PUSHING her trolley through the aisles of Asda, Natalee Nichols is on a mission – to save cash for Christmas.
It’s November and the mum-of-three, from Manchester, has spotted a shelf of buckets discounted from £2 to 10p.
Natalee, 41, strips the shelf of all 15 before grabbing cut-price sweets.
She isn’t bothered about what other people think.
“I am a bargain shelf-swiping queen,” she said. “I ram-raid for cut price gift sets, decorations, greeting cards, loo roll, shower gels, makeup kits, even toothbrushes and washing up sponges.
“I’m ready for anything.
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“My shelf sweeping paid for Christmas. Stockpiling the bargains meant I had enough money to buy my three kids their big presents each.
“My ram-raiding ensure I spoil my kids, friends and family.
“Shoppers look at me weirdly. Others complain I have swiped all the bargains. Some even demand I leave some items on the shelves. I don’t.
“My motto is ‘you snooze, you lose’. People will tell me I’m selfish – they’re just jealous.
“The items I buy are investments and I always use them.
“The early bird catches the worm or in my case clears the shelves.”
At her three-bed council home, Natalee’s bulk buys are are stored in carefully marked boxes under the stairs, in the loft or in storage cupboards.
“I know what’s in each box,” she said.
“If I take something out I mark it on the box so I know how many gift sets, soaps, cards and even shelf swept dog food is left.
“I am meticulous about knowing what I have bought, what’s left, where it is and how much money it saves me.”
“If you are not shelf sweeping bargains in this cost of living crisis you are not serious about saving money.”
According to Natalee, who is mum to Coco, 24, Cal, 20 and Kate, 13, her shelf sweeping has created a bargain stockpile of gifts, food items, cleaning products and decorations which are a ‘hedge’ against skyrocketing inflation.
“Things I bought in the post-Christmas sales last year are now worth double what I paid for them. My bargains earn me money.
“I know kids’ crayons and colouring books, gift cards, wrapping paper or even last year discount makeup kits I got for 50p have risen in value since I ram raided last year’s Christmas sale.
“I have seen the same beauty pallets I scooped up in December 2022 now selling for double or triple what they sold for last year. Don’t forget I got mine when they were discounted to a quid.”
Natalee said her bargains are going up in value every day and it’s why she won’t be criticised.
“I refuse to let the trolls win,” she said. “Don’t slag me off for having the good sense to buy up the lot. I know I will use everything and my family and friends will benefit,” she said.
Natalee estimated she has more than 18 months worth of gifts, decorations, cleaning products as well as discounted canned food.
In fact the mum-of-three who is studying psychology at Arden University in Coventry, Warks., said she is already shelf sweeping for Christmas 2024.
“I never go out shopping without coming back with unusual bargains from shelf clearing,” she said.
At one store Natalee filled her trolley with 10 Lynx deodorant gift sets discounted to £2, Nivea sets down to a quid and 48 shower gels for 50p.
“I saved £72 on shower gels alone,” she said. “The money saved goes towards my gas and electricity.”
“I got some nasty looks from other bargain hunters. I wasn’t bothered.
“They’re great stocking fillers. The gift sets are the perfect emergency birthday present for neighbours or friends.
“My oldest son lives around the corner and he comes to mine to do his ‘shopping’. It’s why I can never have enough cut price Lynx sets or men’s ‘smellies’.”
Natalee cleared a grocery shelf of more than 40 packets of instant noodles and said her son took half when he came in for a shopping expedition.
“He used to laugh at my sweeping shelf but now he’s grateful,” she added.
After Mother’s Day Natalee grabbed 20 cards reduced to 10p from £2, rolls of wrapping paper down to 50p and discounted gift mugs for only 75p.
“That shelf sweep saved me £74 that went into my kids’ Christmas fund,” she said.
“There was a lot of tut-tutting from some shoppers when I piled my trolley high.
“I ignored the criticism. I always grab wrapping paper. The patterned and plain rolls are great for Christmas when you add a bow.”
Two months ago, during a pre-Christmas bargain shelf sweep, Natalee came home with 24 cans of air freshener, 300 loo rolls, 12 tooth brushes and 10 shampoo and conditioner sets.
“I saved £75 on the air fresheners,” she said. “My kids thought I had lost the plot.”
“I stowed them away and I don’t need to buy more until after Christmas. I can also do up Christmas cleaning hampers and give them as gifts.”
Natalee cleared a Primark sale rack of socks which were five for £1, taking 30 – so 150.
Kids’ jigsaws, pencil cases, plain notebooks and crayons are bargains Natalee also never ignores.
“I have two boxes full of items like these,” she said. “I even found a huge stash of unused kids crayon sets at a charity shop and bought the lot for two quid.
“I have been known to clear a table at a car boot sale.”
Natalee’s bargain shelf sweeping began when she was a child.
“Nan was incredibly frugal,” she said. “She taught me how to keep my cupboards stocked with bargains.
“I’d be out with nan and she’d spot bargains and I’d race up with the trolley and fill it up.”
Now the savvy mum is on constant shelf sweeping alert.
“I’m a loyalty card lover and they mean I get paid to sweep,” she said. “It’s cash for discounts.
“Those points I use towards the kids’ big Christmas presents.
“I have all my loyalty cards in a folder on my phone alongside easy to access other apps including Morrisons, B&M, CostCo, Boots, Superdrug and Asda,”
Natalee also uses her stockpile to help a local school.
“I used to be a teaching assistant,” she said. “I regularly give bundles of cards and crafting kits to the school, even kids’ socks and other items for use in the classroom.”
If the school is running a fair Natalee offers up bargain bottles of wine, chocolate boxes, canned goods and shelf sweeper bargain hampers she makes as prizes for the tombola.
“I give back as part of my shelf sweeping it’s why I won’t be criticised.
“I refuse to be judged and told I am selfish ram-raiding because I know some of the bargains go to help the local community.”
