I got a £26 food shop for free with a simple trick – I’ll prep it all then freeze to save time AND money
ALONG with the likes of electricity and gas, the price of food has also skyrocketed in recent years.
But how incredible would it be if you were able to get your weekday food shop for free? Well, according to one savvy shopper, you can.
Leah Clark Harris took to money-saving Facebook group Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK and posted a snap of the huge food haul that she managed to get her hands on without spending a single penny.
Alongside the image, she then shared her ‘secret’ money-saving tip and penned: “Freebies from Olio. £26 worth. Best before dates. All going to be prepped and frozen.
“Saved from landfill and saved me money.”
How can I get free food from Olio?
To get hold of your freebie you’ll need to download the Olio app is free to download from Apple Store for iPhones or Google Play Store if you’re on android.
You will need to register an account using your email address or Facebook account, and switch on your location settings.
You can then browse the app to find out what’s up for grabs in your local area.
When you find something that you like, click on the item and then click the red “Request This Listing” button.
You will then be able to message the volunteer to arrange to collect it.
To list food on the app, you’ll need to click on the red + button and add a description.
Amongst the items includes two bags of carrots, two packets of green beans, coronation chicken, vegetable mash, and three double packs of stuffed mushrooms.
For those who aren’t familiar with Olio, a fan of the app explained it perfectly.
“It’s a food waste saving app. People list things they’re not able to eat themselves,” she wrote.
“Or you can also become a food waste hero and collect from Tesco, Waitrose etc and post on the app for others to collect from you…
“You collect things that are going past their best before the following day, things that are going past their use by and all things bakery that they can only sell that day.
“You can keep 10% but you have to share the rest.”
It wasn’t long before the post garnered several likes and comments, with many praising the app.
“Gotta love Olio, it’s helped us through some tough times,” wrote one.
A second penned: “I love using Olio! Have saved so much money!”
“Same I love Olio – I get things sometimes a few times a week,” enthused a third.
Meanwhile, a fourth noted: “I’m new to food saving but have saved myself around £60 in 2 weeks on fruit, veg, breads, pastries, pasta and salad meals.
“All very welcome. Thank you so much for saving and sharing with Olio.”