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The Sun
23 minutes ago
- The Sun
Seven easy ways to live a millionaire lifestyle on a budget – from FREE first-class travel to hotel room upgrades
DO you want to live a champagne lifestyle but only have a beer budget? Here, The Sun's money team reveal the tricks that could get you a free first-class upgrade, half-price designer clothes and three-course meals at expensive restaurants for as little as £25 - including booze. 8 8 Almost a third of people who earn £100k or more don't have enough to pay for essential bills and groceries because they're overspending on luxuries, according to Starling Bank. Footwear, flashy gadgets, household appliances, furniture and eating out are the most common luxuries that Brits love to splash out on, YouGov data shows. But you can get posh goodies without breaking the bank and we can show you how. We spoke to top money experts to get their habits, tips and tricks to help you live like the super wealthy on a budget. Book during 'shoulder season' for room upgrades 8 There is no better feeling than getting to a hotel and being told that you've been upgraded to a bigger or better room. But there's a way of boosting your chances of getting bumped up to the penthouse suite. Book your holiday during the off-season, which is called the "shoulder season". This is the period before or after the summer holidays, from April-May and September-October. Hotels are less likely to be fully booked, unlike peak times (during the school holiday periods) when they'll usually be at full capacity. Booking during the busy holiday periods means it is unlikely that there will be any spare rooms left for upgrades. Also, staff are normally rushed off their feet, and less likely to take the time to offer complimentary upgrades. It's usually much cheaper to travel during the shoulder season too. This means you can afford a fancier hotel than if you travelled at another point in the year. For example, a twin room at the five-star Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort in Montenegro costs around £400 a night in August. But the same hotel room is available for nearly half the price in May - and costs around £212. Meanwhile, a classic room at the InterContinental hotel in Barcelona would set you back £259 a night in August. But the same room would cost £203 in September - saving you £56. You should also join hotel loyalty programmes to increase your chances of an upgrade. Many big hotel chains, including Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton, have a free loyalty programme which can give you discounts or free upgrades on your stay. If you often go back to a favourite hotel, then the staff will know that you are a regular customer and are also more likely to upgrade you. How to get FREE first-class train tickets We've seen the nightmare social media posts of passengers sitting on floors for hours because they couldn't get a seat in standard class. But there's a little-known way of getting first-class tickets at a big discount, or even for free, so you can escape the pile on. Simply join the rewards programmes offered by train companies. Customers who sign up for Avanti West Coast's Club Avanti rewards programme can get a free First Class ticket when they make a certain number of journeys. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, shares her top tips to help you manage your money like a millionaire. "It's easy to fall into the trap of focusing on what feels like the most pressing priority at any one time. "It means we can go for years just trying to make ends meet and keep a lid on debt. They're great things to aim for, but they won't make you rich. "Wealthy people always have an eye on the future. They'll aim to make ends meet, but on top of that they'll have a number of pots they pay into each month – for repaying debt, saving, investing and retirement. "You may need to prioritise things like debt repayment for now, but it doesn't mean neglecting the other pots. "By keeping up these monthly payments, your wealth automatically grows every month. "You can also boost payments into each pot, every time you get a pay rise, so growth accelerates without you having to make any sacrifices in your usual spending." The ticket also gives you access to First Class lounges, where you can get complementary drinks and food, including a full English breakfast, bacon bap, pint of lager or a glass of prosecco. To get the free first-class ticket, you need to sign up to the reward programme by visiting To join, you need to create an account and share your address, email address and mobile number. You will then be sent a discount code via email, and you'll need to type this code in when booking your ticket. Book your journey at least seven days in advance of your trip. You can also get free first-class travel on EVERY journey you make with Thameslink trains. There's a secret first-class section at the back of the trains that you don't have to pay for as they are declassified. This means you can get bigger seats and access to power sockets and tables without needing to pay for it. Just make sure you are in the correct carriage before you sit down. Always check your specific route before travelling to avoid being caught out. The whole train is counted as standard class on journeys from London Blackfriars to Sevenoaks, Luton to Rainham and Sutton to St Albans (via Wimbledon or Hackbridge). Dine like royalty for as little as £25 8 You can still enjoy a fancy meal at a posh restaurant even if you're on a budget. Set menus tend to offer the best value for money, especially at lunchtime or during early 'pre-theatre' dinner slots. A set menu gives you the chance to try two or three courses with a drink at a set price. For example, at Balthazar in Covent Garden, you can get two courses for £24.50 or three for £27.50, including a complimentary non-alcoholic cocktail or glass of red or white wine. Two courses and a glass of wine would usually set you back around £47.20. Meanwhile, at British brasserie The Alice in Oxford, you can tuck into two courses for £29 or three courses for £35. A two-course meal with a side would normally cost you £43.50. 