Feeling a little miffed after last week's Budget? Here's how you can beat it at its own game.
Alistair Darling's second budget brought plenty of bad news with it. There I was hoping to hear that alcohol duty would be lowered, and petrol prices would be halved. But sadly, my dreams were well and truly dashed...
Instead, the 'sinners' among us have once again been made to sit on the naughty step. Fuel duty is going up by 2p in September and alcohol and tobacco duty have already risen by 2%. Fantastic.
So to cheer everyone up, I, along with a little help from VoucherCodes.co.uk, have found some fabulous deals to help you to fight back against the budget!
Life's little luxuries
If you're a high earner, you're probably feeling a little taken aback following the introduction of a new 50% tax rate. So if you're used to living the highlife, here are some great ways to keep your luxury lifestyle intact!
For anyone wanting to do a spot of shopping at Liberty, you can get £20 off all online orders over £100 if you enter the code ATLIB2SV at the checkout by 30 May. And if you hurry, you can also make the most of the 50% off sale!
If you fancy giving yourself some 'me' time, you can treat yourself to a range of luxurious products at Champneys and get 10% off all orders over £40. Just enter the code Beautiful by 11 May.
What's more, if you really want to unwind, Lastminute.com is offering 2-for-1 on a range of spas - but you'll need to be quick as you must book by 4 May!
Alternatively, you could do some serious splurging at Aspinal of London and get 10% off if you enter the code ASPAF1.
And you fancy a break away, it's still possible to stay in a luxury hotel without breaking the bank. Websites such as www.hotwire.com or www.lastminute.com's Top Secret offer luxury hotel rooms at deep discounts - you'll just have to cope not knowing which hotel you're booking until you've paid! You can read more about this here.
Bring on the booze!
News that alcohol is going up in price won't have come as a surprise. But the following offers should help you to buy your booze without losing out!
At Wine and Beer Express you can get an impressive 20% off all wine until 31 May - just enter the code VCUK19 at the checkout. There's also 5% off all orders at Brew It Yourself with the code promo68w, and £5 off all orders at Vintage Wine Gifts with the code latour2000.
What's more, if you fancy ordering some wine from the Sunday Times Club, you can save a whopping £25 if you spend more than £69.99 by 30 June. Simply enter the code BUY3112 at the checkout.
However, if this still seems a little pricey, your local supermarket is also likely to have some fabulous deals on offer. Both Asda and Tesco are currently offering three bottles of wine for £10. And Tesco is also offering a massive 50% off selected wines.
Cheers!
Everyday essentials
Alistair Darling may have promised to keep VAT at 15% until December, but let's face it, it doesn't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. So here are some great offers to help you save on your everyday essentials:
At Superdrug, you can get 10% off all online orders if you enter the code abbey100809. There's also 10% off your first order at Pharmacy2U if you enter the code AW587Q.
If you're a hayfever sufferer who's sick of forking out the pounds for your medicine, it's well worth checking out Chemist Direct. Here you can pick up 30 Cetirizine Tablets for just 49p! Or 30 Loratadine Tablets for just 69p!
And if you've got a 99p Store, Poundland, or Wilkinsons near you, they are well worth a visit as you can pick up a range of essential products at very reasonable prices.
Beat the fuel hike!
No prizes for guessing that fuel duty would be going up this year. So if you want to combat the fuel hikes, a great place to start is a handy web tool called petrolprices.com. This is an easy to use, free website dedicated to finding cheap fuel in your area.
You can find further tips on cutting your petrol costs here! Or of course, you could just start leaving your car at home more often. Now, there's a thought...
So you can see, there's actually plenty of ways to fight back against Darling and his battered red briefcase! Enjoy!
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