Did you know that here in the UK you can claim compensation for pretty much anything there is. Postmen sue home owners for falling, tripping or injury on driveways or steps leading up to the home, a first aider was sued for breaking a women rib when she had to perform CPR and now a former contestant on Britain’s Got Talent is suing Simon Cowell for being humiliated live on television. There are times when suing is acceptable such as when your car tyre bursts due to bad road surfaces and pot holes, medical liability for bad care at a hospital and accidents that are caused at work.

There is currently no legislation that prevents anyone from suing a company or person but most of the time it’s the government and tax payers that end up covering the cost for compensation. The UK has made it too easy for people to claim virtually anything. In most cases you can even get a lawyer that can fight your case for free, they then get their fees from the government meaning you still get the maximum amount of compensation available.

The latest in bizarre compensation claims are from a pavement in Liverpool, there have been seven claims from the past few years with the compensation payout to total £30,000. It’s not crowded, damaged and can get very busy with a hairdressers, newsagents and even places to eat. It surprising to see that so many claims have been made in such a short period of time. Many have said it’s a scam but no-one really knows why there have been so many claims for the same pavement.

The amount of no-win no-fee solicitor has increased 150% in the last few years and many websites can even give you an estimate on how much you can expect to claim if you injured a specific area. Some people have even reported being watched whilst falling in a hospital where a sign was put up to warn patients that the floor was wet. The patient refused to claim compensation as there was warning and felt bad. In reality however some cases can be reported up to six years after they happened, there have been many people that have come forward during the last few years reporting incidents that have happened in the past.

Many people fail to see how this affects everyone in around them, if tax payers have to fund all the compensation claims then in time the country will need financial aid. In turn taxes will rise and goods such as food, clothes and other living expenses will increase to cover the black hole of money that Compensation Britain regularly gives out.

Since the launch of pound shops many years back it has been the cause of many loyal shoppers to abandon their supermarkets and start to shop around. This has caused the shops to be in fierce competition with each other therefore slashing prices on everything they have in store on a regular basis. As we know there are many bargains to be found in pound shops, anything from food to home accessories. Things like a family size bag or crisps can sell for as much as £3 in a supermarket but just £1 in the pound shop. Other items such as hand towel, toilet tissue and cleaning products also sell for half the price.

How to save money in Poundland?
There are many household items that you can buy that cost less than supermarkets and other local shops. During Christmas and New Year when you will be entertaining guests and cooking large family meals you can save money by buying disposable napkins, wine cups, tablecloths and more, this means you can also save time on washing up. Items such as crisps, biscuits, juice and fizzy drinks are also cheaper. If you do buy food and drink make sure you check the expiry date as sometimes they are very near to the end of their shelf life.

How are Poundland items so cheap?
If you buy in bulk then the price is reduced therefore you buy more for less but you are also able to sell for less. There are also items that are close to expiry such as chocolate, crisps, biscuits and drinks so they can purchase these items for a cheaper price. Some stocks they sell are also bought cheap by companies who have gone bankrupt or are closing down. Some things can even be sold cheap because they are imitations of another brand such as batteries, branded food products and cleaning products. Some things that are purchased for a very low price can be due to low standards such as ink printing on certain products. The worst way that Poundland make money is by taking orders for items that are made in poor countries such as China and India.

Poundland and child labour
It is the responsibility of the retailer to know where and how their products are made, although it is not illegal in this country to buy items that are produced by child labourers all countries are opposed of this. It is illegal in most countries to employ young children to work for them by taking them out of school. There is an ongoing investigation that Poundland have products that they sell in store that are being made by child workers as young as seven they are also paid a poor wage of just 7p an hour, 100 hours a week!

So before you think of saving money and buying a cheap product just take a moment to think about how it was made and how much the person who made it was paid.

If you want to save some money whilst booking your hotel yourself then there are some tips that you can follow to make sure you get the best price possible and avoid paying inflated hotel costs. In most cases it does work out cheaper to go to a travel agent and get a package holiday but for most places throughout Europe you could save up to 70% by shopping around and doing it yourself.

Last minute booking or early booking?
Both! If you can book at least 8 months to a year in advance you can get a really good deal that you probably won’t see nearer to the time. But there are some locations that are better holding off for and waiting last minute. A prime example is Paris, this is the capital and most romantic place to visit, but with the average hotel bill in the capital being £500 for only a few nights the costs can soon mount up. By waiting a week or so before travelling you can get good deals to 5 star hotels for as little as £149 for 3 nights including breakfast. The same goes for holidays to the Caribbean wait last minute and you can save up to £700 off the price of a holiday.

Supermarket shopping
If you have a Tesco clubcard or Sainsbury’s nectar card you could exchange the points for amazing hotel deals. With the average family of 4 spending at least £80-£120 a week on food you could be missing out on some potentially good hotel deals.

Hotel only web deals
By looking of for hot deals by online travel agents that specialise in hotel stays you can get heavily discounted hotel rates. There are some websites that also offer a price match guarantee so if you find it cheaper elsewhere they’ll refund you the difference. National and local newspapers also have good deals such as collecting tokens and paying only the flight costs, if you do spot a good deal hurry up and book it as they will sell fast.

Travel during off peak season
We all know that when there is a public holiday or school holiday that the prices shoot up. If you do not have any children then make the most of it by booking out of these times. When hotel rooms are in demand they charge more so go before a school/public holiday or after. Not only will the service be better but chances are you will have most of the hotel to yourself.

Secret hotels
If you like surprises then why not save some money by opting for a secret hotel. This is a service that only a few travel agents provide. You choose a location and the travel company books the hotel for you with up to 45% discount on the hotel rates, after payment has gone through you will then be told of your secret hotel.