Mind the Pennies and the Pounds Will Take Care of Themselves

Pound shops mushroomed in the early nineties, when recession hit Britain. Their merchandise proved so popular that they are now a permanent fixture of any suburban or downmarket high street. And some evolved into chains, think Poundland (www.poundland.co.uk) and £-Stretcher (www.poundstretcher.co.uk), which are the cream of the crop and can be found in some shopping malls.

What is the attraction? Pound shops might sell homeware, toiletries and even foodstuff at knocked-down prices, but why do I feel compelled to go in and I never come out empty handed? And can I resist their seasonal half-price sales? Recent purchases included an evil-smelling rubber hot water bottle, a lurid pink rubber anti-slip math and some DVDs featuring film stars at early stages of their careers (think seasoned turkeys with hammy characters and boring plotlines).

I’m not alone in my madness as these shops are crowded with people ogling the shelves and grabbing heaps of stuff. But do I need more cheap tat in my house? I wonder if I’m just spending money there because stuff is cheap, not because I need it.

Some shops are so sophisticated that they have seasonal lines, like, right now, St Valentine’s presents. I was really surprised to see that all those novelty gifts I had spotted in an upmarket stationer had been ripped off and reproduced with minor quality shortcuts, for example a mug with teddy bear for £1, which cost £6 at the stationer; a slap and tickle set and those furry handcuffs, too, several pounds cheaper. I wonder now if I’m being ripped off elsewhere…

The Best Things in Life Are Free

Yep, continuing on the theme and considering Valentine's Day is around the corner...

I found my current love online and, yes, it was a free dating site. Unfortunately, I cannot plug it here because they now charge, but I went into Google, typed in free dating sites, clicked on Pages from the UK and hey presto...

Isn't love wonderful (and free)? Isn't the web wonderful (and mostly free)? Well, log onto www.easytorecall.com/dating.htm and you can find a list of free dating sites, reviewed and rated. Among their choices, I tried Love and Friends and it was excellent as there were genuine people profiled with interesting lives (no saddos, weirdos or unpresentable human beings there).

You might wonder why I went for the online option, apart being cheap (I have a very cheap internet package, too, £3.99 a month from onetel). I see myself as successful, attractive and extrovert, but I was meeting no interesting men through work and friends. Also, bars and pubs were too smoky and noisy to bump into a soulmate....

Well, it worked for me. I got hooked on messenger, chatted to lots of men, having fun conversations, revealing and hearing things people would never tell you face to face... And it was safe as you don't have to disclose your name and whereabouts until you think that guy you've been chatting to is a real catch.

I did have to go on quite a few dates, and some were disappointing, but yes, nothing scary happened, the worst case scenario was finding out that the online chemistry didn't translate in real life. But you've got to keep trying....

Yes, I found love on the net and we're going strong, so keep an open mind....

Waste Not Want Not

There's never been a better time to be a Cheapskate, not only it's environmentally friendly, it's trendy, too.

Personally, hunting a bargain gives me a high: the thrill of the chase, the marked-down price label.... Mmm, better sit down as my legs have turned into jelly...

And why is it trendy? Open any celeb magazine and you'll find a famous body clothed in vintage gear, vintage being a posh way of calling second-hand.

However, there's vintage and vintage: from the top end of Steinberg & Tolkien (193 King's Road, London SW3) to the purse-friendly local charity shops (find one at www.charityshops.org.uk).

So be kind to the environment: recycle, donate and buy second-hand.