I consider myself very lucky to live in a town with a B&M store on one of the retail parks. I only learned about this chain of stores this year due to reading about so many people finding bargains there on the Money Saving Expert forums and money being tight I decided it was well worth checking out.

This shop has now become one of the stores which I regularly visit to pick up on staple items for the home and also when I cant think of anywhere else to get something because it really is something of an aladdins cave. A proportion of household items (mainly cleaning stuff) I now only consider buying from here and as it is on the retail park next to a Sainsbury's and a Tesco Extra it is hardly an inconvenience to pop in for various bits to compliment my normal grocery shop.

My local store is in Telford and is located at the Forge Retail Park. Their website tells me that there is another store in Telford located in Wellington although I have not visited this one. The Forge Retail Park branch is fairly large and stocks everything from food and drink items (packets and tins, crisps and soft drinks) to cleaning and pet products and a wide variety of hardware, home furnishings and seasonal items (at the moment all BBQ and picnic themed for instance).

This chain apparently started in Blackpool in the mid 70s but has now expanded to include over 100 stores across the UK. It was in the news last week that this chain is one of a handful (including Poundland and Home Bargains) to capitalise on the downfall of Woolworths and apparently a number of old Woolies stores have been bought by these chains to be redeveloped. A chink of positivity for the high street in my opinion.

So, the things which I deliberately visit B&M Stores for are as follows, massive multi packs of Monster Munch which are 99p each compared with £2.50 in supermarkets, my husband eats tons of these and this is the cheapest way to keep a good supply in the house, they stock tons of multipack snacks at around half price or less than you will find them in mainstream supermarkets - all within date too.

Washing powder and fabric conditioner - I pick up a large box of Surf and a large bottle of lenor or equivelent for around £3 a month here versus around £6 in the supermarket, a brilliant saving.

Household cleaning products - I recently needed some vanish stain remover, it was £3 in Sburys but 99p in B&M. Lots of label products like Mr Muscle and Pledge etc you will find here at considerable discount.

Storage boxes - I needed some for clearing out some cupboards, considered a faux leather set in Tesco Extra for £15, checked B&M on the off chance and they had collapsible faux leather boxes for £1.49 each, this also meant I could buy exactly how many I needed rather than a pre-determined set.

Apparently B&M buy in bulk straight from manufacturers hence the way they manage to sell top brand names for lower prices. They are well worth checking out for many products and can cut the cost of some of your frequently bought items, in my opinion this store has made me a much savvier shopper and saved me an absolute fortune this year.

I have a feeling this chain will continue to grow as the recession bites and people seek bargains away from the big 4 supermarkets and in my opinion all power to them for offering those in the know an alternative.