Latest news with #Beccy
Daily Mirror
12-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
Newlyweds 'heartbroken and embarrassed' as their honeymoon is cancelled
We were on cloud nine, then that was a bit of a kick in the teeth. It really upset us both A newlywed couple was left "heartbroken" after being denied boarding for their honeymoon flight due to a tear in one of their passports. Joe Barnes and Beccy Bestwick-Barnes had planned to jet off to Cyprus for a four-day holiday on Wednesday, August 6, just four days after tying the knot. However, the Nottinghamshire pair's £1,200 trip with TUI was ruined before they could even board the plane at East Midlands Airport. Airline staff noticed a small rip at the top of Mr Barnes' passport's main page and declared it too damaged to travel with. The newlywed's sadness comes after a disabled woman said her holiday was 'ruined' by EasyJet. Have you had a holiday go wrong? If you'd like to share your story, please email webtravel@ READ MORE: 'UK's weirdest arcade with a robot that massages your feet is the perfect day out' "We were all excited and happy, but they wouldn't allow us to use the passport. We were absolutely heartbroken at the airport. We were on cloud nine, then that was a bit of a kick in the teeth. It really upset us both," Beccy told Nottingham Post. Her husband added: "It's annoying. It was heartbreaking more than anything. To get refused at the airport like that, in front of the queues, is just embarrassing. When everyone's staring at you, it's just not nice. It was horrible, horrible." Joe, a 35-year-old forklift operator, has been left confused about the rejection. He said he had used the same passport for his stag do in Magaluf, booked via Jet2, just three weeks prior. According to the HM Passport Office may deem a passport damaged if any of its pages are "ripped, cut or missing." The document could also be considered damaged due to stains, holes or if the cover is detaching. TUI explained that Joe was denied travel at check-in because his passport was "very badly damaged". Airport staff believed the passport's pages seemed water-damaged and one had a small tear in the corner, according to the airline, which noted that it was adhering to government guidelines. A spokesperson for Swissport added: "We follow the UK Passport Office guidance which states that damaged passports, including ones with ripped pages, must be replaced. We'd encourage all travellers to check their passports before travelling, and refer to official websites such as for guidance." The couple mentioned they were unlikely to receive an insurance payout, but are hoping to reschedule their honeymoon for when their children return to school. A friend has launched a fundraiser to finance the trip, which has so far collected more than £800. Beccy, 38, added: "It puts a massive dampener on the whole thing. It's just shocking. You don't feel like it's happening to you. We were in shock at the airport."
New Statesman
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
Magic and divination in the age of AI
Illustration by Ben Jennings In a bookshop off London's Strand, fitted out in expensive utilitarian style – exposed ducting, unpainted plaster, birch plywood – a room of mostly young, artsy people are gathering for a talk about the future. There are cocktails and a DJ who is wearing a T-shirt that says 'Brutalism'. Facing the crowd is a sofa, above which is a projector screen displaying an AI-generated video of white, wafting things that look like fungal growths or jellyfish. Within their strands and webs are the faces of young women, their mouths moving without forming anything recognisable as words. The video was made, we are told, by someone who is a 'digital shaman'. The talk has been convened by a group of people – a 'platform' – who are interested, in a fairly literal sense, in 'technology with spirit'. They are here to talk about the links between artificial intelligence and 'spiritual intelligence', forecasting and divination, the old gods and the new. On the stage are an artist called Beccy, a tarot reader called Bel, and Sasha, a computer scientist who works for Google DeepMind but is also a meditator and practitioner of the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition. Beccy introduces herself as a 'climate storyteller' who creates 'imaginative acts of resistance'. This has involved, she tells us, training an AI model 'with love and respect… to welcome migrants and refugees', and also to 'generate a sense of inter-species solidarity'. People in the crowd nod enthusiastically. Bel, the tarot reader, is not restricted to cartomancy. She also helps people – including corporate clients – to 'create oracles… systems for divination', she tells us. 