Hot and bothered shoppers race to Lidl to nab bladeless fan that's ‘just as good as a Dyson' & ideal for sweltering days
THE Dyson bladeless fan is meant to be one of the best around, but at a whopping £350, not many people can afford it.
But there's a MUCH cheaper dupe on the market that's apparently just as good as the Dyson - and you can find it in your local Lidl.
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Kimberley took to the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group on Facebook to share a snap of the £69.99 Silvercrest fan, as she asked other shoppers: "Has anyone got these from Lidl and are they genuinely any good?"
Her post was then flooded with comments, with the majority of people raving over the budget buy.
"Got ours last year, really good!" one wrote.
"Brilliant, you don't need to turn it up high for it to be really effective," another added.
"The smaller one is equally good."
"I've got one had it 2 years just as good as Dyson," a third insisted.
"Yes, they're brilliant! We have ours in the bedroom & it's good, not too noisy either," someone else wrote.
"Bought my daughter one last week, it's great - got lots of functions," another said.
"Had mine on all day. Love it," someone else commented.
"Yes... love mine and going to get another one for the bedroom," another wrote.
Five Lidl rosés you need this summer, according to a wine expert - a £6.99 buy is as light & crispy as £22 Whispering Angel
"Yes got one yesterday, it's really good," someone else added.
While another gushed: "I got one a couple of weeks ago and it's been great on a night when it's hot."
"I had one similar when I was in Hong Kong: excellent, cool & quiet (compare to traditional big blades) and very safe for kids," someone else insisted.
"I bought the small one last year, it was that good I bought the big one this year!" another admitted.
"You can't go wrong for that price."
But others had different ideas for how to keep days and nights cool in the blistering heat.
How to keep cool in a heatwave
Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS...
Keep out of the heat if you can.
If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter.
Cool yourself down.
Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes.
Keep your living space cool.
Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep.
"Put another 140-ish to that and buy an air conditioning unit with a BTU of 9000 or above, nice chilled room," one wrote.
"Best money I spent last year to combat the heat."
"I got it yesterday," another said of the Lidl fan.
"Not that impressed and the Shark one is £30 more, so going to take back."
"Best fan I've ever had is a Meaco, sooo powerful and quiet," a third added.
"We bought 3 from Amazon," someone else weighed in.
"£60 standing ones have 4 settings on them. It is quite noisy but it's quite relaxing."
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Telegraph
32 minutes ago
- Telegraph
The forgotten generation keeping Britain running
Kate watches the war between millennials and baby boomers with some bemusement. As a member of Generation X, sandwiched between them, hers is an experience rarely discussed with the same fervour. 'We endlessly hear about millennials and the housing market, but Gen X missed the cheaper housing boom too,' says Kate, who asked not to give her second name. 'The joke about, and among, Gen X is that we are the forgotten generation. Ignored by our parents and the media alike, we are actually the ones keeping the country running.' She may have a point. Many members of Generation X – the cohort born between 1965 and 1980 – were denied the financial spoils granted to baby boomers, yet receive none of the pity (or scorn) afforded to millennials and Gen Z. Now aged between 45 and 60, they were too young to benefit from lucrative final salary pensions, but too old for auto-enrolment to make much of a difference. Their best years were blighted by financial crises, just as house prices soared out of reach. 'I was pay cheque to pay cheque' Kate, now 56, moved from Australia to London 30 years ago. She argues that life was tough for many young Gen Xers, which had a knock-on effect later in life. 'We largely left home, or were thrown out, at the age of 18, unlike younger generations who have been able to continue living with their parents throughout their 20s and even into their 30s,' she recalls. London in the 1990s was not cheap, either. 'I was very much from pay cheque to pay cheque, despite having a university degree,' recalls Kate. 'My friends and I used to have clothes-swapping parties in order to have something 'new'. There is no way I could have saved for a deposit for a home.' Twenty-somethings today grappling with the brutal rental market can take some comfort in the fact that the struggle never changes. Kate describes rent devouring around half of her monthly take-home pay. 'A friend of mine had three different jobs that paid for three different things – her rent, her bills and discretionary spending,' she says. 'In those days, you had to go through your bills line by line with your flatmates.' Kate ended up renting into her 40s, well after the point she had hoped to finally get a foot on the housing ladder. 'There was a massive rise in house prices in the 1990s and I wasn't in a position to buy,' she recalls. 