Aldi

The way forward...

Aldi is incredible! An amazing little chain of shops. The staff seem to work like dogs, but then is that the price for cheap products?

You don't get many big brand there, but they are focused on making their own brand goods as good as the big brands (as there amazing advertising suggests).

We now use Aldi for as much of our shopping as we can, and then we fill in with bits from other shops.

It would do Tesco et al good to take note of the Aldi model. It is more than likely the way forward - lower margins, less service but much happier customers!

Nationwide

On my side!

I absolutely love Nationwide.

They just feel like a friendly company that is on my side. I now have a current account, an isa and my Mortgage with them and it give me comfort that I know they won't try to screw me over for their shareholders benefit.

If I have any criticism, it's that their customer service isn't as hot as it could be, but that might just be that they aren't as pushy and slick as others (part of what I also love about them).

Compareandsave

Great little website that should save me about £350!

I was looking for a new credit card and came across compare and save on a search engine.

They had all the credit cards you might want or expect, but in the end I didn't get a card - I ended up using their energy switching tool to stick it to British Gas, which will save me (assuming the numbers all play out as expected) about £350 per year!

Not at all bad for about 10 minutes work (at that rate I could be on £2100 an hour)

Travelodge

Great for the price

Don't get upset when it's a bit tatty, it's not absolutely spotless, the views are of a motorway or the bins, Travelodge is not about luxury.

Travelodge is about cheap hotels in convenient locations and they do that very well.

Book very (but not too) early to get the best deals (you'll pay through the nose for lastminute trips), but if you follow that simple rule TL can be one of the cheapest ways of getting a reasonable night sleep in the UK.

Homebase

Just about OK!

They tend to have what you want, but they charge top dollar and the quality is never great.

My ex swears by Wickes/Screwfix and they are great.

Homebase = Last resort/Lazy shopping

Google

OK...but not great

Google have done a good job of building their dominance. Which they have done through innovation, smart thinking and challenging their competitors.

Now they have their position on dominance, they try to kill off innovation (unless on their terms), thinking purely about advertising dollar$ and using there dominance to straggle their competitors.

Google are no-longer a force for good online (unfortunately). They are a discredited company and the sooner a realistic competitors comes along the better....The bigger they come etc...

Farmfoods

Get what you pay for, but great customer service

OK, lets be straight on this. The food is cheap and the quality tells, but it is VERY cheap so you get what you pay for. Whether or not you like the food (and would feed it to your family) is up to you. I wouldn't personally eat all of it, but there are some absolute gems in Farmfoods.

I love the Chicken Wings and a couple of other bits, but there's a need for all the other bits they sell (you'll only ever know by trying)

One thing you can't buy is the customer service. Given the style of shop you'd be forgiven for thinking the staff would just about do the basics, but in my experience (through a couple of their stores) the service is great. They bend over backwards to help (and are considerably more polite than the staff in the Sainsbury's where I also shop)

Amazon

Couldn't love them more!

Amazon are just the best at what they do. They are the cheapest, with the best delivery procedure, the widest selection of products etc.

I must use them once a week at least and I've only ever had one problem.

That was due to a reseller writing a misleading description. I've left feedback, so hopefully no one else will fall into the same trap.

However, that one tiny issue aside I absolutely love these guys!

Argos

Queues are a killer...but they tend to have what I want.

I rarely use Argos, because I can always find things cheaper elsewhere.

When I do it's normally an emergency, and I always hate the queues - That said they normally have what I want and the prices aren't absolutely crazy - so I can't complain.

To me they are like a convenience store for bigger or usual everyday things.

Blackcircles.com

Why did no-one do it before

I love this company and the concept they have pioneered. Given just how simple it is, it makes you wonder why no-one's done it before?

All told I must have save £180 using them and I got to use a local garage...everyone's a winner!

Halfords

Very helpful

The video my sis uses in the car when travelling with her kids stopped working when I was looking after them.

I thought I'd trapped the cable in the door and broke it because it stopped working so I went to Halfords to try to get a new one. They didn't have one, but the guy there suggested he double check the fuse, which he did.

Hey-Presto it was fixed! Pretty Happy now as I thought I was going to have to buy new ones at £150 - £2.00 very well spent ;-)

Groupon UK

Awful...

I've used them twice and on both occasions it was awful.

The first time I got a haircut were the woman doing it moaned that she wasn't getting paid to do it and she might be getting a parking ticket, just so she could cut my hair.

The second time, I bought multiple vouchers for my friends to have massages with me (they suggested I should do), we went to use them only to find it was one per session - so we didn't get to use them together.

All pretty dire really - definitely not what it said on the tin!

David Emmerson found this review useful

Pcworld

Got a Mac for buttons

I got a MacBook Pro from PCWorld for £699. Reconditioned, yes - but actual proce pre-con would have been £1500. That's one hell of a saving.

That said their customer service and purchase process was seriously confusing - for most of the weekend before getting the computer I thought they were going to back out of the deal (as they can do).

Asda

Getting better every day!

OK, so ASDA used to be lame - I know.

However, about 3 months ago they opened a branch near me and I must say I'm warming to it.

The quality is getting better every time I go in there and the staff are brilliant (especially with my niece). The other big draw is that it is cheaper than anyway else. I went in Tesco the other day and was shocked at the prices (i used to use Tesco religiously - I went there every Sunday! - but they seem some way behind ASDA now.

Dominos

The one and only

Is there any pizza delivery that even comes close? Yes the people who drive their cars are a dangerous to people as they rush at break-neck speed to deliver the pizza's...but that is why they are sooo good ;-)