US visa lottery 2011: last chance to apply

If you've ever harboured desires to live the American dream, in America, then you're going to need to work once you get there and to do that you're going to need a green card.

One route is to enter the official US lottery. While it doesn't guarantee you a green card, if you're heartily sick of this relentless rainy rubbish British weather then why not while away this lunchtime seeing if you're eligible. The draw  closes today.

Enter the DV-2011 lottery here

Related

How much to I need to quit working together?

Archive: How the credit crunch affected small business abroad

How to find low-cost travel insurance

National Express coach seat sale

There's still a few days left to take advantage of the £5 coach tickets on offer from National Express. Check out:

National Express seat sale runs until the end of the month

The company also claims to be offering tickets from Portsmouth and Southampton in leather wi-fi enabled seats to London for 99p and £10 one-way fares to European cities. But as yet I've not found any at those prices.

Related

Learn more about National Express from the business pages

Cheapest dishwasher tablets?

 

So, in case you were wondering, it turns out that dishwashers can be sexy, as model Jodie Kidd (above) proves. And, for fans of the reprehensibly tenuous, it doubly turns out that the price of dishwasher tablets can also be rather sexy - if lowest prices can be considered to have hormonal overtones, that is. Check out this pack at Lidl:

Finish Powerball 45 pack is £3.49 at Lidl

But hang on a sec.

Because of marketing, it's impossible to compare these products like for like.

On the Mysupermarket comparison site you'll notice that not all supermarkets sell the same products and the price per tablet doesn't always take into account the best offer.

So you've got your

Finish Powerball Classic only available in Tesco (30 tablets) for £4.50 or 14.1p tablet

Then you've got the

Finish Max in 1 Power Ball (28 tablets) at £7.49 or 26.8p a pop

Not to be confused with the

Finish All in 1 30-pack that's not available in Asda for £7 or 23.3p a tablet

Obviously there's the

Finish Power Ball Quantum (20 tablets) on offer at £4 or 20p a wash

Or the same pack in 24 also at £4 or 16.7p each

And not to be outgunned you've got your

Tesco own brand 1 in 5 at £5.50 or 9.2p each.

which, improbably is available in Asda but not Sainsbury's.

And then there's Fairy's range at another range of prices (cheapest 13.4p)

But for my money that still makes the Lidl deal the cheapest:

45 Finish Powerballs 'All in 1 30 pack plus 15 extra free' for £3.49 or 7.8p each.

And that, I think you'll find, is enough about dishwasher tablets.

 

 

Related

£200 cashback for your old fridge

How to cut your food bill in half

 

Buy one get one free at Waterstone's

 
Dawn French

Now here's an offer and a half. Waterstone's, the bookshop with the questionable apostrophe, is knocking out two for one on 100 top titles. This, unlike the execrable 3 for 2 scams to get people buying more than they want, is a genuine offer. You buy something and they give you something (whether you want it or not).

Choose from a range of last year's biographies by the likes of national treasure Dawn French to fiction from the UK's most-borrowed-from-libraries author Dan Patterson and the man who can perform the alchemy of making lawyers look exciting, John Grisham.

It is worth a look:

Waterstone's's buy one get one free 

Related

Where can I get one of those old I-Spy books?

Glasses Direct's four pairs at home trial

If you've ever thought about buying specs online but are put off by the idea that buying something unseen that's going to sit on your face every day for a couple of years is an absurd way to behave, help is at hand.

Glasses Direct the low-cost supplier of eyewear that comes without the overheads of high High Street rents now offers a 10-day at home trial on up to four pairs. That's worth taking a look at (if you'll forgive the limp play on words).

>> Glasses Direct home trial

Related

How to save money on specs and contact lenses

And now pics of famous people in similar glasses

 

The Crickets featuring well-known glasses wearer Buddy Holly.

 

TV fashion show presenter Gok Wan in a pair of glasses with model Olivia Inge.

And finally the greatest song about glasses ever written...

 

 

Make money? Turn your child into a stand-up comic

If your children think they're funny, maybe at bed time when the conversation turns to elaborate reasons why staying up all night is best for everyone, then check this out: stand-up lessons for kids with a chance to appear in a live show.

It says: 'Ever wanted to be a stand-up comedian, but thought you had to grow up first? Well, we can help. Comedy 4 Kids runs children’s comedy classes before the show starts, and participants even get the chance to perform in the main event.'

>> Soho Theatre Comedy 4 Kids

Yep, this is London-centric but I'm not aware of any similar courses around the country. Correct me in the comments box below.

Related

>> Funny money: your best financial jokes

£900 transatlantic cruise

Here's your chance to join the maiden voyage of a new liner from Southampton. Now why does this sound so familiar? There's even an ice bar on board.  The deal includes 10 nights, including two in New York and flight home. But at £895, it's a deal worth checking out; the ship has 17 restaurants for heaven's sake.

>> Learn more about the £899 cruise to New York deal on Travelzoo

UPDATE: Apologies to people arriving at this post from our newsletter but it appears that the deal has now sold out. It's still worth a look because even at full price I think it's a fair price for crossing the Atlantic and back.

Also worth a look:

>> Cruise tips and deals from our sister site, Travel Mail

>> Hand-picked travel deals from Travel Mail

>> Caribbean cruise FROM £995

Related

= Our cruise was sunk by £892 surcharge

= Too old to go on a cruise?

= More cruise stories