Saving money in this current economic climate is at the front of people’s minds. As the nation grapples with rising food and fuel prices deepening the cost of living crisis, we are looking at ways of how to make money go further.
Supermarkets are one area where money can be saved. Some have deals throughout the month such as Aldi’s Super 6 or Morrisons’ Mother’s Day bundle.
Other ways you could look to save money include using coupons, food shopping on a full stomach and meal planning so you’re not impulse-buying. The time you go shopping can also massively impact your final shopping bill too.
Some supermarkets sell off discounted food at drastically lower prices, if the food is near its use-by date. As reported in The Mirror, a woman has saved a small fortune by purchasing food that has been branded with the bright yellow stickers.
In one of her latest supermarket hauls, Hollie Saunders, 23, a retail manager from Caerphilly in Wales, managed to save an impressive £72 on her Morrisons shop by picking up reductions.
Her trolley included sausages for 15p, chicken fillets reduced to 22p and slices of topside beef for 55p. Hollie’s total bill should’ve come to £81.70 but she only paid £9.53 - a saving of £72.17 for 28 items.
“There were loads [of reductions] there. I think they might have started reducing earlier than normal because of the sheer volume,” said Hollie.
“The yellow sticker area in my Morrisons is bigger than most other stores. They had tonnes there and when I arrived it looked like they had just finished reducing.
“Everything was 20p or 30p. It was all meat, so I could freeze it.
"I just grabbed everything I could use. I picked up food for my family as well.”
Hollie says she visited her local Morrisons at around 11.30am on a Sunday - and quotes this as being the best time for reductions. If she is visiting between Monday and Saturday, the bargain hunter says between 2pm and 3pm is the best time for Morrisons deals.
Of course, each store will start their yellow stickers at different times, so there is no guarantee that your local shop will also begin reducing at the time. For example, some supermarkets won’t start reducing until they're approaching closing time - sometimes around 6pm or even later.
The best thing to do is get familiar with your particular store so you can time your visit. You could even ask staff for the best time for reductions.
“My Morrisons does reduce a bit earlier compared to other shops,” said Hollie. “Sometimes I can go to Asda at 6pm and they have loads of discounts - but they often only reduce their food by a little bit in my store.
“My other tips are to always look at the size of products. You look at some deals, and it says two for £2, but you’ll sometimes find you can buy them both separately and get more for your money.
“I always buy the cheapest medicines when it comes to things like paracetamol. There isn’t often any difference compared to more expensive brands.
“I tend to buy mostly supermarket own-brand items as well and I’ve never had a problem. Pasta is pasta.
“I use Olio and Too Good To Go as well. I get really good hauls from Starbucks, Greggs and Morrisons from Too Good To Go.”
Supermarket shoppers have been warned they face an annual grocery bill rise of around £180 as the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze households. This is according to research from Kantar, released last month, which shows food prices rose by 3.8% in the four weeks to January 23 - up from 3.5% in December.
If you're looking to save money in the supermarket, check out these tips...
- Look for discounts and voucher codes online and get on mailing lists of brands and retailers you use.
- Pick up free supermarket magazines - they'll often have vouchers inside.
- Try the Downshift challenge; this is where you swap branded goods for supermarket-own labels.
- Meal prep to reduce impulse buys and spending on what you've already got in the cupboard.
- Freeze any leftovers that can be eaten at a later date to avoid food waste.
