I’m a single mum-of-two and I swear by 5 tips to save £200 a MONTH on food shopping – you’ve got to try my ‘SOON’ dinner
A SINGLE mum-of-two has revealed the five simple tricks she swears by to save cash on her groceries.
So if you’re looking to cut costs and want to pocket an extra £200 a month, you’ll need to check this out.
Keeping food shopping costs down is an ongoing battle for many families in the UK, but thankfully, one savvy mother has shared how she shaves hundreds off her food bill every month.
Claudine Starkie, 48, from Oldham, confirmed that she saves £200 a month by doing small, daily shops, and searching for yellow sticker bargains, rather than doing one large weekly shop.
Not only this, but she also swears by meal planning, bulk buying and her ‘SOON’ dinner too.
Claudine, who has just celebrated her 30th year working in the NHS, is strict about only buying food she will use, no matter how appealing the bargain is, and she also stocks up on reduced veg, and blanches and freezes them for future use.
Claudine told money-saving community LatestDeals: “My main reasons for starting yellow label shopping is purely the cost of living crisis we’re all going through and trying to keep food on the table and making ends meet every month.
“I split from my husband in 2010, so I had no choice but to be strong.”
‘SOON’ dinner
If you’re looking to cut costs, you’ll want to give Claudine’s ‘SOON’ dinner a try.
By simply using leftover items in her fridge, freezer and cupboards, Claudine explained: “My kids are used to the economic meals I’ve created, which we call ‘SOON Dinner’,
“This stands for Something Out Of Nothing.”
Shopping every day
Rather than doing one big food shop once a week, Claudine claimed that she saves cash by hitting the supermarkets every day.
She revealed: “As a single mum, I’ve always gone shopping after work, and during lockdown, I found that items were reduced around this time of day.
“I used to primarily shop at Asda but I’m unable to shop in just one supermarket now, so I trawl all supermarkets on my route home and try others if I’m out and about.”
Meal planning
In addition to shopping every day, Claudine swears by meal planning as a way to stop overspending.
She admitted: “As a rule, I try and meal plan with what ingredients I have in the fridge, freezer and cupboards, and if I find any bargains, I mentally plan meals before I buy bargains.
I save around £200 a month by shopping this way!
Claudine Starkie
“My son is a very very big lad who has mild Prader-Willi syndrome, so he’s constantly hungry.
“He’s also autistic, so he likes routine and to know exactly what he’s going to be eating each day.”
Yellow sticker goodies
As well as this, Claudine swears by yellow stickers to pocket pounds.
She confessed: “Yellow label shopping has allowed me to be able to get treats that just aren’t normally in my budget, like different cuts of meat, different vegetables, and desserts.
“To make a saving, I actually purchased an upright freezer from Facebook marketplace to store more bargains.
When to bag yellow sticker bargains
Aldi: Look for red stickers near closing time, offering up to 75% off perishable items and 30% off damaged packaging goods.
Asda: Discounts happen twice daily, in the morning and evening. Early risers can find fresh produce for as low as 10p.
Lidl: Price cuts occur first thing in the morning and before closing. Use the Lidl Plus app for additional weekly promotions.
Marks and Spencer: Reductions often occur near closing time. Monthly in-store offers and combo deals, like the £12 Dine In for Two, provide extra savings.
Morrisons: Yellow sticker discounts appear throughout the day. Register for a More Card to get specific day-based discounts, like 20% off fish on Fridays.
Sainsbury’s: No set discount times; look for yellow ‘reduced’ stickers. Register for Nectar prices for nearly 50% off weekly offers.
Tesco: No fixed discount times. Check the “mark-down section” in 300 stores for reduced-price items like salads, bread, and meat.
“I can now buy more prawns, chicken, fish, mince, and burgers.
“We stock up on reduced veg and prepare them by blanching and freezing for future use.
“If we see any butter on offer, we buy and freeze that, too.
“That’s the main thing for me, making sure most items are suitable for freezing, and only buying items I’m going to use.”
Bulk buying
Claudine also swears by bulk buying to save cash in the long run, as she explained: “Around payday, I look at what’s low in my freezer and look for the things I know we’ll need, like chicken, fish, mince, prawns and steaks and bulk up on those, so I can concentrate on the other bargains to go with them, so I can meal plan.
“My top tip is, make sure you take what your needs require.
“Reduced items can include non-food items too. I bulk buy washing products and other things.
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes – plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury’s also sells £2 “Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me” fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps – food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains – yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains – sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they’ve found on the cheap, including food finds.
“Downshift” – you will almost always save money going for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as “downshifting” and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.
“Be kind to others searching for a bargain, and don’t judge others, as we are all one paycheck away from homelessness.
“There’s no shame in grabbing a bargain, which includes ripped cereal boxes, dented tins and so on. The contents are still good.
“Always think about the variety of meals you can cook with the bargains you purchase and have fun exploring new ingredients and making new dishes.”
The importance of budgeting
For Claudine, budgeting is highly important, as she shared: “On average, one bag of shopping costs around £20 to £30.
“I try and budget for a week’s full shop to cost around £50 to £60 and this must include staples like bread, milk and cheese.
As a single mum, I have no choice but to rely on the bargains I’ve acquired over previous months, especially in the run up to Christmas
Claudine Starkie
“My daughter is now a mini me and will trawl the reduced aisle before starting her shopping.
“The only time I take a break from reduced shopping is when my freezer is full, or when I’m ill!
“My son is a very big lad, and constantly hungry and literally eats everything in sight.
“As a single mum, I have no choice but to rely on the bargains I’ve acquired over previous months, especially in the run up to Christmas.
“I save around £200 a month by shopping this way!”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals: commented: “Most of us can only dream of saving £200 a month on our food shop, but Claudine shows how everyone can do it with perseverance and creativity.
“It can take discipline and time to build up a freezer stash of reduced food, but the savings are so worth it.
“Another top tip when it comes to saving money on food is to hunt for voucher codes – for example, at the moment, at Sainsbury’s, you can get £15 off your first £80 online shop.”