Buying Gifts For Your Mum For Mother's Day

If you are anything like the thousands of other sons and daughters around the country, you will be heading for the supermarkets and florists later this Spring to pick up that annual bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day.

The celebration of Mothering Sunday has its roots in the 16th century, when it became traditional for people working away from their town or village to return home once a year to their 'Mother Church' on the fourth Sunday of Lent. As the tradition took hold, it evolved to be thought of as the day when child workers returned to visit their families, picking flowers along the way to give to their mothers. And so Mother's Day was born and grew into the occasion we dedicate to thanking mothers all over the world for their love and sacrifices.

There is no doubt that we do splash out on Mother's Day gifts. The flower industry certainly does well out of the occasion, selling almost 4 million bouquets, which adds up to 40% more than at any other time of the year. Mother's Day gifts have always echoed the freshness of Spring, the season with which the occasion coincides, so flowers have remained the obvious choice for centuries, the most popular blooms being roses, tulips and freesias. We need only see the sea of bouquets placed strategically at the entrance of our supermarkets in the days running up to Mother's Day to appreciate the demand. That doesn't mean, however, that we can't be more imaginative and search for alternative gift ideas that may be more lasting or appropriate to her personality.

As an alternative to real flowers, why not consider one of a range of gorgeous silk flower arrangements set in their own display pot or vase. Artistry with silk has reached outstanding levels of quality and allows for the most exotic of flowers to be represented, as well as the types of flowers that would normally wilt inside a centrally heated home such as hellebores and lilac. Some of these arrangements look so lifelike they fool even the most green-fingered experts and they make fabulous centrepieces that can be carried from room to room as the mood takes you. They may be pricier than standard bouquets but they ooze class and their timeless beauty will last forever.

If you've decided against flowers this year but you're lacking in imagination, there are plenty of Mother's Day gift ideas to choose from online. Specialist gift websites have taken the hard work out of that gift search and are now offering everything from pamper kits for stressed out ladies to inflatable zimmer frames for the mum with a sense of humour. You could even choose from a wide range of experience gifts and treat your mum to a once in a lifetime chance to do something she has only ever dreamed of. From abseiling to white water rafting, kayaking to microlighting, the world will be her oyster if she's blessed with an adventurous spirit. It's certainly worth opening your eyes to new ideas you are guaranteed never to have considered in the past. For inspiration, simply Google Mother's Day gifts and let the experts take the lead.

Shopping online but buying local

Amazing isn't it, how the internet has changed the way we live our lives in the last 15 years? If you are old enough to remember back to the days when we relied on the library and the yellow pages for our information, you will know how the world wide web has put life into fifth gear, enabling us to get a window on the world at the click of a mouse.

As a nation of shoppers, the internet was sure to have a profound effect on the way we source and buy the objects we need, but in those early days, who could have predicted how far it was to take us? As shops and stores began to set up websites and present us with images of their products, we could never have envisaged how progress in internet technologies would eventually enable us to order and pay for goods online, relying on them to turn up the next day on our doorsteps. Then so it was that independent retailers, high-street stores, internet auction sites and supermarket giants all jumped on the bandwagon. Now even the agoraphobics could possibly get by for weeks without leaving the front door.

However as much as we will admit that it is fun to buy online, thankfully our love of the high street is an enduring one. More than just a way of getting the objects we want, going out to shop is more a part and parcel of our way of life, with thousands of women listing it as their favourite hobby. Nothing beats whiling away an afternoon among the bright lights of a chic shopping arcade, or rummaging through the sale rails of our favourite boutiques. Who would want to trade the euphoria of snaffling that purchase that we have had our eye on for months when it is finally been reduced in the end of season sale? Then there is the banter, those treasured moments with friends, trying on clothes together then making your all-important decisions over a cosy coffee.

