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I don't know about you but I always find it tricky when shopping for men. I must have spent days on end racking my brains for ideas last Christmas. Whether it's a boyfriend, dad, son, brother or grandfather, men are officially an absolute nightmare to purchase for.

Fortunately, Marks and Spencer came to my rescue and I thought that I should probably share my joy with you all. There is an extensive range of gifts for him on the website where you'll find all sorts of goodies, from shirts for work to the latest gadgets.

If you've got birthdays coming up and are dreading thinking of what to buy, take a look at my top 7 must-haves for men from M&S. Read More »

Eugh, Monday. I don't think any Monday could accurately be described as 'mega' but this one even less so.

For me, it was one of 'those' weekends; one where you need another weekend to recover from Saturday and Sunday's antics. Friday was indisputably fun: great night out with work, check; getting into the Christmas spirit with mulled wine, check.

It was Saturday morning where it all went wrong: other than being woken up at 9am (about three hours too early), I realised after a quick rifle through my bag that I'd left my car keys in my coat in the (locked) office.

While I did eventually manage to get home, my Sunday morning saw me embarking on a three hour journey with the spare key to go and collect my car meaning my weekend only really got started at about lunchtime that day. Cue Christmas planning and shopping and my 'weekend' rapidly faded away into the early hours of Monday morning, when I eventually climbed into bed.

It's for reasons like these that Monday is the most dreaded day of the week. However, this is not the case for e-retailers this particular Monday unless having consumers spend £10,000 a second online is considered a bad day. Read More »

A couple of weeks ago, a friend from the States came over to visit me in London as part of his trip around Europe. Even though he'd only planned a two-week trip, by the time he got round to stopping off in the UK he'd seen the Colosseum, experienced the dizzying heights of the Eiffel Tower and explored the ancient Vatican City.

No pressure then! I knew I had to come up with something pretty darn good for London.

Luckily, he was quite in raptures with Westminster which, of course, boasts Big Ben and the architecturally stunning houses of Parliament.

But once I'd played this card – and hit up Buckingham Palace – I found myself at a bit of a loss. Digging out the tube map, I scanned all the potentials until eventually my eyes locked with something I knew would be a success.

Camden Town: the gem of the Northern Line, and undoubtedly one of London's top shopping hot spots. Read More »

Two weeks ago, I finally jumped on the iPhone bandwagon.

The decision struck me at the pub with friends. In spite of the wine, I clearly saw that my phone stuck out like a sore thumb among an assorted range of Apple and Samsung devices, effectively shaming me into upgrading my brick of a phone which was aesthetically akin to a Nokia 3310.

This is not to say my old model hadn't served me well. Aside from the fact it couldn't connect to the internet, frequently turned itself off and reset every single alarm if the battery was removed, it was a pretty good phone. I wasn't surprised, however, when the salesman at Phones4U informed me I could trade it in for the princely sum of 45p. Read More »

Some people just aren't born to shop. Last time I went shopping with my mum, we were still driving to town when she piped up with: "Can we go home yet?" No, mother, we cannot. Once we make it into town, however, she's happy enough, spending hours in Primark or Marks & Spencer and then not buying anything.

Traipsing around after one's parent for the entirety of such fruitless jaunts is rather infuriating though luckily something which I can shake off pretty quickly once I've stepped into the comparative paradise that is New Look or H&M.

Personal gripes aside, it has emerged today that 34% of people describe self-service machines in supermarkets as the aspect of modern life that irritates them the most. Over a third of people polled in research for computer maker Ordissimo said that supermarket self-service made shopping more stressful even though they were originally designed to make shopping a quick and fuss-free experience. Read More »

Enormous signs that greet us the second we walk through the door, baskets of 'last-minute' trinkets at the tills and a deliberate lack of clocks: we're all familiar with the sly moves that retailers play to persuade consumers to part with their hard-earned cash.

However, there's far more where that came from. Brace yourself for some serious shopping scandals and prepare to completely change the way you shop!

"There is nothing random about how a store is arranged and designed," says Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping.

Indeed, retail shopping studies have found that the majority of the population turn right when they walk into a shop, because most people are right-handed and therefore right-oriented. Knowledge is power and stores are quick to take advantage of the facts, highlighting new trends and products to the right of the entrance.

The most expensive items tend to be displayed to the right of the store's entrance where the music is often louder and the lights brighter. While shopping with earplugs and shades isn't completely out of the question, it's probably easier to stick to a pre-prepared shopping list to help you steer clear of temptation. Read More »

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With numerous reports detailing how much we spend, you'd think we Brits would be fully aware of the state of our finances. Shockingly though, a number of us are still in the dark when it comes to money matters and even how much our partner earns is something of a mystery for many. Read More »

If you find yourself looking longingly through showhome windows, spending Sundays rearranging the furniture in your Bijou flat or making numerous failed attempts to create a bespoke piece of artwork using a small canvas and some paint samples from B & Q, it may be time to give your property a thorough once-over.

The problem is, while those with healthier budgets can dream about a signature Laura Ashley sofa gracing their living room, the current squeeze on our budgets means that the rest of us will have to contend with a more modest property facelift.

But fear not homeowners, you won't have to trade sleek for savings or pounds for paltry curtain trims. It is possible to be financially savvy while not compromising one iota on style. After all, hasn't IKEA embraced the hearts of budget-conscious furniture lovers all over the globe with nothing more than a range of flat pack furniture and a pricing range guaranteed to weather any economic crisis?

You too can wave the magic wand of cheap and cheerful chic across your home and for less than £100. Here's how; Read More »

The sun might not be shining but it's a fair bit warmer than it has been lately. The mornings are getting lighter, too. Dare we think that Spring may be in the air? Okay, that's a little bit too soon but at least we can be consoled by the fact that it can't be too long now before we venture home from work in the daylight. Read More »

Whilst I usually use this piece to offer advice on how savvy shoppers can save money, today I thought I would let you know how you can save the sanity of your friendly retail workers. Read More »

As a consumer, there are certain things which get on my nerves from time to time. Disorganised displays, disgruntled staff, arrogant employees – whatever it is, there is always something to complain about after any trip to the shops. Read More »