Televisions
Most families spend a lot of time together in front of the TV, so it's so important that you make the right choice when purchasing a new screen. Whether your a movie buff, a sports mad armchair supporter, have children who love their animated cartoons, or a wife or girlfriend that loves her soaps, you should always have a budget in mind when buying a new TV. You should also consider other factors such as room size and the time you spend in that room (you don't want to splash out a fortune on a 42 inch TV if its only for your kids room or spare room)
One of the first things you should consider for your new LCD, LED or Plasma TV is the size. This will determine the price range. Generally, you can find TVs as small as 19 inch, and they go upwards to 22 inches, 24, 26, 32, 37, 40, 46, 50 and as high as 52 inches!
Once you have decided on the size of the screen you need to keep set a budget - obviously the bigger the screen, the more expensive the TV will cost. If you are purchasing an LCD, Plasma or LED TV for your main sitting room, you will probably want to spend more than for your other rooms in your house, such as your kitchen or bedroom.
When you have decided on a size and budget for your new TV, most people will then think about the colour. Try to choose a colour that will compliment your room, if you have black and grey decor, a Silver or Black gloss TV will look perfect, or if you want to make a statement with your new screen, why not opt for a white or red one?
You may watch a lot of DVDs on your smaller bedroom TV, in which case you may want to look at a TV / DVD Combi screen (such as a 19" Freeview TV) which integrates the DVD player inside the TV to save space. Additionally, you may not have satellite TV such as BSkyB or Virgin Media, so you may prefer to purchase a Freeview box with your new TV, and if you record plenty of programmes, check what your requirements are such as a freeview recorder such as Freesat or VHS to DVD.
Fashion
PriceInspector likes to do his job in style, so he is well up on his fashion. Designer labels such as Lyle and Scott, Barbour and North Face are his favourites amongst others.
One of his favourite items are Jackets from all the best designers such as Fred Perry, Superdry, Barbour, Penfield, Berghaus, Helly Hansen, North Face and Belstaff. Alternatively, he mixes a jacket with items such as a Parka (in Green), Fur Gilet or Windcheater.
If you are looking for a decent fancy dress costume, you might want to look at popular costumes such as Queen of Hearts or Cheerleader costumes as these usually go down a treat at parties.
Other great prices on some clothing items include underwear such as Sloggi briefs or the classic backless bra which is sometimes so hard to find on the high street. At Christmas time, the good old Christmas Jumper flies off the virtual shelf, with many going for the "geek sheek" look. If you are buying clothes as a christmas gift, you should play safe with Levi Jeans or a classic Polo Shirt, or even a football kit - just make sure you know sizes first!
Footwear
Footwear shopping has kept us on our toes over recent years, with many different styles for both men and women allowing people to make their fashion statement. PriceInspector has kitted out people with the best prices on many favourites such as Hunter Wellingtons and Doc Martens as well as Converse and Adidas Gazelles trainers.
If Boots are more your style, then why not take a look at the classics from Timberland (such as the Nellie), Caterpillar or Kickers, which have always lead the field in durability and style. You could also try a pair of Emu Boots, which are part of the famous Ugg range. If you are more of a rocker, you should stick to Doc Martens, or you could go bold with a pair of Fur Lined or Rocket Dog boots.
If Wellies are more your thing, PriceInspector has found some great prices on Hunters and Joules Wellies, which look great for walking in the rain or sunshine. Or, if you are more casual, you could purchase a pair of Vans, or lounge around the house in some fitflops or slippers.
Trainers are great for day time footwear, and we have some great deals on classic trainers such as Nike Air, Mecurial, Adidas (such as the Chile 62) and Y3.
Washing Machines
We all know what its like when you walk into Currys or Comet when trying to look for a new Washing Machine - you see an overwhelming number of white, silver and black washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers, making it impossible to work out which one is suitable for your needs.
To be honest, whenever I have looked for a new machine, asking a staff member does not usually help, as they simply don't have the knowledge that they are supposed to have. Its useful to know a few basics before you go, such as:
1) Do you need an integrated model so its hidden away in your new contemporary kitchen?
2) Are you looking for a Slimline machine because of tight space?
3) Do you prefer a Twin tub model due to the number of washes you perform each day?
4) Or maybe you need a specific sized washing machine load such as 10kg to suit a family with two children?
There are a few well known brands in the Home Appliance white goods market, including Hotpoint, Bosch, Indesit, LG, Zanussi, Miele, Beko, Whirlpool, AEG and Samsung to name a few. The likes of Miele and Samsung tend to be more expensive than brands such as Hotpoint and Whirlpool.