'Council houses were being sold off, and I feel Gen X missed out on that. I recently bought my first flat and was only able to do so because my mother died prematurely of cancer and I inherited her house.' The 2008 financial crisis hit Gen X right around the time they were turning 30, souring dreams of homeownership for many. Housing affordability, defined as the ratio between house prices to annual earnings, had been rising throughout the decade, but plummeted as the world went into recession and borrowing became more difficult. Some, like Kate, ended up trapped in rental housing long after their incomes might have suggested they could buy – a familiar story to frustrated millennials. In 2020, the Office for National Statistics warned that Gen X, then in their mid-30s, were three times more likely to be renting than the same age group 20 years before. 'I feel like I missed out' Others, like Adrian Evans, 56, were lucky enough to buy property before interest rates soared in the 90s. A lucrative stint in a factory in his 20s ensured he could pay off his mortgage after eight years. 'Houses are really overvalued,' he says. 'I think the banks have let this happen, and I do have sympathy for younger generations, but I also wonder if maybe some of them didn't need to go to uni and saddle themselves with all that debt.' But it hasn't been an easy ride. When Evans left school in the 1980s, the future looked uncertain. All around him in South Yorkshire, steel mines and factories were closing. Opportunities were scarce. 'It was devastating,' Evans says. 'I drifted between low-paid jobs. I recovered pool tables and even did a stint in an abattoir. You had to take the work because there was no work.' Even now, Evans would struggle to describe his work history as resembling a career. He was born too early to be swept into university by Sir Tony Blair's pledge to make half of young people graduates. 'To be honest, I feel like I missed out,' he says. The working lives of many Gen Xers, whether or not they were university educated, were devastated by financial crashes, the collapse of the dot-com bubble, and in Evans's case, deindustrialisation. 'I remember just before my 40th birthday trying to organise a party, knowing lay-offs were looming at work,' Evans says of the climate in the mid-2000s. Official figures show that by the middle of their working lives, Gen X begin to stagnate financially. Over the 10 years following graduation, their average disposable income grew by 72.6pc, but over the next decade, taking them to middle-age, this figure plummeted to 5.5pc. Even millennials are faring better in this regard. It is yet to be seen how theirs and Generation Z's earnings will perform later in life, but income growth for late-career Gen Xers is a mere 9.6pc, compared to 35.8pc for boomers and 57.5pc for those born in the 1940s. Those who did manage to secure a home have been lucky. Though they may have accumulated housing wealth more slowly than their elders, Gen Z and Millennials still have it worse in this regard, says Lucian Cook of Savills. Over 60s account for £2.89 trillion in housing wealth, equivalent to more than half of all owner-occupied homes. Meanwhile, Gen X has amassed £2.4 trillion in bricks and mortar, compared to the £820bn owned by millennials. 'Baby boomers have continued to build wealth, having largely paid off their mortgages and benefited from decades of rising property values,' Cook says. 'Generation X is following a similar path. However, millennials and Gen Z have had much less opportunity to work their way up the housing ladder profitably due to higher prices, stricter lending criteria and weaker wage growth.' 'Stuck in the middle' Another quirk of timing means that many members of Gen X's careers have slowed down or been derailed just as they reached their supposed peak earning years, causing a knock-on effect on their retirements. Financial crises aside, some industries – particularly in media and the arts – shrank rapidly throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Paul Sanders, 58, is a self-employed music teacher and has seen this happen first-hand as his pay stagnates relative to rising living costs. 'My income has effectively stayed at a fixed level,' he says. 'I remember starting out thinking this is quite good now, but in real terms, it will be the same by the time I retire.' Pay for arts teachers has been eroded by inflation, he says, to the point that music itself has become a discretionary spend. Sanders believes he is lucky that his father, a former bank manager, imparted the basics of financial planning, so he has saved into a private pension throughout his working life. Polling by Standard Life paints a bleak picture of Gen X's pension prospects, who have been left behind by their wealthier older peers. More than half of Gen X fear their finances will not cover their retirement, compared to just 31pc of baby boomers. This is because Gen Xers were 'caught between the decline of defined benefit pensions and the massive expansion in defined contribution savings over the past decade', says James Norton, of Vanguard. Lucrative final salary schemes were in decline by the time Gen X were in the early stages of their careers. In 2000, more than 9 million people were members of one of these defined benefit schemes, a figure that had dropped to 6.8 million by 2012. Many members