3 days agoNew York StateComments Off on Lidl is selling faux olive trees to add a decorative touch to your home – they’re cheapest around & look incredibly real
SHOPPERS are rushing to get their hands on a faux olive tree from Lidl.
The budget retailer is offering affordable ways to bring a touch of the Med into your home.
LIDLThe Livarno Home Artificial Olive Tree is selling for £20 at Lidl[/caption]
“This artificial plant is made of plastic, of which at least 50% comes from recycled materials,” the Swedish retailer claims.
On the pricier end is Dunelm‘s version, costing £100.
Dunelm’s artificial olive tree stands at 140cm tall – thanks in part to an added 15cm from its oven basket-style plant pot.
For those after a statement piece, Costco is offering a 6.5ft faux olive tree in a French-style crock planter for £150.
The product description reads: “This exceptionally realistic Olive tree will thrive perfectly anywhere, every season.”
ikeaLidl’s Artificial potted plant, in/outdoor Olive tree costs £25[/caption]
DunelmDunelm’s Artificial Olive Tree in Woven Basket Plant Pot is priced at £100[/caption]
Costco’s Artificial 6.5ft Olive Tree in French Crock Planter costs £150
But if you’d prefer the real thing, you can always plant an olive tree.
3 days agoNew York StateComments Off on How I find 10p B&M bargains – the six tricks you NEED to follow to find them too
BARGAIN shop B&M is a treasure trove of bargains – but you could save even more by arming yourself with the shop’s scanner app.
Super shopper Sam Penney has snapped up gadgets from vacuum cleaners to headphones for as little as 10p thanks to the nifty tool.
Sam Penney shops at her two local B&M stores for bargains – her best deal was a 10p floor steamerAlamyShe shops at the discounter store when her children are at school so she doesn’t overspend[/caption]
Sam bagged a 10p rug from B&M after discovering it was heavily discounted using her B&M scanner app
The full-time mum-of-two shops regularly at her two local stores every two days, and runs the Facebook group B&M Scanner And Other Bargains.
She set up the group in 2019 so she could share her scanning tips.
Now the community has grown to 328.k members, who post about the deals they have found in store.
“B&M is great – it sells everything you need, like snacks for the kids and household stuff,” Sam said.
The secret to bagging the best deals is to use the B&M scanner app.
It can be found on the B&M Stores mobile app, which you can download for free from the App Store or Google Play.
There’s a “scan” button on the bottom of the homepage on the app.
Simply point your phone’s camera at an item’s barcode, and the app will automatically bring up the price.
If an item’s price hasn’t been updated on the shelf, the app will tell you – and it’s a great way of hunting out the best bargains.
Here’s Sam’s top scanner tips – and other tricks to make sure you’re saving money in store.
Always scan last items in stock
If you spot just one last item left on the shelves, always make sure to scan it, says Sam.
Because it’s the last one, it may have been discounted in price.
“If something looks out of place on the shelf or it’s the one, scan it on your phone to check the price.
“My biggest bargain was a floor steamer for 10p, which originally was £60.
“It was one left sitting randomly in the store, so I scanned it but the app said the product wasn’t found, so I went to the till to check the price.
“I then discovered it was 10p. I thought it was brilliant – I gave it to my mum.”
Check the packaging
If the same item has different packaging, make sure to scan it, says Sam.
Sometimes, manufacturers will update the packaging of an item.
This might mean that if the same item is in the old packaging style, then it may have been discounted to make way for the new stock.
“I got a window vac for £1 last year – I spotted that there was the same model of window vac but in different packaging compared to others on the shelf,” Sam said.
“When I scanned the window vac in the different packaging with my phone, it was listed as £1, whereas the others were £20.”
Red and white stickers
You may have heard of yellow sticker items, but B&M puts red and white stickers on discounted products to tell customers what the new price is.
These stickers are not usually used by B&M, Sam said, but it is worth keeping an eye out for them when you’re next shopping in store.
If you spot a sticker item, it’s worth scanning it with your app.
This is because the price may have gone down again.
Go on Wednesday morning
The best time to shop for new bargains is Wednesday morning, according to Sam.
This is usually when prices usually go down.
“Go bright and early,” she said. “I got a pair of Wave 100 JBL earphones which were £1 down from £10 on a Wednesday morning recently.”
To beat other shoppers, set an alarm early on your phone.
Shop while the kids are in school
Sometimes it’s hard to say no to the kids if they spot toys or sweets in store.
That’s why Sam makes sure to shop in store while her two children, Shanae, 16, and Keighan, 11, are at school.
That way, she can monitor her budget and make sure she’s not overspending on her shopping trips.
“As a single mum, I need to make sure I’m saving where I can,” she said.
Ask staff for help
If you scan an item using your scanner but the price isn’t listed, don’t just put the item back.
Take it to a member of staff and ask them to check the price – you may find it’s a bargain.
“I recently scanned a rug on my app, but it said that the barcode wasn’t found, so I took it to the till.
“They checked and said it was 10p. The rug was originally £40 – I thought it was great, so I’ve put it in my living room.”
It might be an idea making friends with staff at your local branch.
They may be able to share helpful intel on which items have recently dropped in price.
3 days agoNew York StateComments Off on Germany legend Lothar Matthaus, 64, repeatedly spotted with stunning model ‘girlfriend’, 26, after fifth divorce
LOTHAR MATTHAUS has reportedly met a new flame – 38 years his junior.
