I save £2,000 a year by yellow sticker shopping — here’s how to do it

Laura Gaga is a money-saving marvel. Ever since she started to shop more carefully 14 years ago, she’s saved an estimated £29,000 – while managing to eat like a queen. Laura has also amassed a following on  social media where she shares her money-saving tips.

With Christmas coming soon, finances are tight across the board, and Laura’s festive finance tips could make a big difference. If you want to try to save a bit of cash this Christmas, Laura has shared her top tips for spending less whilst still having a fabulous time.  

Plan ahead

It’s not too early to start thinking about Christmas dinner. Have a look at sharing apps like Olio, which allows neighbours to share items they no longer want for free. You’d be amazed at what you can find there.

If you see a nice joint of meat or a turkey, you can pick that up for free, save it and serve it up on Christmas Day. And think ahead with mince pies and desserts. Most of them are suitable for freezing so if you stock up now, you can spread the cost.

Get prepping

You can get brilliant discounts on veggies by looking at the yellow-sticker section. Start picking up potatoes, parsnips, carrots – even Brussels sprouts.

As long as they haven’t been washed or cut, they will last a long time. And if they won’t last, cook them up now and freeze them, ready to defrost on the 25th. Pretty much every supermarket will have something on offer, so get hunting.

Get creative with chocolate

You don’t need to get Christmas-branded treats just because of the season. Chocolate is chocolate at the end of the day, and even now, I am seeing easter eggs in the shops in the yellow sticker area, so why not buy these for a fraction of the price?

You can pick up chocolate for much cheaper if you are prepared to look beyond the overpriced and often wasteful packaging.

Can you double up?

When you are shopping, think about how you can use packaging etc for decorations or wrapping paper. Can you reuse old bags, ribbons and string from previous gifts you have been given?

You can even wrap gifts in magazines. Before you go shopping for Christmas accessories like this, see what you already have at home.

Think about what you can ditch

Laura says she never buys Christmas cards. She said: “You give them to people at your home and often they leave them behind. It feels wasteful. 

“There are so many digital ways to send meaningful messages now; voice notes, videos, social media.

“If you want to tell someone something, it doesn’t have to be on a card. You could even write a message on the back of an old photo.”

Share the burden

If you are playing host this year, ask people to bring a dish. People are happy to bring desserts or a plate of prepped veggies.

That takes the financial pressure off of you and makes meal-planning more of a shared experience, which is what Christmas is all about. People are happy to take the pressure off, especially when their loved ones are struggling financially.

Budget with booze

If you are hosting, why not ask people who don’t drink if they have got a bottle of something they could bring.

Teetotallers are always ending up with unwanted bottles of Prosecco because guests bring them round and they leave them behind unopened.

And you’d be amazed at what you can find on discount. I’ve bought alcohol in the yellow sticker section before and it encourages you to experiment with drinks you might not try otherwise.

Buy only what you need

Shopping mindfully means you are less likely to grab a huge bag of dried fruit that sits at the back of the cupboard going stale in January.

As a nation, we tend to overbuy, but getting out of that habit can seriously save money.

Laura said: “People are coming into our refill shop, Refill Your Cup in Hillingdon, and getting the right amounts of what they need for cooking, for example, the raisins, currants, cranberries and spices for their Christmas Cake.”

Don’t chuck the leftovers

There is so much you can make with any excess meat and veg; curry, sandwiches, bubble and squeak. We tend to stuff ourselves so much that people get fed up with food and chuck it away – which is such a waste.

Then January begins along with the fitness regime, so before that happens, think carefully about how to use what’s left over. And if you don’t want it, someone else will. Think about the homeless or put spare food on Olio.

Set up a Secret Santa.

Laura said: “We do one every year for the adults in my family. We set a limit of £30 and get imaginative. And remember – gifts don’t have to be physical.

“You can gift free experiences, like cooking someone a meal, giving them a home spa treatment or taking them on a mystery walk to your favourite place. 

“It doesn’t have to cost the earth to tell someone you care about them.”

Remember, it’s just one day

There is this urge to get involved in the pre-Christmas panic, but remember – there is no danger of running out of food.

Pretty much all supermarkets are open all the time now, so remember you are only really shopping for one day. Don’t overbuy, as that can lead to wasting food and money. If you do run out of something, you can always pop to your local shop.

Whatever you do, remember not to go overboard. It is what we do throughout the rest of the year that matters. Getting into debt for Christmas doesn’t help anyone.