Martin Lewis explains how to get FREE food and drink using cashback sites and coupons
MARTIN Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert has explained how to bag free food from big supermarkets by using coupons and cashback websites.
Writing in its , the consumer site revealed how to get free chocolate, yogurt and more from shops like Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.
We calculated that you can get £26 off your grocery shop using MoneySavingExpert’s list of tricks.
Roughly £12 of this is food and drinks you can get for free using either the cashback app Shopmium or coupons.
Shopmium offers money back on your grocery shopping at big supermarkets like Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.
MoneySavingExpert assistant deals and features editor Oli Townsend said: "Couponing is a popular pastime for savvy shoppers wanting to bag freebies and discounts on big brands.
"While you can still clip coupons out of a mag or newspaper, like everything, couponing has largely gone digital and you can now use your phone as a passport to savings.
"Downloading coupons you can simply scan, or claiming cashback by uploading a photo of your receipt to an app such as Shopmium makes modern-day couponing quicker, easier, and accessible for online shoppers."
Below's a list of seven of the best freebies we spotted on MoneySavingExpert’s list.
How do cashback websites work?
They promise to earn you money on your shopping - but how do cashback websites work?
- Cashback sites agree offers with retailers which they pass on to customers
- This can vary from a set amount of money off whatever you are buying, or a percentage of the cost of your purchase
- The sums range from pennies for groceries to more than £100 for some mobile or broadband contracts
- You have to make your purchases by clicking through from the cashback site
- Because the sites drive traffic to retailers, they earn money from brands they support
- Membership of most sites is free - although some offer premium subscriptions which you pay more for.
However, keep in mind deals on offer can be unexpectedly pulled or prices of items may change.
Make sure you check ahead that the offer is still in place, as well as the terms and conditions, before you shop.
What food can you get for free?
Here’s seven food and drink treats you can get for free using the Shopmium app or couponing hacks.
If you're using Shopmium to get your freebies, you can download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play.
You'll have to buy the items first, and then claim the cash back for them afterwards.
To do this, keep the receipt for your items and scan it using the Shopmium app.
Then, the money you paid for your items will land back into your account in days.
Here's the best deals we spotted from 's round-up:
- Free £2 100g Lindt Excellent chocolate bar: If you’re a new Shopmium app user, pick up a free Lindt chocolate bar worth around £2 from any store. Just enter the code MSE into the app when you sign up.
- Free 28g three pack of Kinder Milk slice bars, usually £1: Use the Shopmium app to get this treat for free at Tesco, Morrisons or Sainsbury’s. The deal ends on May 31.
- Free 100g six pack of Actimel dairy-free drink, worth £3: Pick up Actimel dairy-free Mango & Passionfruit or Blueberry flavoured drink at Waitrose using the Shopmium app. The deal ends on May 1.
- Free £1.65 270ml bottole of Cocio Classic chocolate milk: Buy the treat from Morrisons and get it for free through the Shopmium app. Get one before May 1.
- Free £1.60 750ml Alpro My Cuppa soya milk drink: Use the Shopmium app to get it for free from Tesco, Morrisons, Ocado or Waitrose. The offer ends on April 23.
- Or if you’re a Sainsbury’s shopper, you can get your Alpro soya milk drink for free by entering the code MYCUPPAFREE at the checkout online.
- Free £1.37 450g Yeo Valley super thick natural yogurt from Sainsbury’s: Add the coupon code SUPERTHICK at the online checkout to get the yogurt for free. It’s currently half price at £1.37, but usually costs £2.75.
- Free £1.25 150g Muller Light Skyr yogurt: Get a free pot at Asda, Tesco or Morrisons by to get a coupon sent to your email address. Print it out and show it at the till when paying for your shopping.
Here's how to cut the cost of your grocery shop
SAVING on your shop can make a big difference to your wallet. Here are some tips from Money.co.uk about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills:
- Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley
- Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping
- Never shop hungry – you are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling
- Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering
- Use social media – follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals
- Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains
- Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more
- Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards
How else can you get money off shopping?
Using cashback websites and coupons are a great way to get freebies - but there are other ways you can save on your shopping too.
Hungry Brits can get free and discounted food from restaurants and brands by signing up to free subscription trials.
For example, Pret a Manger's subscription service, which launched in September, is giving customers free coffee for a month when they sign up.
Under the customers can get up to five drinks per day for a £20 monthly subscription - as long as coffees are purchased half an hour apart.
But new customers can get the first month completely free, and you'll be able to cancel at any time, without charge.
It’s also a good idea to sign up to your favourite chain’s apps, such as McDonald’s or KFC.
App users can often get exclusive deals and money off on their favourite meals - and at McDonald’s, app users can get freebies and discounts on their birthday.
Food waste apps could also chop hundreds of pounds off your grocery bill.
Supermarkets and restaurants often throw away unsold fresh food at the end of the day - but you can use food waste apps to pick these items up for free.
For example, if you download the you can pick up a bag of unsold food for low prices from shops such as Greggs and Costa.
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