How I Save Money On My Favourite Treats
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Which foods do you consider a luxury? Especially when sticking to a tight budget? For most people, it probably comes down to treats.
How I Save Money On My Favourite Treats
Foods we don’t actually need to buy but really enjoy as an occasional treat. And sometimes those treats are the ones that are a bit nicer than your usual supermarket basics.
For me, that’s what makes them a luxury – they’re nicer than just buying own brands. Some of these are even one step up from that. And for me that’s what being frugal comes down to – saving money in one area so I can treat myself in another.
Branded Ice Cream
My lovely blogging friend Katie from KatieSaves recently revealed on Instagram that she doesn’t like ice cream.
I was shocked.
I could honestly eat it every day and would easily eat half a tub in front of Netflix most nights if I had less self-control.
The thing with ice cream is I like the good stuff. My favourites are Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough and Haagan Daz salted caramel.
These are two of the more expensive brands so I only ever buy them when I can get a discount and I’ve listed some of the ways I do that.
So usually if I’m treating us to some fancy Ice Cream there’s a reason for it – such as a date night or a movie night or if I’ve had a particularly stressful week (give me ice cream over wine any day!).
The RRP on both Ben & Jerry’s and Haagan Daaz is around £5 but often there will be offers for up to half price.
Some of the discount supermarkets also have decent discounts and these are often their regular prices rather than a special offer.
Most Lidl stores I’ve been to seem to have an RRP of around £3 for Ben & Jerry’s and often Farm Foods and Home Bargains will have it for as little as £1.99.
It’s also worth mention Ben & Jerry’s has a FREE CONE DAY once a year where you can get a free cone from one of their dedicated counters (these are usually in cinemas such as Odeon).
You can sometimes get Ben & Jerries as part of the Co-op £6 frozen meal which is worth it when you get several other frozen items such as pizzas and chips also included in the price.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
There’s just something about Krispy Kremes that makes them stand out.
Whether it’s the range of funky flavours that are always changing or the fact they give you the world’s biggest sugar high, there one of those little treat foods that I just can’t resist.
They are so expensive for what they are though. Especially when you can almost always get normal doughnuts reduced in the supermarket.
However, I have found a couple of sneaky ways to save money on them.
First up, it’s worth signing up to the Krispy Kreme newsletter.
You’ll get a voucher for a free doughnut when you sign up and you’ll usually get a freebie on your birthday too.
Keep an eye on emails or check the app for other special offers throughout the year. You’ll also earn rewards when you shop.
Occasionally there will be a day when the first 100 customers get a free donut with a special phrase – follow on Krispy Kreme on social media if this sounds like the kind of offer you’d be interested in.
As with anything, with Krispy Kreme, you’ll save money the more doughnuts you buy.
If you can’t manage them all in one go then you can freeze Krispy Kremes and defrost them to be eaten at a later date.
It’s worth noting that special offers don’t always apply at concession stands in places like Tesco and at Motorway service stations.
Hotel Chocolat
I love Hotel Chocolat. My favourite is Caramel chocolate which is a lovely blend between normal milk chocolate and white chocolate which can often be a bit sweet.
However, Hotel Chocolat doesn’t come cheap. It is a luxury brand with a high cocoa content which is probably what makes it so delicious.
I have discovered a few ways to get it cheaper though. As with the Krispy Kreme doughnuts, it’s often cheaper when bought in bulk. This includes selector bars which can be bought online instore at 6 for £20.
I’m lucky enough to live near a Hotel Chocolat outlet, situated in Clarks Village Street. This is a great place to find discounted chocolates.
Whenever I head into a Hotel Chocolat store, I take a look to see if there is any short-dated chocolate, cause let’s face it, it’s not gonna last more than a day or two in my household anyway. Short-dated chocolate tends to have a discount of between 30% and 70% but can have more.
Shopping out of season is another great way to Hotel Chocolate cheaper. It may seem weird buying Christmas chocolate in February but if it’s 70% off then I’m all for it! After a big seasonal event such as Easter or Christmas, Hotel Chocolat often has mystery boxes on their website which have a discount of around 50% based on the usual retail price.
You could also sign up to the Hotel Chocolat VIP club which gives you a free £5 voucher to spend on your birthday and other discounts such as 20% off hot drinks and 15% off your next order after signing up. There are also treats throughout the year.
Related Post: How To Get Cheap and Free Hotel Chocolat
Freezing Krispy Kreme donuts? Wow I never knew you could do that! What an awesome idea. I’m going to check out the Hotel Chocolat subscription box now too 🙂
It’s amazing what you can freeze!
I like to freeze bread, veggies and even hot dogs. That saves money. Peanut butter to make sauce? I am in.