£400 is a whole lotta dollar to spend on whatever you want. What would you spend £400 a year on? I asked the content team for their suggestions. A new laptop maybe? A holiday? Decorating? A cowboy training course? (We’re an odd bunch...)

So where can I find this elusive £400 then?” I hear you ask. 

Simples. It’s in your freezer. Honestly. 

A recent report by Sheffield Hallam University reveals that a selection of frozen food for a family would cost £15.45, but the same items bought fresh would set you back £23.25. That’s a saving of £8 – enough for a little extra treat like a bottle of nice wine/some magazines/[insert your perfect little extra treat here!]. 

Over the course of a year, this amounts to a saving of £405.50 – a huge amount of extra cash to splash. 

In the past, the belief has been that fresh food is more healthy, but research has shown that the nutritional value of many frozen foods is just as good as fresh. Just think how freezing can lock in tastes and flavours. 

So, if you’re saving £400 a year on your grocery shopping, it’s a great excuse to treat your kitchen to a new freezer where you can store your frozen goodies. 

I’d go with the Hotpoint HZ2022. There’s a 134 litre capacity, so you’re never going to struggle for space for your frozen pizza, broccoli, carrots, spinach, sausages, chocolate chip ice cream....you get the idea. 

Remember how I mentioned that freezing can lock in flavours? Well, be sure to make use of the Super Freeze button– it makes the temperature of the freezer extremely low, so it’s ready for whatever food you throw at it when you load it up after your weekly shop.

And with an A+ energy rating, you’ll be saving even more money. In fact, this model costs less than £2.50 a month to run. Bargain indeed! 

So next time you’re at the supermarket, think frozen rather than fresh. That laptop/holiday/new bedroom/shopping spree will be yours before you know it! 

Bring a little summer colour into your kitchen with some bright orange and pink appliances.

This Smeg orange fridge will brighten up your home and raise a smile on cold winter mornings.

Hippy flower patterns will cheer up any space, don’t be afraid of clashing colours, it’s all part of the eclectic appeal.

The Stoves Mini cooker in Jalapeno is a spicy addition to the kitchen. Mix with bold bright utensils for a really vibrant dose of colour.

Get the look:
Pink utensils, Stoves Cooker, Dreamcatcher print, Purple Wallpaper, Smeg Fridge Freezer, Purple Chair, Pink Flower fabric, Orange table, Leaf Print cushion

Breaking news!  As of yesterday,  the football transfer window is now closed:

During this year’s transfer window, Sulley Muntari has switched allegiance in Milan, with AC having snapped him up from their arch-rivals Inter. Sunderland have finalised the signing of full-back Wayne Bridge from Manchester City on a loan deal for the rest of the season. And AC Milan have apparently reopened negotiations over a dramatic late swoop for Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez!

Hmmm I wonder who all these people are? You can probably guess that I’m not the world’s greatest expert on football.  But, what I do know is that I spend a lot of time working out outside, getting just as muddy and grass stained as any footballer! And if it weren’t for the tailored sports wash cycles on my washing machine protecting my kit, clothes and trainers, I don’t know how I would manage. I would be constantly replacing my sportswear, which just isn’t practical.

If you are as keen on keeping fit as I am, it’s vital you have a washing machine that knows how to correctly wash your expensive sports gear, keeping it in tip-top condition for your next extreme work out. Washing machines these days come with fantastic programmes tailored to washing anything from water proof jackets to muddy trainers; these include outdoor wear programmes, sports intensive options and sports light options.

Having the correct sports gear up a mountain, on the football pitch or when you’re out for a run can mean the difference between getting the most out of your active day or being too hot/cold, uncomfortable and miserable. The right washing machine with the right wash programme is the difference between your quality workout clothing enhancing your performance or letting you down just before the finish line. 

Indesit washing machines such as the IWE81281K even offer a Special shoes cycle which uses a slow gentle wash that cleans your mucky trainers, without damaging them or the surface of the drum.

If you’re into keeping up appearances, this season’s cooking appliances are not to be missed. Combining effortless beauty with up to the minute technology, these new kids on the block are so nifty they’re worthy of a place in Hyacinth's kitchen.

"The Bouquet residence, the lady of the house speaking!"

No need to shout about your new appliances, with a centrepiece as good looking as the Whirlpool AKR804/IX Island Cooker Hood, it’ll be the first thing the neighbours spot. 

Designer lighting? No. An efficient cooker hood with 3 variable venting speeds.

Candlelit suppers on the cards? Forget about a lengthy wait for dinner. With the immediate response you get from the Siemens IQ-700 EH679ME11 Induction hob, those fillet steaks will be seared in seconds. Your guests will be too busy wondering where you keep the Mercedes, sauna, and room for a pony.

Why not melt some chocolate for dessert and wow them with just how fast this bad boy is?

The periwinkle china’s laid out in the dining room; all that’s left to do is cook the soufflés. Keep your cool, because the Smeg Linea-elite SCP115 electric oven will literally do it for you. There are 10 automatic cooking programmes which know exactly how much heat to use for different dishes so you’ll never be caught short. Simply allow the smart chef function to automatically adjust the temperature and cooking time, and it’ll cook those soufflés perfectly.... do make sure you take all the credit, of course!

The glass finish on this beauty could pass for a bespoke mirror.

And when they've all left, the pyrolytic cleaning fucntion on this oven takes all the hard work away. Just switch it on, and your oven will look brand spanking new again.

They'll never know!

2012. It’s newer than 2011 so it must be better. It’s a time to start fresh and make those all important resolutions. You know. The ones you are never going to keep. That gym membership card may as well be an ice scraper for your windscreen for all the use it’s going to get.

What you can’t hear is the sound of a hundred treadmills quietly weeping.

The football transfer window started in January, so I thought I’d share the most recent transfers to team Appliances Online. These newly added players have been released within the last few months and are definitely on the ball, sure to be worth every penny. Let’s take a look at our cooling appliance starting line up....

Siemens IQ-100 KG36EAW40 Fridge Freezer
This stands out because it’s relatively affordable and has amazing stamina. It’s A+++ energy rated, which makes it the most efficient on the market. You’re making an investment which should stand to save you a few quid for the life of the appliance.

But its passing skills need developing.

Samsung RW52DASS1 Wine Cooler
With chiselled looks and a body to die for, this is the perfect appliance for keeping your wine chilled. It’s got a stainless steel finish and has 2 temperature zones, so it’s very flexible on the pitch as white and red wine can be kept at the same time. It also doesn’t make a fuss with the ref, seeing as it’s extremely quiet with a compressor that causes less noise and vibration.

You won’t be ‘whining’ about this model. See what I did there? Ok, I’ll get my coat...

Smeg Left Hand Hinge FAB28YG1 Fridge
A definite presence on the pitch, as you’ll notice the unique strip is a vibrant, bright yellow. Its retro design is very impressive and efficiency has been increased to A++ from the old model of A+. This makes is around 20% more efficient, which gives it the added boost to perform well, and give you your monies worth.

You should see it do the limbo.

Yes, there are a few players to keep your eye on in the coming months. All offer amazing value and are designed to look great and give an amazing performance. No early showers for this lot.

Note. This ‘player’ is not the kind we are talking about.