It’s no secret that prices are at an all-time high right now. With essentials like groceries becoming more and more expensive, people tend to look for all the ways they could save on their bills.
One woman, Dominique Dyer, a home ownership officer and a mother, shared her tips on how she saves up to $1,200 a year on food.
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Saving a little each week adds up
The 38-year-old mom shared that saving a little on each week’s grocery shop can go a long way. In fact, Dyer’s nifty shopping hacks save her around $1,200 a year on groceries alone.
These tricks are easy to copy and should save you a pretty penny too!
She started paying attention to discounts
The mother told the online community LatestDeals.co.uk that she started keeping an eye out for yellow stickers that indicate an item’s price has been reduced.
Importantly, this works because she meticulously plans her meals so she only shops for what she needs in the amount needed.
Dyer wrote about her hacks online
“I decided to start yellow sticker shopping to save money and for ethical reasons such as preventing food wastage that would most likely end up being discarded by supermarkets even though it is perfectly fine,” the mother wrote on the online forum.
The reduced produce has saved her a lot
“Over the course of the year I have managed to save on average at least £1,000 ($1,200) by buying reduced produce,” she added.
The mother then started detailing some of the deals she’s been able to strike, like a lamb shoulder joint for just £2.84 ($3.50) and two beef ranch steaks for £1.49 ($1.84).
The discounts don’t affect the quality
“These items were all good quality. It’s worth every penny that is saved as I can feed my household on average for £15 to £20 per week ($18 to $25) without having to say no to snacks or personal indulgences,” the London mom pointed out.
Dyer doesn’t shop absentmindedly
One thing Dyer pointed out was that she doesn’t buy items without thinking of what meals she could make use of them.
That way she’s not wasting anything and is able to decide which meals to make first before their ingredients go off.
Freezing produce preserves it too
Dyer also added that she freezes the food to save herself multiple supermarket trips, saving her money and energy.
“When doing yellow sticker hauls, I freeze a majority of the food, so this saves me having to visit supermarkets daily, works out more cost-effective than shopping monthly,” the mother wrote.
This also saves her a lot of effort
“And some of the items are already pre-made or pre-seasoned so on lazier days or if I’m working late I can pop the meals into the oven without having to cook for a couple of hours,” she added.
Looks like bulk buying and keeping the food in the freezer is the way to go, folks!
Her top tip is to portion out meats
Dyer’s top tip for not wasting any of the reduced meats you buy is portioning them out into single-serving bags and keeping them in the freezer for later.
However, you need to make a meal plan for the week first so you can make all the meals that can’t be frozen earlier in the week.
The trick is to make a meal plan
So to recap, Dyer’s nifty tips are to shop mindfully and not to shy away from the reduced stickers and discount isles.
She also says to make a meal plan and freeze the foods that could go off faster, that way you’re saving money and aren’t wasting food!
