Latest news with #valueForMoney
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
I got hold of Aldi's reformer pilates machine – the straps are comfortable but you need to watch out for a key part
SHOPPERS have been going wild for Aldi's reformer pilates machine, which is £1.75k cheaper than the original version. One lucky person who managed to get hold of one has revealed their 'honest' review after assembling it and doing their first workout. 5 5 Toni Jeffrey uploaded a video captioned 'is it worth the hype' and broke down its features one-by-one. On her @toni_jeffrey account, she gave the machine a solid seven out of 10 and said it was a good reformer machine for someone like her who 'hasn't got a scoobys' but wants to 'improve flexibility.' She said she was 'happy' with her purchase as it has 'all the basic features' and is 'definitely value for money', with the machine setting her back £149.99. Some shoppers who missed out in their store were left fuming to spot the machines being resold for £500 on eBay - and others got in fights to secure one in store. However, Toni was honest about the pros and cons of her new workout device. One of the negatives was that she nearly trapped her fingers three times while adjusting the resistance. She also didn't love the strap length adjusters, calling them 'annoying' as you have to one at a time and one of hers was 'slightly longer than the other.' She was also concerned about the quality of the material, saying she thought 'wear and tears would be visible after a while.' She added: 'The fabric isn't the best (you're getting what you paid for I suppose, it's doing the job.' However, she liked the 'comfortable straps', the fact it was 'easy to assemble' and that the foot bar is 'extremely sturdy.' Shocking moment chaos erupts in Aldi store as shoppers fight over viral £150 Pilates machine She also praised the length for her being 5ft 7, but said if you are really tall you may struggle. Overall, she was happy with her purchase but advised that if you are a serious pilates girl that you save for a better alternative. With the original reformer pilates machine costing £1899.99, it is no wonder that shoppers have raced to buy Aldi's £149.99 version this weekend. Aldi's purse-friendly machine arrived in stores on Sunday and has adaptable resistance levels with five resistance bands and adjustable height settings. 5 5 It has a smooth gliding functionality, and has transport wheels for easy movement, and foldable storage capabilities. Aldi is also selling lots of gym accessories to go with it. Also up for grabs is a pilates pad, a three piece pilates ball set, a pilates ring, and rotation ring, Each of the products are just £5.99 each, and will help with strength, balance, conditioning and coordination. For additional strength training, Aldi's adjustable step deck (£12.99) allows fitness gurus to add in cardio with ease, and even includes resistance handles and a balance board for a full-body workout. As with all Aldi Specialbuys, once they're gone, they're gone, so head to stores quickly if you want to grab them. The 5 best exercises to lose weight By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to. So how do you find the right workout for you? As a PT and fitness journalist, I've tried everything. I've taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs, strength training and Pilates. Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at Christmas! The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit. My top five forms of exercise, especially if you're trying to lose weight, are: Walking Running Pilates High-intensity interval training (HIIT) Strength training
Bloomberg
24-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Michelin-Starred Team Embrace Hong Kong's New Frugality With Budget Cafe
Hong Kong's days of excess are in the past. The mainland Chinese shoppers who once shone in gaudy LVMH and Gucci outfits are gone, replaced by backpackers crowd-seeking experiences. Expats who partied on Wyndham Street departed for Singapore, Dubai or London, where they sometimes think of mountain trails and summer junks. Local residents, who protested against the creeping influence of Beijing, now prefer to spend their weekends across the border, where things are cheaper and the service often better. In such a tough market, Hong Kong restaurateurs are increasingly looking to boost business by offering value for money. Servo, a new cafe named after Australian slang for a petrol service station where drivers might pick up a meat pie and a coffee, is emblematic of this welcome trend. The restaurant, which is more like a coffee shop by day and wine bar by night, is the latest venture by the Arcane Collective's Shane Osborn, Michael Smith and Didier Yang. Located in Central's On Lan Street, opposite their one-Michelin-starred restaurant Arcane, Servo is as unobtrusive on the outside as it is muted on the inside. White walls, light wood tables, darkly dressed staff and metallic open kitchen are matched by the arid brown of the paired bottles of HP Sauce and Vegemite jars in a cabinet by the miniscule kitchen. The only non-neutral color is green — the shade favored by the painter Edward Hopper — seen in a tiny painting of a plant, in stacked plastic crates and outside, in an old sign advertising the site's predecessor Uncle Eric's Vintage Wine Bar.
BreakingNews.ie
15-05-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Leinster House bike shed had no value for money assessment before work began, report finds
An internal audit on the €336,000 Leinster House bike shelter project found that no value for money assessment was ever conducted in advance of the works. It said the costs of the OPW project had never been communicated to the Houses of the Oireachtas and that there was a lack of clear guidelines for oversight of projects worth less than €500,000. Advertisement The report, which was carried out by Deloitte, made three high priority findings and said there was an 'absence of some fundamental good practices' for projects like the controversial bike shed. It said a value for money assessment should have been conducted as part of a 'robust options appraisal process.' The internal audit said this would have included looking more closely at 'lower cost alternatives' as well as the possibility of 'doing nothing.' It said: 'Approval to proceed with the project should only have been formalised when these evaluations were complete.' Advertisement The audit also found there was no proper governance structure in place for projects that had a value of less than half a million euro. It said: 'The OPW cannot demonstrate how value for money was considered across all aspects of the decision to proceed with the delivery of the covered bike shelter project.' The report found as well that management at Leinster House had not been given any information on how much the project would cost until it was completed. The audit said: 'The June 2021 decision to proceed with the Bike Shelter project was made without presentation or discussion of project costs. Advertisement 'The HOC [Houses of the Oireachtas Commission] did not request cost information, and the OPW did not present cost information.' The auditors said when this happened there was a higher risk of poor value for money and 'an increased risk of mismatch in expectations on delivery versus cost of delivery.' The OPW said these findings had been accepted and that costs for works at Leinster House were now being communicated on a regular basis. The audit also found that while the Office of Public Works had a programme management plan in place, it was 'not necessarily easy to navigate', especially for smaller projects like the bicycle shelter. Advertisement It said: 'Where there is a lack of oversight of projects, there is a risk that these projects may not represent value for money or may not deliver to exact requirements in an efficient and effective manner.' There was a finding made as well that some of the paperwork for the project had not been signed or dated properly. In its findings, the internal auditors said there should be 'sample-based spot checks' made to ensure compliance. The report found more generally that the OPW's internal auditors were not always provided timely updates or information by colleagues. Advertisement It said: 'Where the [head of internal audit] is not at an equivalent level to the senior management team, there is a risk of lack of engagement from management. '[There is also] a risk that the ARC [Audit and Risk Committee] is not receiving the appropriate assurance as to the effectiveness of the control environment within the OPW.' The report was released by the OPW following an appeal made under Freedom of Information laws. In an information note, they said: 'The internal audit report will provide a focus for continuing to strengthen ways of working across the OPW. 'This report will provide a platform from which control improvements can be made for capital projects into the future. 'The OPW has accepted and is actively implementing all of the recommendations within the report.'