So has online shopping really become the scourge of the bricks and mortar store? How much of an effect is the rising popularity of internet purchasing really having on the high street? Well if we are to be pragmatic, it is probably having very little effect. Research shows that a large proportion of internet shopping searches happen on an aspirational basis, in other words, people are simply fantasising about items that they would buy if only they had the money. It also turns out that a growing number of savvy online shoppers, far from shunning the shops in favour of the virtual shopping cart, are largely using the net for research and price comparison. After reading the customer reviews, scouring the ranges for their preferred item, comparing prices and searching for the best offers, these bargain hunters are venturing out to hand over the money in store, where they can get a better feel for the item. Finding online offers even gives shoppers a bargaining edge, allowing them to barter with retailers to get the best deal at the right price.

Using the power of search engines, online reviews and voucher codes, shoppers willing to do a little delving are realising just what a useful tool they have at their fingertips. Whatever the future holds, there is no doubt online shopping will continue to prosper.

Shopping Online On The Cheap

It is certainly no secret that more and more people are turning their backs on the hustle and bustle of the high street and instead doing much of their shopping online.

Last Christmas thousands upon thousands of people claimed to have carried out most - if not all - of their Christmas shopping from the comfort of their own home, settling down in front of their laptop or computer rather than fighting their way through the notoriously hideous Christmas shopping crowds.

Yet aside from the fact that online shopping is obviously rather convenient - unless of course you need something immediately or there happens to be a postal strike! - if you know a few handy tricks of the trade shopping from the comfort of your own home can also be much cheaper than heading to your local shops. With just a little insider knowledge you could soon be saving yourself some serious cash and before long fighting through crowds of shoppers and standing idly in lengthy queues will be nothing but a far distant memory.

Shopping with websites such as Play.com is also a good way to save money. They offer products such as books, DVDs and CDs at much lower prices than you would find on the high street and furthermore shipping is often free!


One of the most obvious ways you can save money by shopping online is by using price comparison services. There are many different price comparison websites out there, many of which specialise in different products or services (eg. insurance, flights, electrical goods and so on). The majority of these websites are simple and easy to use, making them a fast and effective way of making sure you're getting the best deal possible. Of course, if you search for a product on Money Saving Voucher Codes we'll compare it against other retailers, AND let you know if there are voucher codes available.

In fact, voucher codes are an extremely popular way of saving money on online shopping, and many of the vouchers can also be used in high street shops and restaurants too. Just type the voucher code in at the checkout when you are paying for your item. As with all special deals these voucher codes do expire and new deals will appear in their place, so it's worth checking such websites regularly to see which codes are available.  All of the voucher codes on Money Saving Voucher Codes are ready to be used today.

Shopping online - it's where the best deals are.

Shopping Online - An Even Better Idea When It's Minus 11 Outside

With many households owning computers, more and more of us are turning to online shopping. The recent extreme weather in particular, has encouraged many of us to stay at home and check out the sales online. This might be a new experience for some because of the following perceived disadvantages:

• You can't handle and examine the actual items, increasing the likelihood of having to return them. This is especially important for fashion items and shoes, although new technology is enabling custom-tailoring of clothes offered online which is proving very popular.
• Certain products have aspects to them that cannot be experienced online, perfume for example.
• You don't get the same kind of shopping "buzz" or therapeutic experience which some people claim they derive from conventional shopping.
• You can't have your items immediately and take them home with you.
• You have to pay by card and people are afraid their card details will be misused. Careful selection of secure sites and common sense precautions should reduce this risk to almost zero.

Notwithstanding these disadvantages, many online shoppers now rate the online shopping experience more highly than High street stores and supermarkets. New online shoppers will no doubt come to appreciate the advantages of this least stressful method of shopping:

