Retailers need for early sales at any cost means that discounting is heavy; so scour the web for the hottest deals and not-to-be-missed promotions. Common sense is often an integral element in securing the best bargains so make sure you take account of seasonality and look for lingerie in late February, stock up on chocolate in April right after Easter and hunt out school uniform and boy’s football and rugby boots in March or April when the season’s nearly over (remember to buy big!). As the summer sun fades away, check out the last of the swimwear and holiday clothing sales and invest in outdoor barbecues, patio and garden furniture in late September.

Although the chilly winter months

of January and February are far from ideal for sun seekers staying in the UK, they are great months to grab a short break bargain. With its indoor subtropical swimming and sports complexes Centerparcs beats the winter blues and is already offering discounted forest village breaks.

The New Year is traditionally the time to grab the best of the holiday bargains for that romantic Valentine’s getaway or the family summer holiday. Charter airline XL.com is featuring a ‘deal a day’ advent calendar with fantastic [http://www.xl.com/]cheap flight and holiday deals on some of their sunshine breaks.

If you’ve already blown your holiday leave entitlement then maybe treat yourself to a theatre visit. The half price ticket booth in London’s Leicester Square

offers a wide selection of shows and musicals selling on the day of performance only. If you’re planning ahead to the summer, Thisistheatre.com is promoting Kids Week 2007 by offering free tickets for children to some of London’s top West End productions.

For dining offers in London and other major cities around the UK Toptable.co.uk is offering set course meal bargains, free wine deals and kids eat free plans at a range of restaurants. There are always plenty of discounts to be had on grocery food items, clothing, household goods and furniture but without spending hours on end researching it’s very difficult to pick out the best of the bargains. However, a number of websites gather together discounted products; try

Voucherheaven.com for one of the largest inventories or Madaboutbargains.co.uk for some top tips on both bargains and general frugal living.

There’s normally no such thing as a free lunch but if you’re completely spent out this Christmas try logging on to Freemobilephonegames.co.uk and download free java phone games. The games are available for all of the most popular handsets and are submitted by game developers who’ve entered into the festive spirit.

Martin McAllister is a freelance online journalist. He lives in Scotland.