As savvy shoppers in the UK start to catch on to the couponing phenomenon, bargain hunter Holly Smith, 29, from new series Bargain Fever Britain, shares her secrets…
Keep organised
Store your coupons in expiry date order so you don’t miss out on a good deal. That way, they’re easy to flick through at the till. The biggest mistake is keeping coupons in with receipts. You’ll end up throwing them away.
When looking for a bargain, always remember the rule of ‘SAVE’
Sale – is it likely to go on sale again soon?
Amount – how many can you keep or use?
Value – is the deal a good one?
Expense – can you afford this deal?
Buy non-perishables in bulk
Last year I bought over 20 tubes of toothpaste at once. Items such as cleaning products, kitchen roll and canned goods will last for ages so if there’s a deal to be had, grab it while you can.
Don’t get drawn in by a ‘bargain’
Think carefully about things you can’t freeze or products with short expiration dates. The deal may be tempting, but will you go through eight pots of yoghurt in a week? Careful with buy-one get-one-free and half price offers too. They entice you to buy things you don’t always shop for.
You can find coupons anywhere
Sign up to Shopitize.com, it’s the best site for the latest deals. If there’s a specific product you’re after, check the manufacturer’s website for possible news about promotions. In-store magazines (like Tesco and Mothercare) often have money-off coupons inside.
For lists of the latest steals, check out Ukcouponing.co.uk/couponlist. It’s updated daily, so you’ll never miss a deal.
Leave it until the last minute
Sites like Lastminute.com have great deals like the ‘Top Secret Hotel’ which is often a 5* Hotel with lots of rooms left. They never name the hotel but give a brief description which you can type into Google and it should pull up their details. Recently I booked a three night stay in London and spent £270 instead of £900.
Loyalty cards
They’re worth signing up to if there’s no membership fee. The best one in my opinion is the Tesco Clubcard. You get great food coupons and money off cinema tickets, family days out, and even holidays.
Think outside the box
Approvedfood.co.uk is a site which sells products past their ‘sell by’ date for a fraction of the cost. I use them a lot to stock up on cooking sauce. Items past their ‘sell by’ are fine to eat, it’s the ‘use by’ date you should pay attention to.
Plan ahead
I’ve done 90% of my Christmas shopping already! I got over £150 worth of presents for just £19 in the sales. Spending now means your festive budget won’t feel so tight.
Bargain Fever Britain, Tuesday, 8pm, ITV.