of Gen X neglected to take up defined contribution alternatives, while auto-enrolment – which ensured workers saved into a pension – only came about in 2012. Since 2020, fewer than one in 20 defined benefit pension schemes were open to new members, with almost 72pc closed to future accrual in 2023, the House of Commons' Work and Pensions Committee found. Lily Megson, of My Pension Expert, says: 'Many Gen Xers missed out on pension growth in their early career – in fact, around two-thirds of over-40s wish they'd been taught about pensions earlier, and some didn't benefit from auto-enrolment until well into their working lives. Now they're playing catch-up with retirement on the horizon.' Higher life expectancy mean that members of this generation are inheriting later, while they are also having longer working lives, says Simon Wong, wealth planner at JM Finn. All the while, they are sandwiched between looking after ageing parents and paying for their children into adulthood. 'Boomers were comparatively young when they had children. Gen Xers tended to have children later,' he adds. 'They're now supporting both university-age children and ageing parents in their care home period, and doing it on rapidly shrinking salaries with 10 to 15 years to go to reaching an increased state pension age of 67.' Sanders, for his part, has made his peace with where being born into Generation X has left him. 'I stayed doing what I was good at,' he says. 'I could have gotten a salaried job and climbed the greasy pole, and I am certainly glad I didn't.' Even so, there is a lingering sense that maybe if he'd been born earlier, his fortunes might have improved. On this 50th birthday, he wistfully went looking for a new home, but found the endeavour rather pointless. 'I did envisage myself upsizing by this point, but for what I could afford, there was no significant improvement to what I have now. I'm stuck in the middle.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Mum sparks outrage as she admits she HATES her kids as they just ‘fight, destroy my house' & make her cry every day
A MUM has sparked outrage and concern after admitting she "hates" her children. The woman insisted that she "can't stand" her three kids - who are "all so close in age and so young". 2 2 "All they do is yell, hit each other, fight and destroy my house," she added. She can't even take them to the park or arrange playdates for them because they're "too full on for other kids". "This is just a vent post because they have made me cry at least 3 times today," she continued. " I don't know how to change their behaviour." And while some commenters were giving her support, others took aim at the mother for using a word like "hate". "It's disgusting to say you hate them," one wrote in response to the post on The Mum's Lounge Facebook group. "There's no excuses! Reach out to services and get help, for you and your children." "If you come on here saying you hate your kids, there will be some raised eyebrows," another insisted. "It's a horrible thing to say and kids pick up on energy." As a third agreed, writing: "It's not shaming if she used them words, poor kids!" Emotional Charlotte Dawson reveals she's 'been crying constantly' after being cruelly mum shamed by vile trolls "You hate your kids? I don't think you hate them," someone else commented. "You're exhausted so please don't say you hate them, you sound like you need a break and some help." "You can't change them you have to change yourself," another said. "Do you really feel like you hate them?" someone else questioned. "I don't think it's bad that people are concerned about a mother saying she hates her kids, that IS a cause of concern. "You can be overwhelmed and over stimulated but saying and feeling like you hate them is a huge worry for them and the mum." Different parenting techniques Here are some widely recognised methods: Authoritative Parenting This technique will often foster independence, self-discipline, and high self-esteem in children. It is often considered the most effective, this technique is where parents set clear expectations - enforcing rules - whilst also showing warmth and support. Authoritarian Parenting This is opposite to authoritative parenting, as it is where the parent sets high demands but is low on responsiveness. It involves ensuring the child is obedient and often employ punitive measures. While this can lead to disciplined behaviour, it may also result in lower self-esteem and social skills in children. Permissive Parenting Permissive parents tend to be indulgent and lenient, often taking on a role more akin to a friend than an authority figure. They are highly responsive but lack demandingness, granting children a lot of freedom. This method can nurture creativity and a free-spirited nature but may also result in poor self-regulation and difficulties with authority. Uninvolved Parenting Uninvolved or neglectful parenting is marked by low responsiveness and low demands. Parents in this category offer minimal guidance, nurturing, or attention. This often leaves children feeling neglected, which can have significant negative effects on their emotional and social development. Helicopter Parenting Helicopter parents are extremely involved and overprotective, frequently micromanaging their children's lives. Although their goal is to protect