Yellow sticker shopping: how to get 100 days' of sandwiches for just £5 - reduced food tips

A seasoned bargain hunter has shared her strategy for making 100 days' worth of sandwiches for just £5, all thanks to discounted deals found on yellow-stickered items.

Shirley Allbones, a 55-year-old resident of Solihull, regularly feeds her family of four using cut-price groceries she hunts, with a keen understanding of supermarket and corner shop patterns allowing her to seize opportunities when prices drop, maximising her budget.

Allbones, who relies on public transportation for her shopping trips, typically does a major shop every eight weeks and supplements this with items from nearby corner stores.

By memorising product dates and shop cycles, Allbones ensures she arrives at the right moment to snag a deal. Her tactics involve noting down item cycles, keeping an eye on dates, and inquiring about potential price reductions from staff.

These strategies have enabled Allbones to secure numerous discounts, ranging from blocks of Wensleydale cheese to bulk purchases of potatoes, and even more luxury items like gourmet sandwiches and rice pudding.

Read more: Embracing the chaos - why I love the reduced section

Allbones said: "I write the dates in my head, you learn it over the years it is like you get a rota, my brain registers to look for certain things. We used to get £135 worth of food for £13 from Marks and Spencer in Solihull.”

"If you look at the cheese and it is due out in April and you see it in February you keep that date in your head. Locally I keep my eye on eggs, cheese. I got £80 worth [of cheese] for £6 at a One Stop. It was £5 blocks of Pilgrims Choice reduced to 50p.”

Although she usually sticks to smaller shops, Allbones recently scored 15 blocks of discounted cheese from a major supermarket, which lasted her son over 100 days of cheese and salad cream sandwiches.

While that particular success story came from the reduced section of Morrisons, Allbones assures that her tactics apply to major retailers like Tesco and Asda, leading to substantial savings on meal essentials, particularly for packed lunches.

"My son has had a packed lunch every day since December with the cheese I got from Morrisons. I got 15 blocks of 37p cheese, reduced from £3.70. It has been more than 100 days of cheese sandwiches, he has the cheese and salad cream sandwiches" said Allbones.

Discounted items can vary between supermarkets, so Allbones emphasises the importance of adapting her strategy to different stores and being proactive in seeking out reduced-price items.

Additionally, Allbones opts for long-lasting items such as onions and potatoes that can be stored in cool places without refrigeration, ensuring a steady supply for multiple meals.

Allbones' meticulous meal planning extends the family's budget further by repurposing leftovers for the next day's lunch. For instance, she strategically purchases discounted meat like chicken and mince, freezing it for hearty meals that can stretch into the following day.

Allbones' commitment to frugal living stems from her upbringing, influenced by her father's ethos of making do with what's available, and she employs storage techniques passed down from him, ensuring her discounted purchases last longer.

With her knack for spotting bargains and strategic shopping habits, Allbones proves that with a little effort, substantial savings can be achieved on everyday essentials.