OK, so it may not be fashionably acceptable to admit that I've furnished nearly my entire house…read morewith items from the 99 pence store, but hey, who cares? I'm coming clean. I love this place. Why spend £2 on a pack of sponges when you can spend 2p? And why spend a tenner on a dish strainer when you can get a perfectly decent one for £1 max? In these hard-up, borderline financial depression times it pays to be frugal. So I go here for nearly everything. It may be cheap, but it does the job and I'm not complaining; although my broom did break into three pieces after its third use, but hey, whatever, that kind of stuff is expected when you only paid 40p for it. I am, unabashedly, The Big Discount Store's number one fan.

A smart and 'special' branch of TK Maxx, it has a different feel to the other TK Maxx, with only…read morefemale clothing and beauty items and a different decor. It has items on the upper scale and more expensive items than the other TK Maxx, so although you can find some good stuff, there is less choice than on the other branches (because of the size store and the limited departments)

Usually when I think of TK Maxx (or TJ Max for the Americans here) I think of bargain basement bins…read moreand rummaging through stacks of gross sweaters. This place, however, is quite the opposite. While the womenswear do boast bargain basement prices, the store is clean, orderly and holds lots more than just ugly sweaters. I purchased a few job interview dresses here. (One Tahari and one Calvin Klein) The fitting room attendant didn't even seem annoyed when I returned about 4 times to try on more stuff. They also have lots of cute sun dresses and skirts.

You gotta mix it up, kids. For every purchase which makes you wince, and your credit card recoil in…read morehorror, a visit to the 99p store must be made. It's not even the pound shop - its 1 whole penny cheaper every time! I came to the 99p store, which is hidden away in the cheap corner of Kingston at 10.30am on a week day. Every other shop in Kingston was just getting going, but this place was packed. Credit crunch central. I generally view heavily discounted shops as a bit of a false economy - yes you might buy a lot of stuff, but is any of it actually useful? So I came in here with the aim to find goods which I would actually need, and I was pleasantly surprised. As well as the omni present tat, there was quite a large amount of food on sale - not fresh, like Aldi or Lidl, but perishable goods. Did you know that Lloyd Grossman sauces came in jumbo size? The industrial looking container made it look a bit.... unappetising, but I presume that this sauce is no different then the one that I would find in Waitrose for 4 times the price. I also found a few food items that could almost be considered in the deli bracket, like balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Its not all eastern European cereals here. I also found a wide range of toiletries, household goods, pet food and toys, kids toys, electrics and even a little bit of underwear. Unfortunately the women's pants only came in sizes above 22, but at least that gave me 5 minutes of fun playing with them. I kept on imagining that the 99p thing was just a gimmick - and that only a few things would be that price, with everything else being more pricey. But it does what it says on the box; absolutely everything in the shop will give you change for a pound.

Does what is says on the tin: so, not quite sure whether it's embarrassing to admit to shopping…read morehere, or if it's something to own-up to - with pride - as the sign of a canny, practical shopper. While it's not one of my all time favourite stores - far from it - if you have the time and perseverance you can come away with some astonishing bargains. Amongst these might be a large Pandoro or Panettone (a traditional Italian cake) served at Easter and Christmas, that might retail for up to ten times the price in other outlets. Books, stationery, artists supplies and kitchenware basics are other good reasons to shop here. It can be a little hit-and-miss though; you can't rely on finding the same item here twice - stock changes frequently - but if you visit, in the right frame of mind, you might just end up smiling at some of the less enticing 'bargains' that you wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

This is my local "big" Waitrose (as opposed to the small one opposite Wimbledon station)…read more It's not actually as large as it looks from the outside, being rather sandwiched between Alexandra Road and the railway line. But it has everything you are likely to need for a weekly shop, and includes a fresh fish and deli counter. The entrance area has a small gardening section, stocked seasonally (so bulbs in the autumn, seeds in the spring, etc), alongside a decent cut flower section. There's a generous car park, though road access is slightly fiddly with a steep, sharp curve onto a narrow access road (drive slowly). Pedestrian (level) access is directly off Alexandra Road near the 156/493 bus stops, with a lift and stairs.

Very poor customer service at this store today. The cashier let a queue of three customers build up…read morebehind the one she was serving, then after finishing with her current customer declared "I'm closed !". Surely if she was closing her till, which of course has to happen at some point, she might have pointed this out to further customers joining her queue instead of wasting the customers' time.

