Buying yellow sticker/reduced 2012 challenge

gailey_2

Hi guys

been a while since updated well few days. been so busy and cold.

so

tuesday-started with co-op reductions afternoon after school run 4pm.

No meat/fish at good prices
avoided bread pretty much
very rare not much at all in chilled bay or grocery bric a brac .

so most bargains were on produce whuch is good as they havent had much produce latly.

i did 2circuits and when went back sa knocing them down further so yes I politly aksed sa if the stuff I picked up was going down.
she was ok about it, another lady was asking her if she could freeze veg and sa said yes without blanching? must admit only time would buy fresh veg is to used that day or maybe to do a soup.

my haul included

pack blueberries-was £2 down to 49p
pack of cherries=was £2 down to 49p.
pack of blackberries £2-49p.

2 fresh packs coriander think 50p -19p
spring onions was 65p -19p brought2
salads fancy ones chard and rocket the onec came with chilli dressing which hubby loved. 45p each were over £1 each.
2bags red onions and 2bags shallots as these last ages and might actually peel chop and freeze shallots 39p each bag a decent size.
chillis 75p down to 29p.

trying to think what else on fresh

on bakery got reduced choc brwonies thorntons 12pack for £1.35
some rolls 39p
crumpets 35p

pampers nappies reduced to £4.30for 34 not great but cheapest I could get up the high street as dident have time or energy to go retail park.

spent £15 all together.

wed- went to spar no reductions so brought nothing
went corner shop at same time no out date stuff but reduced xmas chocs for kids the choc tubes reduced to 4 for £1 so 25p each might go back and get some for eldests party and selction boxes 50p not to mention they cheaper than co-op on some cleaning stuff. bargains come from unlikliest of places I find these days .

yesterday popped into spar not expecting to find much as checked the night before.
but even spar surprised me even just getting 2items each time is helping.
no meats but they have italian meal deal few items for £ 5 in offers bay.
find anything on offers goes into reduced.

so got 2 huge bags italian salad 50p each was over £1 as on sw diet great as costs a fortune all the fruit and veg.

they had utterly butterly was £1.50 for 500g -58p so broight 2 for baking.

so 4items£2.16

went to different sw group eveing session one near morrsions.
got off bus at 7pm popped in yes quite a few reductions but not mega 9p reductions like week before:(
had 15pack eggs reduced half price £1.45 but was packed and long queues they had a few so thourgt come back later.

popped in spar and co-op near morrsions -no good reductions there that co-ops crap compared to my big one.

went sw but went on ages finished at 9
went back in morries at 9.15 was flipping cold mind
the trolley with eggs and bread at front was now empty.
the meat had very small reductions but did pick up meatballs for £1.35.

chilled section was quite full mostly empty.

got 2packs garlic bread twin packs 19p each.
indian dip section 3pack 15p.
there was 2readymeals in silver tray with slip top but both open so left and reduced 49p
got 2packs dcotch eggs as reduced to 15p each.

not great but its a meal I guess only regret is not getting the eggs.

spent £2.58.

noticed where woolies used to be they doing a sainsburys central wont be huge but hopefully might have better reductions than my nearest big one on retail park also make that high street place to shop as will have morries, next door lilds, then sainsburys, then co-op and rumours aldis going there too be really able to shop the deals !

Happy hunting guys its getting harder but im making every reduction count and combing with good offers really keeping costs down hubbys committed to doing this for next few months until financailly back on feet.

flippin36

My latest haul was good. I'm so glad I had a good shopping night because I have been coming away with nothing for a few evenings and I was almost giving up on bothering. But went Wednesday night and there was suddenly loads of reductions.

Whole cooked Chicken £1.99
Cheese 45p
muffins (6) 9p
lurpak 5p
chocolate mousse (4) 5p
granary loaf 15p
family steak pie 25p

I also bought nappies which were better than half price so I got loads, loo roll was on offer, welches grape juice down to 64p.

I'm a bit envious that you guys get reduced fresh fruit and veg. Its always dire in my Morries. Hardly anything there, and when there is something there it looks ready for the compost heap. I nearly bought some new potatoes for 25p but on closer inspection a couple were black and mushy yuk. Maybe I'm going at the wrong time.

rachbc

bought af ew bits of bread etc last night but just checked my reciept and was i charged full price for a quiche - it got eatne last night. Do you think if I took the box with its stickers and the receipt in they woudl refund? Plus of course give me my £2 gift card? I need to go anyway to pick up a birthdya present

eleanor73

Hey I've been lurking on this thread. Where I live there are very few bargains apart from a Sunday at 4 in Tescos or just pot luck late evening ones at the smaller shops in town. I now just have a peek if I'm in the area then just eat mainly veggie if I don't have meat bargains is. However you do get the odd bit of luck. I had a long walk yesterday evening as had to go and do some promotions on the uni campus and it's out of my way. On the way home (at about 7pm) I went into a little tescos and there were no bargains in the bargain area (well there were but nothing I could use in the next few days and nothing worth using freezer space for) so i thought I'd just walk past the meat and there was a chicken reduced from £4 to £1 and a pizza express pizza down to 95p. That chicken'll do me 3-4 dinners plus soup and tonight I'm doing a mini party tea and bubbly for my sister and that will help bulk it out. So from now on I am just going to pop into every shop I walk past on my travels and may just be lucky again.
Victory your prev Morries bargains were amazing and are unheard of round these parts and Gailey well done on some of the stuff you get-I love the idea of making English Muffins into mini pizzas. I don't have kids but if I do that will be firmly up in the brain to use. I saw them reduced to 14p for 6 yesterday!!