Price Inspector have a buyers guide to help you make the right decision for you. Generally speaking, if you spend that little bit more than you budgeted, you will find that the washing machine will be quieter, cheaper to run, have more wash settings, and will have a longer life before its ready for being replaced.
Coffee Makers
Coffee Makers have become pride and place in many kitchens over the last 5 years and have come a long way since the Teasmaid hit the market. No longer do you have to pay over the odds for a Skinny Latte or Cappuccino at your local Starbucks or Costa Coffee. You can now find yourself a cheap coffee maker for your home with your own coffee capsules!
Before you decide on which coffee maker to purchase, you should ask yourself how often you drink coffee - if you can't function without that caffeine boost first thing in the morning, or you enjoy having three or four different types of coffee whilst relaxing on the weekend or evenings, then you should invest that little bit more in a good brand of coffee machine.
One of the most popular brands is Dolce Gusto, which comes in various colours such as red, black, grey and white. It has many different drink options including Latte, Cappuccino, Americano and Hot Chocolate.
Another version of the Dolce range is the Krups model. If you are looking for a cheaper option, you can find some decent deals for a Tassimo Coffee Maker, which is made by Bosch.
If you want to know a bit more about the different types of coffee makers have a read of our buyers guide.
Audio equipment
Most people will admit that when it comes to buying a radio or sound system, they don't pay too much attention to anything other than the price.
However, if you take your Audio seriously, whether you listen to music or radio commentaries, then you should consider a few things before offloading your hard earned cash such as:
1) Do you just need a simple radio to play the local radio station tunes? If so, a standard clock radio may be enough to keep you happy.
2) If you want to enhance the quality of the sound, you should invest in a DAB Radio (DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting) or DAB Clock Radio if you need waking up in the morning. A good brand for DAB radios is Roberts, but they don't come cheap. If you have a great collection of CD's you might want to upgrade and buy a DAB Radio and CD player and get an all-in-one model.
3) Bose are one of the biggest brands in the world of audio. If you are on the hunt for a SoundDock, new speakers or an Ipod Dock, then your best best is to look at the range that Bose have available.
4) If you own an iPod (and many of you do these days), then you can combine its use not only for portable, but for more traditional requirements, such as using it as an Alarm Clock or as a standard Clock Radio.
5) Finally, if you live in a house that doesn't like the noise blasting out of your stereo, sound bar or iPod Nano, then you should invest in a good pair of Wireless headphones. Also, if you regularly use headphones but live in a noisy household, you can now get some Noise cancelling headphones which drown out any background interruptions.
Food Processors
If cooking is your passion, or even if you like to rustle a meal up quickly at dinner,
you should invest in a decent Food Processor.
They are a great time saver, and replace many kitchen utensils as they can chop
like a knife, knead dough like a
mixer, blend like an electric blender
and extract juice as well.
Two very popular food processor brands are
Magimix and Kenwood.
Some things to consider that will impact the budget before buying a new food
processor are noise, size, capacity, speed and number of functions
or accessories.
All of this information can be found by reading our
Food Processor article.
Toys & Games
Buying toys is a hard task these days for parents, especially now
because there are just so many different types of toys and games to choose from,
such as a Snow Sledge for the winter, a
Tech Deck,
Smart Trike,
Baby Gyms, a
Bouncy Castle for the garden or even Lego.
Knowing this, PriceInspector has spent a lot of time and effort writing a great
selection of guides on the different brands and characters which will identify which
are your childrens favourites.
Have a quick read of our Toys and Games guide to
start with and you will find all the information you need such as Buzz Lightyear,
Duplo, Barbie,
Iggle Piggle,
Littlest Pet Shop,
Leapster, Lego City,
Fisher Price,
Sylvanian Families or Little Tikes.
Fragrance
Women love to look good, but they also love to smell nice. These days, there are literally hundreds if not thousands of perfume brands available, and sometimes it can be difficult making that decision. Some go for the more traditional, well known brands such as Chanel or Clarins, many younger girls are enticed by the celebrity fragrances such as Katie Price or Britney Spears.
If you are daring, you may go for a striking smell from leading brand Thierry Mugler, who offer expensive choices such as their Alien or Angel fragrance. Other expensive brands of perfume includes JAdore, Gucci, Opium, Joop, Jean Paul Gaultier, Coco Chanel, Estee Lauder, Marc Jacobs (such as Daisy), Chloe, Clinique, Armani, Diesel and Ralph Lauren.
More often than not, women are attracted to the particular smell of a fragrance, which makes it difficult to describe online. Most of our users already know what they are looking for, but having a good sniff around (pardon the joke) could save them up to 50% in some cases. There are good deals on particular lines at the moment including Flowerbomb, Fahrenheit, Dune, Miss Dior Cherie and Knowing by Estee Lauder.
