Win a £100 John Lewis Voucher with Capital One

This competition is now closed

The winner, selected by random.org, is number 60.

Congratulations to Dawn!



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Earlier this year I attended a round table event, hosted by Capital One, where we discussed their Credit Made Clearer campaign and YouTube Channel:





Now Capital One would like to know what you know about Cashback.

As an incentive to complete this quick survey of just three questions, Capital One are offering a £100 John Lewis voucher to one lucky participant.

To enter the prize draw, by completing the survey, please click the link below:

(the survey opens in a pop-up window)


 


If you would like to add any further information, please leave a comment below.


Capital One supplied me with the following useful information on cashback:

For most of us, using a credit card is mostly associated with special or larger purchases. One off items like holidays, presents, gig tickets and festivals and such: credit card. Every day essentials like groceries and takeaways: cash / debit cards. It’s easier for those of us who are particularly budget conscious to keep an eye on what’s coming in and (most importantly) going out of our accounts.

However, did you know that many credit cards offer cashback on products that you purchase? This isn’t like getting cashback on your debit card – it’s normally a small percentage of your purchases credited to your account on a regular basis. Obviously though, it’s not a good idea to put lots more purchases on your credit card – if you don’t pay off the full amount each month, the money you are getting back is going to be instantly wasted on interest payments!

That said, for spending that you’ve already got planned, it’s a good way to put your credit card to good use. You need make doubly sure that you pay off your balance every month. You can do this via Direct Debit, but keep an eye on your bills and map out these purchases carefully to ensure you’re not overspending.

Quickfire Facts

· Cashback credit cards have become increasingly popular as they offer potentially a better way of generating a return from spending than debit cards

· Capital One believes that cashback cards potentially offer a better way of earning a return on spending than many current accounts

· Savvy consumers who actively manage their finances can generate fantastic rewards each year from cashback credit cards. Consumers who pay their credit card balance in full each month currently holding a card offering other benefits, such as zero percent on new purchases, could be better served by switching to a card offering tangible cash rewards

· However, not all cashback cards are created equal – customers should choose cards that work hard for them

· Around 2.9 million (35%) of cashback card holders use their cards for less than 40% of their monthly spending while 1.8 million (22%) pay for 80% or more of their monthly outgoings with this type of card*

· With 55% of current accounts now paying 0% interest and another 28% paying 0.1% per annum or less, according to Moneyfacts, cashback cards offer a potentially better way of earning a return while spending than debit cards**

*1ICM research surveyed 2,013 British Adults via online omnibus from 6th-8th October 12th – 14th May 2010. The results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria. Calculations regarding cash back rewards have been made using the omnibus research and applying this to the latest ONS Family spending Index data. Calculations based on standard industry cashback rate of 0.5%.

**http://moneyfacts.co.uk/news/banking/the-fall-and-fall-of-current-account-interest-rates/


Terms and Conditions for the prize draw:

• UK only.
• One entry per person.
• Complete the survey to be entered into the draw.
• The survey closes at 8am on Wednesday 14th December 2011.
• I will select one winner, from all fully completed surveys, on 14th December 2011 using Random.org.
• I will then notify the winner by email, asking for their address.
• I will pass their address to Capital One who will send out the prize.
• If there is no reply to my email within 7 days, the prize will be re-drawn.

 Good luck!





ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

Win a £100 John Lewis Voucher with Capital One

Just because...

... it's nearly Christmas

... I'm sentimental

... 'Your Song' is a classic

... it's my favourite shop!





I hope you enjoyed that sneak preview of the John Lewis Christmas advert that launches tomorrow night during the X-Factor.

Now, where's my Love Actually DVD?!




.

Just because...

Handbags and Guitars

My husband and I are a bit like ships that pass in the night at the moment. 

In spite of this, we are quite old-fashioned and still rather romantic. We write each other little love notes.

Here is an example:

Some background may help to decipher this love letter. Earlier this year I bought a Radley handbag. It is roomy and practical, but it's not my dream handbag. When I came home with it, Andy asked how much it was and promptly bought a guitar of the same value. 

Then when I came back from Bicester Village with a few little bits and pieces *ahem*, Andy bought another guitar.

You see where I'm going with this? I get a handbag, Andy gets a guitar. Or vice versa. So when my new John Lewis catalogue arrived and I saw the Mulberry Alexa in GRAPE, well, I wrote the note.

Andy's response to my love note? He said '£695! How do they make a profit?'. Then his eyes showed guitar signs and he mumbled something about a Fender Stratocaster costing around that much. 

Of course Andy doesn't really need a new guitar and I don't really need a new handbag (oh yeah, and we haven't yet won the lottery), but my goodness, isn't it a gorgeous bag?!

.

Handbags and Guitars

I Heart John Lewis

I remember overhearing a conversation about twenty five years ago. It stuck with me.

