While they may be a refreshing break away from the classroom, summer holidays can put pressure on families due to the costs involved. From days out to childcare to increased spending on the food shop, it’s no secret that the school holidays come with some extra costs – especially as the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze people’s pockets up and down the country.
To help reduce the impact, OK! has spoken to money-saving experts to find out some of the ways that people can reduce their food bill in particular. From saving food from going to landfill to getting money back on shopping, here’s what they had to say…
Free meals
Over the summer holidays, various different restaurants are offering free or discounted meals for kids. Schemes such as O2 priority also have special offers. “If you’re going on a day trip with the family then a packed lunch will usually be the cheapest way to eat while you’re out, but if you want to dine out, there are lots of ‘kids eat free/for £1’ offers over the summer holiday,” says Oli Townsend, assistant deals and features editor at MoneySavingExpert.com. “Supermarket cafes are often cheapest overall, with Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s all offering a free kids’ meal when an adult buys a main meal, and at Asda, children eat for £1, with no other purchase necessary.”
Supermarket hacks
When it comes to saving money, adjusting how you shop can make all the difference. “Look at the bottom and top shelves for the cheaper products. Normally the most expensive products are at eye level,” says Maddy Alexander-Grout fromMad About Money. “During the holidays, crisps and snacks are often placed at the end of aisles as supermarkets, so avoid walking past them.”
Shop around
Shopping around is another great way of spotting cheaper products, and you don’t even have to visit every shop yourself to work out what costs what. “If you have a choice of supermarkets nearby, use the free comparison tool Trolley.co.uk to quickly find the cheapest supermarket for your groceries,” explains Oli. “You’ll need to factor in the difference in travel cost if one supermarket is further away, but comparing baskets can save a lot. You can also set alerts for when the price of your favourites drop so you can grab them while they’re cheap.”
Food-saving apps
Apps can be a great way of bagging yourself a bargain. OLIO allows users to allow households to collect surplus or unwanted food and other items from members of their community for free, while Too Good To Go allows users to purchase surplus items for a fraction of the price. “I’ve had really good bags full of fruit, veg, bread and even meat from Too Good To Go which has reduced my food bill that week but it’s completely potluck,” says Katie Watkins fromKatie Saves. “That said, they can be a great way to treat the family on a budget – for example, by buying a mystery bag from a bakery as a special treat.”
Get cash back
Cashback websites and apps enable you to make some savings if you use them to buy products from different retailers. “You can get some more money back into your pocket by downloading free grocery cashback apps to help you max supermarket savings. Shopmium, GreenJinn and CheckoutSmart offer up weekly cashback deals and free products from big brands for both in-store and online shopping,” says Oli. “You buy the applicable product, then claim the cashback through the app, which is usually done by taking a photo of your receipt and scanning the product barcode.”
Yellow sticker shopping
Buying ‘yellow sticker’ products are items that have had their prices slashed due to nearing expiration dates. As a result, picking them up can save a fortune. “Yellow sticker items are often discounted because they’re approaching or beyond their best-before date,” says Oli. “While ‘use-by’ dates are a health warning and shouldn’t be exceeded, best-before dates are just a manufacturer’s guidance on optimum quality, and so food that’s past its best is still safe to eat.”
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