Sunday Mirror

Swap Homes to Have a Hol

Pick an exotic destination..and forget about paying for a hotel pounds Money saving special

..Dressing Table Mirrors ; Lookalikes

MIRROR, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? These two stunning dressing table mirrors would bring a touch of class to any bedroom or bathroom. The vintage dressing table mirror by The Orchard (www.notonthehighstreet.com, 0845 259 1359) is available in dusky pink or white and stands at 36cm high. It is delicately finished with clusters of roses, peonies and daisies. The price tag is less delicate at pounds 52.

Homes

4&5 Our Money Saving Special kicks off with creating a dream room for FREE

Bargain Buys Under Pounds 5 Top10 ; Refresh Your Home with a Few New Additions ... Without Splashing Out

Kuhn Rikon Colori paring knife, pounds 4.50 each (www.salamander cookshop.com, 0845 680 0258) Jewellery hand in pink, pounds 5 (www. paperchase.co.uk, 020 7467 6200)

A Room ..For Free ; the Challenge: To Create a Stylish Living and Dining Area in a Week.. Without Spending a Single Penny

With the internet offering more and more of other people's cast- offs, we wanted to find out if we could decorate a room with them - and do it in style. Here is our result... WE all love a good bargain - and getting stuff for free is even better. Thanks to websites where you can get your hands on loads of free goodies, you can easily furnish an entire house from other people's cast-offs - but the question is: Can you make it look stylish? We spent a week trawling www.freecycle.org to see what...

Want Our Freecycle Goodies?

Our Top Freecycle Tips

FREECYCLERS often want to get rid of their unwanted items as quickly as possible. So you need to be very quick off the mark at responding to ads and be ready with transport for the pick-up if required. MOST members use the site after work or first thing in the morning so these are good times to look for new items which have been listed.

Plus Extra Discounts for Every Reader

OUR Queen of Bargains - TV's Alison Cork - has negotiated an extra discount for Sunday Mirror readers. INSTANT WALL ART: A fun and affordable way to create a dream world for the kids. Just stick on and peel off - no marks! Prices start at pounds 3.99 but you can get an extra 10 per cent off. Call 020 8912 2912 or go to www.wallsofthewild.co.uk and quote SMThrift.

The Clever Shopper's Secret Address Book ; We Open Up Our Little Black Book to Tell You Where to Pick Up a Brilliant Bargain

SHOPS Homesense (www.homesense.com, 0800 328 2601)

An Extension Was Added Five [ ... ] ; Homes

AN extension was added five years ago, enlarging the kitchen and replacing an old inglenook fireplace with a new doubleglazed window and glass door. A helpful friend made all of the cupboards, kitchen units and shelves from recycled wood imported from France. Julia mixed paint until she found the right shade of green for the kitchen units. Paul's blue and white tiles give a proper Mediterranean look to the splashback and complement the Dalsouple (01278 727777) rubber flooring. The table is fr...

Style On a Shoestring ; Meet the Couple Who've Turned the Odds 'N' Ends They Find Into Unique Pieces for Their Home

WHEN Julia Manning first viewed her house 11 years ago, it wasn't the quaintness of the 200-year-old, three-bedroom Somerset cottage that attracted her... The main appeal was the pounds 66,000 price tag.

My Uni-Bound Boy Wants Originality ; Our Top Thrifty Tricks

?MY son is off to university later in the year and needs a completely new bedroom for his student accommodation. Where can we buy discount furniture that's NOT from Ikea, as we want a more individual look to start him off? We don't want to spend a lot, but we do want things to be sturdy - Barbara Goodman, York ZENA SAYS: How about this bargain bed from Argos? It's currently a real good deal at pounds 59.99 plus pounds 128.99 for the mattress. The alarm clock, below, is also from Argos, for po...

Do E-Cloths Wipe the Floor with Their Competitors? ; Our Top Thrifty Tricks

?BEFORE I spend pounds 5 on a E-cloth - which seems like a lot for a bit of fabric - please tell me whether they actually work. - Mary Francis, Ludlow ZENA SAYS: E-cloths are made with microfibres, which the manufacturer says attracts dirt from any hard surface using just water. You save money because you don't have to buy a cleaning cream or liquid. Secondly, you're helping the environment by not using chemicals and, thirdly, E-cloths (and other microfibre cloths) are washable - up to 300 wa...

Where Can I Clean Up by Buying a Lot of Bicarbonate? ; Our Top Thrifty Tricks

How Can I Make My Dream Kitchen a Reality? ; Our Top Thrifty Tricks

Got Any Idea What My Next Move Should Be? ; Our Top Thrifty Tricks

Would I Be Skipping Round the Law or Just Recycling? ; Our Top Thrifty Tricks

33 Steps ..To Cut Your Costs ; Save Money, Energy and Time ... Follow Our Essential Guide to Saving Money All Around the Home

Finances 1 Change gas and electricity suppliers - you could save hundreds a year by buying gas and electricity from the same firm, especially by direct debit.

Zena Says ; Our Top Thrifty Tricks

A New Garden ..For Under Pounds 10 ; You Can Create a Whole New Look for Your Garden Like This by Growing Your Own Plants From Seeds and Cuttings... All for Less Than a Tenner

SPLITTING PLANTS: FREE YOU can make a new flowerbed for free by splitting herbaceous perennials. You can also save money on new plants by swapping varieties with friends. And you can even make money by potting-up spares and selling them at car boot sales and church fetes.