Yellow-sticker strategy

Lesson 3 of 12 in our free Food & Everyday Spending guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.

This lesson is in the full version.

Free with a code from your uni, college, council, landlord or employer (worth £600/year). Lesson 1 of Food & Everyday Spending is free for everyone.

Questions you'll answer

A £4.00 pack of chicken is reduced by 75%. What does Mo pay?

Reduced bread → Freeze it. Bread freezes brilliantly — toast it straight from frozen.
Reduced chicken for tonight's stir-fry → Eat today/tomorrow. Planned meal + cheap price = perfect yellow-sticker energy.
Six reduced cream cakes 'because they were 20p' → Leave it on the shelf. Cheap isn't free. If it's not in the plan and won't get eaten, leave it.
Reduced mince you won't cook until next week → Freeze it. Freeze it on the day you buy it (check the label says it's suitable) and defrost properly in the fridge.
Reduced salad bag for lunch tomorrow → Eat today/tomorrow. Salad doesn't freeze. Eat it quick or don't buy it.
Myth: “'Best before' and 'use by' mean the same thing.” — 'Use by' is about safety — don't eat it after. 'Best before' is about quality — it's often fine after, just check it.
Fact: “You can freeze many foods up to their 'use by' date.” — Freezing pauses the clock. Check the label and defrost in the fridge.
Myth: “Yellow-sticker items are always a saving.” — Only if you'd have bought it anyway, or it replaces something else. A 50p thing you bin is 50p lost.