost £5, still with the labels on so as new. The retail price for these is about £90 and up

As for supermarkets, I have to admit my favourite for bargains is Waitrose...not the first place you would think of to shop for deals maybe, but seeing as I live just around the corner from our branch, I can pop in at different times of the day to see what has been reduced. The best thing about them is that if they have reduced an item that is already on offer, 2 for £3 say, then if you buy 2 reduced items they still take off the deal

So, for example, if they are selling bags of pears for £1:99 and they put them on a deal as 2 for £3 you will save 98p. But, if they reduce those bags of pears to 49p a bag (and they often do, I got some last night!) and you buy 2 bags the deal kicks in and the till will automatically take the 98p of you bill so in effect you get the pears absolutely free

The best deal I got this way was Sensodyne tooth paste. They had reduced the tubes so much (from £4 down to 79p) and they were on a 3 for 2 offer as well so for every 3 tubes I bought they actually gave me £1.63 back off my shopping...a supermarket that pays you to shop there!!!

[GeorgeSalt]

A quick nip into T*sco to check the roadkill counter on the way back from work.. last two punnets of the posh cheese from Christmas.. a very nice, stinky cheese, Germain Langres marked down from £3.50 to 35p/each. A nice result for a bread and cheese supper.

[prison break fan]

Jealous of all you people who live near enough to a supermarket to call in for the bargains! But today I walked my dog past a house which had a pine bed frame by the dustbin, so rushed the dog home and plucked up courage to knock and ask if I could have it. Yes please she said, take it away! I wasn't brave enough to tell her I was going to chop it up for firewood! It took three trips with the wheelbarrow, but worth it. pbf.

[yvette]

Time was when I wouldn't dream of paying £1-00 for butter - but now the very cheapest I can get is usually £1-19. So I got very excited today to find butter at £1.00. I bought 10 quids worth!

[magicguitarman]

After being informed at short notice by my utterly disorganised other half that we have a wedding reception tomorrow I realised that I haven't worn a suit in 5 years and I am way to thin for the one I have!

Thankfully the local charity shop across the road had one that fits my skin and bones, and it was only £10 for a M&S dark blue wool number. Very nice! Just have to be careful not to be prettier than my beloved now, or there will be trouble!

[Mrs Moustoir]

I was trolling around one of the cheapo shops today and saw they had Charlotte seed potatoes for a £1 a kilo. Nothing wrong with them that I can see. In date and not sprouting. They also had a good selection of onion sets.

I bought a couple of kilos of the spuds. Wouldn't normally get them this early but they seemed like a bargain.

[wabbit955]

dropped into morrison just before closeing yeserday
and picked up
2kg banana 9p
6 x 500gms bags orginic carrots 9p each
3 red cabbages 9p each
6 lettuces 9p each
6 venerson burgers 19p each pack of 2
3 packs cooking bacon 9p each
2 organic chickens £1.19 each
2 x500mls pots double cream 9p each
2 x 250gms tub blue berries 9p
2 bags pears 9p
and all the veg in good nick blue berries will need a few mould ones removed
so looks like me my 2 boys and there 2 ginny pigs are feed for most of this week on less than £5
now that a bargin must go to morrisons at closing time more often