The Bargain Hunter: Crack open the champers

There's nothing like oysters and champagne to make you feel like a million dollars – but thankfully you no longer need to have millions to enjoy them. London restaurant Plateau is currently offering half a dozen Colchester rock oysters with a glass of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne for just £15. Available at any time of day, they can be savoured in the romantic setting of the restaurant bar or – if the weather's nice – the Johnnie Walker terrace, overlooking Canary Wharf.

Back to school goodies

With the kids soon heading back to the classrooms – or off to university – WH Smith is now offering a range of studious discounts, with notebooks calculators and pencil cases available at up to 60 per cent off. Top buys include the Casio FX991ES Plus scientific calculator for just £10.24, down from £20.49, or a pack of three Staedtler erasers for just £3.39.

Great getaways for couples

While the kids are away, the grown-ups will play. September marks the end of the peak travel period, so if you're looking for an affordable British break act now. BMI is currently offering flights to a host of UK destinations for just £14.99, making it a great time to visit cultural gems like Edinburgh, Cardiff or Jersey while avoiding the high train costs.

Top marks for laptop offer

If all the extra homework is causing arguments over who gets to use the computer, we may have found a solution. Sainsbury's is offering a host of discounts on laptops – from £300 off a sharp Sony model, to 30 per cent off its Samsung range. Our top tip, however, is a Toshiba L650-12K Core i3 15.6" 3GB/320GB laptop for just £349.99, an incredible saving of over £200.

j.hall@independent.co.uk