Oh no, not another yellow sticker video. Aha, but this one is a bit different, I did my shopping at Marks and Spencer. No I haven't lost my marbles, you know I never set foot in there as their prices are not my kind of prices, cheap, ha ha.
I had a gift card from my best friend carol, for my birthday, so I thought it was about time to spend it. She gave me strict instructions to get myself a treat, something I normally wouldn't buy. I knew it would be impossible to do that if I wandered around the whole shop. There are plenty of nice things that everyone would consider a treat but I couldn't bring myself to buy them because I don't need them. So I stuck to the food hall. I definitely do need food.
The experience was quite fun actually. I was there ages perusing the fresh food chiller cabinets, following the ladies around as they were reducing the prices with a second sticker. There wasn't lots of bargains to be had, but I was determined to only buy yellow stickers. The food is expensive in the first place, and even with money off, it was still more than I would pay anyway. But never mind, I wasn't paying for it, this was my birthday treat from carol.
If you want to know what I bought check out the video. I didn't spend all the voucher, I still have £10 left for another time.
Toodle pip. ilona
Yes,I agree,those wraps were the best bargain!.In the Leicester Marks and Spencer they take the food around the back to reduce it and it is a long time before they bring it back out again.I know cause Ive tried waiting for it,and given up and left,lol.When I have seen the yellow stickers there,it is maybe only 20p off something so I havent bothered.They sometimes reduce the plants and one time I did get a good bargain there,it was a plant in a white ceramic plant holder for 50p.At our Loros shop at the recycling center,they sell M n S flowers that I presume have been donated there when the sell by date is up.It was lovely of your friend to buy you a voucher.I think you get a year to spend it?,so it could be an idea to save the remaining money for the sales after Christmas.A couple of years back,my Mam got 3 pairs of trousers,that were £25 each reduced to £1 a pair.xx
ReplyDeleteA lovely present from.Carol, I know M & S is expensive but the quality is very good, and dried/tin things are more than the same has other supermarkets.
ReplyDeleteHazel c uk
A very thoughtful and fun gift from Carol!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy everything.
Very nice of your friend Carol glad you found some nice things to eat there. Weather a bit better at long last cats look happier already. Will watch your video always find them very helpful and enjoyable. Love to you and the gorgeous fur babies.xxxx Liz Amy and Benny.xxxx
ReplyDeletebrilliant, you are such a smart shopper. x
ReplyDeletehello Ilona - it's always fun spending gift vouchers - enjoy your treats, can't beat M&S trifles. Love the blue stripy top you are wearing. Are you a marmite lover?, (spotted the jar on your worktop) greetings from onlyjo
ReplyDeleteI like Marmite, I have a jar on my kitchen worktop in case I feel like a nibble of crackers.
DeleteWe still missing Marks & Sparks here in Canada - they closed their last store here years ago. Whenever I'm in the UK or Europe I always check out what they've got. A friend who came every year for Christmas from Belfast always brought me their Mince Meat tarts as my present!
ReplyDeleteMy nana in Edinburgh used to say that if she ever won the pools she was going to treat herself to anything she wanted in M&S. I used to take her shopping there when I visited but she was always appalled by the prices!
Enjoy your treats.
Yes, I might shop there if I won the lottery, but that is unlikely to happen because I don't gamble. Yes, the prices are appalling.
DeleteAnother frugal option is to save the vouchers to buy gifts for other people on their birthdays/christmas.
ReplyDeleteIt would be an option, but no, stuff it, I will have a treat, and I don't give birthday/Christmas gifts anyway. I would rather give cash then the recipient could choose what they wanted to do with it.
DeleteYou are amazing - and this teaches me a big lesson
ReplyDeleteM&S food is very, very tempting but after this I will find resisting much easier! If my maths is right (it probably isn't, your receipt probably tells you) the total saving was £15.87 so at full price that shop would have cost a whopping £35.94!!!!!
Lovely to have such a gift and feel free to buy and you mention it is a small food hall so perhaps that accounts for the amount of packaging involved. Convenience store for people in a hurry maybe. I had unexpected guests this weekend and in shopping in a rush found I'd accumulated masses of unnecessary packaging.
With the remaining voucher, perhaps wine/beer that you wouldn't normally enjoy, in recyclable glass bottles? Would probably have been my choice in the first place, glass bottles or not!
Walking around an M & S food hall certainly gets the taste buds going, everything looks so delishus. But beware, it comes at a price. There are shops for the 'have nots', and shops for the 'haves'. It's nice to step over the boundary sometimes for a treat, but M & S is not likely to become my store of preference.
DeleteIf you are planning a drive somewhere, you might be able to cook that meal in the aluminum container on the engine of your car! I've seen it done on TV. Looks like fun. Go out for a little day-trip your lunch will be all ready when you get there.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting idea. I am not planning on a trip just yet, and I have already eaten the food. I split it into two portions, put them in a pan, two meals, and added other veg to it. Cooked it for a bit longer so it was hot hot hot. Perfectly fine to eat. Mind you, we are forecast to have a heatwave in the next few days, maybe I could have put it out in the garden and it would cook itself, ha ha.
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