This is one of things where the discount is actually worth something. A lot of other places have "sales", but you are only usually saving 10% or less, or the products are no-name brands that aren't worth your time.

This place, on the other hand, has big discounts on good quality stuff. It's amazing the value you can get. Of course they are only picking up opportune stuff so it's not like you can pick what you want. But if you are not in a hurry and bide your time, they will usually bring up a deal you want within a few weeks.

I once bought a product that was a complete dud, and they were excellent about refunding it (I didn't even have to post it back to them). So that has allayed my concerns about that.

So this is one of the few email newsletters I have not un-subscribed to.

Approximate cost: $50

I was looking for an online printer to assist with my photographic business. Ordering through other places was painful. These guys really impressed me with their downloadable ordering program. You can select the files you want, select the print type and size, and other things as well (crop, rotate). Then it gives you the total cost of the order. It makes the whole process much more streamlined.

The print quality has always been excellent. Plus they have a large range of print types (e.g. canvas, foam core, metallic printing). They are also extremely quick - if you order before 12 noon Monday to Friday they are ready to pick up or Express Posted at 4:30pm the same day!

They are now my preferred photo printer.

Approximate cost: $50

These guys have great prices on HDMI cables. I've bought a number of them and they were shipped immediately. Their communication is excellent and their website is easy to navigate. No more paying silly inflated prices for cables!

Approximate cost: $15

I was a bit skeptical about this place at first because they had some bad reviews on productreview.com.au. I first ordered a childrens rug that was quite a bit cheaper than other places. It arrived well packaged and was excellent quality.

I then ordered some bunk beds from them. They quality was also good, as was the price. Their service by email and over the phone had always been friendly. So I would recommend this place and I do keep an eye on their specials myself.

Approximate cost: $500

This is a great place to buy things online. Many people are wary of it, but consider than when you buy from a physical store, there are few ways of finding out how past transaction went. However on eBay you get to see all this directly by checking a seller's feedback.

It is especially good for buying replacement parts that don't need to be of high quality. For example, the lens cap to a Canon camera. Do you really need to pay $15 for one when a cheap copy from Hong Kong can be had for $3? It's only a bit of plastic.

Good things I've bought from eBay are computer games, SD cards, small appliances and small replacement parts and batteries. It's a great way to find items that would take a bit of tracking down in a store. E.g. search for the model number in eBay and find it straight away.

Did you know that you can get Virgin Velocity points for using eBay? You probably didn't, as they don't advertise it well. You have to go to shopandearn.com.au and login there first, then click on the link.

Obviously you have to be more careful than with buying something in person so do check the seller's feedback, and if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

But all in all, a great place to find what you need.

Approximate cost: $50

This is a small family business that makes a whole lot of different bags, covers and sacks. They are advertised as a camping store, however I've found their products very useful for many other things around the house (e.g. port-a-cot, portable lights, trampoline). Often the original bag that comes with a product is very cheap and poor quality and doesn't last. At this place, you can order a bag or sack made from canvas or thick cotton to protect your products.

I've ordered many products from them and they've always been good value. They can even make up custom ones if you require.

If you sign up to their email list, they are often having sales of up to 30% off which makes it very good value.

Their communications could be a little more professional (e.g. text in emails is be all different sizes and colours, which is jarring to read). However you do get the impresion that the guy and his wife are some friendly characters just trying to make a living and provide a decent product.

So to summarise, this is a great place to go looking for a bag to keep something protected.

Approximate cost: $50

Since Roxby Downs is in the middle of the desert, there aren't that many places to eat out. But being in Chives makes you feel like back in a restaurant in a trendy city suburb. The staff are wonderful and friendly and often get to you know you well. The meals are very tasty.

For an excellent meal, stick to the italian fare (e.g. pizza or pasta). The other food (steak, seafood) is good, but not as special. I have personally never had a great steak here, though others I've spoken too think they are good.

The prices are on the high side, but this is understandable given the location and the difficulty of retaining good staff.

So overall, it's a great place to eat and have an enjoyable evening.

Approximate cost: $30

These guys have great prices and usually free delivery, which is great. They also have a big range so things are usually in stock.

They also have a good returns policy. I bought an amp online before realising it wasn't compatible with my speakers. After a phone call to the Munno Para store, they happily accepted the item back by return postage. This is excellent customer service.

They are one of the first places I look for electronics.

Approximate cost: $680

These guys are definitely worth dealing with. We've bought a washing machine, fridge, freezer, portable air conditioner and food processor from them. The items have always been very cheap, and in one case they price matched another website and took $75 off. They have always been easy to deal with.

On one occasion we had to wait a bit longer than we thought for an item, but I guess this comes with buying online. One item (the food processor) was delivered to the middle of South Australia 2 days after ordering, which was great.

The only real downside is that they use Allied Express. This means that sometimes even though they dispatch the item quickly, the deliver can take a long time or get held up.

You can also get Virgin Velocity points (1 per dollar) for using them, although they don't make it very obvious up front. You have to login first at shopandearn.com.au and then click on the link to their site. This is a good way to get a large amount of points on expensive items (e.g. fridge, freezer, washing machine) as well as your credit card points.

In summary, they are my go-to place for appliances now.

Approximate cost: $1600

I have bought a monitor and a samsung galaxy S II from this site. The monitor was a great price and exactly as described.

The phone was also a great price but had a few drawbacks. Firstly the box was opened and the power plug was an american one (but they included an adapter). The phone itself was new with all the plastic on though. The worst thing was that the phone language was set to Spanish. It was fixable after 5 minutes of Googling and playing around with the menu. But I certainly wouldn't recommend the site to buy gifts for people that aren't tech savvy.

So overall, you get the product at a good price but may have to accept some small compromises.

Approximate cost: $550