The German legend divorced from his fifth wife Anastasia Klimko in 2021.
TIKTOK / em1nexxLothar Matthaus has been spotted out and about in Germany with a new flame[/caption]
AlamyThe German legend (right) captained his country to World Cup glory in 1990[/caption]
Instagram / @theresa.sommerMatthaus has been seen out and about with model Theresa Sommer[/caption]
Instagram / @theresa.sommerThe 26-year-old is an economics graduate and Instagram model[/caption]
Instagram / @theresa.sommerSommer accompanied Matthaus on a recent trip to the Nations League final[/caption]
Matthaus, 64, has been spotted at numerous public outings with Instagram model Theresa Sommer, 26.
The 26-year-old accompanied the Bayern Munich icon to a recent celebrity ski race in Ischgl, Austria.
Matthus told A2 Television: “We came for skiing, and the rest is a private matter.”
He married Swiss model and TV presenterLolita Morena two years later and had a son.
But the marriage lasted just five years with the former Miss Universe contestant.
His next relationship came after Matthaus had hung up his boots and headed into management.
The German met Marijana Colic during his coaching spell with Partizan in Belgrade.
They married in 2003 but filed for a messy divorce six years down the line.
In December 2008, Matthaus wed 21-year-old Ukrainian model Kristina Liliana Chudinova in Las Vegas.
World Cup qualifying draw in full
Group A: Winner GER/ITA, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
Group C: Loser POR/DEN, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
Group D: Winner FRA/CRO, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
Group E: Winner SPA/NED, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria
Group F: Winner POR/DEN, Hungary, Ireland, Armenia
Group G: Loser SPA/NED, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
Group I: Loser GER/ITA, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechenstein
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
Group L: Loser FRA/CRO, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar
By early 2010 the pair – who shared a 26-year age gap – were already living apart.
His fifth and final marriage came in 2014 with Klimko, whom he shares a son, Milan.
The couple broke up in 2021 but appeared to reconcile at Oktoberfest two years later.
Matthaus is one of the 20th century’s most successful stars.
He captained Germany to World Cup glory in 1990 and played over 400 times for Bayern across two spells.
Instagram / @theresa.sommerTheresa studied in both London and Durham[/caption]
Instagram / @theresa.sommerShe is 38 years younger than Matthaus – but the manner of their relationship is not known[/caption]
3 days agoNew York StateComments Off on I’ve made £18k on Vinted – my photos always stand out and it’s all about NOT taking them on a white background
A RESELLER who has made over £18,000 on Vinted has shared the genius tip she swears by to ensure her pictures always stand out.
Maisie regularly shares her tips and tricks with others on her TikTok page, and recently shared a clip explaining why she’s now opting against using a white background for her pictures to list on the selling app.
TiktokReselling whizz Maisie has explained why it’s best to take your pictures for Vinted on a grey background[/caption]
TiktokIn her TikTok video, she showed how the grey made the colours in this dress really stand out[/caption]
AlamyAnd it gives a much more accurate representation of the item than using white – which just absorbs the colours[/caption]
Instead, she’s chosen to take them on a grey background – and it’s working a treat.
“If you look at this grey background, the colour of this dress just shows up so much nicer,” Maisie said in the video.
“In terms of colour theory and on the colour wheel, grey is actually a neutral background, while white and black absorb all the colours.
“So to get an accurate representation of the colour, a grey background is apparently the best for photography.
“And obviously as resellers we want to make sure that we’re getting the most accurate and the most professional pictures for our listings!”
Maisie showed how she has been hanging her items against a grey wall for the pictures, but said that “lots of people have just a grey sheet of fabric, rug, whatever”.
And in the comments section, lots of viewers said they were keen to test out the hack themselves.
“Guess who is painting their wall grey now,” one said.
“Are you painting right now?” Maisie asked.
To which the person then replied: “Hahaha no! I did however check under my stairs and check what paint I had.
“THEN I texted my fella and woke him up asking if he still had any grey paint. He was not impressed!”
“That makes sense!” another added.
“I’ve got grey walls all around my house, just white doors.
“I need a hook on my wall now lol, thank you.”
“That actually makes so much sense,” a third agreed.
“That’s it I’m going grey lol!”
New Vinted rules to be aware of
IF you fancy clearing out your wardrobe and getting rid of your old stuff on Vinted, you’ll need to consider the new rules that recently came into play.
If people are selling personal items for less than they paid new (which is generally the case for second-hand sales), there is no impact on tax.
However, since January 1, digital platforms, including eBay, Airbnb, Etsy, Amazon and Vinted, must share seller information with HMRC as part of a crackdown.
You’re unlikely to be affected if you only sell a handful of second-hand items online each year – generally, only business sellers trading for profit might need to pay tax.
A tax-free allowance of £1,000 has been in place since 2017 for business sellers trading for profit – the only time that an individual personal item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is a profit from the sale.
However, firms now have to pass on your data to HMRC if you sell 30 or more items a year or earn over £1,700.
It is part of a wider tax crackdown to help ensure that those who boost their income via side hustles pay up what they owe.
While your data won’t be shared with HMRC if you earn between £1,000 and £1,700, you’ll still need to pay tax as normal.
“We’re all going grey!” Maisie laughed in response.
“I’ll have to paint a grey feature wall in my dining room now,” someone else joked.
While Sam, the Unbusy Bee, who was the first one to share the clever trick, added: “Perfectly explained!”
