SHOPPERS are racing to their nearest Home Bargains to buy £4 Polar Express slippers in time for Christmas.

A savvy bargain hunter shared the discovery on Facebook to alert others of the deal.

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It was uploaded to the Christmas Finds UK group.

The post read: “The Polar Express Slippers From £4 At Home Bargains.”

Group members were quick to weigh in with their opinions on the bargain find.

One wrote: “Get yourself to home bargains.”

Another said: “Got these and the pjs.”

Others tagged their pals and said that they “need these slippers”.

Do bear in mind that when prices are reduced it’s usually in order for stores to clear excess stock, so availability will vary from store to store.

It’s always best to phone ahead to your local shop to check what they have available to avoid disappointment.

You can find your nearest Home Bargains store using the locator tool on the website.

It always pays to compare prices so you know you’re getting the best deal.

Prices can also vary day to day and by what deals are on at the time, plus remember you might pay for delivery if you’re ordering online.

You can compare prices on platforms like Google Shopping.

How to save money at Home Bargains

Knowing when to pick up products is one way to save money at Home Bargains.

Visiting your local branch at the right time of day, week and year can help you pick up bargains from as little as 69p.

We spoke to Tom Church, a shopping expert who reveals the best times to visit the store to bag a bargain.

Also join any shopper bargain Facebook groups such as Extreme Couponing and Bargains, as people love to share the news when they have bagged a cheap deal.

Be sure to look out for seasonal stock too, like most retailers, Home Bargains slashes its prices after big public holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

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POUNDLAND shoppers are rushing to buy an “amazing” dupe of an iconic designer perfume for just £4.

The bargain store is selling a cheaper version of Moschino’s Toy 2 Bubblegum fragrance for a whopping £44 less.

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Poundland‘s Teddy perfume in pink plush costs just £4 for 50ml, while the Moschino bottle can cost as much as a whopping £48 for the same size.

Savvy shoppers shared the fragrance to the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group.

They wrote: “Moschino dupe in Poundland. Not sure if it smells the same tho.”

The bargain hunter shared a photo of the perfume dupe, sporting very similar packaging as the designer scent.

The post was met with hundreds of comments from fellow shoppers itching to get their hands on the fragrance.

One wrote: “It’s really nice I have it!”

Another declared: “This is my favourite perfume have to investigate.”

A third commented: “It smells lovely I have it , I’m gonna go get more.”

A fourth said: “Just brought it and smells amazing.”

While a fifth tagged their pal and wrote: “These would be cute for girls Xmas.”

“I wouldn’t care what it smelled like I just love the bottle,” another said.

A bottle of Moschino can cost from £48 for 50ml on sites like Look Fantastic.

It means that for those looking for a cheaper alternative, this dupe costing just £4 is a huge saving.

Of course, keep in mind that the scents may not last as long or aren’t as strong, so bear this in mind before you opt for a dupe.

It’s worth bearing in mind, the scents also might not match exactly.

Shoppers can find Poundland’s perfume in store only, as it’s not available online.

To find your nearest store head over to the B&M website.

Each store will have its own stock of the scents and these kinds of items tend to sell-out pretty quickly.

It’s always worth phoning ahead to your local store to check how many they have available.

It’s always worth having a sniff first to make sure you like the smell before purchasing.

As always, make sure to have a shop around before you commit to a purchase to make sure you’re always getting the best deal.

Other perfume dupes

Bargain hunters have spotted two new mists at Poundland – and claim they smell just like Marc Jacobs.

The dupes from the brand Scentlis are called Pure Elegance and Bloom Body – both selling for just £1 for a 100ml bottle on Poundland’s website.

One such shopper who bought the fragrances wrote on Facebook: “Got these today from Poundland and I cannot tell you enough how hey smell like Marc Jacobs.”

Meanwhile, a young woman said she wanted new perfume, but couldn’t justify the price, so tried out the dupes from Home Bargains instead. 

Beauty fan Emily Megan Mays explained that she nabbed two of the perfume dupes from the high-street chain, for just £1.99 each, and was left stunned at how nice they smelt. 

Thrilled with her cheap finds from Home Bargains, Emily took to social media, proudly showing off her bargain buys. 

Posting online, Emily shared her clip with the caption “The BEST perfume dupes! Run, don’t walk to Home Bargains”.

The “Scentalis Luna Sparkle Eau De Parfum”, an aromatic blend of fruity and floral scents, has been combined to create a dupe of the infamous £55 “Daisy” by Marc Jacobs.

