I just found the COOLEST summer gadget at B&M for a quid - are they serious??

By HOAR Team 27 April, 2025 5 mins read 136 Views

Last Tuesday I was killing time before meeting my sister (who's ALWAYS late) and wandered into B&M with exactly £3.50 in my pocket. Not planning to buy anything. Just browsing. You know how it goes.

And then I saw it.

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The underwater camera that made me text my holiday group chat immediately

So there I was, aimlessly wandering the aisles when I spotted this waterproof camera that was marked down from £12 to just ONE POUND. I literally did a double-take. The cashier looked at me like I was slightly unhinged when I asked her to check if the price was right. Her response: "Yeah, we're just trying to get rid of them." Well, consider this one gotten rid of!

I've been burned before by these "too good to be true" deals that turn out to be complete rubbish. Remember those solar lights I bought in 2019 that worked for approximately 45 minutes? £25 down the drain.

But this little camera seems like teh real deal. It's fully waterproof (perfect for my Croatia trip next month), comes with a wrist strap so I don't drop it while paddleboarding, and already has 10 exposures loaded. Plus you can reload it with any standard 35mm film when you're done.

Wait... people still use actual FILM?

Listen. I know we all have phones with decent cameras. But there's something kinda magical about not being able to see the photos right away. Plus, I'm so sick of everyone's perfect Instagram shots. My friend Dani spent our entire beach day in Cornwall last summer taking 400 versions of the same wave. FOUR HUNDRED.

I posted about my find in that Extreme Couponing Facebook group (my guilty pleasure since lockdown) and people went nuts for it.

B&M is having a moment right now

Turns out I'm not the only one finding ridiculous bargains. The Watford store has apparently been selling vanilla candles and LED lights for 20p. TWENTY PENCE! People are stocking up for Christmas presents already.

And if you're into garden stuff, they've got these cute solar table lamps for £1.50, down from £2.50. Not the biggest discount ever, but they're 21cm tall and don't need any wiring. I'm tempted to go back and grab a couple for my tiny balcony... though after the Great Solar Light Disappointment of 2019, I'm a bit wary.

The real question: will it actually work?

I haven't tested it underwater yet. Part of me is worried I'll just end up with 10 blurry blue photos of nothing. But for a quid? Worth the gamble.

God. I sound like such a B&M fangirl right now. I swear this isn't an ad - I just get way too excited about random bargains. My flatmate says it's my most annoying quality.

Anyway, if you want one of these cameras, you might want to move fast. The way people were commenting on my post, I'm guessing they won't last long on shelves.

I'll update after Croatia with the actual photos... assuming they turn out to be more than just water-damaged squares of nothing!

Other summer essentials I've spotted

While we're on the subject of summer finds, I also noticed they've got those fancy insulated water bottles for £4 (similar to ones I've seen for £20+) and some decent looking beach towels for a fiver.

Poor wallet. I only went in for a browse.

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