Get all tanked up on credit crunch bargains

Oct 24 2008 by Cheryl McEvoy, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

At last! It was like seeing an old friend for the first time in years.

In fact, no, it was better than that, it was more like finding the goldfish, who you were just about to flush down the toilet as he was floating upside down the previous night, has miraculously recovered and is happily swimming round his tank.

An over-the-top way to describe the fact that, for the first time in over a year, I’ve managed to fill up with petrol AND receive change from a pound for every litre? Perhaps. And it’s not like I could do much with 0.1 pence anyway. But at last it feels like an end to the ridiculous prices we had been paying.

I’m no Carol Vorderman, but a quick calculation tells me I’m now about £2 per tank of fuel better off. I should really set an example and save it somewhere, although I’ve been advised against putting it in Iceland. Pity, I could have got a couple of frozen pizzas for that.

Instead, I shall live for the moment and celebrate by spending it on three-quarters of a pint of beer.

So maybe lower fuel prices is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. But if you’ve no need for a tank of unleaded, it still not all doom and gloom.

I’ve noticed that shops and supermarkets seem to be going out their way to get us through the door. Of course, they all claim to be the cheapest, but with a bit of shopping around you can get the best of all the bargains.

And there are some great ones out there. You know, I think I’m starting to warm to this credit crunch after all.

Talking of money, how do you fancy winning £500 in time for Christmas? All you need is a bit of talent. Do you think you can do as well as – or even better – than those on the X-Factor? West FM has teamed up with the Rivergate Centre in Irvine to bring you the X-mas Factor.

There’s live heats every Friday in November, with the big finale or Friday 5th December, where the winner will walk away with £500. Get a demo to us at West FM – 54a Holmston Road, Ayr, KA7 3BE or send us an mp3 via the website, www.westfm.co.uk

We can’t guarantee the winner will be Christmas number one… but you will have a few extra quid in your pocket.

I’ll talk to you Monday to Friday from 6am on the West FM Breakfast.