Furniture
If you are looking to modernise your home this year, let our Price Detectives show you some of the latest offers on all kinds of different home furniture - there are some hot deals on Nested Tables, Dining Suites, Dining Chairs (such as cream leather), Sideboards and Festools - just make sure you check on stock levels and delivery dates on furniture when you buy online as some retailers may take up to 6 months to fulfill the order.
Baby Products
Having a baby requires a lot of preparation, but luckily PriceInspector has great prices on some of the essentials you need. When you bring your newborn home, you will need First Born Baby Milk, you should shop around until you find the formula that your baby likes. You should also buy a decent steriliser kit so that your bottles remain clean.
For new mums, its essential that you have the right equipment when you are on your travels - a decent changing bag is a must, we recommend the Yummy Mummy brand. If you are due to go on holiday with your baby, make sure you have thought about travel cots and whether your accommodation provides a suitable cot.
Buying a pushchair can be a difficult task as there are so many to choose from, all varying in size and price. If you know if you are having a boy or girl, then colour can be considered, otherwise you should try to keep the colour neutral. Some of the better brands of puschairs include Stokke, MacLaren (Techno XLR and footmuffs), Bugaboo, Quinny Buzz and ICandy. Once your baby is a little older, you need to think about upgrading their baby seat to a booster seat in the car, or let them loose on their own set of wheels with the very popular Smart Trike Bike.
Toys
Kids love toys, and PriceInspector has the best deals on all kinds of toys, games, toy brands and age ranges. We have checked out on some of the more traditional toys such as bouncy castles, dolls houses (such as Sylvanian Families), train sets, board games, play dolls, Lego and Toy Story.
Depending on the age of child you are buying for, you should make sure you do your research to avoid disappointing them. For example, Lego has so many different themes such as Lego City, and Star Wars to name a couple.
If your child is into the outdoors and bikes, then we have a massive selection of kids bikes including Ben 10, BMX bikes, Mountain bikes, Disney Princess bikes or even scooters such as the Micro Scooter. You could also opt for a Trampoline if your kids have energy to burn.
If your child is a playstation fan, why not treat them to a chair designed for gaming, or if they like watching movies, get them the full James Bond Box set. Or, if they fancy being the next XFactor star, get them a Karaoke machine (just make sure you buy ear plugs too!) and keep them restricted to their bedroom (splash some colourful wallpaper to theme it)
Small Appliances
Small Appliances are essential in todays home, and PriceInspector outlines some of the best deals on appliances in the kitchen.
For your kitchen floor, a steam mop is essential - not only does it clean better than the alternatives, but it removes 99% of bacteria. A decent dish drainer is also money well spent.
A kettle is pretty important for those who like a decent brew, so researching is important if you want to get the most out of your cuppa. Some brands now have the option of buying a kettle and toaster set in similar colours to give your kitchen tops and designer look. Some of the better brands include Dualit and Delonghi, and come in a variety of colours such as black, red and cream.
Deep Fat Fryers are a great addition to the kitchen, as they allow you to do so much more than just frying chips...by far the best in the market is the Tefal Actifry.
If cooking is your passion, or even if you like to rustle a meal up quickly at dinner, you should invest in a decent Food Processor such as the Kenwood version. They are a great time saver, and replace many kitchen utensils as they can chop like a knife, knead dough like a mixer, blend like an electric blender and extract juice as well.
If you are a slave to the ironing, make your life much easier and invest in a decent steam generator iron - the best brands include Tefal and Le Creuset.
Pets
Most of us love pets, whether it be a dog, cat, bird or hamster. PriceInspector is no different, so whether it is dog food, peanuts for birds, cat calmers such as Feliway, flea treatment, you will find the best prices in the UK on our comparison site.
Beds
Having the right bed can be one of the most important items you will ever buy. If you value your sleep and need a healthy sleeping pattern, then you should do your research on types of mattresses, bed frames such as Four Poster, bed sizes and positions such as Mid Sleepers, bed requirements such as storage. You should also check room size and whether you require compact solutions such as a Folding Z-Bed.
Vacuum Cleaners
Ask anyone to name a well know brand in the world of Vacuum Cleaners, and most people will talk about Dyson. These quirky models not only look good (is it possible for a cleaner to look good?!) but work much better than their competitors from Electrolux, Henry, Miele and Vax. Dyson vacuum cleaners are at the top end in terms of expense, but they will last much longer.
If you are on a tighter budget, you can pick up a cheaper model for around £30, but as the old saying goes, "you pay for what you get".
PriceInspector would advise you pay a little bit more for a cleaner that will stand the test of time, such as the Dyson DC25, DC14, or DC24 model.
