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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Beth Ure & Levi Winchester

Sisters save £500 a month on food shop using two simple cost-cutting tricks

Saving money on your food shop has become more important as the cost of living increases.

If you’re looking to cut down on your spending, take inspiration from sisters Kate McCarthy and Angie Bond, who between them save around £500 each month in the supermarkets.

Kate, 41, spends around £40 a week to feed her family of five, and her sister Angie, 52, spends £30 to feed a family of four, and save £120 a week between them.

The pair hunt out yellow sticker items to keep costs down, and are big fans of the food-waste apps Too Good To Go and Olio.

Too Good To Go partners up with retailers including Greggs, Marks and Spencer and Costa - as well as smaller, independent shops - to sell “magic bags” of food that would otherwise be thrown out at the end of the day.

Prices start from around £3 for a bag. The only downside is you can’t choose what food you receive, as it depends on what is available on the day.

The sisters hunt out yellow sticker deals to save cash (@supersavingsavvysisters/Mercury Press)

Olio is a free sharing app where people give away food and other household items to people living nearby.

The idea is that everything listed on Olio is free, as it is being given away, so you shouldn't have to pay for anything.

Are you worried about the rising cost of food? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

Kate, who lives in Greenwich, London, said: "We never see it as a competition, it's about supporting each other. We speak every day and send each other tips that we see online, or recipes.

"It all started because we were just talking about healthy eating, and how you can live on a budget and still make good meals.

"From there we both started making an effort to save on food shops and help each other."

The sisters with one of their many food hauls (@supersavingsavvysisters/Mercury Press)
Kate says the sisters support each other in their cost-cutting mission (@supersavingsavvysisters/Mercury Press)

Kate said the pair will use the extra money they save towards electric bills and other increased costs.

"Everyone's had to change the way they're living now that fuel prices and everything have gone up,” she said.

"Having a bit of extra money to set aside just gives us peace of mind."

The pair usually find the best deals in Tesco and Morrisons.

She said: "We head there and go to the reduced shelf, because sometimes you can get stuff really cheap.

"There's a lady on my road who gets loads of stuff that she gives away on Olio.

"It's also great for the planet because there's less food going to waste."

The savvy sisters have also taken to batch cooking in order to save money and eat healthier.

Kate said: "When we get hauls we freeze a lot of stuff.

"Batch cooking makes things so much easier, because when you aren't feeling up to cooking you can just whip something out.

"I have fibromyalgia, and Angie had arthritis, so some days are better than others, and when I have more energy I can make a huge batch to freeze and use on bad days.

"You've always got that back-up."

The pair don't limit themselves to food when scooping up yellow sticker deals.

Angie, who lives in Launceston, said: "Living in Cornwall I'm very aware of the impact that plastic pollution can have on our oceans.

"I saw a bottle of Ocean Saver bathroom cleaner in Morrisons a few weeks ago that I grabbed with the shop. I couldn't believe my luck.

"We have also got cookbooks through Olio before, which were and they're perfect if you aren't sure what to do with something you've grabbed."

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