I CAN’T wait for tonight’s Strictly Come Dancing final.
Seeing Emma Barton, Anton Du Beke and the rest strut their stuff on the dance floor always gets me in the mood for a boogie. With this in mind, I have hunted for deals on classes, kit and shows. I might not be the Dancing Queen but I can be the Savings Queen . . .
LESSON PLAN: Head to Groupon for discounts on salsa, Latin, tango and jive classes. In Essex, I found blocks of five one-hour salsa lessons cut from £40 to £11.50. For kids, teachers have uploaded ballet and tap videos to YouTube. A used copy of Darcey Bussell’s The Ballet Book is £2.39 at worldofbooks.com, compared to £6.99 at Waterstones.
SAVE: £28.60 on salsa lessons
DRESS THE PART: Movedancewear.com has a huge sale on gear for men, women and children, from leotards to cover-ups. If you are after something specific, try Facebook groups such as Ballet Tutus and Dancewear For Sale. They are handy for connecting people selling and buying second-hand pieces.
PARTY ON: If you fancy an evening on the dance floor, visit designmynight.com. It will tell you about cheap bars and clubs nearby, as well as any offers. For example, I found you can enjoy two cocktails for £10 at Leeds’ Bar Soba.
SAVE: Around £8 on a cocktail
APPY DAYS: Apps are great for getting to grips with dance techniques at home. Salsa Rhythm is £2.99 while Hip Hop & Street Dance School is free. Just Dance Now is one for a party, working more like a dance mat. Argos’ retro dance mat is £29.99, by contrast.
SAVE: £29.99 on a mat
SHOWTIME: Live near London? Theatre lotteries give you the chance to buy musical tickets often worth £100 or more for £10 to £15. The Royal Opera House does £10 Family Sundays when you can see informal performances from Royal Ballet dancers. Skip delivery fees by getting tickets at the venue.
SAVE: £100 on tickets
GET your Strictly fix at Argos. It has up to a quarter off Strictly Come Dancing gear, including two gin glasses for £5, down from £10.
SAVE: £5
VANILLA Viennetta is now £1 at Tesco, down from £1.65. I will be having some in front of the telly tonight.
SAVE: 65p
ELAINE LAMBERT, from Saltash in Cornwall, says: “I am saving my fivers to buy clothes when I reach my target weight. Five stone gone, two to go.”
INSTEAD of paying £10 for a candy cane-scented Yankee Candle, above, from Tesco, head to M&S to pick up its own-brand candy cane candle, below, for £4.20. It smells great.
SAVE: £5.80
JIMMY Choo Flash Eau de Parfum is half-price at Boots. Snap up the scent for £31, down from £62.
SAVE: £31
DEE MORLEY, from Northampton, says: “If your mascara dries up, put the tube in hot water for a few minutes and you will get a few more applications from it.”
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