"I Save £70 a Month on My Shopping Bill — Here’s How I Do It”
- Frank Withenshaw, 32, first got into discount shopping with his grandmother
- He says finding yellow sticker bargains gives him a “dopamine hit”
- Frank advises not paying too much attention to sell-by dates to save a fortune
Many of us are desperate to cut down on our monthly bills but don’t know where to start.
But one savvy man has revealed how he saves £70 a month by following a series of clever tips that anyone can copy.
Frank Withenshaw, 32, a civil servant from Leeds, shares how he manages to save £70 a month on his shopping bill by focusing on reduced-price items and a few clever tricks.
“Buying reduced is something I got into through going to the supermarket with my nan,” Frank told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk.
“She loved it, and I’ve picked it up from her. As much as I like to do it to save money, it’s kind of like finding treasure - of course, on a smaller scale.
"But when you find something you like for 10% or less of the regular price, it’s a little dopamine hit.
“If I have bought reduced stuff, I prioritise getting through that before other stuff in the fridge.
"I don’t mind keeping the reduced stuff past its use by or sell-by date either. Dates don’t really bother me.
“That would be something I’d say to people to save food - don’t take the dates on it as meaning you must throw it out then.
"Loads of people I know will throw perfectly good food out because it’s over its sell or use-by date.
"I think retailers put it on to cover themselves in case people get ill, but I think it leads to people thinking the food is spoiled when it’s not.
“The best tips I’ve got for getting good yellow stickers are to visit mini-supermarkets versus big stores.
“Go to mini-supermarkets in office areas on a weekend, and check the fresh produce counters toward the end of the day.
“After big events like Christmas, supermarkets stock up tons of festive packaged meats, cheeses, desserts, and so on.
"Once Christmas is over, their reduced sections are heaving with stuff they want to get rid of for a fraction of the usual price.
“Another tip I’d give for saving money, although it isn’t really in keeping with reduced food and saving money - but if people are going to treat themselves and order a takeaway off Just Eat, my little tip is to use the app as a menu, put your order together, and then order over the phone and pay in cash.
"It pretty much always works out cheaper, unless they have one of their offers on.
“Yellow sticker bargains save money because they are very cheap.
"They can save time by being ready to eat, but also, if you go into a shop and see loads of stuff you like reduced in price, then you don’t really have to think about what you’re going to buy because it’s already there.”
“By following these strategies, I estimate that I save around £70 a month on food."
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Shopping smarter doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.
“Small changes like checking reduced sections, planning meals around what’s on offer, and avoiding waste by not fixating on best-before dates can save you hundreds over time. Just use your nose and give the food a sniff to check if it’s still safe to eat.
“Frank recommends shopping for leftover stock after big events, which I’d agree with.
“Before buying, check out how much extra you can save online: for example, we’re currently offering 25% off your first order at Ocado.”
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