Woman One - 'I don't go to John Lewis, it's too expensive'

Woman Two - 'They're never knowingly undersold so they can't be too expensive. John Lewis isn't a market you know'.

Well said, woman Two.

I have always shopped at John Lewis. They are still never knowingly undersold. Their customer service is second to none. They sell (almost) everything. Whenever I need anything, my local John Lewis store or Johnlewis.com is where I go first.

Recently John Lewis invited bloggers to the launch of their Autumn/Winter and Christmas ranges. 

I don't normally accept invitations to events as they are usually in London and I would have to ask my husband to take the day off work to look after Presley and Cash (two toddlers and public transport do not mix). When John Lewis invited me, however, I had to say yes. Immediately.

The launch was held at One Marylebone, an impressive listed former church. I knew I'd found the right place when I saw a snow machine outside and Christmas trees in the entrance.

I was welcomed by John Lewis PR and PR agency Cohn & Wolfe. I was given a Flip Mino HD video camera - to keep - and taken on tours of the various departments they had created in the building. Buyers walked and talked us through fashion, home, electronics, toys and gifts. I was in shopping Heaven.

As well as their own  range of clothes, John Lewis are featuring up to the minute designers too. I could seriously take up dieting to fit into the stunning Celia Birtwell bird print dresses or the Mint Velvet lingerie. I loved the Barbour jackets with lining from English Eccentrics. I adored the Russian peasant look. In fact, even as a non-fashionista, I loved it all!

I could have moved into the home section. I must have zillion thread-count cotton sheets from now on. The Alegra bedspread caught everyone's eye. For just £60 you can have this on your bed (cushions are extra):

The toys were mostly traditional, a good thing in my book. The toy buyer was interested in what my children like to play with. I particularly liked these for Santa's sacks this year:

Thank you to John Lewis for inviting bloggers to your launch. As you can see from this photograph we enjoyed it, it was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones:

Photo credit: The lovely Emma at Adventures of an English Mum

I love John Lewis even more since they gave me a bag full of goodies to take home. It looks like I've started my Christmas shopping already.

The press pack I was given is my favourite new shopping porn bible, it even contains gorgeous wallpaper samples. 

Here are a few images to get you in the mood for Christmas... in July:

Acrylic reindeer, £16

Snowy Pine pre-lit Paper Tree £85

Frosty Glass Birds, pack of 2 for £4

Save the Children Charity Crackers, £10

 

Ladybird "Things to make" activity kit, £12

Fuzzy Felt Fridge Magnets, £7.95

.

I Heart John Lewis

Rules for a Perfect Family Christmas

When John Lewis asked me to write my 'rules' for a perfect family Christmas I was delighted.

I love John Lewis, it's my favourite shop (and I'm not just saying that because they're sending me a voucher)!

For all of my adult life I have shopped at John Lewis. I used to go to the Milton Keynes store for my Christmas shopping. When I worked near the Welwyn Garden City store I would go there in my lunch hour. The only item on our wedding list was John Lewis vouchers. For the record we mainly bought white goods. I bought all my baby things from the Kingston store when we lived in Surrey. Now we have moved to Preston and I've started the big countdown. John Lewis Preston opens in 2012! Until then I shop online, a lot. It's free delivery on everything too.

So, the rules...

Children

The children must stay in their bedrooms until Mummy and Daddy get the video camera running downstairs to record the wide-eyed Santa sack reaction.

There will be at least one potato in each child's Santa sack. Each potato represents a toy that Santa took out of their sack when they were naughty.

Each child must share their chocolate with Mummy and Daddy.

The Christmas Meal

We will all remember our table manners as we enjoy a long, leisurely lunch.

We will eat a roast dinner, with all the trimmings. There must be a sprout on every plate for decoration. Mummy will eat the seventeen remaining sprouts. Yum.

Mummy and Daddy will drink champagne and eat Rennies for the rest of the day.

The In-Laws

We will all go to the In-Laws for Boxing Day. Mummy and Daddy can relax and eat an enormous meal that they didn't have to cook, The children can eat as much chocolate as they like and play with Grandma and Grandad.

Entertainment

We will slouch on the couch, still wearing our paper hats, and watch a family film. The film will have been highlighted in our copy of the Christmas Radio Times.

Decorations

Mummy will decorate the tree with a lifetime of Christmases. Each decoration tells a story. There is the koala fairy from Australia, the wooden kiwi from New Zealand, the candy canes that she bought from Poundstretcher twenty years ago that the cats used to hide down the back of the sofa. There is the enamelled penguin and the gold dragonfly that we bought for Presley's first Christmas and the knitted owl and charity teddy we bought for Cash's first Christmas.

I love Christmas!

This is a sponsored post.

Rules for a Perfect Family Christmas