'Many of them work.' Bel also works at the College of Psychic Studies, where other courses include alchemy, remote viewing and connecting with angelic beings. Sasha, the computer scientist, works on reinforcement learning in multi-agent systems for Google DeepMind, which is owned by Alphabet, which has a market capitalisation of £1.64trn (at time of writing). But he sees a link between the old cultural practices of divination – scrying for answers in playing cards, tea leaves and the movements of birds – and the modern practice of asking ChatGPT or Gemini for the truth about something. Both types of system, he says, are 'cultural tools for generating behaviour'. Joining the talk via the screen, in a brief and welcome break from the digital shaman's undulating forms, is Kevin, who runs an AI research group at Coventry University and a practice called Philosophy Machines. Kevin's work in AI is informed, he tells us, by his metaphysics, his willingness to ask questions about the underlying nature of reality: 'Is reality somehow constructed in a model that lives in our heads, or lives in a computer somewhere? Do we believe in things that we can't see… Do we believe that objects – rocks, clouds – have a soul, a spirit? Do we believe in angels, deities?' Companies and governments, he notes, 'exist only on paper, they only exist to the extent that everyone else believes in them'. Perhaps this is one to try in bankruptcy proceedings: does a business stop owing money if we stop believing in it? (No.) Give any first-year philosophy student a bag of weed and you'll have to listen to similar questions being pondered for as long as you can stand it. But these seem like sensible people, who work for major companies and institutions. And they are not the only people having such conversations; beneath the AI boom is a philosophical debate, and a struggle for power. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe For 45 years, people have debated a thought experiment created by the American philosopher John Searle. The experiment goes like this: there is a room into which messages are posted. The messages are written in Chinese. Inside the room is a person who doesn't speak Chinese, but who has a book containing very detailed instructions on how to arrange Chinese text into convincing responses. So, the person matches symbols they don't understand to instructions, assembles new strings of characters – which are, to them, still meaningless – and posts them out again. To the people outside the room, it appears as if the occupant can speak Chinese. But they can't. This thought experiment, published in 1980, has become much more relevant today, as it is fundamental to the debate over whether 'AI' is, in fact, artificial intelligence. A large language model (LLM) is 'trained' by breaking up text and images into chunks (not words, but strings of characters that appear together as parts of words) and then calculating the sequence of pixels and characters most likely to be accepted as a response. The companies that sell the LLMs say this amounts to reasoning; scientists and philosophers of language disagree. One response to this is to argue, as Sam Altman (CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI) does, that in this case you aren't really thinking or feeling anything either. Like his computer, you are just regurgitating input to create responses. Or, like Elon Musk, you can argue that reality is probably just a simulation anyway. In both cases, the convenient conclusion is that you can do what you like to the world and other people, because they're only as sentient as your computer – if they exist at all. And as for magic, the amount of money being thrown around in the AI boom is so vast that anything short of the supernatural would be a disappointment to investors. A week before the talk in the bookshop, Nvidia – the chip manufacturer that is selling the shovels in this particular gold rush – achieved the highest market value in history, at $4trn. Fundamental to this valuation is the idea that machines can see the future. In the middle of the 16th century, John Dee, the court astronomer and magician to Elizabeth I, carried in his pocket a case made from shark skin. Within the case was a circular mirror made from obsidian – black volcanic glass – that had originally been created for an Aztec priest. To a modern eye it shows nothing but a dull reflection, but to Dr Dee it was said to show angelic communications and predictions. This gave Dee a significant political power. Most of us carry a similar artefact today, of course. We seek answers and communication from our black rectangles. We choose the news we want to read and the people we want to hear from. We see what we want to see in the black mirror, but Kevin reminded us: 'Whoever controls what is seen in the mirror, in some way, controls the future.' The mirror of ChatGPT is darker and more obscure than obsidian. Its priorities are hidden in code that is not public, and which only a handful of people could understand. What a tarot reader really does, Bel explains, is to deal out a random sequence of cards and give them the meaning the client is looking for. The cartomancer, the haruspex and the seer are not only predicting the future, they are answering the question of how a person should meet that future. 'The underlying question,' said Bel, 'is always: tell me how to live.' As anyone from the Pope to Mark Zuckerberg will attest, this can be a very profitable question to answer. Throughout history, people have found that the trust they put in priests and oracles was misplaced. Today, the most popular use for AI chatbots, according to a recent survey, is for therapy; millions of people are entrusting this technology with access to their most personal feelings, allowing it to intervene in their thinking, their ethics and their sense of self. They are imbuing it with what esoterics call egregore – a form of being invoked when lots of people put their faith in something. A new power, no more accountable and no less dangerous than the clerics of the past. I think I'd rather put my faith in a pack of cards. [See also: No 10 is scrambling for a Silicon Valley payday] Related
