JANUARY is without doubt the bleakest month of the year, and apparently last weekend was the bleakest and grimmest of all, with many people suffering from post-festive doom and gloom.

As my colleague and good friend Motor Mouth has pointed out, motorists are once again being robbed blind at every petrol pump and this, of course, just serves to fuel our depression even further (there’s a little gag to make you smile).

Now, not one to be the harbinger of doom, I have been trying to make every effort during this extended period of austerity to remain cheerful and optimistic, but despite my best intentions, even my cheery disposition has started to take a bit of a beating.

Never in my life before have I spent valuable time, and I mean hours, checking out where to buy the cheapest petrol. Being your own consumer watchdog is very labour intensive and if I had a choice (and no overdraft) then I wouldn’t even be contemplating it.

I now find myself yelling at my children as we drive around the county to ask them to see how much the petrol is. This is quite frustrating as they are generally connected to the Internet or some hideous music.

Back in the halcyon days of my Amex card I would have spent my time checking out shoe prices, and I wouldn’t even have KNOWN how much petrol cost. These days it’s the cost of a litre of unleaded that is top of my agenda. My Internet history includes comparison websites, bulk buying oil websites and signing up for alerts for the cheapest petrol in the Thames Valley (as well as top tips on how to drive in a way that saves money – slowly apparently).

Along with most of the petrol purchasing population, I have come hurtling back down to earth with a most unladylike thud, but I do now pride myself on seeking out the cheapest fuel. However, there is a fatal flaw in my consumer champion plan. I have realised that it’s not cost effective to: A. Drive 30 miles out of your way to fill up just to save 0.5p a litre, and; B. Petrol stations that also have a Marks & Spencer attached MUST be avoided. The temptation to pick up a few “bits and pieces for supper” far outweighs any money that may have been saved on the fuel.