best time to buy reduced food in supermarkets ...

tiredwithtwins

Hi there,
I recall seeing a thread a few years ago that highlighted the best times to go supermarket shopping to pick up the reduced items but cant find it
anyone know of the best times to get the reduced stuff? im about to hit an extremely lean couple of months and as I have an A##a near me could do with shopping at the cheapest times .. got to feed myself and 3 teens on a max of £40 a week.
we do packed lunches every day, and I make my own bread .. I have followed this forum for many years and have picked up some amazing help and advice .. as I work a 50 hour week my ability to shop around is limited!
just cant find the thread ...


greatful for any pointers!!


Sue xx

VfM4meplse

I remember the same thread. I think the conclusion was down to local variation and the best method is watchful waiting. Generally reductions start mid-afternoon, then further around 6.30pm but hold your nerve and be prepared for slim pickings when you hit the mega-bargain final reductions before closing. I don't know if it's just me, but I feel the heyday of RTC bargains has been and gone.

IIRC someone who got this down to a fine art is Ilona, in fact she was on TV showcasing her art

gonebust

I think each shop has their own times and you need to ask

I was picking up ys veg for the rabbit and hens the other day in Tesco and the young man said to come back at 7pm for the best reductions. He said I'd pay pennies for what I was buying at a 1/3 rd off at around 3pm.

PasturesNew

Each shop is different - and will depend too on the day as to which staff are in and if the shop's busy/busier than usual. It'll also depend on the day's stock - if they had something that wasn't selling they might reduce stuff at an earlier time.

In the main, few people are in a position to actually in any way "rely" on being in a shop at the right time AND for that shop to have anything at all, anything seriously reduced, or anything they'd like/want.

You have to also factor in the cost of acquisition. even if I knew absolutely that my closest 4sda always had a shelf of food for 10% of full price at exactly XX:XX o'clock .... it'd cost me £2 to drive there/back to see!

Some people happen to live near a store that does YS and they happen to be available at no extra time/cost to themselves to have a look ... and then they'll list their winnings.... but you don't see the other 300 people who went/looked and found nothing posting about their unsuccessful search.

honeythewitch

Three o clock on a Sunday afternoon is pretty universal.

JIL

I go to my local lidl at 7:30pm and often see a load of meat with 30% off stickers on it. Lidl are always cheaper than other supermarkets, so you could use the weekly offers and meal plan around them and reductions. You will easily be able to stay within your £40 budget.
It could be easier than going to the supermarket and not striking lucky?

coffeehound

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I don't know if it's just me, but I feel the heyday of RTC bargains has been and gone.

Certainly that is the case at my Co-op. Their markdowns are ridiculously small, even on produce on its final use-by date.

The Sainsburys Local still has good reductions though: a first round at mid afternoon and then a second iteration about 8pm to 10pm.

tiredwithtwins

thanks for your replies .. im going to have to do some stalking!!
my local a##a is within walking distance (as are lidl and s'burys. but then I walk everywhere lol).
will report back if I discover anything!!


thanks again:)


sue xx

VfM4meplse

tiredwithtwins wrote: »

thanks for your replies .. im going to have to do some stalking!!
my local a##a is within walking distance (as are lidl and s'burys. but then I walk everywhere lol).
will report back if I discover anything!!

Perhaps save yourself some effort and get chatting to one of the SAs as they are marking down one evening. It's usually teenagers / part time workers armed with the YS pricing guns. Go armed with the twins, and I'm sure they'll have sympathy!

elsien

There's a couple of people in my local Asda who've got the timetable down to a fine art, but they do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time just hanging round waiting from 7 onwards. And having seen the bunfight that can develop, with everyone aiming fur the same thing, I've decided I can't be doing with it.

[Deleted User]

I think the saddest thing is someone works 50 hrs a week and still can't put food on the table without scurrying around for Yellow Stickers.

Doesn't say much for the wages in this country.

OP our local co-op has the best deals in the morning after the night shift workers have taken the out of date stock off and reduced it.

A cheap meal for 4 of you would be from Aldi - a bag of pasta @ 49p, a jar of chilli / tomato sauce 89p and you could bulk it out with veggies and a bit of grated cheese on top.