Poundland describes the scent as: “An excellent choice for anyone in search of a special present or personal indulgence.

“Fragrant blend featuring fruity notes of pomegranate and yuzu, delicate floral scents such as peony, magnolia, and lotus, and musky undertones.”

Shoppers are rushing to buy dupes of popular Sol de Janeiro scents that they say smell “gorgeous”.

They’re on sale for a whopping £22 less than the big brand sprays.

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A WOMAN who lives on a 20ft micro narrowboat said she’s terrified it might tip over, but revealed a hidden compartment that keeps her safe.

Kat, known as Gentil Lentil’s Green Life on YouTube, shared an insight with her viewers about what it’s like to live on a small boat.

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The content creator explained that she fears storms could tip over her 20ft micro narrowboat.

Fortunately, in the video, she revealed two compartments designed to help prevent it from tipping.

One of the compartments, located beneath her bed, contains a water pump that removes excess water from the bottom of the hull.

These are found on most boats and are an essential piece of equipment.

The other compartment holds weights, an anchor and extension leads which help keep the boat stable.

However, the YouTuber demonstrated how she can easily convert her living room into a bedroom, creating more space in the boat.

In the video, viewers can see her using two wooden slats placed between the two sofas on either side of the boat.

Once fitted, she adds three large cushions that serve as a mattress, followed by blankets and duvets to complete the bed conversion.

The content creator’s video has received hundreds of comments from viewers praising her transformation skills.

One user wrote: “That looks insanely cosy.”

“I wish I had thought about arranging the bed differently when I love in a two-berth caravan that is very much like your home,” commented another.

While a third said: “I love your narrow boat. I could happily live there.”

It comes after an artist shared what it’s like to live off-grid in a canal boat where she can save £600 a month.

Shannon Lane, 29, ditched her room in Clapham for a 30ft narrowboat which she cruises in with her pug, Gilbert.

She decided to move on the water after learning her landlord was raising the price of her rent to £1,000 a month.

The freelance artist and video producer took out a loan to buy a £24,000 narrowboat and now spends just £300 a month paying it off.

Ever since Shanon moved, her mental health has improved and she no longer suffers from “bad anxiety and depression”.

Nonetheless, the transition from bricks to a floating home takes adjusting to.

The Narrowboat community is a “tight-knit” community where everyone gets to know their neighbours.

Shanon regularly has neighbours introduce themselves whenever she “moors up” to a different spot.

However, she is always on the move because she doesn’t pay a mooring fee.

She told MailOnline: “It’s important to keep the canal system moving because it makes space for other boaters to enjoy different parts of the canal.”

Constantly being on the move could deter people when considering a life on water but it offers a chance to explore areas of London that would have previously been unaffordable.

Shannon can cruise up to Regents Park or Little Venice and pays a fraction of those living in houses there.

A major downside to living on water is the unglamorous job of emptying the toilet.

The video producer claimed the worst thing to do is leave it too late as the smell can be unpleasant.

She has a cassette toilet on her boat and has to wheel the sliding cartridge to a communal disposal area.

“You can imagine the smell,” Shanon added.

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A RARE 1p has sold for a whopping £200,000 at auction due to its specific date.

A coin specialist has urged the public to look out for the 72-year-old penny as it could be worth 20million times its face value.

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The change fanatic known as CoinCollectingWizard on TikTok recently published a video on the 1952 proof 1p, marked by an image of George VI.

This particular coin is the “rarest proof penny” of its entire series of copper and bronze pennies, and has left collectors absolutely astounded.

The TikTokker began the video by saying: “Jiminy Cricket – £200,000 for this old penny.

“The existence of this unique 1952 proof penny was not known publicly until its initial appearance at Numismatic Auctions in October of 1997, some 45 years after it was struck.

“The British Numismatic world was astonished to see this coin appear and in proof quality as this was not known to exist.”

He also said that the coin remains an enigma as it is the “only unique proof striking” of a pre-decimal penny of the 20th century.

The expert goes on to say that the 1p is said to be so unique because it bears the face of King George VI – who died in early 1952.

London-based dealer Sovereign Rarities echoes this and states on its website: “It is perhaps understandable that the George VI 1952 Proof Penny remains a unique piece, as the King died very early in 1952 passing away on February 6.

“Only the smaller denominations of currency coins that were in great demand were struck for circulation in 1952, with the larger denominations omitted in anticipation of a new reign and a new coinage for Queen Elizabeth II.”

According to BullionByPost, proof pennies are the highest quality coin a mint produces.

