I save thousands on my food shop each year and recently bagged £130 of food and treats for just £8
IF food shopping is a constant drain on your wallet, take inspiration from this amazing deal hunter.
Taylor Brooke, 43, from Manchester, is renowned among her friends as an incredibly savvy saver.
Taylor uses apps such as Too Good To Go, visits wholesalers and hunts down yellow sticker bargains to make sure she’s always getting the best price on food.
She is also hugely generous with her savings, giving her friends bags of food to take away every time they come over, and sharing discounted birthday cakes with local families who can’t afford to buy their own.
Taylor estimates she has saved thousands of pounds on food over the years – and she also uses her savings to raise funds for charities she helps, such as PugWelfare.com.
Over the years, Taylor has raised £5,000 for different charities, thanks to making up food parcels and donating prizes and freebies.
Taylor told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: “I’ve been on Too Good To Go since lockdown now and it’s an amazing app.
“I buy regularly off the app at least six times a week or more.
“I share the items out with all my friends and am known for making food parcels up and sending them out to friends.
“My friends always leave my house with a bag of food of some sort.
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“On the app you check daily what’s available, from fresh bread to supermarkets and takeaways giving meals out.
“Most places offer five bags daily at set times usually around the time they are closing to give away the waste.
“The shop will be paid a fee they set that pays a pound or so toward Too Good To Go as an admin fee, so some places would charge £5 for £15 worth of items but you usually get far more.
“Recently, I got 165 mixed bagels, five packs of tea cakes, four loaves of sliced rye bread, six loaves of uncut bread, six iced cupcakes and an iced tea cake loaf for just £8.
“The bagels alone would have cost around £70 and I’d guess the whole lot would have been £130 – for a total of £8!
“I bought two bags at £4 per bag.”
Taylor doesn’t just enjoy her amazing savings herself – she also shares them with local families who wouldn’t be able to afford to buy their own birthday cakes.
“I’m known as the cake queen,” she explains. “I buy reduced birthday cakes from Sainsbury’s, M&S, Waitrose, Tesco and Morrisons, and I will advertise them on Facebook groups for free to families who don’t have much and have a child’s birthday coming up as you can freeze cakes for a later date.
Recently, I got 165 mixed bagels, five packs of tea cakes, four loaves of sliced rye bread, six loaves of uncut bread, six iced cupcakes and an iced tea cake loaf for just £8.
Taylor Brooke
“I will then also add a banner and some candles and maybe if I’ve collected anything else birthday relate into a bag with the cake and give it to whoever is in need and can collect.
“As some go for as little as £1 reduced from up to £25 per cake, it’s a massive saving.”
Taylor’s amazing ability to spot a deal is renowned, and she doesn’t just use Too Good To Go – she’s also an avid yellow sticker shopper and also loves to shop at wholesalers.
“I love saving money and showing everyone online my bargains,” she adds.
“All my friends always laugh at my Facebook posts of my bargains and my amazing deals.
“I’m very well known for it.
I buy reduced birthday cakes from Sainsbury’s, M&S, Waitrose, Tesco and Morrisons, and I will advertise them on Facebook groups for free to families who don’t have much and have a child’s birthday coming up as you can freeze cakes for a later date.
Taylor Brooke
“I go to wholesalers and buy cases of items like salad dressings – I get 12 bottles for £1, and 12 bottles of Jif lemon juice for £1.
“When I make bags up for friends I stick a bit of everything in each bag.
“I often buy all yellow labels from supermarkets also.
“As it would cost me that for one item at a normal supermarket, I’m getting great bargains on food that’s got a close to near-end date on things that are perfect for consumption.
“I shop at around 10 different shops around Manchester for these items, such as Als Clearance and Roger’s Wholesale Foods.
“My main tip would be to always make sure you check reduced sections in supermarkets – they usually do it around 7pm.
“And there are also so many online shops now that deliver right to your door if you’re unable to get to them yourself, like Click Marketplace.
“I use loads of discount stores that have stock close to its sell-by date, and they deliver to me via DPD.
All my friends always laugh at my Facebook posts of my bargains and my amazing deals. I’m very well known for it.
“I love saving money on reduced items as it’s a cheaper way for me to shop for my needs.
“I’m always hunting out bargains and deals, and if it means getting 12 of something for the same price as one, even better, as it means I can share them for free.
“I probably save a couple of hundred pounds a month on my own shopping, which has added up to thousands over the years.
“It’s also raised lots of funds for charities I help such as PugWelfare.com.
“I make hampers up and raffle off all the freebies I receive.
“I’m currently making advent calendars of all the freebies I get from applying to samples and tests sites and stuff you get over the counter at makeup shops.
“The hamper I’m currently making will raise £100 for the charity and it cost me nothing.
“Over the last few years, I’ve raised around £5,000 for the different charities I support with all my freebies, bargains, food parcels and donated prizes!”
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