I’m a discount expert – I saved £15k in a year when I was just 15 and here’s how you can too

BRITAIN’S coupon kid Jordan Cox has revealed how he became “obsessed” with getting bargain buys at the age of 15.

The now 25-year-old saved a whopping £15,000 in a year by hunting down discount codes and money saving vouchers after his parents split.

1

Trying to help his mum with money has turned into a money-spinner, not only saving cash but making a career out of the thrifty habit too.

Jordan told the Daily Mail: “I started cutting coupons out of newspapers and printing out vouchers to save money, so we could do more of the stuff we used to enjoy before my parents’ divorce.

“I developed an obsession for it.”

After learning to cut back, Jordan started sharing the deals and discounts he found on Facebook, like how he got £100 worth of Tesco shopping for only £32, gaining follows from shoppers.

It wasn’t long before he came to national attention, picking up the nickname Britain’s Coupon Kid, and appearing on BBC Breakfast and regularly sharing his tip with Sun readers.

He said: “Interest exploded and overnight my page got thousands more followers. From that point on, what had been a hobby turned into a business.”

The savvy saver writes about his latest deals and bargain finds on his website jordoncox.com.

He even earns cash from telling others about his experience and how to save cash, revealing he was paid £3,000 for an hour-long speaking engagement.

But the cash went straight into his bank account to save for his first home, and he still searches for bargains on everything despite his success.

He told the publication: “I still try not to pay full price for anything. I’m probably the tightest person anyone ever meets. If I have to pay full price for a Krispy Kreme donut, I cry inside.”

Here’s some of Jordan’s tips for how you can start couponing and save cash.

At the supermarket

Jordan revealed he used the app Shopmium. You take a photo of your receipt after doing your normal supermarket shop and can get cash back.

In fact he previously told The Sun he NEVER pays full price for groceries.

He also recommends  Checkout Smart, and Green Jinn, which work in a similar way.

These apps list offers on products you can pick up at big supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

You can get cash back when you buy items on offer – sometimes, you can even get all of your money back on what you’ve bought.

You can even try stacking the deals and get double the cash back if there’s a deal available for the same item on different apps.

And don’t forget supermarket loyalty schemes, which he believes can save you around £10-£15 a month, and yellow sticker shopping, which could save you the same amount again.

The expert also told The Sun about the sneaky tricks supermarkets use to get you to spend more – and how to avoid them.

Eating out

Jordan eats out regularly but never pays full price and always finds a coupon or discount, especially for chains like Frankie and Benny’s or Pizza Express.

He uses a cashback app called JamDoughnut which saves 12% every time he eats out.

He revealed how you can always get a Big Mac and fries from McDonald’s for £1.99 instead of £3.

On every receipt from the fast food chain there’s a link to a short survey. Fill it in and you’ll get a code for money off your next meal.

You can also get discounts by getting the MyMcDonald’s app, which is free to download, offers var but can include £5 off a £20 spend, or a McMuffin for 99p.

The KFC app has a reward scheme where you’ll get a free side once you get enough virtual stamps, while Greggs gives a free sweet treat on your birthday.

Check out Jordan’s top tips for saving cash at McDonald’s.

Don’t ask, don’t get

If you don’t ask you don’t get and Jordan isn’t afraid of asking for a freebie.

Writing to brands to say how much you love a product could leave you quids in.

He told The Sun: “I sent Innocent Smoothie a poem once and got sent £20 in coupons.

“Get your kids to draw a picture for them, or get creative and make a song to send in,” he said.

“Brands love stuff like that – they can use it for the own promotion on social media.”

Equally, if you’re unhappy with something a brand has done, don’t be afraid to complain either he said.

He said that a message to the brand via email or on social media could lead to free coupons or even your money back.

“I once got a Celebration’s tub for Christmas, and to my horror, discovered there were no Malteser’s chocolates in there but tons of Bounty bars,” he said.

“I complained to Mars and got £6 worth of free coupons for chocolate.”

Jordan also revealed how he never pays full price for travel – read his tips.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk