I'm not a cheapskate by any means but like anyone else I like a good deal and refuse to pay over the odds for something that just isn't worth it. Shopping around is something I imagine we all do before committing to a purchase, and there is a feeling of satisfaction at having saved money. Cans of energy drinks are something I buy a lot of but I won't entertain Red Bull at over a pound a can when you get a decent brand for 50p or 35p, four for a quid from some of the pound shops. Something that fluctuates in price in the most ridiculous fashion is the simple can of Coca-Cola. For ages I refused to go over 50p for a can because the prices tend to get a bit ridiculous, especially in the city centre where I have seen them on sale for 95p. For 95p I want the company to return to the olden days when cocaine was an ingredient. A while ago I raised my ceiling to 60p which I have managed to stick to with some success, particularly in smaller shops out of town. Today in my local newsagent I picked up the pictured can which had 65p printed as part of the design. This is a great idea which means that the shops can't make their own price up. 

This method also works on cigarettes, at the moment John Player's Special king size are £6.99 according to the price on the cellophane wrapping although some shops do the same as they do with cans of Coke - they take the piss. 

It is the printed price that I tend to go on when I buy the crisps that I eat as part of my Twitter #crispreport because there really isn't a reason why crisps, a relatively cheap food stuff to produce, should cost so much. Golden Wonder, KP, and Bobby's all display the price on the bag whereas Walkers crisps tend to all be over 50p and not worth it. I especially resent paying over the odds when Walkers have such disregard for the crisp colour coding system. 

No podcast this week.

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May housekeeping 

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@SteveOliver76 

Today is the last day that I am allowing myself to rest because I am falling too far behind on my work and from tomorrow will seriously need to pull my finger out. Some time ago I submitted an April Fool story to the Nottingham Post but received no reply so I am not sure if they will be using it. To be honest it will be hard to tell as most stories in the local paper border on the ridiculous, as indeed they do in the national press. I have spent some time catching up on my blog today but have not been tweeting the links because I didn't want to fill my Twitter feed up with blog links. While I have been ill my follower count has been stupid, it has fluctuated at an even worse rate than usual with people following for a matter of hours. Part of me wanted to publicly mention them and ask if it was because I was ill or if it was because they are Walkers crisps fans and my #crispreport tweets favour Golden Wonder and KP, either that or they are people who think it acceptable to talk at gigs. All I know is that I still carry the word 'underfollowed' on my Twitter bio and will do for some time.

I think I will ditch The Record Store Day Video (working title) until next year and film it a lot further in advance with better planning. The pressure isn't worth it for a ten minute film when I have other projects to work on. Filming wise I am keen to get the Saturday Breakfast pilot out of the way and another crowd funding video for a film about a band from Nottingham that I have mooted but not spoken publicly about (because someone will steal the idea of course). Once they are out of the way they can earn their money until the projects come to life next year, my last filming project this year is a comedy involving puppets and is something that has been in the pipeline for about five years. When I need some reassurance regarding stunted projects I read bit's of Richard Herring's website and see how much of a struggle he has had to try and get things off the ground. His blog details television writing that has never seen the light of day and I know how he feels. It is the worst thing in the world to have to do a load of work only for it to fall before the finishing line is in sight.

The Easter Sunday edition of the podcast will need to be recorded at some point too but time is again against me as I have promised Mandi we'll spend Good Friday together and we will be going to my dad's for lunch on Easter Sunday. Even though self-employed people don't benefit from it financially I will be working on Easter Saturday and Monday to get caught up so will record the podcast either tomorrow or Thursday. All this shows that I am very much back in business although I have learned something of a lesson in slowing down and not letting work take over my life.

Due to illness there is no edition of The Sunday Alternative this week.

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March housekeeping 

To purchase my audio books, albums, and books, please visit my Shop & Donations page.

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We also need to fund a pilot episode of a new music and cookery show, read about it here.

Every penny that I receive via the PayPal button will be used to fund future projects such as podcasts, short films, comedy sketches, documentaries, and more. They will be made available for free online and I will not personally benefit financially. All help is greatly appreciated.

steveEoliver@gmail.com

@SteveOliver76