Issuers like the Royal Mint generally create just a small number of these per year due to the lengthy process required to make them.

Hand-finished dyes and etching by an expert are a huge part of their creation, meaning it takes around an hour to strike 50 proof coins.

The CoinCollectingWizard added: “A lovely example went up for auction recently and sold for £200,000, so it is 100% a coin to look out for.”

It is worth keeping an eye on your spare change as it could be worth a lot more than you think.

Other rare coins which could be worth more include the One Penny which dates back to 1893, but it’s the production error which makes it a valuable find. 

The ancient coin features Britannia on the back and the reverse of the coin is the usual Queen Victoria bun head, which is a feature on many coins from this era. 

What makes the coin valuable is an error with the number three in the date at the bottom of the coin. 

Under the number three of the error coin, it looks like there is the start of a number two.

If the coin features this it could be worth up to £600.

How to spot rare coins and banknotes

Rare coins and notes hiding down the back of your sofa could sell for hundreds of pounds.

If you are lucky enough to find a rare £10 note you might be able to sell it for multiple times its face value.

You can spot rare notes by keeping an eye out for the serial numbers.

These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch’s face, just under the value of £10 in the corner of the note.

Also if you have a serial number on your note that is quite quirky you could cash in thousands.

For example, one seller bagged £3,600 after spotting a specific serial number relating to the year Jane Austen was born on one of their notes.

You can check if your notes are worth anything on eBay, just tick “completed and sold items” and filter by the highest value.

It will give you an idea of what people are willing to pay for some notes.

But do bear in mind that yours is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.

This is also the case for coins, you can determine how rare your coin is by looking a the latest scarcity index.

The next step is to take a look at what has been recently sold on eBay.

Experts from Change Checker recommend looking at “sold listings” to be sure that the coin has sold for the specified amount rather than just been listed.

People can list things for any price they like, but it doesn’t mean it will sell for that amount.

We explain further how you can find out if you have a rare coin worth thousands sitting around the house.

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RARE coins can sell for thousands of times their face value – and it’s always worth seeing if you’ve got any lying about.

One coveted 2p coin garnered the interest of collectors across the world due to its unusual wording and sold for £700 at auction.

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Going under the hammer at RWB Auctions on September 25, the copper sold for a whopping 35,000 times its original market value.

It is easily identified by three words as an error from the UK’s Royal Mint means that the 2p coin reads “new pence” instead of “two pence”.

Collectors say this subtle error was likely produced when an old die was used to strike the coin, and very few of these coins exist.

The handful of these coins can be found in sets produced in collaboration between The Royal Mint and Italian drinks company Martini & Rossi.

They were made as part of a promotional giveaway labelled ‘The Great British 1983 Coin Collection’ on the cover.

But although thousands of the sets were released, only a small number feature the rare 2p coin.

“It is worth checking old coin collections for this set, particularly if you were born in 1983,” said Jon White, of RWB Auctions.

“Someone may have bought you one as a baby or as a Christening present. If they happened to get hold of a rare one, then you have a very valuable gift on your hands.”

The auction house has previously sold a scarce Lord Kitchener £2 for £1,000 and an unusual Olympics 50p for £1,500.

How to spot rare coins and banknotes

Rare coins and notes are highly desirable among specialist collectors and could make you a mint if you find one.

Some of the most in-demand pieces can sell for hundreds of pounds.

If you spot an unusual-looking coin in your change, keep hold of it.

Then look up exactly how rare it is. Usually, the rarer it is, the more valuable it is.

You can find out what coins are rare and how they look on The Royal Mint’s website.

You can also determine the coin and how common it is by looking at the scarcity index on specialist coin collector sites.

To work out how valuable it might be, take a look at similar coins that have recently sold on eBay or even at auction.

Remember to look at “sold listings” to be sure that the coin has sold for the specified amount rather than just been listed.

It’s not just coins, rare notes can sell for multiple times their face value.

This includes fivers, rare £10 notes as well as higher denominations.

One of the main distinguishing marks of a rare note is the serial number.

These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch’s face, just under the value of £10 in the corner of the note.

Low serial numbers or something quite quirky can see you cash in thousands.

MARTIN Lewis has issued a warning to 900,000 credit card customers who have hours left to bag £150 free cash.

The consumer champion’s MoneySavingExpert is reminding HSBC Visa credit card users, that they can earn the cashback on groceries, fuel and transport over the next three months.

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But you’ve only got until 11.59pm on September 30 to check if you’re eligible and opt-in.

The team have described the offer as a “no brainer” if you were planning to make these purchases anyway.

