A SHOPPER has revealed why you should always keep hold of receipts when scanning at self-service tills.
A number of high street retailers offer vouchers and other freebies on the pieces of paper, so you won’t want to throw them away.
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The act of sifting through receipts to bag added extras has even coined its own term – “wombling”.
It’s seen customers at Asda, Boots and Sainsbury’s nab countless freebies and boost loyalty points.
One shopper recently shared how they bagged free incontinence pads and sanitary towels after checking their receipt following a shop in Tesco.
Posting a photo of the pieces of paper on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group, they said: “When asked on self service if you want a receipt always say yes!
“Got two coupons for free products today.”
The post has been liked over 700 times, with dozens commenting too.
One shopper said: “I always ask for my receipt for that very reason,” while a second added: “I never look. Thanks for the tip.”
A third added: “Brilliant. Sanitary products are so expensive.”
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Keeping hold of receipts from supermarkets has seen customers bag hundreds of pounds worth of products for free in the past.
One Asda shopper revealed how she got a Christmas turkey worth £17 completely for free after scouring through old receipts found at her local branch.
Sainsbury’s is known for offering bonus Nectar Card points on its receipts too.
Meanwhile, Boots gives customers the chance to get money off future purchases.
Customers have been known to receive £5 off certain products on their next shop after scanning through on the self-service checkout.
In most cases, you can redeem any freebies or bonus loyalty points by scanning your receipt at the till, or handing it over to a staff member.
You should be able to redeem any online too.
Tesco, for example, lets you redeem any vouchers through Tesco.com.
But bear in mind it doesn’t let you redeem any through the Clubcard app.
How else to save money shopping
Keeping an eye out for receipts is just one way to save money on your next shopping trip.
There’s an almost unlimited number of ways you can cut costs at your favourite retailer.
Most major chains, including Tesco, Boots, Sainsbury’s and Asda run loyalty schemes that reward you for visiting and spending your hard-earned cash there.
In most cases, you receive points for making purchases which can be used to get money off future shops.
Meanwhile, remember you will most likely save money going for a retailer’s own brand products, if that’s an option.
That means ditching the deluxe and higher end lines and opting for the “basics” and “essential”-type ranges.
Money-saving expert Martin Lewis has previously said making this simple change can save you around 30% on your weekly food shopping.
If you spend £100 a week on groceries, that’s a whopping £1,560 saving over the year.
Meanwhile, you should always compare product prices via price comparison websites like Price Runner and Price Spy.
Trolley.co.uk is great for comparing prices of supermarket products too – but it’s only based off online prices.
The Google Shopping tab is a quick way of scanning the internet to see how prices of certain items compare too.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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