Bargains are out there

The headline rate of inflation is at 4.7% and every day we seem to be bombarded with bad news stories from the money markets.

Yet, seek for bargains and ye shall find! People over 50 come from a period when saving money was important – and still like to look for a bargain.

For example, figures from Comet – who deal in electrical goods – show that in the last two years prices for electrical consumer goods such as PCs, laptops, TVs, and digital cameras have come down significantly, yet at the same time the specifications for these goods have been going up – so you get more for your money.

You can get a Toshiba 80GB High Definition camcorder for £299, which is 75% down on its average price at launch two years ago. The popular iPod has also come down in price; the 4GB version was £179 three years ago, but can now be bought for 45% less at £99.

Another handy tip is when you buy more than one big ticket item in one go, ask for a discount. (Always remember – everything is negotiable!)

The price of alcohol has also come down in supermarkets. For example, vodka prices have come down sharply, and you can still find bottles of wine for less than £3. Remember to shop around – and you can do that from the comfort of your own PC, as beers and wines online can be cheaper – and they get delivered, so there’s less carting around to do!

Then of course, there is petrol. With the price of oil coming down, we are at last beginning to see a downward trend in prices at the pump.

Asda is leading the fight, with its petrol down by 3p to 113.9p per litre. Morrisons have matched that, meaning a reduction of 4p to 113.9p. Sainsbury’s and Tesco have taken a slightly different approach by offering 5p off every litre if shoppers have spent more than £50 in store recently.

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