MONEY SAVING SPECIAL: I SPEND £163 A YEAR ON FOOD

When Sharon Adams, 49, lost her job, she turned into a very savvy shopper

- FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK

Pushing my trolley through the supermarket, my eyes lit up as I spotted a man in a green and yellow fleece. I checked my watch - 6pm. ‘Perfect,’ I said to myself, and I followed him through the aisles to the fridge section.

There, he pulled out his big yellow sticker gun and as he labelled all the close-to-date fresh produce, I picked up each item and popped it in my trolley - yogurts for 10p, coleslaw for20p, sausages for 40p, even a pineapple!

‘That’s dinner sorted,’ I said, heading to the checkout with a smile.

It was the same every single day. I loved going to the supermarket, especially when I bagged myself a bargain.

GETTING CREATIVE

Ever since losing my shop job in 2012, money had been tight. Living on my own, I had to be careful with every penny.

So, when I discovered the reduced section in the supermarket, it seemed like an obvious way to save money. I enjoyed cooking, so I’d use whatever was on the shelf that day as meal inspiration and if there was more than I could manage, I’d pop it in the freezer for another day.

It became addictive and I enjoyed the challenge of seeing how much I could save on my meals.

As time went on, I started to notice a pattern. The biggest reductions were always made in the evenings, shortly before store closing time, and in my local shop, the best time to go was 6pm.

I’d turn up with my wheeled shopping trolley every day and fill it with food for less than a pound.

I didn’t drive, so every two weeks, I’d get the bus to Morrisons for my big shop, but even then I’d only spend around £16. If there was anything I couldn’t get with a yellow sticker, I’d make sure to buy it on promotion instead.

I joined discount shopping groups on Facebook and I’d scour the internet for upcoming supermarket promos.