'I used my reward points to fly first class and saved £4,000' MUM-OF-ONE Maggie Hellicar used reward points to pay for a £6,117 luxury holiday with her young family. The 39-year-old, from London, used her Virgin credit card points to pay for upper class Virgin Atlantic flights to Disney World in Florida for her family of three, including husband Carl and two year old son. The admin team assistant said that by paying with her reward points she was able to save £4,000 on the cost of the trip, which cost £6,117 in total. Maggie said: 'We redeemed our Virgin Points for the most over-the-top Christmas family getaway to Disney World in Florida. 'It was our son's first Christmas, and we knew we wanted to make it special. We realised we had enough Virgin Points saved up for Upper Class flights with Virgin Atlantic, so we did it!' Maggie and her husband Carl were able to save up the points by paying for meals out, general shopping and groceries with their Virgin Atlantic Rewards+ Credit Card. The card gives you 1.5 Virgin Points for every £1 you spend. Once you have 6,000 you can convert them into a free seat on a flight. The points never expire, so you can build up your balance over several years and spend them on a big trip, like Maggie did. The couple also took advantage of bonus point offers on the Virgin Red website when shopping online. The offers increase the amount of points you can get for every £1 you spend, helping to build up your balance even faster. Meanwhile, the couple were able to build up even more points by linking their Tesco Clubcard membership to their Virgin Red account. This allowed them to convert Tesco Clubcard points into Virgin Red ones. Every £1.50 in vouchers is worth 300 Virgin Points. Maggie said: 'We were able to spend time as family for our son's first Christmas. 'It was also our son's first long haul flight, so the luxury of Upper Class seats made everything feel really special and 100% worth it." The Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card has a yearly £160 fee but the Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card is free to use and gives you 0.75 Virgin Points for every £1 you spend. You may need to book a table to get the deal, so do this online or by calling the restaurant before you visit. Free or cheap first-class plane ticket trick If you've ever wanted to sit at the front of the plane but can't afford the hefty price tag, then there are ways to do it for cheap or even free. One way is with a reward credit card, which gives you points, vouchers or cashback on your spending. American Express has some of the most generous offers for customers who want to spend their points on flights. Among them is the free American Express Credit Card, which allows you to collect one Avios point for every £1 you spend. You can then turn these Avios points into free flights or upgrades on your journey. If you want free airline lounge passes, then you should apply for the American Express preferred rewards gold credit card, recommends Rob Burgess, editor of frequent flyer website Head for Points. He said: 'It comes with four free airline lounge passes, which are valid at 1,400 lounges globally. 'If you can spend £3,000 in your first three months, you would also receive 20,000 American Express points, which can be used for £100 of shopping vouchers or transferred to various frequent flyer or hotel loyalty schemes.' Don't keep the card for more than a year, as the annual fee increases to £195. Don't spend on the card if you cannot repay your balance in full at the end of the month, as it has a high interest rate. Sites to bag half-price designer gear 8 Love your labels, but can't afford them? Scour reselling sites and charity shops for designer items for half the price. You can find new and unworn items with tags on secondhand websites, including Vinted and Depop, for a fraction of the price. At the time of writing, we found a never-used red Aspinal of London heart-shaped keyring on sale for £21.70 on Vinted - £28.30 cheaper than its retail price. Meanwhile, a new Mark Jacobs tote bag was on offer for £105.70 - down from around £225. An unused red Lulu Guinness purse was also available for just £42.70 - around £200 less than its normal price of £250. Plus, a seller had listed a Hugo Boss watch in its original box for £68.95 - £310.05, less than its retail price of £379. Ask the seller for pictures of any certificates of authentication before you make a purchase to ensure that an item is genuine. You can also check resale websites such as Vestiaire Collective or The RealReal, which sell pre-loved designer clothes at a discount. It's also worth scouring charity shops for designer bargains. We've previously revealed that you can get Vivienne Westwood T-shirts and Yeezy trainers for as little as £20. Check window displays and glass cabinets for designer goods, as you are likely to find the best items in these parts of the shop. Plus, don't be afraid to ask if they have any extra items in the back that have just come in. Find dupes of luxury items at bargain prices 8 Luxury products can often set you back hundreds of pounds, but there are ways to get your hands on them at a discount. Bargain retailer Poundland sells luxury Elizabeth Arden and Clarins products for up to 50% off. Among the items on offer is the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Purifying Cream Cleanser, which currently costs just £10, down from £20. Meanwhile, you can pick up the Clarins Hydrating Toning Lotion for £15, £13 less than its normal price. It is often a lottery as to what may be available in store or online at a given time, so it is worth stocking up on your favourite product if you spot it in store. Meanwhile, many supermarkets also offer dupes of designer products. Among them is Aldi, which offers a range of designer dupes that are made with the same formulas and ingredients as designer brands. It's