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Team take on three peaks in memory of Blackburn firefighter who died of cancer
A group of firefighters took on the Three Peaks on Tuesday (May 20) in memory of a Blackburn firefighter who died of cancer. Members of Blackburn Fire Station's red watch took part in the Three Peaks Challenge, where they attempted to climb the three highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales, in 24 hours. This was in memory of Beccy Barr, a former firefighter and BBC presenter, who died last year aged 46. Beccy announced she had incurable abdominal cancer in December 2023. The team shared pictures of themselves at the top of Snowdon, Wales' highest peak, when they finished the challenge. They also shared a picture of themselves before they started climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland, the UK's highest point and the start of the challenge. Blackburn firefighters before climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland (Image: LFRS) After scaling and descending the 1,345-metre tall Ben Nevis, the team drove to the Lake District to take on England's tallest mountain, the 978m high Scafell Pike, before soldiering on to Eryri National Park to summit the 1,085m Snowdon. At the time of writing, more than £1,200 has been raised for St John's Hospice North Lancashire and South Lakes, which provides care to patients with life-limiting conditions throughout North Lancashire, the South Lakes and parts of North Yorkshire. Red Watch at Blackburn Fire Station climbed Mount Snowdon (Image: LFRS) A spokesperson for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: 'Yesterday, members of our Red Watch at Blackburn Fire Station took part in the national three peaks 24-hour challenge in memory of Beccy Barr — a sadly missed member of the watch who was always positive and full of life.' Beccy Barr (Image: LFRS) Beccy joined the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service in September 2019, after 20 years as a journalist, including seven with BBC's North West Tonight. She revealed at the time she was following in the footsteps of her father, Roy Barr, and after finishing her training was posted to Blackburn Fire Station. Beccy started her career at the Blackpool Citizen in her early 20s and had previously worked for Bloomberg News and CNB. To make a donation visit and search 'Red Watch Blackburn fundraising for St John's Hospice North Lancashire and South Lakes'.
Scottish Sun
05-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
I make £5,000 a month selling charity shop finds on sites like Vinted – my five must-follow tips
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BUYING and selling second-hand clothes can be a lucrative side hustle if you've got a knack for spotting designer bargains. One savvy mum has become so good at finding and flogging charity shop treasures, she's turned her shopping habit into an extra income stream worth up to £5,000 a month. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The busy entrepreneur has made thousands of pounds out of buying items on the cheap – and selling them on Credit: Beccy Dickson 2 She juggles her second-hand side gig alongside running her company Branded Bio, which supplies living green walls and backdrops for events Credit: Beccy Dickson Business owner Beccy Dickson, 45, tracks down high-end clothing from popular brands at charity shops and then sells them for a profit on sites like Vinted. She juggles her second-hand side gig alongside running her company Branded Bio, which supplies living green walls and backdrops for events. Beccy, who lives in Sevenoaks, Kent with her kids, Amelia, 17, Lucas, 13, and Riley, seven, told Sun Money: 'Flipping preloved items for profit has become one of my favourite hustles. 'Vinted is a goldmine if you know how to work it. 'So long as you're prepared to put the effort in, it's easier than you think.' The busy entrepreneur has made thousands of pounds out of buying items on the cheap – and selling them on. Sometimes she flogs a few hundred items a month. 'It's amazing what you can find with a bit of patience and a good eye for quality,' she said. 'Charity shops are packed with hidden gems just waiting to be discovered. 'I now bring in anywhere between £500 and £5,000 a month reselling mainly designer clothes and accessories, but also other bits and pieces, too.' Easy Income Boosters MoneyMaking Tips You Need to Know One standout purchase for Beccy was a red Hugo Boss suit – worth £450 when new – which she picked up for just £20. She was able to sell this for £85. But how does she know what to buy – and what will net her a profit? Beccy has a keen eye for designer brands at bargain prices. Over the years, she has honed her skills at picking pieces that will sell well. 'Recent purchases include a Reiss suit jacket – worth £160 when new – which I got for £7 in a local charity shop,' she said. 'I sold this for £45. 'Then there were the Diesel jeans, worth £140 new. I paid just £10 for these and then sold them on for £50. 'A further win was a Hobbs dress priced at just £10 which I sold for £25. 