Money News: All out for an artefact

❚ Russian businessman, Evgeny Yurchenko, bought the world’s first ever space ship, the Soviet Vostok 3KA-2, for £1.8m at a US auction this year, returning it to its original home.

❚ In 1994, Microsoft boss Bill Gates splurged £19.3m on famous book The Codex Leicester, which contains a collection of scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci.

❚ An anonymous bidder bought the key to the binocular store on the ill-fated Titanic for £90,000 last year. The key was never on board, as an officer forgot to hand it over, so the captain relied on his naked eye.

❚ John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics for Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (complete with his doodles) was bought for £145,644 in the US this year, by an unknown fan.

Save Money: Best Deals in London

Find yourself searching for money in the couch cushions? Take our money-saving advice:

SWAP SHOW TICKETS
If you have unwanted tickets to a gig or event, or if you’re looking for one and want to avoid unscrupulous touts, visit seatwave.com which buys and sells fans’ tickets for decent prices. It’s especially good for sold-out shows.

USE THE LASER
Gone are the days when you need to flit between shops for a better deal, now you can download the RedLaser app to your iPhone (£1.19). When you scan a barcode, it searches online to bring up better prices for the same item.

RACK UP REWARDS
By making a restaurant booking and reviewing your meal through the free Toptable app, you can earn points to redeem for meals, food-related gifts and foodie experiences at venues across the UK. The app also includes a tip calculator.

How You Spend It!

Sarah Torcasio, 23
Job Data Entry
From Melbourne
Lives Clapham South

How do you budget?
I deduct my essentials – rent, bills and travel – from my monthly pay and put it in a separate account. I’m bound to find useless things to spend it on otherwise.

Any money-saving tips?
Hmm. Don’t go into clothes shops, or online shops. Don’t look at gig guides, and try to avoid going to the pub every other night.

Last big blow-out?
When a friend came to London for a few nights I booked what I thought was a basic hotel room, but it was actually an apartment that we nicknamed the penthouse. Whoops!

What non-essential items do you spend money on?
I could say gigs, but to me they are essential. Are you telling me you wouldn’t pay to see Laura Marling on her cathedral tour?