• Online shopping means many more available options open to you if you know what you are looking for.
• It is possible to easily compare different features, costs and delivery options. Canny shoppers might check out something they have seen in a retail outlet then go online to look for the best prices or comparable items. The opposite is true too, with customers searching for products on the internet then checking out the real deal in retail outlets, a kind of symbiosis of online and conventional shopping.
• There is a paper trail in case something goes wrong and some online distributors offer "tracking" services so you can follow the progress of items from dispatch to delivery.
• Many sites offer next day delivery if you just can't wait but this usually costs extra.
• No time is wasted travelling to stores and shopping can be done at any time of the day or night; an insomniac's dream!
• There are often special online offers and discounts available. And voucher codes, of course!
• You don't have to carry items home.
• Web site newsletters keep you up to date with offers and events both in-store and online.
• You can read reviews of items posted online by other customers.
• Certain rare or specialist items may only be available online
• There are no parking fees.
• Merchants don't have the same overheads and can pass these savings on to consumers.
• There is less environmental impact; e-commerce uses less land, labour, capital and energy than conventional commerce. For example, Amazon.com uses 16 times less energy per square foot to sell a book than a regular store. Large volume logistics mean less carbon emissions per item purchased.

So by shopping online we're reducing our carbon footprint, this could mean less extreme weather in future, so no more exceptionally cold winters and we can all go out shopping again!

Should You Feel Guilty Using Voucher Codes To Buy Presents Cheaper?

There used to be a time when buying something expensive was worth crowing about.

After all, that is the point of designer brands signing up lots of famous names at huge sponsorship costs, so we can all emulate the way they look and dress. It was self branding, a way to send a message to people about yourself, telling them that you are successful and able to afford luxury items.

Somehow it all changed when Primark cottoned on to the fact that as long as something looked good and was cheap enough, people would buy it and throw it away for another one a few weeks later. All of a sudden, cheap was trendy. It became the talking point of dinner parties about how cheap your dress was, or just how many uses you got from it before it was discarded for another just as cheap item.

Regardless of the fact that there may well be exploitation of third world labour, we are all desperate for the next bargain basement buy. It has stimulated the high street to go for cheap but stylish lines and as consumers, we are focusing on frugality over fashion. Even the designer brands have bought into this mind set now with their factory outlet operations offering substantial discounts on out of season or slightly defective lines.

So with cheap very firmly on the menu our insatiable appetite for a bargain has led to an explosion in discount voucher codes.

In the USA, discount voucher shopping has been in place for years. No matter, whether you are in an up market store or a local high street outlet, they will have issued discount vouchers to stimulate customer traffic. Today, thanks to the Internet, discount voucher coupons are now valuable must-have items for UK shoppers.

A recent survey showed that there are over 2 million vouchers used each and every day by UK online shoppers, looking to get better value. This has resulted in an average monthly saving for consumers of around £56 and a staggering £2.8 billion nationwide. The voucher code is a genius of an idea that has transformed the way in which we shop. Although we are content that we are enjoying substantial discounts, the truth of the matter is that we are actually spending more. It has made us almost desperate to use the vouchers in any way we can, because after all, we do not want to miss out on a bargain now do we?

We all love to receive gifts, no matter how big or small, so the fact that your present was only purloined through the artful use of a discount voucher should not in any way land your present giver in hot water. Quite the opposite in fact. You should let them revel in their contentment that they managed to grab the one thing you really wanted at such a great price. Rejoice in it collectively and then of course when it comes to your turn, you will also have no shame or guilt in responding by using your own discount voucher code to get your present.

12 best things I bought online

A story from a Money Saving Voucher Codes visitor.

Feeling unusually peaky one day in in January, with a spotty chest that was definitely indicative of the dreaded lurgy, I popped in to see my GP. I found myself quite rightfully shocked when the diagnosis of chicken pox came back; this was after all an affliction that had managed to elude me for 37 years. Confined to the isolation of my own house like some animal in quarantine, I suddenly found myself dependent on the mouse, not only for entertainment but for my everyday needs.

Sadly for my credit card, the illness had done little to dampen my enthusiasm for shopping and I was horrified at being unable to drive to Dorothy Perkins to buy that perfect silk tea dress I'd spotted in the store three days earlier. Luckily, Dots came up trumps and delivered the dress free within two days. Although it was all set to be a summer stunner, I did find it didn't quite suit with the spots.

