A part-time student has explained how she saved £50 on Costa and Marks and Spencer food by purchasing food waste bags.
Paige Whysall, 22, from Northamptonshire, spent just £9 on “magic bags” from food waste app Too Good To Go which were packed with almost £60 worth of food.
This included two from Costa and one from a BP garage, which included M&S food, with the bags priced at £3 each.
Her impressive Costa haul was picked with goods such as cheese and caramelised onion chutney toasties, usually priced at £3.95 each.
She also managed to get a vegan BBQ chicken panini and chicken Caesar salad, which should’ve cost £4 and £4.50, respectively.
Meanwhile, from the BP bag, Ms Whysall got one large baguette, a chicken Caesar wrap and a salad pot as part of one “magic bag” - which she says would’ve normally cost £8.80.
Her BP bag bag also included a box of M&S strawberries, two triple chocolate muffins and two pain au chocolats, originally priced at £9.60.
Too Good To Go is a free app that lets you pick up reduced food that would otherwise be binned - for example, if the grub is approaching its sell-by date.
The only slight downfall is you can’t choose what you get in your bag, as it depends on what stock the store has that day.
Retailers that use the app include Morrisons, Greggs, Pret and even Greene King pubs.
Prices do vary between stores, depending on your location, but a “magic bag” will typically cost between £2 and £4.
Ms Whysall, who also works in admin for the local government, says she often uses Too Good To Go help with costs - but got lucky with her recent haul.
She told LatestDeals.co.uk : “It can sometimes be hit and miss but I was recently lucky on two occasions with Marks and Spencer and Costa.
“I love getting mystery bags from the app before payday - they’re helpful because you can last the final few days with these meals.
“They are also much cheaper than making it yourself and much more convenient for days when you have less time for cooking.”
Ms Whysall also explained the best times to grab a “magic bag” where she lives, as they can often sell out quick - especially with popular places like Costa.
She claims the best time for Costa is around 5pm, and you’ll then need to pick the food up the following day.
However, do keep in mind that the times “magic bags” are put on sale will vary depending on which part of the country you’re in.
It’s best to check frequently until you have a good idea of when they’re put on sale.
Ms Whysall said: “The food definitely didn’t go to waste.
“We used it for lunch all week, then dinner on another night and we froze two toasties so they didn’t go off - we have now eaten those too.
“I constantly check the app at times I know they add things.”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: “This kind of bargain haul is the stuff dreams are made of.
“The most exciting thing about getting mystery bags is that you never know what you’re going to get and you’re also saving huge amounts of money in the process.
“Paige has done well for herself by being able to eat high quality meals for a fraction of the price, and it’s also good to know that she - and everyone else who makes use of mystery bags - is contributing to the reduction of food waste.”
What did Paige get in her Too Good To Go bags?
Costa (two bags):
- Three Cheese and Caramelised Onion Chutney Toasties x4 (originally £3.95 each - £15.80 total)
- Vegan BBQ Chicken Panini (originally £4)
- Munchies Muffin (originally £2.50)
- Celebrations Muffin (originally £2.50)
- Chocolate Twists x2 (originally £2.50 each - £5 total)
- Croissant (originally £2.30)
- Chicken Caesar salad (originally £4.50)
BP garage (one bag):
- Large baguette (originally £1)
- M&S salad pot (originally £4.50)
- M&S strawberries (originally £4)
- M&S cooked turkey (originally £3.30)
- Wild Bean chocolate muffins x2 (originally £1.45 each - £2.90 total)
- Chicken Caesar wrap (originally £3.30)
- Wild Bean Cafe pain au chocolat x2 (originally £1.35 - £2.70)
Total: £58.30
