Showing all posts tagged budget

In General, Interior Design, MoneySaving, Reviews / Sponsored, Women's Interest

Achica – Luxury at Budget Prices

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on

A few weeks ago I was offered a voucher code to use on Achica so that I could browse, order and then hopefully enjoy the Achica experience.

Achica is a site cram-packed full of fabulous homewares, gifts, items for kids, personal items and pretty much anything else you can think of. It is a place where you will find expensive boutique items, top brands and more at knocked down prices. Every day new sale events start, offering you a wide range of items for usually a week at a time. Items are limited (fair enough seeing as some these items are reduced by hundreds) however this doesn’t negatively affect the shopping experience in any way.

Just some of the items on offer at Achica right now.
Just some of the items on offer at Achica right now.

The Site

Achica is a members-only site however it is free to join up and there are no fees etc. Navigating the (very attractive) site couldn’t be easier and adding items to the basket and checking out is a simple but secure process.

Delivery

If you want something from Achica tomorrow you may be disappointed. As items are often sent from the individual brands and then onto Achica for checking and packaging and THEN onto you the process may take a week or two. That said the items are worth waiting for and expected delivery times are made very clear for each item when ordering.
You may track your order via the online account, I received email updates regarding my order as well as a smooth delivery with text alerts and more. Yes it took a while to get here but the money saved is worth the wait.

My Order

Achicam

A microwave! Not any old microwave but a pretty microwave that would fit perfectly into my kitchen. I’ve actually been looking for one like this for ages however they’ve all been in excess of £100 (I don’t use a microwave often enough to justify that!).

This particular microwave was £110 full price if I remember right knocked down to £69.

As you can see the delivery date range is shown on the actual product page. I think it fits into my kitchen quite well!

achica micro

Summary

What do I Really Think of Achica?
Honestly I have to say I’m a fan. I’ve used it before in the past although there seems to be an even bigger range of items available now. I love the moneysaving aspect, how easy the site is to navigate and above all having the opportunity to find new and different items for the home or for gifts.

Achica asked me for an “open and honest” write-up based on my experience of this shopping review and I have to say that they deserve nothing less than 9/10 (you have to be fairly spectacular to get a 10!).

 

In General, MoneySaving, Reviews / Sponsored, Women's Interest

Saving Time and Money with Chemist Direct

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on

While Chemist Direct isn’t a particularly new site is certainly is new to me. I was offered a £50 voucher to use on the site, in order to have a good play, experience the order and delivery service and so that I could effectively report back what I really thought of the site. Despite being given the voucher to use Chemist Direct have had no say in my review and so this review is based purely on my own findings.

What is Chemist Direct?

Chemist Direct is as the name suggests an online chemist shop which provides products for your health needs (including prescriptions), toiletries and more. There are plenty of these online chemist shops around these days however what I find different about Chemist Direct is the moneysaving angle.

How to save money and time with Chemist Direct
How to save money and time with Chemist Direct

The site has a dedicated page for way to save you time and money. Perhaps my favourite part of the site, other than the well stocked clearance areas are the bulk buys. With four of us in the house we go through things like shampoo, conditioner, shower gel etc a lot quicker than I would like! I was able to purchase  bulk packs of some of my favourite brands at a discount and of course am also now enjoying not having to constantly keep an eye on whether we need to add more to the weekly shop.

How Far Does £50 Go?

Further than I expected. Thanks to clearance items, bulk buys and having a wide range of items, both top brands and otherwise to choose from I was able to stock up on shampoo, conditioner, shaving items for Roy, baby wipes, toothbrushes and toothpaste, mouthwash, two jars of my Ponds Cold Cream cleanser, three Pantene hair mousses (I can’t leave the house without looking like a microphone without these!) and more.

If you ignore the shockingly bad photos you'll get a good idea of how much a fifty pound order actually gives you. If I hadn't needed a new shaving brush and what not for Roy I'd have ordered more bulk buys.
If you ignore the shockingly bad photos you’ll get a good idea of how much a fifty pound order actually gives you. If I hadn’t needed a new shaving brush and what not for Roy I’d have ordered more bulk buys.

Delivery

My delivery was with me within a couple of days and I was kept informed via email of when it was dispatched etc. I was pleased to see that while the items were properly boxed etc that there wasn’t any wasted packaging. This is a pet hate of mine!

Would I Use Chemist Direct Again

Yes I would. I’ve bookmarked it and have a few bits in the basket as I’m building up a monthly order. Again the bulk buys really have been a bonus, from a convenience and a budget point of view and with these and the clearance items being refreshed regularly updated it’s good to see new items popping up to help you save.

I do get emails from Chemist Direct (as I signed up) with offer and what not however can’t say that there’s an excessive amount which is always a bonus.

I can’t fault the service, in fact I have already recommended it to friends and family which I wouldn’t do if I wasn’t 100% happy. If you want to know anything else about my experience drop me a line in the comment box or perhaps ask Chemist Direct via Twitter who are more than happy to help.

 

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