A bargain hunter who says she has saved thousands of pounds has shared how to get up to 80 per cent off your Marks and Spencer shop.
Super shopper Jo Maxted is a mum-of-four who first started looking for ways to save money when on maternity leave.
She estimates she has saved several thousands of pounds over the years, according to LatestDeals.co.uk
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Jo shared an amazing 50% off M&S haul on the Facebook group Latest Deals, Extreme Couponing & Bargains Group, with her post soon going viral with hundreds of likes and comments.
But this is just one of many tips from Jo, who has been hunting bargains for 12 years.
Jo, from Norwich, said: "It all started 12 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter.
“I had to take early maternity leave as I got carpal tunnel.
“I just started out by looking for ways to save money and enter competitions - after the first win I was hooked and then started finding ways to save money here and there.
"I always go and look in the supermarkets after a seasonal event as generally they all reduce everything the next day by at least 50%.
"I do love M&S products but they are more expensive than what you would find in Asda or Aldi, so it feels great to get stuff at a fraction of the full price.
“For example, the Colin cake jars which I absolutely love, and I got five for £1 each. They’re usually £4 each so that would have cost me £20 instead of £5.
"As there are six of us in our house, this meant everyone could have one as a treat - my youngest wanted the jelly brain, which was 50% off for £2.
"I also got bags of Mini Eggs: you get eight packs in a bag, and these were £2 down to 50p.
"I got six lots of these which I put away for a couple weeks, as one of my children is turning nine and they take sweets into school for the whole class.
“The rest can go in party bags so that’s saved a couple of quid.
“I also got 10 packs of jelly sweets for 50p - again, perfect for the party bags. Then I got Colin cake bars for 60p, which are perfect for lunch boxes and these are usually £2.50 a pack.
"We love M&S posh dog sausages and they’re usually £4.50 a pack. They were doing Halloween packaged ones cut in half and I got those today for £2 with a week's sell by date on.
“Plus they can be frozen as these are something we usually buy anyway - that saved a few more pounds."
Jo has worked out exactly when to visit the store, and suggests going just after big holidays or events.
She continued: “On Father’s Day, M&S were selling sirloin steak for £20, and two days later I got it for £4.
"The same thing happened at Easter and Christmas. I love to stock up on roast joints then and freeze them usually for a quarter of the price!
"I’ve picked up turkeys for £2 from over £30. It’s all about going in at the right time."
She also saves money by buying items that are about to go out of date and popping them in the freezer.
Jo added: “The stuff out of date that day is yellow stickered usually by a discount of up to £1, which gradually reduces more as the day goes on.
“In the evening, they reduce all their yellow sticker items down to minimal prices. I often go and grab some ready meals at 10p each and put them in the freezer.
"I generally go two or three times a week to have a look. However, I hate waste and wouldn’t buy something if we weren’t going to use it.
"I always make sure there’s space in the freezer and recently we’ve started doing one day a week ready meal night from M&S.
“It’s cheaper than takeaway and saves me cooking, and I know what everyone likes so I stock up when I can.
"My top tip for finding cheap food is all in the timing.
“All supermarkets have set times that they reduce products out of date that day, so find out when your favourite does theirs."
Tom Church, founder of the money-saving Black Friday app, commented: “I thought I’d heard every money-saving trick in the book, but Jo is a super saver with some really amazing tips.
“Signing up to newsletters to get birthday discounts, paying compliments which lead to freebies, and planning Halloween a year in advance are just some of her genius tips!
“With Black Friday on the way, many of us will be looking to take a leaf out of Jo’s book and save as much as we can.
“Don’t forget to download Latest Deals’ Black Friday app to help you find the best deals along the way."
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