Joke home-made 'Ginger discount' card saves £200

Richard Macrae, a 34-year-old red-haired comic book illustrator from Aberdeen, says he has saved £200 in four years with a home-made 'ginger discount' card given to him by a friend for his birthday.

He told the Scotsman that he'd always been ribbed about his hair colour, and the 30th birthday present was just the latest in a long line of jokes. However he's the one left laughing, after he decided to see if the card would work.

He now takes it out with him more often than he takes his bankcard; he hands it over after every purchase, and asks if they'll give him a ginger discount. He told the Mirror that he has received discounts in shops, bars and taxis - where in many cases he is given the equivalent of a student discount. He said: "It opens folk up to a bit of banter back and forth but I never try for any specific amount of discount."

However, he admits that he's also had his share of refusals, and people who have failed to see the funny side. So anyone thinking of following his example needs to have a fairly high tolerance for embarrassment.

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Red-haired advantages

Fortunately, red-heads don't have to chance their arm for a discount. Union Square shopping centre in Aberdeen has been inspired by Macrae's story to launch a Ginger Discount event.

This weekend redheads will receive 10% off at a range of stores from Nandos to Superdry. They have generously offered to extend the discount to anyone who shops in a ginger wig.

And they're not alone. Crosshaven in County Cork in Ireland has been holding a redhead convention every August for years - and attendees are entitled to take advantage of the town's Ginger Discount scheme, providing everything from free pints of Murphys to half price bike rental.

The next convention isn't until next year, but you can Red-gister now.

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Last June Manchester marked National Redhead Day with a Music of Ginger Origin award ceremony (where Ed Sheeran and Kate Nash triumphed) and Waxy O'Connor's, Norwegian Blue and Henry J Beans offered discounts of up to 25% to redheads as part of the celebrations. So canny discount hunters can check it out again next June.

And it's worth keeping your eyes out for occasional novelty discounts. In January last year Oddbins offered 10% off to redheads as part of a campaign to celebrate groups of people who have traditionally not always been celebrated - including redheads, bankers, journalists, mums, and Germans.

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