How ‘backwards shopping’ helped this mom save $6,000 a year

By Lula White

A frugal woman reveals the 10 hacks which save her $6,000 a year - including "backwards food shopping" and DIY beauty maintenance.

Lauren Thorpe, 28, was sick of living pay check to pay check and decided to take control of her finances over two years ago.

She would spend her monthly income on drinks, fast fashion, and going out for meals - never saving a penny.

Now she practices "backwards food shopping" - where she plans her meals around what she already has in the cupboards and says it saves her £600 a year.

She also buys all her clothes second hand, ditched meal deals and does her own DIY beauty maintenance.

She says it saves her $5k a year and means she is left with 35% of her pay check at the end of each month to put into her savings.

Lauren, a content creator and a community fundraiser, from Sheffield, Yorkshire, said: "I had no idea where my money was going, I spent it on rubbish I didn't need.

"I used to be one of those people to spend loads of money in preparation for the weekend and I was living paycheck to paycheck."

Lauren started to save in 2023 and found backwards shopping has saved her hundreds.

She said: "Sometimes we just let things go to waste in our cupboards and freezers.

"Before I do a food shop, I check the cupboards, fridge, and freezer for everything I have and then I use Chat GPT to generate meals I can make with these ingredients.

"Then I jot down the extra bits I need to make it, and that list becomes my food shop.

"It is great in many ways; it saves you money, saves waste, and you come home with a lot less heavy bags from the shops."

Prioritizing home cooking is a huge money saver for Lauren, who stresses that takeaways aren't always necessary.

She said: "I now allow myself to have one meal out or one takeaway a month rather than letting yourself have more than a few.

"Reducing this saved me around £800 a year. It is so easy to click a button and have food delivered - its so tempting - but having food in the house means there is always an opportunity to cook something quick at home."

Buying meal deals was one of Lauren's guiltiest money spending habits until she realized how much they can break the bank.

She said: "I used to get meal deals every day for lunch - and while you think they are cheap - they really add up in price. I have been strict with myself to pack lunches.

"It doesn't take much time to do, and will save you so much, whether it’s leftovers or a lunch box, take it to work.

"Buying lunch every week will EAT your money - pun intended - and this can save you around £500 a year."

Lauren is also a big advocate of second hand shopping, which she believes saves her thousands per annum.

The 28-year-old finds her second hand gear from Facebook Marketplace, local Facebook groups, second hand websites such as Vinted and eBay, and charity stores.

She said: "I always check Facebook first, because you never know, someone might be selling exactly what you are looking for.

"This has saved me thousands, especially on clothes. I used to spend a lot on these for the weekend, and now that has completely changed."

Keeping an eye on switching providers by using comparison sites has saved her around £500 to $1,000 a year.

She said: "When your contract is running out - may that be phone, car insurance, or home insurance - use a comparison site to see what cheaper deals you could get."

Other sites that Lauren uses to save money include cash back and reward programmes, which save her $250 a year.

She said: "A lot of people know these exist but don't use them.

"Loyalty cards will give you cheaper deals and activating cash back before purchases is a great way to save whilst spending - and you loose a little less guilt for purchasing."

Lauren believes that one of the biggest holes in people's pockets comes from wanting to upgrade their tech.

"It’s alright to have an iPhone 12/13.. if it stills works, why replace it? It still works the same.

"Get a cheap sim only contract and you’re saving about £600 annually."

For Lauren, at home beauty upkeep is essential in keeping the pounds down and the face pampered.

She said: "This doesn't mean facemasks and bath bombs - it's the maintenance bits in beauty you don't want to loose.

"This could be nails or hair - I’ve had my eyebrows threaded, waxed, tinted, Ombre'd, micro bladed and now I do everything at home.

"It saves me £250 a year in upkeep!"

Lauren's last tip includes prioritising low cost activities when meeting friends or spending days out, which saves her £1,000 a year.

She said: "I like to go for long walks, they are good for your mind, body and bank.

"You can invite friends around instead of meeting them for lunches or drinks out,

"I also like to visit markets, read, go to a coffee shop for the day, or even pop to the local library."

In total, Lauren says she saves over £5,000 a year by savvy spending and small sacrifices.

She said: "It is just about taking control of your finances and realising that your money doesn't just go, it is you spending it.

"Try and spend a day where you don't buy anything out, you start to find it a fun challenge and you'll want to do it more when you see the benefits."

LAUREN'S TOP TIPS:

1. Regularly review your subscriptions and cancel what you don't use
2. Shop second-hand whenever possible
3. Prioritise home cooking
4. Don't upgrade tech unless essential
5. Utilise cash back rewards
6. At home beauty
7. Backwards food shopping
8. Prioritise low-cost activities
9. Use comparison sites to switch providers
10. Pack lunch for work