[Sundae]

eBay!

I don't mind second hand clothes or shoes and I get great bargains because so many people lose/ gain weight or simply have clearouts on a seasonal basis. I love the fact you can search by size - something you can't rely on in shop sales (they get shuffled by people with no sense of community) or private adverts.

And charity bookshops for books - library is better unless you are too scared to go back there because you have an outstanding fine and you think the staff will shoot you with laser looks of disgust after 16 months... ahem.

And shop in small independent stores for quality items. Large retailers can buy em high and sell em cheap, but if you have a specific product in mind you will be able to negotiate a discount far more easily in a small shop. But try to be reasonable about it - we had a chap the other day who asked if he got a quantity discount for buying 2 x £15 newborn inserts for a pushchair he didn't even buy from us. My boss said, "I won't give you a quantity discount on two items, no. But I'll knock a pound off each one because you've just had two girls [twins] and you'll need all the help you can get."