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Story from Jam Press (Christmas Sales Tips) Pictured: Alasdair Baker. The UK's ‘Martin Lewis of supermarket savings' reveals top FIVE items you should buy in Christmas sales A former supermarket worker who could be considered the ‘Martin Lewis of supermarket savings' has shared his list of the top five items to buy in the Christmas sales – and it’s “not all food”. Alasdair Baker often makes headlines for sharing his expert advice on everything from yellow sticker bargains to how to budget like a pro. The dad-of-two from Aldershot, Hampshire, who used to work at Morrisons, is already getting ready to nab deals during the festive interim period. He estimates to have saved around Ł750 this year and aims for the same in 2024. And he’s more than happy to share his secrets to getting the most for your buck – including the best items to purchase now, what to avoid and which supermarket he favours most and why. THE FIVE THINGS TO BUY NOW NO 1. CHRISTMAS GOODS While most people might want to avoid any more festive purchases, this is actually the perfect time to plan for Crimbo 2025. Alasdair said: “Take advantage of any Christmas-themed reductions, first and foremost. “Look for discounted decorations, wrapping paper, Christmas crackers, Christmas cards and anything else you might normally spend money on in December. “These types of things don’t have a shelf life and will be perfect for next Christmas. “My Christmas Crackers this year were bought for under a quid, just after Christmas in 2023 and were perfect! “I’ve already seen Christmas cards priced between 10p and 50p in a supermarket convenience store, wrapping paper for 20p a roll. “Set a budget for this type of thing, as it is, after all, an ‘unnecessary expense’ as you don't need these things now. “I've bought a load of cheap Santa pasta, reduced from Ł2 to 20p, and that’ll be used for my kid's dinners; he doesn't care if he’s eating Santa pasta in March.” NO 2. SUPERMARKET OWN BRAND CLOTHES Alasdair said: “There are loads of reductions on clothing in supermarkets at the moment and so now is the time to grab some great deals, especially on kids clothes. “[On the festive side], I’ll be buying a size up on Christmas jumper for my son, ready for Christmas 2025, and on things such as socks and pyjamas, when they are reduced so much, it doesn't matter if you're wearing Santa socks in July – if they're cheap and comfortable, then that's what matters.” NO 3. GIFT SETS Alasdair said: “Think about deodorant sets, beauty and toiletry gift sets, cookware sets, food sets. “I bought coffee sets last year in the sale, which contained coffee, travel cups and chocolates, and it worked out cheaper to buy the gift set – as it was heavily discounted – than to buy the coffee separately. “There will be other products such as BBQ sauce sets, spice sets, even alcohol sets, that make better sense to buy – over buying those products separately – and if they’re products you want to buy anyway, then you're quids in. “If buying with the intention of gifting, again, if you are on a strict budget, buying gift sets now for next year might not be financially viable, as they are ‘unnecessary expenses’ but if you can afford that extra expenditure, then it will save you money next year.” NO 4. FOOD, FOOD, FOOD Alasdair said: “So many people grabbed bargain yellow sticker food just as the shops closed for Christmas; 10p turkeys, 75% off perishables such as meat, cheap or even free veg (supermarkets have been giving Christmas food away free to get rid of the excess stock). “Although a lot of these deals have now gone, there are still deals to be had in the lead up to New Year and also just after. “You're going to find supermarkets clearing out Christmas-specific food for the coming week or so. “Look out for yellow sticker discounts on things such as ready meals. “As someone who worked as the yellow sticker man for a supermarket, from my experience, there is normally much less of these sold in the lead-up to Christmas, as many people who might normally be buying these have switched for festive food choices or are meeting up with others for meals and not cooking for themselves, and so the sales of the convenience ready meals drop down. “But as the supermarkets still need to have them on the shelf, it means that there is excess stock, which is heavily reduced in price, and most are freezable – so throw them in the freezer for the lean month of January. “Speaking of lean, keep your eye out for discounted ‘healthier foods’ as these types of products sell less well at Christmas as people tend to ignore the diet for a few days, leading to those weight management/healthy eating type products often being found in the yellow sticker aisle! “In the New Year, expect to find reduced-price NYE-themed items such as party food; this can be frozen and makes ‘interesting meals’ later on.” NO 5. FOODS FOR THE FREEZER Alasdair recommends looking for great loyalty card discounts for items that can be frozen for coming months – even if you don’t fancy those dishes right now. He said: “Think about things like seasonal veg and meats (often at great prices that won’t be about in January when actually we all need those prices). “Cut up larger pieces of meat or fish into smaller bits and freeze for use at a later date. “If you find cheap veg, and it's still around, par-cook it and freeze it, or make soup with it for cheap lunches.” WHAT TO AVOID IN THE SALES You’ll know best what you need in your fridge but as for money-savings, Alasdair has some top tips on goods that might not be the bargain you think. He said: “Party food is an expensive thing to be buying right now. “Yes, there may be buy-two-get-one-free type deals, but when you look at what you're buying, and what it’s costing you per kilo, then it's pretty eye-watering. “If you want to buy convenience foods, look for similar items in the everyday product ranges, over the dedicated party food ranges, both fresh and frozen. “You’ll often find it cheaper, and if you have a bit of time on your hands, make your own party food. “I made a pizza using pesto and cheese, rolled it like a Swiss roll and cut it in rounds, then baked them and they turned into amazing pesto doughy pesto, cheesy treats and they were great and so cheap to make, and it made loads of them, at a fraction of the cost of buying pre-made.” WHICH SUPERMARKET IS BEST? Unsurprisingly, given he used to work there, Alasdair favours Morrisons for their reductions this year – which is his “first place to check”. But he also recommends looking away from the big giants and visitinig “smaller convenience stores”, which people often forget about. He added: “Don't forget about other retailers too; I was out and about this Christmas and didn't get to shop for yellow stickers, which troubled my brain but on Christmas Eve I went on to the Amazon Fresh site and managed to grab two frozen turkeys for Ł5 each, with Ł20 off, which is a fab deal. “They are coming today (27 Dec) and they’ll be sat in the freezer waiting for either Christmas or maybe Easter.” As a final piece of advice, Alasdair urges people not to forget to use loyalty cards and cashback apps to save money. He said: The savings will add up. “I’m suggesting people take up my cashback challenge in 2025, which is to use cashback services like TopCashback and Quidco and gift card services like JamDoughnut to try and grab cashback on everything they buy or pretty much everything. “If you adopt the cashback way of life – [as in] always look for a way of grabbing cashback on what you are buying, for the whole year – I think you’ll easily save enough to pay for all your Christmas food and likely a chunk of your gifts as well, and all for just buying what you were going to buy anyway. “Its a no-brainer.” ENDS