If you’ve been wishing there was a magic solution to cutting down your weekly food bill, the secret might just lie in a food waste-fighting app.
Laura Williams, 30, from the West Midlands, who has a three-year-old and another child due in August, managed to get a box of fresh food worth £35 for just £3.09.
Laura’s secret was to buy a Morrison’s ‘Magic Box’: a box of perfectly good food reduced to just £3.09 on the Too Good To Go app, a platform designed to combat food waste.
‘The Morrison’s Magic Box was full of fresh fruit and vegetables that I reserved on the Too Good To Go app costing £3.09,’ she said, speaking to money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk.
Laura Williams, 30, from the West Midlands, has revealed how she managed to get a box of fresh food worth £35 for just £3.09 (pictured)
The thrifty homeowner said the Morrison’s Magic Box was full of fresh fruit and vegetables that she reserved on the app. Pictured, some of the contents of the box
The teaching assistant (pictured) said it wasn’t hard to get the box – she just kept an eye on the app and reserved one
‘I was blown away by the box! It was full to the brim with breads, cakes, fruit, vegetable and even cheese.
‘The fruit is all fresh, the breads can be frozen and used as and when needed and the cakes are a nice treat. Added together they total over £35! I’m amazed by how much there is for £3.09.
The teaching assistant went on to explain that the box contained three loaves of bread, two packs of bagels, crusty cobs, two packs of scones, gluten-free carrot cake, three punnets of strawberries, two tray of grapes, one tray of blueberries, four packs of nectarines, three wedges of cheese, one pack of mushrooms, two packs of broccoli and a bag of new potatoes.
‘I also got another box last week,’ said Laura. ‘It saved me a lot as I think that the value of the box was easily £15, maybe even £18.
Laura was ‘over the moon’ with the amount of fresh fruit (pictured) and vegetables that she could use to make numerous meals and treats for her family
The box contained everything from breads, cakes, fruit, vegetable and even cheese. Pictured, bread and cake
‘I got Mediterranean vegetable trays, three pomegranates, five bags of apples, a stir fry kit and noodles, five bunches of spring onions, two bags of cauliflower and broccoli and five punnets of tomatoes.
‘I was able to create meals such as tomato soup, pasta sauce, ratatouille and Chinese stir fry.
‘It wasn’t hard to get the box – I just kept an eye on the app and reserved a box. I know that some find the boxes difficult to get but I think that’s because of their growing popularity and success in saving food – win win.
‘I was over the moon with the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables that I could use to make numerous meals and treats for my family.
‘It was a huge relief that I wasn’t having to go without to buy food which has been happening during the lockdown.’
As well as food shopping on apps such as Too Good To Go, Laura also has plenty of other money-saving tips helpful to those with young families.
‘My tips for buying under lockdown is to buy only what is needed – and that meal planning is essential for saving money.
Using the ingredients in the box, Laura was able to create meals such as tomato soup, pasta sauce, ratatouille and Chinese stir fry. Pictured, a variety of cheeses and vegetables
The savvy homeowner makes food stretch by batch cooking – and also freezes any leftovers or uses them the next day for a different meal. Pictured, the contents of the box
Laura’s tips for buying under lockdown is to buy only what is needed – and that meal planning is essential for saving money. Pictured, one of Laura’s steak dinners
‘Going to supermarkets and shops when they begin to reduce pricing for items expiring soon is also a big help.
She continued: ‘I make food stretch during lockdown by batch cooking. I also freeze any leftovers or use them the next day for a different meal: for example, a roast chicken dinner can be used for fajitas the next day.
‘Batch cooking saves me time as I’m able to pull a precooked meal out of the freezer when I am working from home. I know what the meals have – for example, less salt, sugar and preservatives – and I know my daughter will enjoy them.
‘I’d also advise only buying what you need for that week. Sit down with your family to write out a weekly meal plan and write a shopping list accordingly.
‘It’s hard not to deviate from the list but as long as you remain in budget there should be room for treats.’
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, commented: ‘As an avid deal hunter, I’m always on the lookout for fantastic deals, and the Morrisons Magic Boxes are top of my list for excellent supermarket reductions!
‘If you love the Too Good To Go app, check out OLIO, another app dedicated to fighting food waste that means you can pick up free food in your neighbourhood that would otherwise go to waste.’
Laura was delighted after managing to get a box of fresh food worth £35 for just £3.09. Pictured, the app