'Bought new, this would have cost £150.' How to start your own business Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis revealed his tips for budding entrepreneurs: One of the biggest barriers aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners face is a lack of confidence. You must believe in your idea — even more than that, be the one boring your friends to death about it. Never be afraid to make decisions. Once you have an idea, it's the confidence to make decisions that is crucial to starting and maintaining a business. If you don't take calculated risks, you're standing still. If a decision turns out to be wrong, identify it quickly and deal with it if you can. Failing that, find someone else who can. It's OK not to get it right the first time. My experience of making bad decisions is what helped develop my confidence, making me who I am today. Never underestimate the power of social media, and remember the internet has levelled the playing field for small businesses. Don't forget to dream. A machine can't do that! If you're looking to bring in the big money each month, a clever approach is to build up knowledge of a particular designer brand, she said. Beccy is a big fan of Religion clothing and accessories. 'I bought a vintage Religion dress – which was new with tags – for £12, and then sold this on Vinted for £55,' she said. 'To buy new it would have cost £120.' On another occasion, she picked up a Religion jumpsuit at a charity shop for £8 and sold it for £35. Bought new, this would have cost around £90. 'I also sold a Religion skirt for £25, having paid just £5 for it,' she said. 'And I got £30 for a Religion handbag, having shelled out just £4. 'Bought new, these would have cost around £70 and £80, respectively.' Another brand which Beccy loves is Barbour. 'I picked up a Barbour wax jacket for £25 and sold it for £80,' she said. 'New, this would come with a £250 price tag. 'I nabbed a Barbour waxed backpack, worth £120, for just £8, and then sold it on for £40.' Beccy has also developed a forte for flipping footwear. 'I spied some Steve Madden over-the-knee boots in a charity shop priced at £20 and sold these on Vinted for £55. 'Bought new, these would have cost £120.' Beccy also did well selling a pair of boots from punk brand, Dolls Kill, for £60, having nabbed them for £15. These would have cost £120 if she'd purchased them new. She said: 'Lesser-known brands such as Dolls Kill can end up selling very well, though they can be harder to track down in the first place.' Over the years, the charity shop pro has developed a knack for picking up jewellery that she can sell on at a profit. 'I paid just £3 for a beautiful silver and amber ring, which I sold on Vinted for £20.' she said. 'I reckon it would have cost around £60 new.' At another thrift store, she spied a gold chain priced at £20 and got £70 for it on Vinted. She added: 'One of my favourite finds was a set-of-three Pandora charms priced at £10. 'I sold the set on for £45.' Designer shades can also be a winner. 'I recently picked up a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses for £15,' she said. 'These would have cost around £150 new, but I managed to sell them for £60.' Beccy attributes much of her success to the fact she doesn't limit herself to clothing. 'While designer items are great, don't overlook quirky vintage pieces and home décor.' 'Some of my best flips – like the retro wall clock I bought for £10 and sold for £35 – were total surprises. 'You need to go in with an open mind. 'The dopamine hit comes from the unexpected.' Another surprise win for Beccy was a set of books, vintage Penguin Classics, which she sold for £25, having paid just £5. She said: 'What I've learned is that it pays to check out charity shops in affluent areas for designer finds and also charity shops in smaller towns for hidden gems.' Top tips for 'flipping' on Vinted One of the key pieces of advice that Beccy has for other charity shop fanatics hoping to profit from their purchases, is knowing how to get the best price on Vinted. She said: 'List the things you want to flip during peak activity times – such as evenings and weekends – for better visibility.' Spend a little time to get your listing just right and it will reap rewards, according to Beccy. 'Use natural lighting, clean backgrounds, and relevant keywords such as 'vintage,' to attract buyers,' she said. 'Remember seasonal items sell faster, such as boots in winter. Time your listings wisely.' Take the time to build buyer relationships. 'Thank individuals who leave good reviews and let them know when you list similar items,' she said. 'Repeat customers can be a great source of steady sales.' Another tactic that Beccy swears by is getting the kids involved. 'They can help take photos and list items,' she said. 'It's a fun way to teach entrepreneurial skills and they can also help spot trendy items. 'My son is now the Vinted expert in our house.' Be both patient – and persistent. Beccy added: 'Not everything sells immediately and that's okay. 'Relist items regularly, tweak descriptions and adjust prices if needed. 'Persistence pays off. Remember to give some thought to how you package items. 'Deliver a great 'unboxing' experience with eco-friendly packaging and a 'thank-you' note,' said the sustainability pro. 'Happy buyers leave glowing reviews and often become repeat customers.' While the extra cash is a big help to the Dickson family, Beccy also enjoys doing her bit for the environment by helping other fashion lovers to buy second-hand instead of new. Plus it benefits the charities behind the shops that she visits. 'It's about embracing sustainability and the joy of finding treasures. 'If you're thinking about giving it a try, go with the process and enjoy the thrill of the hunt.'
