“I save £50 a week on my shopping - I do this trick daily, it really adds up”
- Charlie Watkinson, 49, does a daily shop instead of a weekly shop
- She visits Morrison’s, M&S and Iceland regularly to look for yellow sticker deals
- Charlie says the best bargains depend on the weather
A savvy mum has revealed her simple trick to saving £50 a week on her food shop - adding up to over £200 a month.
Charlie Watkinson, 49, a mum of one from Dorset, does a daily shop instead of a weekly shop.
In addition to this hack - which means she only ever buys what she needs and no more - Charlie browses the yellow sticker sections in various local supermarkets to see which items have been reduced for a quick sale.
Charlie told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "I decided to do yellow sticker shops to save money and save food being wasted.
"I’m disabled without a car at the moment due to osteoarthritis in both knees so I use a mobility wheelchair.
"I usually do daily or twice-daily shops.
"I freeze a lot of it or it’s eaten within 24 hours.
"I find most people think that food goes off the second the clock strikes midnight then gets thrown away.
"I always eat food past the best before dates with no problem.
"I always look at reduced sections in Morrison’s, M&S and my local Iceland which are easily accessible on my wheelchair.
"There isn’t a specific time that I go but Monday mornings and Sunday around 2pm are good times to look.
"I use the community larder at the food bank where we pay an amount, say £5, for 12 store items and two fridge or freezer items.
“That money goes back to the food bank plus they do lots of bread and pastries from Lidl and lots of fresh fruit and veg which I will use to make soup.
"Soup is a great money saver or I also use veg to bulk out chilli, cottage pie, shepherd’s pie and stews.
“I save around £50 a week on food using these methods as I do a daily shop rather than doing a big weekly shop.
"That’s because I can only carry one bag full at a time so I meal plan to be organised.
“However, I will change my plan if anything with yellow stickers is available.
"I’ve found that the best bargains also depend on the weather - if the weather is bad then they reduce more because there are not so many customers.
“I’m also a big advocate for charity shopping. I absolutely love getting individual style looks.
"It feels great to save so much a week, so I can treat my daughter to something or buy essentials without worrying!”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Doing a big weekly shop is what most families do, but as Charlie proves, popping into your shops daily and being strict about meal planning can save you a fortune.
“By shopping small and often, you’ll ensure that you only pick up what you really need, reducing food waste - plus, you’re giving yourself the best chance of spotting epic yellow sticker bargains.
“Another great tip to save money on food and drink is to use vouchers.
“On our website for example, you can get all the latest Asda vouchers before you do your supermarket shop.”
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