Big box of Maltesers for a pound - yes please!…read more Great for stocking up on sweets and household essentials. Why pay more at your Tesco, Sainsbury's or Boots for the same soap, toothpaste, cleaning products, etc? Big fan of saving, and don't like overpaying - so definitely stop in! (Note that some items MAY be a few pence more than normal stores - that's how they make their money!)

This is one my highlights when coming to London. Dollar stores in Murica can't compare to this. My…read morehusband and I stock up on his fave Cadbury chocolate fingers and malts. I love the Nivea body washes. During our stay, we get late night snacks like Indian flavored potato chips and other specialty treats only seen on London. This is a great place to browse and shop! Located on the first floor of the mall.

This shop is amazing, It's a Aladdin cave of treasure…read more.... If you haven't master the skills of this shop yet!! soooooo...! i am going to tell you a few of my skills.. just a few!! 1.) when you go in get a basket or trolley (it always best to put everything you find in there) 2.) Get there early!! (You are more likely to get a few treasure.) You find every thing you want here top designer range of scented candles, details cushions, luggage, tops and dresses, retro furniture and more.. Don't be to scary and confused it's not so bad.... Baby step. happy shopping ;-)

Although it's very big, this TK Maxx is very hit-and-miss…read more I always like to pop in if I'm going to the adjacent HobbyCraft as often TK Maxx has some of the same or similar scrapbooking items that I might be looking for.

Although there's a big kid inside me, I don't tend to visit toy shops often these days. However,…read moreChristmas does offer the perfect excuse to pop in to browse for gifts for little ones. I had to find a gift for my god-daughter and the Entertainer seemed a good choice to begin my search. The shop is medium sized but has a fairly good selection of toys organised into age groups. In the end, I couldn't decide on a particular gift and settled on a giftcard, which she should be able to spend at their branch in Southampton. Incidentally, the Entertainer chain doesn't open on Sundays as the owner is a devout Christian

The Entertainer is quite a large toy shop just near Wimbledon tube station. It has a wide range of…read moretoys for ages up to around 13 years and the shelves are always packed out. It's a good place to start looking for a gift for those little ones in your life. You're bound to find something in here. They have scooters, barbies, action heroes, figurines, drawing books, cuddly toys, games-the list goes on and on. The prices are pretty good as well and the staff are always on hand to help.

Worst ever customer service this morning...I had some clothes to exchange, which she refund it with…read moredisgust on her face...Anyway, never will return to buy anything from that Primark everever again to spend my money on rudeness...returned

Primark has the best in affordable clothing, though some people may not be ready to admit that they…read moreshop here. That's a real pity, because even though Primark is very cheap a lot of their clothing looks quite good and lasts a long time. All of their clothing is ethically-sourced, making it all that much more fashionable. This store is quite large and is situated in the heart of the Southside Shopping centre in Wandsworth. This means you could take the kids with you and convert disposable income into a clothing shopping spree for the whole family.

This adorable little shop in Southfields sells an array of gorgeous gifts at good prices. Whether…read moreyou want quirky things for your home, kids gifts, baking novelties, jewelery or scarves, there is something for everyone. It fits in really well with the villagey type shops in the area.

Just a grocers, not big, not the best grocers ever but does exactly what you want from a grocers -…read moresupplies you with fruit and veg (and some dairy). The advantages of a local grocers are that you can select as much or as little as you wish and it'll cost a little less than the local Budgens, Tesco Metro or any other local vendor. As I say, it's not massive but has everything and a little more than you'd need and the staff are pleasant. Support your local fruiterer! Ian

I recently 'found' Freshers Village Fruiterers, which is a bit silly as I live by there and pass it…read morealmost daily. But I went in recently and was amazed by what I saw. They have a wonderful selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, some of my favourites include watermelon (a slice for 75p), huge ripe avocados, sprouts, melon grapes. This is the first place where I found salad sprouts - a common staple in the States - and they have a selection including broccoli, lentils and chickpea sprouts. They also have cool things like a selection of freshly squeezed apple juice, and quail eggs. Everything I have bought there has been in perfect condition, with a sell-by date well in advance of anything I find in the supermarkets. Everything is also hugely cheaper than at Sainsburys or Tescos, even half price in many cases. In this day and age, its also refreshing to have the opportunity to pick and choose, and only buy what you need - hard to find as everything is prepackaged now. I don't have a single bad thing to say about the place and I encourage everyone who lives in the area to check it out.