Lacura Blusher in coral is a dupe for the Nars orgasm blush but costs just £3.99, almost a tenth of the cost of the Nars version, which will set you back £34. Meanwhile, its Lacura lip balms cost £3.49, and are a dupe for the Summer Fridays butter balms, which cost £23. Some brands including Kate Spade and Coach also have their own outlets, where you can shop their discounted range. How to NEVER pay full price on jewellery 8 Luxury watches and jewellery often come with a hefty price tag. But there are still ways to dress to impress on a budget. Outlets are a great way to get your hands on designer jewellery at discount prices. Flannels is currently selling jewellery from a range of designers including Alexander McQueen, Versace and Balenciaga. You could get your hands on a Thomas Sabo mermaid pendant for just £10, saving you £90. Meanwhile, a Kate Spade heart embellished bangle costs £43 - down from £85. You may also be able to find luxury and designer watches at discount prices on Pawnbroker and secondhand websites. Always check items in person before you make a purchase so you are aware of any scratches or marks on the watch or band. You should also ask for proof that an item is genuine before you make a purchase to avoid being duped. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
The English seaside town with no arcades or rides but named the best in the UK
IT MIGHT be a little unusual to want a seaside spot without arcades - let alone find one in the UK - but one top seaside town offers an arcade-free experience. Littered with pastel-coloured holiday villas and fisherman's huts selling the daily catch, Aldeburgh in Suffolk doesn't just offer an arcade-free spot, but a wealth of history too. 3 Most famously, the town is known for its links to the Tudor period and shipbuilding. Aldeburgh comes from 'Alde' and 'burgh' meaning 'old fort'. Henry VIII himself even gave the port town its borough status. And later, it became the site where famous ships were built including Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind and the Virginia Company's Sea Venture. Today, the town still celebrates its rich history and has a literary festival each year. There are some famous faces that call the town home too, such as former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane. Michelin. Along the high street, instead of arcades you will find clothes boutiques, antiques shops and independent book stores. One stop to head to is O&C Butcher - a 130-year-old clothes store selling top brands including Barbour and Gant. The town is also known for being the home of famous composer, Benjamin Britten. I visited the seaside town with the UK's best fish and chips Today, during the summer months, visitors can head to his home, The Red House. Britten shared the home with Peter Pears and it is nestled in a five acre garden, with a farmhouse, gallery space, shop and cafe. And there is a historic cinema in the town too. However, it doesn't look like your average cinema from the outside, as it features timber framing. The beach itself boasts both shingle and sand and backs onto the town, making it the ideal spot for adventuring to after exploring the town. On the beach you will also find The Scallop - a sculpture that is a tribute to Benjamin Britten. 3 The Times recently named the seaside town the best in the UK. It stated: "The East Anglian coast often seems stuck in a bit of a time warp, and if anywhere exemplifies this it's Aldeburgh. "Aldeburgh is a vision of the English seaside of yesteryear: wooden shacks and bathing huts, boats pulled up on the shingle, strolls along the prom with ice cream in hand. "It's super for coastal walks, and there's bird-spotting at the nature reserves of Dunwich Heath and Minsmere — one of only a dozen or so places in Britain where it's still possible to hear the boom of the bittern." It takes about two hours on the train to head to either Saxmundham or Darsham from London - the nearby train stations. Then it is a short drive to Aldeburgh. There is also an English seaside destination where prehistoric creatures once roamed and it has been named one of best places to visit in the world. Plus, the English seaside district that used to be its own island is ranked amongst best places to visit in the world this summer. 3
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Worcestershire tourism businesses shortlisted for awards
More than 50 tourism businesses in Worcestershire have made it to the final of the county's annual industry include glamping retreats, luxury escapes, visitor attractions and a comedy festival staged to remember Droitwich-born actor Rik shortlisted business now progress to the next stage of judging, which includes site visits by independent industry experts, the county council will be announced at a black-tie awards ceremony on 20 March 2026, at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern. A total of 52 businesses have been put forward for the award, held in partnership with the VisitEngland Awards for year's local winners included Plum Tree Glamping, The King's Arms, and Stanbrook Abbey Hotel, the council said. 'County is thriving' Abbots Grange Manor House and Andrew Hurley from Avoncroft Museum went on to receive national recognition at the VisitEngland Awards following their regional eight-day festival for Young Ones star Mayall has been nominated as a finalist for Best Festival and Event in the Visit Worcestershire Tourism than 75% of headline shows at the Norbury Theatre sold out and included performances from Greg Davies, Peter Richardson and Helen Alan Amos, cabinet member with responsibility for business and skills said: "Tourism in Worcestershire is thriving – from peaceful countryside escapes to bustling market towns, there is so much to explore and enjoy. "These awards recognise the businesses that go above and beyond to create exceptional visitor experiences, and I am delighted to see so many showcasing the very best our county has to offer." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
