Food prices and energy bills are rising, while at the same time national insurance and inflation hikes mean millions of us are really feeling the squeeze.
Everyone is looking for ways to save money where possible. And one savvy mum found a way to grab a takeaway roast dinner with all the trimmings for her family for less than £7.
Hull Live reporter Lucy Leeson said she found out about the Too Good To Go app from friend, who often shares how she grabs up some amazing bargains from the likes of Starbucks, Costa and Morrisons.
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If you've not heard of the app before, its premise is to stop food going to waste - just because it hasn't sold in time. People can buy the food at a great price to stop it being thrown away, however you don't always know what you're going to get, so it can be a gamble.
Lucy said she had had a long day at work and missed the chance to go to the supermarket for her weekly shop. But instead of spending more than £20 on a takeaway for her family of four, and still wanting some nutrition, she ordered two "carvery magic bags" from her local West Bulls pub, part of the Stonehouse pizza and carvery company - which also has a number of pubs in and around Liverpool.
She placed the order, which came to £6.58 in total, and her husband went to collect the bags at the specified time slot they had. When he got there, all he had to do was show their order on the app and the bag was waiting for him.
When he got home and we opened the bag in front of Lucy, she said she was blown away by the "sheer amount of food". She said: "We could easily have fed another family-of-four. We had Yorkshire puddings, mounds of mashed potato and roasties, dozens of slices of tender roast beef, lashings of gravy, four humongous sausages, stuffing balls and lots of fresh vegetables including carrots, peas, broccoli, sweetcorn and cabbage".
She plated up for four but there was a lot left. And most importantly, she said: "The taste? It was delicious and it tasted very fresh and no different to as if you were eating home cooked food.
"My personal favourite was the roast beef and vegetables (both cooked to perfection), whereas my husband and boys loved the sausages and Yorkshire puddings. I knew it was good as the boys in the family were so stuffed, they couldn't even manage a dessert. In-fact my husband couldn't eat anything until late afternoon the following day.
"I will definitely use the app again if we fancy a treat and a bargain price. I also felt good that we had stopped food going to waste. I am even thinking of going for a magic bag from Starbucks or Costa for an afternoon work pick-me up."
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