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Bargain Hunter: Save £268 a year by growing your own fruit and veg

Botanist James Wong is fronting the Edible Garden Show at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre in Warwickshire

Simon Read
Saturday 23 January 2016 01:04 GMT
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How does your garden grow? The botanist James Wong can help
How does your garden grow? The botanist James Wong can help (BBC)

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Growing your own fruit and vegetables could save you an average of £268 a year and DIY botany is more widespread than you might think. Almost two-thirds of Britons have grown their own produce in the past five years with tomatoes the most popular, followed by herbs, strawberries, potatoes and lettuce.

"Up to 3,000 edible crops can be grown extremely easily in the UK climate," said the botanist James Wong. "Not only does it add variety to the ingredients you cook with, and help you enjoy a healthier lifestyle – it also saves you. It is much cheaper to grow saffron than to buy it in the shops."

He is fronting the Edible Garden Show being held at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, from 11 to 13 March. You can find more details at theediblegardenshow.co.uk.

Do some speed dating

Lonely hearts must move fast to get £58 cashback when signing up with the dating site Match.com for six months. A subscription costs £9.99 a month but the cashback brings that down to just £1.94. The offer is through Quidco but runs out on Sunday 24 January. Details at quidco.com/match-com.

Bargain romantic breaks

If you want to go the extra mile for Valentine's Day this year while still being a Bargain Hunter, FairFX reckons the best-value city break destinations are Istanbul, Oslo and Zurich.

But if you're likely to want to crack open the champagne, avoid Istanbul; a bottle of Moët costs £148 there, against £102 in Zurich and £75 in Oslo.

Row your way to fitness

Fancy getting fit but need motivation? Cancer Research UK has set up The Great Row, as part of its partnership with the Boat Race. Here's the crucial bargain bit: participants can train free at Fitness First gyms every Friday in January, February and March and every day from 19 to 26 March to complete their challenge before the races. To take part, choose a challenge – from 2,000 metres up to a full marathon – and download a training plan and fundraising pack, from Cancerresearchuk.org/TheGreatRow.

Deals on wheels

You can get £20 off a pair of Falken tyres at Halfords Autocentres, as well as free tyre checks, until 3 February.

The Co-op's £1,000 prize

Co-op members can win £1,000 worth of vouchers by swiping their membership card when buying in Co-op stores. There are also "instant win" prizes and vouchers up for grabs in the offer, which runs until 2 February.

If you know of any upcoming offers please send details and deadlines to yourmoney@independent.co.uk

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