There might be some hidden savings in that bulging wallet of yours
My wallet is often bulky; unfortunately not with Her Majesty's notes, but the various receipts, loyalty cards and vouchers that accumulate over an amazingly short period.
A new wallet given to me for Christmas presented me with the opportunity for a fresh start, and I took a peek inside my old one with the aim of getting rid of unwanted tat.
Taking away the numerous plastic cards, blank backed bills and the coupon offering me 30% off my first visit to a veterinary centre (I have no pets), I found a few gems.
There were two WH Smith vouchers, one offering £5 off a £15 shop, £5 off £35 in M&S and the same for Boots. Superdrug offered a 25% reduction when buying own brand goods, with 10% off branded ones if you filled in a survey. Sustenance was on offer with 20% discount at a local restaurant, or for a quick snack, free fries and drink from a fast food chain if I bought an adult burger. Not only that, I received a promotional wallet from a supermarket offering me a 'free shop' if my receipt was one of five picked that day; the offer is on for a month. I am not holding my breath, as for the last seven visits I have failed to win, but will let you know if my luck changes.
However my find wasn't limited to leaflets or receipts. The back of a recently bought train ticket mentioned www.plusbus.info which gives discounted bus fares at selected locations, saving you cash when combining train and bus journeys.
Now I wouldn't have used all offers and some had stipulated conditions. But with gifts at Christmas, groceries, vitamins and snacking while shopping, I would have definitely saved £25 if I had paid attention to the discounts on offer, so it's worth checking what’s in your wallet. But don’t leave it there, as inspecting the backs of car park tickets, accepting leaflets offered around town and reading ones that drop through your door can reap rewards. Last week I received a coupon offering 12p off a litre of fuel when spending £60 or more in a specific supermarket.
Completely changing the subject, I was complaining to a friend of mine over the holidays about the lack of warmth circulating in our bedroom despite the heating being on full blast, and debated whether we needed to invest in a larger radiator. He suggested before spending significant sums putting reflective foil behind the radiator; this reflects heat back into the room, increasing efficiency. Shame you can't use kitchen foil as I could have used my supermarket voucher offering £12 back on a £60 shop. Not to worry, though, as I can earn 512 Nectar points by buying the foil at a certain DIY store who sent me an email offer.
Written by Marc Lockley – a negotiation coach and money saving expert who tweets at www.twitter.com/negotiator1