My Morrisons –
for free.
‘OLIO connects neighbours with each other and with local businesses so that surplus food can be shared, not thrown away,’ says Helen Dewdney, The Complaining Cow consumer champion. ‘The Too Good To Go app also allows you to purchase and collect food from businesses at a reduced price.’
So fear not – there are plenty of ways to save, if you’re savvy about it.
By checking supermarket apps, their weekly newsletters and magazines you can check what deals are on for the week – these are usually free to pick up in-store or online.
And don’t just limit yourself to supermarkets to get your weekly essentials – think outside the box and search further afield for discounts.
‘Look online to see if nonperishables can be bought cheaper from a store that isn’t a supermarket,’ says Helen. ‘Websites like Camel Camel Camel monitors the prices of items for sale on Amazon and lets you know when prices are dropping, together with the price history. Check whether those bargains are really what they claim to be.
‘Pricechecker, Pricerunner, Pricespy and Idealo compare prices from different sites for the same item, so it may also be worth checking them before purchasing anything.
‘You can use price comparison sites such as trolley.co.uk, too, which will also give you the prices using loyalty apps and cards.’
But you should also utilise your loyalty cards.
‘Loyalty cards aren’t just about racking up points and pounds to spend in-store – they can also unlock exclusive discounts,’ says Liz. ‘It’s well worth signing up for loyalty schemes in shops you use often.
‘Tesco Clubcard, Nectar at Sainsbury’s, Asda Rewards and Lidl Plus are all great options. However, avoid changing any shopping habits just to earn extra points, unless it’s going to end up saving you a lot of money.’
And if you prefer an online shop, Helen recommends looking into cashback websites.
‘For supermarket shopping in particular, try Shopmium,’ she says. ‘This is a supermarket cashback app offering cashback deals and freebies on your weekly shop.
‘Some offers are 100% free, while others are 50% off or ‘try for £1’ type deals. When you get home, you’ll need to scan the items you’ve purchased on the app, upload a photo of your receipt and then you’ll get your cash back which you can withdraw to your bank.’
It can be time consuming finding the best bargains – but worth it if you want a bit of extra cash in your back pocket.
Getting the most out of our shopping, we just need to think about it a little more – taking time to plan meals and check prices will help save you money in the long run.
So stop staggering round with your trolley, chucking items in willy nilly!
It may be a little extra effort, but every little helps.
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