The Sun
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
I make £5,000 a month selling charity shop finds on sites like Vinted – my five must-follow tips
BUYING and selling second-hand clothes can be a lucrative side hustle if you've got a knack for spotting designer bargains. One savvy mum has become so good at finding and flogging charity shop treasures, she's turned her shopping habit into an extra income stream worth up to £5,000 a month. 2 Business owner Beccy Dickson, 45, tracks down high-end clothing from popular brands at charity shops and then sells them for a profit on sites like Vinted. She juggles her second-hand side gig alongside running her company Branded Bio, which supplies living green walls and backdrops for events. Beccy, who lives in Sevenoaks, Kent with her kids, Amelia, 17, Lucas, 13, and Riley, seven, told Sun Money: ' Flipping preloved items for profit has become one of my favourite hustles. ' Vinted is a goldmine if you know how to work it. 'So long as you're prepared to put the effort in, it's easier than you think.' The busy entrepreneur has made thousands of pounds out of buying items on the cheap – and selling them on. Sometimes she flogs a few hundred items a month. 'It's amazing what you can find with a bit of patience and a good eye for quality,' she said. 'Charity shops are packed with hidden gems just waiting to be discovered. 'I now bring in anywhere between £500 and £5,000 a month reselling mainly designer clothes and accessories, but also other bits and pieces, too.' Easy Income Boosters MoneyMaking Tips You Need to Know One standout purchase for Beccy was a red Hugo Boss suit – worth £450 when new – which she picked up for just £20. She was able to sell this for £85. But how does she know what to buy – and what will net her a profit? Beccy has a keen eye for designer brands at bargain prices. Over the years, she has honed her skills at picking pieces that will sell well. 'Recent purchases include a Reiss suit jacket – worth £160 when new – which I got for £7 in a local charity shop,' she said. 'I sold this for £45. 'Then there were the Diesel jeans, worth £140 new. I paid just £10 for these and then sold them on for £50. 'A further win was a Hobbs dress priced at just £10 which I sold for £25. 'Bought new, this would have cost £150.' How to start your own business Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis revealed his tips for budding entrepreneurs: One of the biggest barriers aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners face is a lack of confidence. You must believe in your idea — even more than that, be the one boring your friends to death about it. Never be afraid to make decisions. Once you have an idea, it's the confidence to make decisions that is crucial to starting and maintaining a business. If you don't take calculated risks, you're standing still. If a decision turns out to be wrong, identify it quickly and deal with it if you can. Failing that, find someone else who can. It's OK not to get it right the first time. My experience of making bad decisions is what helped develop my confidence, making me who I am today. Never underestimate the power of social media, and remember the internet has levelled the playing field for small businesses. Don't forget to dream. A machine can't do that! If you're looking to bring in the big money each month, a clever approach is to build up knowledge of a particular designer brand, she said. Beccy is a big fan of Religion clothing and accessories. 'I bought a vintage Religion dress – which was new with tags – for £12, and then sold this on Vinted for £55,' she said. 'To buy new it would have cost £120.' On another occasion, she picked up a Religion jumpsuit at a charity shop for £8 and sold it for £35. Bought new, this would have cost around £90. 'I also sold a Religion skirt for £25, having paid just £5 for it,' she said. 'And I got £30 for a Religion handbag, having shelled out just £4. 'Bought new, these would have cost around £70 and £80, respectively.' Another brand which Beccy loves is Barbour. 'I picked up a Barbour wax jacket for £25 and sold it for £80,' she said. 'New, this would come with a £250 price tag. 'I nabbed a Barbour waxed backpack, worth £120, for just £8, and then sold it on for £40.' Beccy has also developed a forte for flipping footwear. 'I spied some Steve Madden over-the-knee boots in a charity shop priced at £20 and sold these on Vinted for £55. 