As the contents of the larder began to dwindle, hunger kicked in. And so it was that I turned to mysupermarket to stock up on the best of comforting ready meals, illness being the perfect excuse for laziness. Feeling particularly impressed with the Tesco Finest Range Mushroom Risotto, followed by a tangy tarte au citron, I kicked back and relaxed as much as one can when covered with stinging spots. Thankfully Tesco were also able to supply me with a generous bottle of calamine lotion to ease the itching to a manageable level.

I always find that keeping ones dignity by looking clean and smart while convalescing can lift the spirits no end, so imagine the frustration when my favourite hair straighteners finally gave up the ghost. With a host of haircare and beauty websites on hand however I had no problems ordering a new pair of GHD IV salon stylers. Being the best purchase of the decade for millions of sleek-haired women, they would at least have to qualify amongst my top twelve buys ever.

No time spent at home feeling sorry for oneself can ever be complete without the entertainment package and in my case this was adequately supplied by Play.com throughout the week in the form of music, books and DVDs. With Florence and the Machine and Paolo Nutini to wile away the hours spent snoozing on the sofa and Vampire Weekend to send me to sleep at night, all that remained was to switch on the DVD player. Being a sci fi fan at heart, it is no surprise thatMoon and District 9 have become two of my favourite films.

Shopping is of course all about finding what you are not looking for when you least expect it and towards the end of the week, while casually browsing B&Q's website, I happened to spot the most perfect set of outdoor furniture for my garden. With quality hardwood, a matching day bed to die for and fabric to match the red camellias, this was one of those must-have moments, when the desire to spend truly kicks in and the credit card shivers in anticipation. Delivery would be within five days. Fortunately, my GP was able to sign me off work for another week, so I was there for the grand delivery. Don't you just love it when a plan comes together.

Will voucher codes replace the January Sales?

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the United States and traditionally the biggest day of the retailing calendar. It is the day that heralds the beginning of the Christmas shopping rush and for many retailers and was the day that made their year financially.

It began in Philadelphia (there is no tax on clothes or shoes there) where thousands of people began lonely vigils outside department stores sometimes as early as 4am in order to bag the best offers in the sales and it quickly grew to encompass the whole of the continental US. But in recent years, the Black Friday phenomenon has been under threat by another perhaps even bigger wave of change - Cyber Monday.

For the last 2 years the Monday after Black Friday has seen the biggest amount of online shopping in internet retailing history and heralds yet another change in consumer trends. Many people have offered reasons why this has happened, the most popular being that Black Friday is seen now as simply the day for field research where potential presents are identified along with the price tag. Consumers then go online and find the same items for less and order them. Another possibility is that consumers are fed up with the physical hardship involved in fighting their way through crowds of shoppers when it is much more comfortable to sit at home and shop online instead.

Outside of the US the consumer retail trend has followed a slightly different path with many consumers eagerly anticipating the January sales period as their launch pad for a seasonal spend. But the January Sales trend has encroached more and more into December as retailers desperate to boost their sales figures look to stimulate business through offering discounts even before Christmas.

In both of these scenarios there is one constant ingredient that has genuinely swung the buying pendulum towards the online marketplace and that is the humble voucher code. Initially begun by a wine merchant via a genius marketing campaign that 'mistakenly leaked ' an online discount opportunity meant for only friends and family onto the internet, voucher codes have become common parlance in online retailing.

Who in their right mind would not take advantage of getting a discount when it is so easy to get hold of?. The secret of course is that you would not perhaps think of buying that product in the first place if it weren't for the offered voucher code. But this ease of access means that our traditional buying habits are under threat simply because we are now at the mercy of the voucher code system.

Smart retailers will now use our new found dependence to manipulate the buying cycles to suit their own agendas. So, does this mean that the traditional January sales are under threat? The reality is that we as consumers will ultimately decide where and when we want to spend our money, but in the short term we will be highly influenced by when the voucher codes are offered to us and if that means that we forgo January for December or February then so be it.