Friday 11 January 2013

Valentine idea for your lovely lady for under £5.00

I know, I know its only just after Christmas and you still have a mountain of chocolate and biscuits to get through as the sate always , always runs out just before easter. Valentine is shoting his arrows upon us already and again this can be an unnecessasily expensive time so for Valentines on a budget how about these ideas ?


A beautiful  silver   necklace Featuring Swarovski elements, this beautiful teardrop pendant is all the more striking for its simplicity. A multi faceted Swarovski crystal drops from a sterling silver setting, creating a stunning necklace that looks great with everything. And the best part of it its only £5.00 if you collect from your local Tescos.


This Valentine necklace is only £5.00

Saturday 5 January 2013

Don't Buy it , Win it !


This is a guest post by the lovely Jane Willis


DON’T BUY IT, WIN IT!

Last year I had a spa break, a holiday in Vienna,  TWO fantastic evenings where chefs came to my home to cook dinner,  and a real once in  lifetime experience of an evening at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics, with some of the best seats in the stadium, right next to the Olympic Cauldron.




The Olympic Cauldron



 Later this year I will be cruising the length of the River Danube. My TV and DVD player are top of the range, spanking new ones and I have the latest smart phone. I have a shelf full of new books, my bathroom cupboard has new fragrances, creams and potions for me to enjoy. There are delicious luxury foods in my cupboard and freezer.  And how much has it all cost me? The price of a few stamps and  text messages! They  were all competition prizes, and I’m going to share a few of my secrets of success with you.

Chances to win are everywhere, not just on the internet –  you’ll find competitions in shops and supermarkets, garden centres and gyms,  banks and bookshops, petrol stations and pubs. If you look carefully at every leaflet and booklet displayed as you are shopping, and inspect every product pack for special flashes, stickers or neck collars, you’ll find prizes on offer ranging from baseball caps and tea towels right up to luxury holidays, kitchens and cars.

So how can you start to win all these goodies? Here are a few tips to get you started

  • Whenever you find a new competition, the first thing to look at is the closing date. It isn’t unusual to find a competition on display that has closed months ago!
  • Read the rules carefully, because if you break any of them, you won’t end up in the draw. Many promoters find they have to disqualify up to a quarter of the entries to their competitions because entrants have broken a rule or not read the instructions properly.
  • Look out for competitions which won’t get many entries. Your local paper is a good place to start. Competitions which only hit the shelves a few days before the closing date give you a good chance too, as so many people won’t spot them in time.
  • Don’t scorn the small prizes – a car may be a very tempting prize, but it will tempt a lot of other people too. Yet it can give you a real lift when the postman appears at the door with a package containing a lovely new skin cream, a book you have been longing to read or a pair of cinema tickets so you can have a treat at the weekend.
  • Give skill competitions a chance. The harder a competition is to enter, the easier it is to win, because so many people are put off by the challenge. If you are asked to write a slogan, create a recipe, submit a photo or video or even create a Pinterest board,  give it a go – you’ll have much more chance than you would in a simple draw.
  • Don’t give up if you find you aren’t winning prizes straight away. It takes a while to get competition results processed and send out prizes, so it could be a couple of months before you start to see any results.
  • Have fun! Entering competitions is an enjoyable hobby - but unlike most hobbies it can end up giving back to you far more than it costs.

I  publish an independent small press magazine called “The Competition Grape Vine” which takes some of the hard work out of comping, telling you where to find the latest competitions, giving lists of past winning slogans, finding the answers to  puzzles and questions, telling you which products you will need to buy if you want to enter certain competitions and giving full entry details if you can enter without an entry form. It comes in a handy A5 format, ideal to slip into a pocket or handbag when you are out shopping. An email update part way through the month tells subscribers of the latest competitions to hit the High Street. Subscriptions cost £13.50 for 3 months, £25 for 6 months and £45 for a year, and if you haven’t tried it before you can have a free sample copy of the current issue by sending an email giving your name and address, to janesgrapevine@yahoo.co.uk

You can read more about the magazine,  along with lots of useful tips for entering competitions of all kinds, especially those on Twitter,  on my “Comper’s Blog” at www.competitiongrapevine.blogspot.co.uk   where you will also find some competitions to enter to get you started on this rewarding hobby.

Friday 4 January 2013

Upcycling smart phones

Life is such a fast pace now and you carry quite possibly your whole life within your smart phone, I know I do, it is essential for my blogging and my family life. The husband the technology guru has an Apple I phone 4 and he swears by it. I am limping up the rear with an Sony Esrricson ARC S with a super spy quality camera and I have been very pleased with so far until little glitches started appearing on it for example as I use twitter a bit lot some of the pictures have taken to doing a John Travolta disco light show on me.

And  sometimes it refuses to type for me whilst I suspect this could be writer block I am not entirely convinced  so whilst perusing twitter amidst one of my phone disco diva fits I came across this deal from Vodafone that was mentioned by T3

Upcycling smart phones

So will I jump into the fray and purchase such a deal even though my upgrade is 6 months away you know what I just might.

Wednesday 2 January 2013

My cup of tea

While desperately seeking a good deal on tea mugs as I am nouveau rich I don't stick my little finger out while drinking tea you could try this deal on Le Creuset  from Amazon its a 3 for 2 and whilst you can pick me mugs for tuppence you will buying replacements in no time. So why not why some quality mugs such as these :


Le Creuset mug



As always such deals are subject to change.


Disclosure I have recieved nothing form posting this I just thought it was a good deal.

Hello from the nouveau rich

Awwh life I intend to have a champagne lifestyle on a shoestring budget  that after all is the meaning and intention of a being nouveau rich the aspirations and hope of the nation lay quite squarely at my door. Why the name well quite ably I have explained one half of my name so I will explain the other half .. I have a cat flap for my cat.

So what will this blog try and do it will let me give to you  to you so you can have a nouveau rich lifestyle.