The £1.50 Hack That Supermarkets Don’t Want You to Know About
Let’s be real — the weekly shop is savage these days. You head in for a pint of milk and a loaf of bread and somehow walk out £40 down, with only two carrier bags to show for it. Prices feel like they’re creeping up week after week, and everyone’s hunting for ways to claw a bit back.
But here’s the thing: Brits are sharing a ridiculously simple trick that can make a big difference to your bank balance. It’s not some app, loyalty scheme, or complicated budgeting system. Nope — it’s as simple as spotting a tiny yellow sticker.
Yep, we’re talking about those little “reduced” labels that supermarkets slap on food they want gone quickly.
How It Works
Supermarkets discount food when it’s close to its “best before” date, when packaging’s been dinged, or when they just need to clear space for new stock. It doesn’t mean the food’s bad — in fact, most of it is perfectly fine, especially if you use it that day or freeze it.
That £2.50 sourdough loaf? It drops to £1.50. Strawberries on their last legs? Down from £2 to £1. Sometimes you can even get meat or ready meals slashed by more than half.
And while saving a quid here or 75p there doesn’t sound life-changing, if you grab a couple of these deals every shop, it adds up. Do it every week and you’re suddenly looking at £20–£30 saved a month, which is a few hundred quid across the year.
Tricks of the Trade
To get the most out of this hack, you need to shop smart. Here’s what seasoned “yellow sticker hunters” swear by:
Shop late in the day – most supermarkets slash prices in the late afternoon or evening when they want stuff gone before closing.
Be flexible – stick to a rough shopping list, but leave room for a “yellow sticker surprise.” If the reduced section has mince, you’re having spaghetti bolognese. If it’s chicken, maybe it’s a curry night.
Use your freezer – this is where the magic really happens. Bread, meat, fruit, even some dairy products can be frozen. Bulk-buy bargains now, use them later.
Try different stores – not every branch reduces stock in the same way. Some are stingier, some practically give stuff away. A quick look in another location could double your savings.
Know the peak times – regulars say Tesco often marks down around 6–7pm, while Asda and Sainsbury’s can go earlier. Aldi and Lidl tend to be more unpredictable, but when they do reduce, it’s steep.
Why Supermarkets Don’t Advertise It
If everyone rocked up at the exact time reductions happen, shelves would be stripped bare in minutes. And that’s the last thing supermarkets want. They rely on shoppers wandering in, grabbing branded snacks, chucking impulse buys into the trolley, and paying full whack at the till.
The reduced section flips that model. Instead of the store winning on your unplanned purchases, you win by bagging food at rock-bottom prices. It’s basically the one part of the shop where you can genuinely outsmart the system.
More Than Just Savings
For some shoppers, this isn’t just about saving cash — it’s about cutting down on food waste. Perfectly good items often end up in the bin if no one grabs them, so scooping them up is doing both your wallet and the planet a favour.
There are whole communities online where people share their “yellow sticker hauls” — pictures of shopping bags full of reduced meals, meat, and fresh fruit for just a few pounds. Some say they’ve knocked £200–£300 a year off their bills without changing their diets at all.
The Bottom Line
A couple of £1.50 bargains here and there don’t sound like much, but over weeks and months it adds up to serious money. At a time when every penny counts, this is one of the easiest, least effort hacks out there.
So next time you’re wandering past that reduced section, don’t ignore it. The supermarkets might not want you to notice those little yellow stickers — but your bank balance definitely does.
