Online dating is hugely popular, and can lead to some great dates, but going on these dates is an expensive business. These days, you’d be frowned upon for expecting the man to foot the bill for dinner, so you have to factor at least half the dining expenses into your financial forecast for the night. Then there’s the transport costs; a bus or taxi there, depending on the size of your heels and last minute hair disasters, then a taxi back (unless he’s a weirdo and that friend you’ve got on standby speeds in to drive you home).

So why not save yourself some money and stay online for the first date? You could use your webcams to have a net date, just to see how compatible you really are before you spend out on meeting up offline.

This way, not only will you save money, you’ll be able to control the night a lot better too. For example, you could have a few sneaky prop cards placed just out of the webcam’s sight to help you keep the conversation flowing if you sometimes struggle to think of topics.

You can also create the perfect lighting to make yourself look great on the webcam. In Old Hollywood film, the most beautiful stars were made even more beautiful with three-point lighting. The idea is to light your face up from both sides and from above, to create the most radiant complexion possible. Grab yourself a few lamps and make sure they can’t be seen by the webcam.

There is only so much you can do with lighting so you might want to put on the make-up and sexy outfit you would normally wear for a real-life date. If you’re figure could do with a helping hand, you could check the slimming aids available here, in the run-up to your date.

Staying in bed saves you money! It’s a mad world and no one seems to be getting enough sleep. Whether we’re up late working from home, or out partying, there always seems to be something more important than catching those elusive zzz’s. But not only would some extra hours in bed make us feel better, look better, and act less like zombies, they would save us money too.

By cosying up in bed earlier, you’ll save money by not having the heating on. If you’re sitting still, perhaps doing work on a laptop or reading, you will get cold easily so leave that radiator off and get under the duvet. If you need more encouragement, get yourself the comfiest bed you can find, a blackout blind and a pair of earplugs! You’ll soon be sleeping to your heart’s content.

These days, telling your friends you are getting an early night is more likely to earn their admiration than ridicule. They’ll be envious that you are going against the grain and putting your basic needs before societal pressure. So next time you’re invited out, make a beeline for your bed to save yourself a fortune on dinner, drinks and general socialising costs.

As getting the right amount of sleep can help your immune system stay strong, you could save money on cold and flu remedies, or on lost work days. For more details about the benefits of sleep click here, and for information about the problems associated with sleep deprivation, here.

Here at Shopping Divas we know how tempting it can be to eat out regularly when you lead a busy life. The lure of someone else cooking, not to mention doing the dishes, can be hard to resist. However, you could quickly find yourself in financial difficulty if you keep treating your own oven to the night off.

Aside from magically adding extra hours to your day, there are a few things you can do to make yourself more likely to cook your own meals, thereby saving yourself money.

Keep your kitchen on track. If you are greeted with a reef of unwashed dishes and deadly-looking leftovers, you’re hardly going to be inspired to create a culinary work of art. But more importantly, you could be putting your health at risk. A hygienic kitchen is so important as it’s an area of the home where germs can live and spread extremely easily. Professor Sally Bloomfield from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine says: “Good hygiene is not a ‘once-weekly, deep-down clean’. Hygienic cleaning needs to be an ongoing part of our daily lives, where hygiene measures are targeted where and when necessary” (NHS website).

So now it’s clean and tidy, do you want to cook? If you’re still eyeing up the restaurant guide, perhaps it’s time you rethought your kitchen design. You may not think there are many ways to express your personality in a kitchen, but a few clicks around sites such as Second Nature here will soon expand your kitchen-related horizons! Injecting colour into your kitchen can have a positive impact on your mood, making you want to spend time in there. You could even frame some prints of your favourite ingredients or meals, or your favourite chef, to inspire you to get cracking.

If you’ve taken the money-saving step of choosing a caravanning holiday over a hotel blow-out, give yourself a pat on the back. But if you fancy finding out about a few more ways to save while you’re away, read on.

Firstly, entertainment in caravan parks can be expensive. Make sure you pack some board games to keep the kids happy, or for an even cheaper option, research online and find some fun games that require no props. A pack of cards is always a good choice, providing the means for numerous games and possibly even inspiring budding magicians!

If your games are going to progress beyond sitting nicely at the table – which is somewhat inevitable with kids – into the realms of musical statues and charades, you’ll want to feel safe in the knowledge that you’re caravan is covered against damage. For more information click here.

When it comes to mealtimes, you could easily spend a fortune on snacks and eating out, but with a bit of forward planning you can steer clear of this purse-damaging fate. Take lots of bread with you and plenty of sandwich fillers like cheese and ham. Keep things exciting by putting ingredients out of plates and letting the kids build their own sandwich. You could even have a competition to see who can come up with the most original name for their sandwich. Have a look at the Caravan Club Sandwich for inspiration.

Lasers offer a solution to many problems, but choosing to go ahead with a costly procedure is no snap-decision. You want to be sure you have the best chance of being happy with results, for the sake of your health, confidence and your bank balance. Here are a few pointers to help you decide if a laser treatment could be right for you.

Laser eye surgery

New treatments are incredibly effective; for example Ultralase’s newest offering, Ultra Elite, gives 99 per cent of patients 20:20 vision or better. It could be right for you if you aren’t happy wearing glasses and can’t or don’t want to wear contacts. The results are pretty impressive, so may offer a good result for your hard earned cash. It’s still a big investment however, so you’ll need to decide how much it would benefit your life.  For more info, click here.

Laser hair removal

This treatment is described by practitioners as safe and virtually painless. It is widely regarded as a top hair-tackling treatment, but needs commitment from you and your purse! According to Skn Clinics, you have to go for treatment every four weeks to see results on your face, or every six weeks for body hair. They recommend you have at least six treatments, so perhaps you should be prepared to have more if you feel the hair is prolific!

