The Bargain Hunter: Morrisons; La Senza; Bella Italia; Oasis; MoneySavingExpert

(La Senza)

Christmas is coming and a hefty chunk of our festive budget will be spent stocking up the fridge – an often miscalculated expense that can lead to us starting the new year hard-up.

Here to watch over our emaciated wallets, however, is Morrisons, which is offering bumper savings on Christmas party snacks such as mini-fajitas and cocktail sausages. Stock up early to provide a bargain festive feast later in the month.

* Next stop, knickers. Gentlemen, we've all been there – buying underwear for a loved one, that is – but there's no denying it's a problematic gift. Get it right and you'll be a hero; get it wrong and it's a disaster. Thanks to La Senza's 40 per cent reduction on its Glamour Underwear range, even the most inept can afford to give quality lingerie.

* If the talk of bargain bloomers has left you a little starry-eyed, why not augment the romance with an Italian meal? The Tuscany-based bistro chain Bella Italia is currently offering a two-for-one coupon deal on all meals. Visit tinyurl.com/69lbv9 , print the voucher and take it to your local restaurant.

* Speaking of coupon concessions, the fashion outlet Oasis has teamed up with discount specialist VoucherCodes.co.uk to offer a great online reduction. Simply visit the aforementioned website and follow the link to the Oasis store. Once there, enter a short price-cut code and, hey presto, all your purchases will be 20 per cent cheaper.

* Finally, it may not be a single discount in itself, but the VAT reduction is important to all bargain hunters. The best place to get a complete rundown of the cut – including the technicalities – is MoneySavingExpert.com , which has created a forum on the subject.