gailey_2

eleanor73 wrote: »

Hey I've been lurking on this thread. Where I live there are very few bargains apart from a Sunday at 4 in Tescos or just pot luck late evening ones at the smaller shops in town. I now just have a peek if I'm in the area then just eat mainly veggie if I don't have meat bargains is. However you do get the odd bit of luck. I had a long walk yesterday evening as had to go and do some promotions on the uni campus and it's out of my way. On the way home (at about 7pm) I went into a little tescos and there were no bargains in the bargain area (well there were but nothing I could use in the next few days and nothing worth using freezer space for) so i thought I'd just walk past the meat and there was a chicken reduced from £4 to £1 and a pizza express pizza down to 95p. That chicken'll do me 3-4 dinners plus soup and tonight I'm doing a mini party tea and bubbly for my sister and that will help bulk it out. So from now on I am just going to pop into every shop I walk past on my travels and may just be lucky again.
Victory your prev Morries bargains were amazing and are unheard of round these parts and Gailey well done on some of the stuff you get-I love the idea of making English Muffins into mini pizzas. I don't have kids but if I do that will be firmly up in the brain to use. I saw them reduced to 14p for 6 yesterday!!

I think you have the right idea I pop in every shop im near to look ar bargains. often the smaller ones like the spar/tesco express can have super bargains. My morries is not fab never seen fruit and veg in there but dont like quality of fruit and veg anyway.

Most of my reduced comes from large co-op and spar.

Sometimes with reductions you have to think outside box.

example yesterday got indian dip selection as knew hubby had indian party selection in freezer 49p co-op to go with.

This week the familys had reduced cocktail sausages twice again 49p co -op reduced partyfayre.

cook as normal

option 1
place cooked sausage in middle of ready made frozen yorkie
cook for 5mins
add mash, veg and gravy for mini toad in whole.

All the reduced veg cut large -med roll in half then half again
as sausage and ketchup with chips mini hot dogs!

My bread stash slowly going down.

the scotch pancakes often reduced go ok with icecream , fruit or honey as quick tasty dessert!

Thankfully kids easier to please than hubby.

cheltenhamgal

matty17r wrote: »

Pinkpauline - shame about the new pots. I have got quite a few to use up as they were on the reduced counter. Might google it later to see if I can come up with any good ideas for the roasting of them.

I usually cut the new potatoes in half, put in a roasting tin with some oliver oil, garlic and either sage or rosemary, lovely:j

lindseykim13

went to t's, a's and 2 co-ops tonight and got hardly anything!
Overeard a staff member in t's saying last reductions are now 8.30 instead of 7-7.30 which messes my plans up a bit and i also noted how much of a joke their reductions have become. First reduction only pennies off must be 10% off- second one seems to be 25% and 3rd i have no idea as i wasn't sticking around at 8pm just to find it was only going to be half price. Really gutted as i was getting things for 5-10p in there for the last couple of months.
Heard other whoopsie hunters complaining too, think thats going to push my grocery spend up as that was a good weekly trip.

gailey_2

lindseykim13 wrote: »

went to t's, a's and 2 co-ops tonight and got hardly anything!
Overeard a staff member in t's saying last reductions are now 8.30 instead of 7-7.30 which messes my plans up a bit and i also noted how much of a joke their reductions have become. First reduction only pennies off must be 10% off- second one seems to be 25% and 3rd i have no idea as i wasn't sticking around at 8pm just to find it was only going to be half price. Really gutted as i was getting things for 5-10p in there for the last couple of months.
Heard other whoopsie hunters complaining too, think thats going to push my grocery spend up as that was a good weekly trip.

I wasent sure what happened thur nite in morries as went in at 7 and had quite a bit and 9.15 all gone. thinking they may have done final cut and I missed it. Its all about timing.

Its difficult with 3kids to get out in the evenings as dont drive and its flipping freezing.

will keep trying hubby said hes willing to pop by co-op a lot after work.
i check spar nearly every other day.

Never even seen good reductions on local tesco or saisburys and starting to think morries may no longer be worth the trip.

for us its about ensuring we have basic staples, stock up on offers and the reduced complents what we have and have backup frozen stuff as would be bit stressed as not having much luck with meats or fish its really pot luck.

Thrifty_Sister

Can't for the life of me think why I've never seen this thread before - and I've been an MSE'r for over 4 years!! Feel like I've come home/won the lottery that ther are other like minded people. Everybody has their own reasons for needing to or preferring to shop this way. Gonna make myself a cuppa and enjoy reading back and hopefully learn a few new tips. Good on you all - times are hard and lots of us are having to make cut backs - without hopefully compromising on too much.:T:T:T

flippin36

Morries has been pretty consistent with 8pm reductions over the past few weeks, particularly on the cooked meat and pie section. But last night nothing. There was the usual crowd hovering around and they didn't reduce a thing, did my shopping and a second circuit and gave up (it was freezing cold last night even in store and couldn't be bothered to wait).

There were a few pies reduced but I have loads in my freezer and they were only reduced a few pence. Even bread was rubbish. After my grumbling yesterday about the lack of fresh fruit and veg in the reduction area, I did manage to get some 9p spinach (it softened the blow of it being a poor night). I also got some 25p spring rolls which we will have for lunch.

The general rule of thumb for us is if its not got at least 2 stickers on it we don't buy it (unless its something we absolutely need and would buy anyway). And we go with the attitude that you win some and lose some because it can be disappointing when there is absolutely nothing there. Although we have visited the store at different times to work out when the best reductions are - at the end of the day there is a certain amount of luck, being in the right place at the right time . I'm seriously considering trying to get a job in Morries.