I'm a single mum-of-4 & only do the ‘big shop' once a year to save THOUSANDS – here's 31 bargains I stock up on

The Sun

14-05-2025

A SINGLE mum has shared how she saves thousands of pounds by stockpiling.
The mum-of-four took to social media sharing her yearly shop that saves her cash and the 31 budget buys she swears by.
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In the clip she said: "Doing a one-year household stockpile as a single mum-of-four on a budget."
Her preferred shop seemed to be Sainsbury's.
"I buy things mainly on offer," the mum revealed adding that the total cost of her haul was £300.
The first thing she bought was their own-beand toilet roll for just £1.44 a pack with her Nectar card.
To keep the kids fed in the morning she bought several boxes of the Multigrain Hoops cereal for 85p each.
Next was a shelf of their 40p baked beans for easy sides to dinners and lunches.
The mum bought the own-brand washing-up liquid for 85p, which she also used as antibacterial spray.
The savvy shopper stocked up on toiletries including Nature Source shower gel as it was on offer for 2 for £2 as well as Colgate toothpaste for £1, panty liners for £1.60, shampoo for 79p, conditioner and hand soap for 59p.
But she wasn't done there, she also made sure her pantry was fully stocked up too.
She bulk-bought black beans, rice, salt, ketchup, BBQ sauce, spaghetti, chopped tomatoes, olive oil, sugar, biscuits, mayonnaise, coconut oil, and long-life milk.
I'm an Irish mum & I feed my family of six for three days with €26 shop
Black bags, washing up sponges, cotton wool, dishwasher tablets and some bottled water were also stocked up on.
She also purchased baby wipes and nappy pants which the mum said were better than branded ones for just £3.59.
Finishing the video, the mum said: "Everything will last 3 to 12 months. It saves me thousands by shopping like this and brings down my weekly shop to about £50 a week."
The clip has gone viral on her TikTok account @ mummybudgets with over 253k views and people were quick to praise the mum for her budgeting skills.
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes - plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury's also sells £2 "Taste Me, Don't Waste Me" fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps - food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go's app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains - yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains - sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they've found on the cheap, including food finds.
"Downshift" - you will almost always save money going for a supermarket's own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as "downshifting" and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.
One person wrote: "This is amazing if you have the space to do it!"
Another commented: 'Covid taught me that I should have had a stockpile. Well done for planning ahead."
"I second the Sainsbury's nappies. Tried all the supermarket ones & pampers, none compare to them," penned a third.
Meanwhile, a fourth said: "I did my first ever stockpile just on cleaning products back in October as Tesco had 3 for 2 cross cleaning. Still stocked on washing up liquid and laundry. Makes my food shop feel cheaper."
"I do similar to this a month and it honestly saves so much. I should try and do like you for the year,' claimed a fifth.