Frugal Friday - Christmas special

by Rachel Robson on 22 December 2009  |  2 comments
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Highlights this week include 75% off fashion, fabulous homeware bargains, 75% off books, great gaming deals, the complete X-Files collection for £65, 2 for 1 on days out, and free Christmas cards!

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We know it's not Friday, but Christmas is nearly here - and if you've still got a few presents to buy, don't despair because there are still plenty of bargains to be had! So let's get cracking with the last Frugal Friday of 2009!

Fashion and homewares

If you're doing some very last minute shopping and you're hoping to grab a bargain, these high street deals should be right up your street!

• Barratts: Up to 40% off selected lines.
• Bhs: Up to 50% off childrenswear, homeware, Christmas gifts and furniture.
• Burton: Up to 60% off selected lines and 30% off the great gifts line. Plus, up to 50% off suits and shoes.
• Coast: Up to 50% off selected fashion.
• Debenhams: Up to half-price on selected gifts.
• Dorothy Perkins: Up to 50% off selected fashion.
• Dune: Up to 70% off shoes
• Faith: Up to 50% off selected lines in the winter sale.
• French Connection: Up to 50% off a range of fashion.
• Hobbs: Up to 50% off selected fashion.
• Jane Norman: Up to 50% off. More lines now added.
• New Look: Don't miss half price party wear and party shoes.
• Office: Up to 50% off a range of footwear.
• Oasis: Up to 50% off selected items.
• River Island: Many items from just £5.
• TOPMAN: Sale items from £5.
• Urban Outfitters: Up to 75% off clothing and home.
• Wallis: Up to 50% off selected fashion. New lines added.
• Warehouse: Final reductions in mid-season sale. 
• Whittard: Get 20% off everything with the online code AFFX9 before 24 December.

Moving into the kitchen, if you're a big coffee fan, you'll be delighted to hear that this Tassimo by Silver Bosch Multi Drinks Machine is now half price at Argos at £58.69! So instead of heading off to Starbucks each morning, you can now make fabulous coffee at home!

Alternatively, if you're after a new kettle, this snazzy Morphy Richards Stainless Steel Kettle is now £23.99 at Argos (RRP £59.99).

And if you're planning to whip up a Christmas casserole over the festive period, this 26cm Cast Iron Casserole Dish might come in handy - it's now half price at Bhs at £20. Meanwhile, this Three Piece Pan Set is just £8, also at Bhs, saving you £12.

Gadgets and gizmos

Looking for some last minute Christmas presents? How about this Binatone G500 sat nav from Argos which covers the UK, Ireland, and Western Europe? It's now £79.99, saving you £70.

Alternatively, if you have a photographer in the family, this Samsung PL55 digital camera is now £89.99 at Comet (RRP £199.99), while you can save £20 on this Vivitar V7690 which is now £29.99.

Books and games

With the Christmas break almost upon us, there's plenty of time for curling up with a good book. So if you're after a book bargain, take a look at this little lot:

• At Waterstones you can currently enjoy up to 50% off biographies as well as up to 50% off selected kids' annuals.
• WHSmith is offering up to 75% off selected books. So you can now pick up Jane Green's The Beach House for £3.99 (RRP £7.99), and Alexander McCall Smith's The Lost Art of Gratitude in paperback is £8.83 (RRP £12.99).
• And as usual, The Book Depository is also offering some great deals. So if you're a fan of True Blood, you can pick up the True Blood Boxed Set for £23.99 - saving you £16.01. Alternatively, Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving has £10.02 off, and is now £9.98.

If you'd prefer to spend some quality gaming time with your family and friends over the festive period, take a look at these great deals on games:

• At Play.com you can now pick up Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X for the Xbox 360 for just £9.99, a saving of £40. Meanwhile, Devil May Cry, also for the Xbox 360, is now £6.99 (RRP £39.99).
• If you're hoping to get fitter in the New Year, you'll be pleased to know that you can now enjoy Your Shape for the Nintendo Wii for just £29.73 at The Hut. That's a saving of £20.26.
• And at Amazon you can currently save £30.01 on FIFA 10 for the PS3 which is now £19.98.

Film and box sets

Christmas is the perfect time to settle down in front of the television and watch film after film. So why not boost your DVD collection with some of these bargains? (The most heavily discounted deals are listed first.)

Cheap days out

If you're hoping to get out and about over Christmas, but don't want to do any further damage to your wallet, enjoyEngland.com is currently offering some fabulous deals on cheap days out! Just be warned that most of them are only valid until 31 December.

• If someone in your family is an aeroplane enthusiast, hurry down to the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire and you can currently enjoy 2 for 1 tickets with this voucher.
• On the other hand, if you'd prefer to get out and about in the wild, you can also obtain 2 for 1 entry to Shepreth Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire with this voucher.
• If you're in the West Country, why not pay a visit to Exeter Cathedral, and take advantage of 2 for 1 entry with this voucher.

• Finally, you can enjoy 2 for 1 skating, including skate hire, at Bristol Ice Rink with this voucher.

Mobile phone deal of the week

Happy with your current mobile phone but need a cheaper tariff? With this Vodafone SIM only deal, you'll only have to pay £15 a month and you'll receive 300 minutes and unlimited texts! Plus you'll be on a one month rolling contract! Find out more.

Freebie of the week

If you've left writing your Christmas cards until the last minute this year, and have now missed the last post, why not send an online card instead? Some websites require you to pay for registration but others will allow you to register for free. Good websites to check out include eCards, 123 Greetings, and Blue Mountain.

Competition of the week

Finally, this week's competition:

Have a great Christmas!

Don't forget: although all prices and discounts were correct on the day this article was published, offers this good are subject to change and often sell out quickly.

More: Bake delicious Xmas gifts for £2 | Last minute online bargains for Xmas

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