I LIKE to think of myself as money-savvy but am always up for learning new tricks. Lesley Negus, 67, has become an online hit thanks to her blog, ThriftyLesley.com, which helps readers feed themselves for less than £1 a day.
I asked Lesley from East Sussex, about her top tips for creating great dishes for less.
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Plan ahead: Lesley focuses on meal plans and recipes with everyday ingredients. Her easy schedules include three meals a day, with sides and desserts. Sticking to them rules out the need for a midweek shopping trip.
Bulk buy: It generally works out cheaper to buy large bags of long-life food, rather than picking up smaller packets each week.
Lesley says: “I always buy 5kg of red lentils at a time. I use loads of them.” KTC’s 500g red lentils cost £1.17 at Morrisons (£2.34 per kg) while the 5kg packet is £8 (£1.60 per kg). One of Lesley’s most popular recipes is lentil flour. She uses 130g of it to make a loaf of lentil bread — that’s 21p for a staple that will last days.
Write lists: Always make a list before you head to the supermarket. Lesley says: “Shops are super-skilled at getting us to buy more than we intend. Go in without a plan, you will spend more.” Her detailed meal plans tell you just what products to buy and where to get them.
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No waste: Lesley says: “My local fruit and veg shop has a ‘cheapy box’. One summer I got a massive bag of over-ripe beef tomatoes for only a few pence. I made pasta sauce, soup and roasted tomatoes.” Follow her lead and pick up one of Lidl’s £1.50 Too Good To Waste boxes, available
in all Lidl stores.
Check what’s in the cupboards: Just because your food shop is part of a routine does not make it essential. Lesley says: “One week, I looked in my cupboards, made a meal plan and realised I didn’t need to go shopping at all.”
- All prices correct at time of going to press. Deals/offers subject to availability.
Deal of the day
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THE Range has a great summer sale. This Capri chair and stool set is now £69.99, down from £96.
SAVE: £26.01
Cheap treat
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KIDS will love a Cadbury Mini Roll as a treat. Tesco is selling ten-packs for £1.25 until July 1. Usually £2.50.
SAVE: £1.25
My Sun Savers fiver
JAYNE BRADFORD, of Cramlington, Northumberland, says: “I’m using my Sun Savers fivers to buy my lovely 93-year-old Mam flowers to celebrate her birthday.”
- Send Savers fiver stories to us at sunsavers.co.uk/fivers and get 28 codes worth £5 if yours is used. Include your name and town.
Top swap
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PRIMARK’s £4 snake print belt will look sensational with black jeans. Plus, it’s a fraction of the price of River Island’s similar £18 item.
SAVE: £14
Reader’s saving tip
VALERIE HENDRY, from Henlow, Beds, says: “Remove sweat stains on clothes by spraying on white vinegar and leaving to soak for half an hour before washing.”
- Send us your Savers tips to sunsavers.co.uk/fivers and you will get 28 codes worth £5 if yours is used. Please include your name and town.
How to get two FREE tickets to Warwick Castle worth over £55 with Sun Superdays
CHARGE down to Warwick Castle with your little princes and princesses with two FREE tickets worth more than £55 thanks to Sun Superdays.
Step back in time as you explore the picturesque castle and grounds and enjoy spectacular daily shows and attractions that bring history vividly to life — including the UK’s first Horrible Histories Maze attraction.
Choose your side in the live-action family show Wars Of The Roses Live, right, from Saturday, July 20 to Sunday, September 1.
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Plus catch must-see show, The Falconer’s Quest, featuring a great collection of eagles, buzzards and vultures soaring every day until November 3.
Warwick Castle is full to the turrets with amazing things to see and do.
Marvel at the medieval towers and battlements, try your hand at archery and explore the magnificent interiors of the Great Hall and State Rooms — there is something for everyone.
For more information check out the four-page Warwick Castle pullout in the paper today.
How do I get my Warwick Castle tickets?
To get a pair of free tickets, just download the Sun Savers app or sign up at sunsavers.co.uk. Next, head to the “Offers” section and click “Start Collecting” on the “Superdays — Warwick Castle” page. Then, collect NINE Sun Savers codes from those printed daily in The Sun until Tuesday, July 9. Enter nine Sun Savers codes on the app or website to unlock booking.
Free cash, treats and prizes
Plus, with Sun Savers, you can pick the date you go from the best availability and have the chance to book a day earlier than others.
Alternatively, you can collect TEN of the 18 tokens we print in the paper — we publish one each day — and book using the booking form, today’s token and form can be found on the back page of the pullout.
This year with Sun Superdays you can get two free tickets to lots of the nation’s favourite attractions including, SEA LIFE Aquariums, The Bear Grylls Adventure and Madame Tussauds London — saving you hundreds of pounds.
Not yet a Sun Savers member? Download the free app or sign up at sunsavers.co.uk. Sun Savers is our rewards club that gives readers the chance to take advantage of FREE cash, treats and prizes.
For every 28 Sun Savers codes you collect, we give you a free fiver to spend however you like. Sun Savers codes are printed daily in the paper. Enter it on the Sun Savers app or website. Once you have entered 28, we stick £5 in your wallet.
- Subject to availability. Sun Savers £2 booking fee applies. T&Cs apply, visit the sun.co.uk/superdays.
Play now to win £50k in the Sun Raffle
JOIN thousands of readers taking part in the new Sun Raffle today!
Every Sun Savers code you enter from the paper is your chance to win £50k every month! One code = one ticket.
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There is no limit to how many tickets you can collect. So the more you enter, the better your chances.
To take part go to sunsavers.co.uk or open the Sun Savers app.
Then opt in to each month’s Raffle by clicking “Yes!” when prompted and start collecting the Sun Savers codes printed daily in the paper.
Not yet a Sun Savers member? Just go to sunsavers.co.uk or find “Sun Savers” in the app store to get started.
Fancy a free fiver?
YOU can get FREE cash with super Sun Savers just for buying your favourite paper.
Our brilliant new rewards club will pay back our most loyal readers.
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Just pick up the paper each day to collect your Sun Savers codes and we will GIVE YOU £5 when you have collected 28.
This isn’t a one-off and there is no limit to how much cash you can save.
For every 28 codes you enter, we will give you a fiver. So over the course of a year, that could add up to £65.
We are keeping it super-simple. You don’t have to enter codes from consecutive days, so don’t worry if you forget a day or two.
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Download our easy Sun Savers app and quickly scan your code using your smartphone. Or go online and enter your code at sunsavers.co.uk.
To get you on your way, join today and we will put a bonus £1 in your Sun Savers wallet tomorrow. And the good news doesn’t stop with free cash.
With Sun Savers, we give you the best hacks, deals and tips to save money every single day.
TO JOIN: Don’t worry, folks — joining takes just 30 seconds, in three steps.
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- Prices correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
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