One of our many survival tips has always been to check you receipts! For quite some time, Asda have offered an Asda Price Guarantee. If your shopping would have been 10% cheaper elsewhere you could print a voucher for the difference to be spent in store. This involved barcode numbers, the internet and printers and that’s all. As long as the receipt was less than a month old and had eight items on – one of which was a staple such as bread, eggs, cheese, milk, then it was good for checking.
This method of gaining coupons has ensured we have survived our financially tightest times. It has funded two Christmases and helped towards our daughter’s birthday. This year is paid for her birthday cake, last year it was piñatas, banners, party tableware etc. It has also seen money off for us on food during the year. The absence of this will definitely be felt by us and many others.
The “others” are known as womblers. Womblers can be seen in the windiest carpark corners picking up receipts and stuffing them into their pockets. Womblers are those near hedges or fences looking for anything that looks like an 8 or more receipt. They will wait for the trolley with the receipt in to be free before using that trolley and claiming the receipt. They often have family friends who send of give them their shopping receipts. Some womblers do this because, with food prices rising, it is a means to an end. Others have used all of their vouchers on own brand foods to donate to food banks at a time when demand for food bank services is at an all time high. You can spot the wombler’s car parked in the far corner with puddle soaked receipts drying on the dashboard.
Asda recently merged with Sainsbury’s. This news worried womblers across the country as we all guessed that this would mean trouble for the APG system. Tentatively we hoped that no changes would be made this side of Christmas. Today we received official news that APGs will be ending sooner than feared.
As of October 3rd 2018 APGs can no longer be printed. Any printed on or before the 3rd of October can still be used for up to 28 days from printing but after October 3rd wombling Asda receipts will end. We are fortunate to have a few to print off but will certainly miss the benefits of having this option.
Moving on we will have to look for other money saving ideas. We have already foraged seaweed as we live by the sea (more on that later) and will soon be foraging nettles for recipes. Both seaweed and nettles are in keeping with our healthy eating plans. We are fortunate enough to be growing our own vegetables with more seedlings thriving for the pending rotation in our garden. Both foraging and growing our own ensure fresh, healthy foods are available with little carbon footprint involved but there are plenty of foods we just can’t forage.
I have heard so many people say they will be jumping ship and going back to Aldi and Lidl for their main shop. What we do is yet to be seen but we will keep you all posted.