I have posted these tips before on another thread, but if they are of a help to new eyes, its worth posting again
Yellow sticker shop - and not always the places you would think. I get my best bargains at local Spars, M+S and Lidl. Lidl usually in the mornings, same with Spars and M+S around tea time. Last week I got 1.5kg gammon for £2.60 in a spar and I filled a huge B&M bag for life for £25 from M&S. I dont yellow sticker shop for bread/patries, for me its all about meat and fish, I picked up legs of lamb for £7 last Christmas - bought as many as I had room in the freezer for - and I did sacrifice bread I had to make room :)
Download Toogoodtoogo and Olio apps. TGTO you pay, Olio is free but you might have to take a late trip out, TGTG are food outlets selling food extremely cheaply and Olio is a scheme where members do the supermarket runs, collecting their end of shelf life food, and putting it out there - its free, no charge
Both apps work best in towns and cities. I use TGTG if Im going to a city, last time I used it I got from the Cornish pasty company 2 large pasty, two smaller slices and two sweets and something else - £7. we took our lunch from it, the rest came home and in the freezer - did other lunches
Check local community pages for a community fridge. They are free to use, not means tested or referral needed , they are there to stop food waste. Rather like Olio, they collect the food and then have just the one area and time slot to go pick up. Our one, sometimes its just bananas and bread, other times one of the meat processing factories will send up sausages, burgers etc - they are hit and miss but worth setting alerts for
If you have a meat/chicken processing factory near you, check to see if they are running a shop. Ive gotten chickens for as little as 25p
Do not feel that you cant ask for a food bank referral. You might have kids who need new shoes or you might have a big bill that really needs paying, and both are going to cut your grocery bill - use a food bank. You can get from Trussel - 3 referrals a. year, and there may be others run locally that take more referrals. Go to a food bank rather than getting deeper in debt . Any perceived embarrassment around asking for help is a lot shorter lived then debt interest
Day trips/entertainment - use your local online community pages. If it's free - GO. Gets you out the house, gets your meeting people , stops the feelings of isolation. I live rural and Ive been to more then anyones fair share of local community days geared to younger families ( Im old ) It doesn't matter, what matters is getting out and feeling normal
Tesco shopper? dont use your points in store, swap for rewards - worth double in loads of chain restaurants, cinema tickets , days out etc
Hair and beauty? get in touch with the college near you that teaches - you can go "model" for students. Ok so Im not up on prices but I used to get a cut, colour and finish for £10. You can get massages, hair cuts, colouring, nails - just about anything. It won't be quick in and out as its a student under a tutors guidance, but its worth it ( you won't come out looking a mess )
If and when we go for a meal we go lunchtime or tea time ( what city people call pre theatre ) there are usually great deals to be had for near on half the price of main evening menu. Dont be embarrassed asking for tap water either , soft drinks are a joke of a price
fancy a Chinese or Indian take out? Just order the main dish - cook your own rice/naan. Look in the reduced sections for sundries like samosa and spring rolls and lift them and freeze them till needed
These are just a few of the things I do/did Hope they help others