If you have white, grey or blonde hair, you may be better using your cash on other defuzzing methods, as the laser does not work on these types of hair.

Laser skin resurfacing

If you have scars or deep wrinkles on your face, treatment with a laser could be an option to explore. However, as the treatment is neither a quick-fix not an inexpensive one, you’ll need to think carefully. The treatment can result in further scarring, especially if wounds usually give you keloid scars. You could also experience changes to your skin’s pigment, especially if you have dark skin. To find out more click here.

In all cases, do your research, talk to the experts and weigh up the benefits you can expect with the cost, deciding if it is a reliable investment.

From sun cream to swimming trunks, there’s a seemingly endless list of things to buy for your summer holiday – and with a recent report by American Express finding that Brits are due to spend a collective £36 billion on getaways this year, we could all do with making savings where we can. Here are a few ways to make your holiday cash go that little bit further:

• Use apps – there are some great apps that help you calculate how much you’re spending on your break, as well as finding the best local prices while you’re over there.
• Look into house-swapping – sites like HomeExchange.com make it easy to find people abroad who are interested in exchanging houses. Get your accommodation for free!
• Get the best currency rate - keep an eye on the exchange rates and buy local currency when they favour you.
• Travel at unsociable hours - arriving at your destination bleary-eyed and in need of a coffee is a small price to pay for the huge discounts you can get by flying late at night or early in the morning.
• Get a bundle - while travel agents aren’t always the cheapest way to go, renting a car, buying a flight and booking a hotel room all through the same operator can add up to big savings.
• Use vouchers - sites like myvouchercodes can be great for finding those little extras that make a holiday a bit lighter on your wallet.

Shopping Divas is all about the savings that could be had on the high street, yet sometimes you really don’t have to worry so much about saving a few quid here and there if you’re going to reap the benefits of savings that run into hundreds of pounds elsewhere! This certainly applies to holidays now that summer’s coming!

Instead of heading abroad, why not take part in the Great British Summer of 2012? With the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games mere weeks away, there’s no better opportunity to investigate several things: caravan rental, a comprehensive policy of cover, as well as possible places to pitch up in the UK. You may even want to consider joining the Caravan Club – they really do offer a lot of advice and training courses, if you want to consider their services.

Ultimately, the entire experience is very cheap. What’s more, there are loads of places to explore in the UK with a touring caravan, as you have the freedom of movement – so long as you take into account your petrol prices! This summer, you can even pitch up on the grounds of Windsor Castle – the Queen ordered that it be opened up in time for the Olympics. Alternatively, check out one of the many other caravan parks available in the UK – you could find one close to a leading shopping area like the Metrocentre or Meadowhall and put those well-saved pounds into practice!

If you are looking for something to brighten up your hamster’s cage, consider a natural wood toy that is safe for your little friend to chew and enjoy. If you choose coloured toys, make sure they are treated with vegetable dyes, which are safe for your pet.

Hamsters love to have tunnels to crawl through and little places to hide in, especially if they are playing with a friend. If you do have more than one hamster, an offer such as the two hamster toys for £6 offer available here would make you a saving. Or you could stock up so you’ll always have a supply of fun toys for him to enjoy!

Make sure your hamster isn’t too cramped in his cage; get the biggest one you can afford. This will stop him growing out of his cage, saving you money in the long run, and make him feel more comfortable.

Along with providing toys for him to play with, give your hamster as much attention as possible. Handle him regularly and he will be tame and happy.

Save on vet bills by giving your hamster the means to keep himself fit and healthy. A hamster wheel is a great way for him to stave off obesity and, like the chewable toys, it will provide daily entertainment.

You may feel like you never want to see another Easter egg again but make sure you show your pet rabbit you’re not bored of her, too. Insuring your bunny against any accident or illness is a smart move, especially if you buy online where you can save some cash with special online rates.

But not all bunnies are so well taken care of…

In the lead up to Easter, the House Rabbit Society (HRS) produced a press release which highlighted the commitment involved in buying a pet rabbit.

On March 22nd HRS vice-president Mary Cotter warned people to think carefully before buying rabbits as Easter gifts. She said that of all the bunnies brought as Easter fads, many would either die of neglect or be abandoned. She stressed the importance of realising that a pet rabbit could be a ten year commitment.

House Rabbit Society’s president Margo DeMello recommended that parents buy their children rabbit-shaped chocolate instead of the real thing, unless they were certain they could offer real bunnies a good home for life. However, she stressed that she was by no means advising against families with small children keeping rabbits. She said: “Parents must be actively involved on a daily basis, and willing to supervise any interactions between rabbits and children”. Click here to read the press release.

If you want to bring a bit of drama to your home but can’t quite afford to kit it out with priceless antiques, consider creating a monochrome room.

For a monochrome bedroom you could consider a black flock-patterned feature wall, leaving all other walls plain to ensure the room stays light and airy. If you are renting a neutrally decorated space, black and white bedcovers could be a cost-effective way to introduce the trend without upsetting your landlord. A black blind, such as one from the range available here, is a stylish and sensible choice as it blocks out light pollution while giving a striking finish to the room.

This look would be striking in any part of your house and can be created with minimal expenditure; picture sleek black accessories set against a pristine white bathroom suit, with a chequered tile floor, perhaps. Laying tiles is fairly straight-forward, and there are lots of how-to guides online to help you if you want to save money by doing it yourself. If you don’t fancy tiling, get the look by displaying some fluffy black towels on bathroom shelves or dot a few chunky black candles around the room.

In the living room, a black leather three-piece-suit would be beautifully complemented by a couple of inexpensive white scatter cushions, while a black glass coffee table would look wonderfully modern on an off-white carpet.