and support, this approach can hinder a child's ability to develop independence and problem-solving skills. Free-Range Parenting Free-range parenting encourages children to explore and learn from their surroundings with minimal parental interference. This method promotes independence and resilience but requires a safe and supportive environment to be successful. Attachment Parenting According to Attachment parenting focuses on physical closeness and emotional bonding, often through practices such as co-sleeping and baby-wearing. This approach aims to create secure attachments and emotional well-being, but demands significant time and emotional commitment from parents. Each of these parenting techniques has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. The key is to find a balanced approach that aligns with the family's values and meets the child's needs for a healthy, happy upbringing. "Sounds like you're at your breaking point, that's completely understandable," another agreed. "Little kids close in age is brutal. But I just want to say, try not to say you hate your kids. "Words like that can stick, even if you're just venting. "It's okay to hate the chaos, the yelling, the constant nagging.. but saying you hate them might hurt more than it helps, even for yourself." However, there were also comments from people defending the mum, with many admitting they have felt the same on occasion. "I get it, I don't really hate my kids, I love them with all my heart but on a real bad day I've had the thought pop in," one wrote. "I'm sure you don't hate your kids," another said. "You're just extremely overwhelmed, and overstimulated. And this is okay. "Motherhood is brutal at times!" "I don't believe you hate your children," a third commented. "But you hate their behaviour." "I have 3 kids under 5, I'm also the same way," someone else admitted. "I hate life - sick of medicating my kids just to sleep as a normal person or just to eat," another sighed. "Sick of yelling and screaming just to be heard, sick of never owning anything nice." "I hate my kid sometimes too man," someone else wrote. "Look, nobody is perfect, parenthood is a LOT. I'm sure you're doing your best, give yourself a break!" "Oh mama, I hear you so deeply," another sympathised. "Please know that you're not a bad mum - you're a burnt out one, and for good reason. "What you're describing would push anyone to their edge."
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Dozens to be rehomed and building earmarked for demolition after fatal Perth fire
Dozens of families are to be rehomed and a four-storey building demolished following a fatal fire in Perth. A man was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency crews were called to the blaze on the corner of Scott Street and South Street during the early hours of Saturday. An eight-year-old girl and 27-year-old man were taken to hospital for treatment, while two firefighters also received medical attention after sustaining injuries. Perth and Kinross Council told Sky News the local authority is looking to accommodate around 50 families in the aftermath of the fire. Eric Drysdale, deputy leader of the council, said structural engineers have deemed the entire building unsafe and unsalvageable. The councillor said: "As things stand, the building is a serious risk to health and safety. Unfortunately, this means that the whole building will require complete demolition." The work is expected to take around 24 weeks for completion. Councillor Drysdale added: "But it is possible that it could be concluded earlier if there are no complications." A number of neighbours in surrounding properties have also been asked to vacate during the building works to ensure their safety. The council said it is seeking support from local landlords and Airbnb owners to help provide alternative housing for those affected. While it is expected some householders will be able to move back into their homes after 16 weeks once the building is brought down to a safe height, others who live in an adjacent block will have to be rehoused for the entire duration of the works. Others who live further away from the fire site but are still inside the cordon will be allowed back into their homes "soon", according to the council. Pedestrian and traffic access to parts of Scott Street and South Street will also be closed off during the works, which the council accepts will cause "significant disruption" in the city centre. The local authority said buses will be re-routed, with temporary stops put in place. It has also pledged to support businesses affected by the road closures. Councillor Drysdale added: "The people of Perth and local businesses have responded to this sad event with huge compassion and generosity. "It has been heartening to see our local community pull together to help people at their time of greatest need. "We would appreciate everyone's ongoing cooperation and understanding as we deal with this difficult situation." Meantime, a joint investigation launched by Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) continues. A temporary airspace restriction - which includes drones - has been implemented across the area until 1pm on Wednesday. Chief Superintendent Nicola Russell, divisional commander for Tayside, said enquiries remain ongoing to establish the cause of the fire.
