A YELLOW-STICKER-LOVING mum has revealed that she saves £2,600 a year from buying nearly out-of-date food.

While most families-of-four spend £130 a week on groceries, Jo Rourke has whittled it down to £80 for herself and her three kids.

The 41-year-old has shaved a third off her weekly food shop by going nuts in the reduce-to-clear section.

The savvy mum saves around £2,600 a year.

Her secret knowing the right days and times to target the supermarkets to bag the best deals.

Jo from Manchester told NeedToKnow.online: “I mainly shop in Tesco and Marks & Spencer for yellow stickers and I will pop in across the week at different times when I am passing to see if they have any good deals.

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“Sunday afternoons can be a good time to visit as the shops have earlier closing times so they tend to reduce items an hour before closing.

“It is harder in the 24-hour stores. However, I pick up what I see and freeze what I find if I cannot use it in my meals that week or before the expiration date.

“Unfortunately, I am not able to get out to the stores later on in the evening due to having the kids at home.”

Jo is no stranger to cutting back and being frugal wherever possible.

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She added: “I have always been budget savvy – it is how I was brought up and as my parents were raised, so I am now trying to instil the same values to my children.

“This is so that they understand that they need to be aware of costs and make savings wherever they can.

“We have had smoked salmon before now as it was reduced by 90% – my kids loved it but I told them not to get used to it.

“I managed to get a turkey crown after the festive period for just £3.50 and so we had turkey in February.

“It’s so hard to estimate the amount of money saved, but an average shop for a family-of-four is around £130 – but I would say that we spend no more than £80 a week.

“To estimate, I would say we are saving around £2,600 a year on our food shop alone.

“I always look for meat and very rarely buy full price meat as it is so expensive.

“There are certain items that I have found that are reasonably full price but I tend to buy meat and freeze it.

“I always meal plan my meals for the next week based on what meat I have in the freezer and shop for what I need for those meals. Likewise, I also buy reduced bread and freeze this.

“It’s always worth trying to find a bargain on cheese as this can be expensive, and if I do manage to find cheese I will grate it and freeze it as this can come straight out of the freezer into cheese sauces or onto pasta.”

Jo shares budget meals for families to follow on her popular Tik Tok page (@thismumcooks), which has 100,000 followers

In one video, the mum makes a Friday night tea of chicken burgers with chips and carrot fries only costing £2.50 for four people.

The savvy mum-of-three doesn’t just have a frugal approach to food shopping, but to the rest of her spending as well.

She buys Christmas dinner essentials months in advance and buys presents for the entire year in the festive sales.

Jo quipped: “I am always looking for savings. I shop around for all utilities and household insurances.

“If I am looking for a meal out for the family, I will see what offers are on before we go out.

“I have already bought some of our food items for next Christmas in last year’s Christmas sales, I have gravy granules, turkey stock cubes and mincemeat.

“If I see the perfect gift, I will buy presents throughout the year in the Christmas sales and I will buy the kids clothes the next size up if I find good deals as well.

“I always try to save money wherever I can so that I can spend this money on experiences with my kids.

“The money I save goes on our holidays mainly. We visit family in Spain, but I have also taken them down to Dorset to stay on a farm.

“We took a family holiday to France where we drove down to Dover, stopping overnight and visiting National Trust properties on the way – both very affordable ways to stretch out a holiday.

“I always pack a picnic wherever I can and we always take drinks with us and always get the kids a treat when we are out but it is one treat, rather than drinks and snacks and meals out.

“This way it is more affordable and you can do more with them.

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“I want to enjoy my time with the kids and give them memories rather than splash out every so often.”

Living in this thrifty manner enables Jo to save money wherever she can in order to spend that money on experiences with her children.

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