If you need some more advice on the type of cleaner you need (such as upright, cylinder, bagless, bagged, steam, handhelds) you should have a good read of our Vacuum cleaner buyers guide.
Fridge Freezers
Most people will buy a replace their fridge freezer every 5 to 10 years or even longer, so its important you make the right decision. You may be looking for a new one as your family grows, or if it reduces. Either way, there are a few things to consider when making that purchase.
1) Size is one of the most important things to consider - if your kitchen is tight you may need to opt for a smaller model, but if you have a larger room, you may be considering a large or American style fridge freezer.
2) Type: Which type of fridge freezer do you need? Does it need to be Frost free? Do you need an integrated fridge freezer as part of your new kitchen? Does it need to be built in or under counter? Or maybe you want to stand your fridge on show with an overstated Side by Side fridge freezer?
3) Colour: There are more colours than ever to choose from if you are looking to complement your contemporary kitchen. As well as the traditional white, you can now buy a fridge freezer in Silver, Black, Red, Stainless Steel or maybe Cream.
4) Brand: Some brands are more expensive than others. Smeg's retro fridge freezers can cost in excess of £1000, but there are less expensive models available from around £200. Starting with the cheapest brands, Hotpoint, Whirlpool, Electrolux and Zanussi cater for the lower end of the market, whereas LG, Beko, Bosch, Maytag and Samsung (some of the black and silver models by Samsung are pretty special) offer more exclusive fridge freezers with a price tag to match. Not all brands offer American style fridges though, so your choice is more limited, Samsung and LGcovering this market as well as other types such as Integrated frost free and Side by Side versions.
If you are still confused by all of this have a good read of our Fridge freezers article, which goes into more detail regarding types. We also have a great buyers guide on American style fridge freezers if you are looking for that wow factor.
Cookers
A cooker is undoubtedly the most important piece of equipment in your kitchen. When its time to invest in a new cooker, you should take your time to research before hitting the "Buy" button.
We have all the information you need to consider when choosing a new cooker, such as size, type of cooker (gas, electric, duel, range), brands such as Cannon or AEG, style such as Freestanding or integrated, colour such as white or stainless. Read our complete article on Cookers.
DIY
PriceInspector is a bit of a DIY fan, although he isn't great at it. However, he is good at finding the best DIY deals in the UK, so if you just so happen to be looking for Cordless Drills (such as 18v), Paving slabs for your garden, looking to build a shed for storage, adding a Gazebo to give your outside space the wow factor, or smaller jobs such as putting up a curtain pole or cleaning up your house with extra storage, then we have the cheapest prices.
Bags
Bags are the perfect fashion accessory, especially for women. Radley and Ted Baker seem to be hot property at the moment, with bags and purses being top of the list when shopping online. Messenger bags have become very popular these days for younger people who want to look cool.
Wine and Spirits
PriceInspector enjoys a tipple like everyone else, but over the years, he has helped our users find loads of cheap booze and spirits. Whisky is much cheaper to buy online these days, with brands such as Jack Daniels, Famous Grouse and Jameson available.
Vodka is also very popular in the UK, especially Smirnoff or Grey Goose. At Christmas time, sales for Baileys increases massively, so make sure you get yours in time for the festive period.
Jagermeister (or jager bombs) is also very popular in the UK, and PriceInspector can get some great discounts when you multi-buy. We also have some great deals on Wine, such as Villa Maria Sauvignon or Oyster Bay
People often assume that champagne is expensive, but this is not always the case, especially when shopping with us. Veuve Clicquot is very affordable on PriceInspector, as well as the range of Cristal Champagne, so if you have something to celebrate, do it in style and within budget!
Other popular liquer that we have great prices on include Bombay Sapphire, Cognac and even Tia Maria.
Christmas
Christmas soon comes around and if you are struggling with a Tree this year, why not leave the real one this year (and save yourself all that cleaning) and buy an artificial or Fibre optic Christmas Tree. Don't forget to buy an updated Advent Calendar too, and don't be tempted to eat the chocolate if you buy it weeks before. A word of advice, if your wife drags you into Next this year, try and avoid the Christmas department, as she will spend a fortune replacing all the christmas decorations you already have!
Golf
Looking to play more Golf this year? If so, you should make sure you have the best gear to help you shoot lower scores. A golf trolley is important as it takes the stress of the body when walking around the course, especially the electric versions. Motocaddy are the best in it's field. New for 2013, if you struggle for distances, you should try GPS for Golf, which gives you accurate yardages for each shot.
Just Browsing?
As you might know by now, PriceInspector has his nose into everything (or should I say Sherlock Bones does), so here are a bunch of items that have recently been investigated by our price detectives!