'Bought new, these would have cost £120.' Beccy also did well selling a pair of boots from punk brand, Dolls Kill, for £60, having nabbed them for £15. These would have cost £120 if she'd purchased them new. She said: 'Lesser-known brands such as Dolls Kill can end up selling very well, though they can be harder to track down in the first place.' Over the years, the charity shop pro has developed a knack for picking up jewellery that she can sell on at a profit. 'I paid just £3 for a beautiful silver and amber ring, which I sold on Vinted for £20.' she said. 'I reckon it would have cost around £60 new.' At another thrift store, she spied a gold chain priced at £20 and got £70 for it on Vinted. She added: 'One of my favourite finds was a set-of-three Pandora charms priced at £10. 'I sold the set on for £45.' Designer shades can also be a winner. 'I recently picked up a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses for £15,' she said. 'These would have cost around £150 new, but I managed to sell them for £60.' Beccy attributes much of her success to the fact she doesn't limit herself to clothing. 'While designer items are great, don't overlook quirky vintage pieces and home décor.' 'Some of my best flips – like the retro wall clock I bought for £10 and sold for £35 – were total surprises. 'You need to go in with an open mind. 'The dopamine hit comes from the unexpected.' Another surprise win for Beccy was a set of books, vintage Penguin Classics, which she sold for £25, having paid just £5. She said: 'What I've learned is that it pays to check out charity shops in affluent areas for designer finds and also charity shops in smaller towns for hidden gems.' Top tips for 'flipping' on Vinted One of the key pieces of advice that Beccy has for other charity shop fanatics hoping to profit from their purchases, is knowing how to get the best price on Vinted. She said: 'List the things you want to flip during peak activity times – such as evenings and weekends – for better visibility.' Spend a little time to get your listing just right and it will reap rewards, according to Beccy. 'Use natural lighting, clean backgrounds, and relevant keywords such as 'vintage,' to attract buyers,' she said. 'Remember seasonal items sell faster, such as boots in winter. Time your listings wisely.' Take the time to build buyer relationships. 'Thank individuals who leave good reviews and let them know when you list similar items,' she said. 'Repeat customers can be a great source of steady sales.' Another tactic that Beccy swears by is getting the kids involved. 'They can help take photos and list items,' she said. 'It's a fun way to teach entrepreneurial skills and they can also help spot trendy items. 'My son is now the Vinted expert in our house.' Be both patient – and persistent. Beccy added: 'Not everything sells immediately and that's okay. ' Relist items regularly, tweak descriptions and adjust prices if needed. 'Persistence pays off. Remember to give some thought to how you package items. 'Deliver a great 'unboxing' experience with eco-friendly packaging and a 'thank-you' note,' said the sustainability pro. 'Happy buyers leave glowing reviews and often become repeat customers.' While the extra cash is a big help to the Dickson family, Beccy also enjoys doing her bit for the environment by helping other fashion lovers to buy second-hand instead of new. Plus it benefits the charities behind the shops that she visits. 'It's about embracing sustainability and the joy of finding treasures. 'If you're thinking about giving it a try, go with the process and enjoy the thrill of the hunt.' How to bag a bargain SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain… Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with. Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks. Sales are when you can pick up a real steal. Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on. Sign up to mailing lists and you'll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too. When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use and are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer. Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping. Bargain hunters can also use B&M's scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out. And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you'll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
