People looking for more ways to spend less at the supermarket can bag serious savings if they aren’t afraid to take a look at the ‘yellow sticker’ items. The concept isn’t new – and many savvy shoppers regularly manage to salvage items destined for the bin and turn them into delicious meals for mere pennies.

But with so many people now clued up about the benefits of shopping for items on reduction at certain times, it can often be a gamble if there’s enough to go around. However, on TikTok Hot Deals UK says Aldi often marks fresh items down in price when it approaches the end of its shelf life.

These could range from as little as 10% but can be 30%. The video claims that the time the supermarket does this is a little different to other shops like Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s.

While most supermarkets wait until the end of the day (at around 6pm roughly) to start marking products downs, Aldi goes in the opposite direction, according to Hot Deals UK. The video claims: “Unlike other stores, they actually do this in the mornings so the best time to bag a bargain is 8am when the store opens.

“You’ll be able to bag bargains on fresh food produce that’s is simply near its best before date.” Most Aldi stores open from 8am and usually close at 10pm daily with shorter Sunday hours as the only exception. You can check your local store using the Aldi website.

Another way to cut down on food waste and keep your shopping bill lower is taking advantage of ALDI’s involvement in the Too Good to Go scheme. The supermarket offers a “Surprise Bag” of surplus ALDI food worth £10 for just £3.30.

With these bags, the contents are obviously picked for you so you have no idea what you’re getting until you open them. There is always a limited supply available, due to using up any reduced items that have otherwise gone unclaimed, so people that want to try one are encouraged to reserve on the Too Good To Go app from 10pm to collect the next day.

What’s the difference between best before and use-by date?







Aldi shoppers can grab bargains – but they might need to set an early morning alarm
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Image:

Bloomberg via Getty Images)

According to the Food Standards Agency, the difference between best before and use-by dates is really important. Not knowing the difference between what these dates on our food packaging mean often leads to perfectly safe food being chucked in the bin.

You can enjoy food up until midnight on the use-by date indicated on the packaging, but not beyond that, unless the food has been cooked or frozen. Use-by dates are typically found on items that spoil quickly, like meat or pre-prepared salads.

On the other hand, the best before date, often marked as BBE (best before end), relates to the quality of the food rather than its safety. After this date, the food is still safe to consume, but it might not taste as good. This usually applies to products that are frozen, dried, or tinned. It can also be found on certain cheeses.