Although, you do have to make sure you pay your card off in full so the interest doesn’t wipe out your cashback earnings.

The MSE team said: “You must be an existing HSBC Visa credit card holder to get this offer, which means those with an HSBC Mastercard credit card won’t qualify.

“You must also have been sent an email from HSBC giving you the option to opt in – if you have an HSBC Visa but didn’t get the email, it could be because you’ve unsubscribed from marketing offers.”

The offer is only available to people living in England, Scotland and Wales.

So you can’t get it if you live in Northern Ireland or outside of the UK.

HSBC told MSE that around 900,000 people can get the deal, and there’s no minimum period on how long you must have had your credit card to bag it.

The major bank currently has four Visa credit cards: its Balance Transfer Credit Card, Purchase Plus Credit Card, Classic Credit Card, and Student Credit Card.

Below we reveal how the deal works and how you can get the cash.

How the HSBC £150 cashback offer works

Firstly, you need to opt in before 11.59pm on Monday, September 30.

If you’re eligible, you should already have received an email with instructions on how to sign up.

You might also have received a notification through the HSBC app if you’re able to apply.

It’s important to note that if you fail to opt in you won’t get the cashback, even if you’re eligible for it.

Once opted in, you’ll be able to earn 10% cashback – up to a maximum of £50 a month – on most grocery, fuel and transport spending for three months, amounting to £150 in total.

The offer will last from October 1 to December 31.

MSE says if you’re eligible but miss September’s sign-up deadline to begin earning cashback from October, you should get another chance to sign up for the offer later on.

However, you only need to opt in once – you won’t need to reapply each month.

To get any cashback, you’ll need to make a certain number of grocery, fuel and transport purchases each month, according to the team.

This will be either three, five, 10 or 15, depending on how much you typically spend – HSBC says it will tell you your personal threshold before you opt in.

MSE said: “Any cashback earned will be calculated at the end of the month and credited to your credit card account on the 15th of the following month.

“Of course, be mindful that cashback is never an excuse to overspend. And remember to pay off your card in full each month – or before any 0% deal you’re on ends – to avoid paying any interest.”

The team has rounded up several exclusions to the offer to bear in mind:

• Groceries: Includes online food shopping, corner shops and bakeries, but excluding Amazon Fresh, department stores and takeaways
• Fuel: Includes fuel purchased at UK service stations, electric vehicle charging and fuel dealers selling oil, wood, coal, etc
• Transport: Includes most public transport in the UK but none abroad

But don’t worry you’ll be sent a full list of qualifying purchases and exclusions when you opt in to the offer.

Another thing to note is that you won’t get any cashback if you’re over your credit limit or in arrears when the cashback is calculated and you won’t get any cashback for refunded transactions.

Other bank freebies

Nationwide Building Society has launched a new offer of £175 to switch to its FlexDirect, FlexPlus or FlexAccount current accounts.

In order to get the free money, you must switch through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

Banks often offer incentives like free cash to attract new customers

The Co-operative Bank has announced eligible customers could receive up to £150.

The first £75 is given when a customer completes a switch to the bank.

Then, the bank is offering three monthly instalments of £25 – another £75 – to make up the £150.

Both new and existing customers can apply to switch to a current account to make themselves eligible for the payment.

FirstDirect is currently offering £175 to customers who choose to make the switch.

To be eligible for the bonus you cannot have had any account with First Direct in the past, and you can’t have opened a current account with HSBC since January 2018.

If this is you, then all you need to do is open the account in app, and switch in an account from a different bank including two direct debits or standing orders within 45 days.

You will also need to pay in £1,000 and make five or more debit card payments within 45 days.

The £175 is paid by the 20th of the following month after you meet the switch bonus criteria.

How do I switch bank accounts?

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SWITCHING bank accounts is a simple process and can usually be done through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

Dozens of high street banks and building societies are signed up – there’s a full list on CASS’ website.

Under the switching service, swapping banks should take seven working days.

You don’t have to remember to move direct debits across when moving, as this is done for you.

All you have to do is apply for the new account you want, and the new bank will tell your existing one you’re moving.

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There are a few things you can do before switching though, including choosing your switch date and transferring any old bank statements to your new account.

You should get in touch with your existing bank for any old statements.

When switching current accounts, consider what other perks might come with joining a specific bank or building society.

Some banks offer 0% overdrafts up to a certain limit, and others might offer better rates on savings accounts.

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And some banks offer free travel or mobile phone insurance with their current accounts – but these accounts might come with a monthly fee.

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