Martin Lewis explains how to get FREE food and drink using cashback sites and coupons

MARTIN Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert has explained how to bag free food from big supermarkets by using coupons and cashback websites.

Writing in its weekly newsletter, the consumer site revealed how to get free chocolate, yogurt and more from shops like Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.

Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert has explained how to bag freebies at big supermarkets — Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert has explained how to bag freebies at big supermarketsCredit: Rex

We calculated that you can get £26 off your grocery shop using MoneySavingExpert’s list of tricks.

Roughly £12 of this is food and drinks you can get for free using either the cashback app Shopmium or coupons.

Shopmium offers money back on your grocery shopping at big supermarkets like Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.

MoneySavingExpert assistant deals and features editor Oli Townsend said: “Couponing is a popular pastime for savvy shoppers wanting to bag freebies and discounts on big brands.

“While you can still clip coupons out of a mag or newspaper, like everything, couponing has largely gone digital and you can now use your phone as a passport to savings.

“Downloading coupons you can simply scan, or claiming cashback by uploading a photo of your receipt to an app such as Shopmium makes modern-day couponing quicker, easier, and accessible for online shoppers.”

Below’s a list of seven of the best freebies we spotted on MoneySavingExpert’s list.

How do cashback websites work?

They promise to earn you money on your shopping – but how do cashback websites work?

Cashback sites agree offers with retailers which they pass on to customers
This can vary from a set amount of money off whatever you are buying, or a percentage of the cost of your purchase
The sums range from pennies for groceries to more than £100 for some mobile or broadband contracts
You have to make your purchases by clicking through from the cashback site
Because the sites drive traffic to retailers, they earn money from brands they support
Membership of most sites is free – although some offer premium subscriptions which you pay more for.

However, keep in mind deals on offer can be unexpectedly pulled or prices of items may change.

Make sure you check ahead that the offer is still in place, as well as the terms and conditions, before you shop.

What food can you get for free?

Here’s seven food and drink treats you can get for free using the Shopmium app or using some couponing hacks.

Free £2 Lindt chocolate bar

If you’re a new Shopmium app user, then you can get a free Lindt Excellent 100g chocolate bar worth around £2 from any store.

The app is free to download from the App Store or Google Play.

Once downloaded, you’ll need to enter the code MSE into the app when you sign up.

You’ll have to buy the chocolate bar before you can get the cash back on it.

You can either get an Extra Creamy, 70% Cocoa Dark, or A Touch of Sea Salt Dark flavoured chocolate bar under the deal.

We checked the price of the chocolate bars and they usually cost around £2 from the big supermarkets.

Then, scan your receipt using the Shopmium app and the money will land back in your account in days.

Free pack of Kinder Milk slice bars, usually £1

Shopmium app users can get a free pack of three 28g Kinder milk slice bars when they shop at Tesco, Morrisons or Sainsbury’s.

We spotted that the packs are usually going for around £1 at these supermarkets.

Make sure to bag one before May 31 when the deal ends.

Then simply scan the receipt using your Shopmium app to get your money back.

Free £3 Actimel drink

If you’re at Waitrose, you can pick up a free 100g six-pack of Actimel dairy-free Mango & Passionfruit or Blueberry flavoured drink using the Shopmium app.

You’ll have to get the deal before it runs out on May 1.

You’ll have to pay for the drink first – it usually costs £2.99 – and then scan your receipt using the app to get the money back a few days later.

Free £1.65 Cocio Classic chocolate milk

Head to Morrisons and pick up a 270ml bottle of Cocio Classic chocolate milk, usually worth around £1.65, for free through the Shopmium app.

The offer ends on May 1 so make sure you get the deal before then.

Again, keep hold of your receipt, scan it, and the money will land back in your account in days.

Free £1.60 Alpro soya milk drink

Using the Shopmium app, you can get a 750ml carton of Alpro My Cuppa soya milk for free from Tesco, Morrisons, Ocado or Waitrose.

It usually costs £1.60 but you’ll get all of your money back – just make sure to buy it before April 23 to get the deal.

Or if you’re a Sainsbury’s shopper, you don’t need to use the Shopmium app to get the drink free.

Enter the code MYCUPPAFREE at the checkout online to get the drink for free without having to claim the money back.

Free £1.37 Yeo Valley yogurt from Sainsbury’s

If you’re shopping online at Sainsbury’s, you can get a free 450g pot of Yeo Valley super thick natural yogurt by adding a coupon code at the checkout.

Add it to your bag and then enter the code SUPERTHICK to get it for free when you’re paying for your shop.

It’s currently half price at £1.37, but usually costs £2.75.

To get the deal, you’ll need to order at least £25 worth of food to qualify for delivery from Sainsbury’s, which costs up to £9 for orders under £40 and up to £7 for orders worth £40 or more.

Free £1.25 Muller Light Skyr yogurt

By using a nifty couponing trick, you can get a free 150g pot of Muller Light Skyr yogurt at Asda, Tesco or Morrisons.

First, you need to fill in your details using Muller’s online form to get a coupon sent to your email address.

Here’s how to cut the cost of your grocery shop

SAVING on your shop can make a big difference to your wallet. Here are some tips from Money.co.uk about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills:

Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley
Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping
Never shop hungry – you are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling
Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering
Use social media – follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals
Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains
Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more
Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards

The yogurt costs £1.25 at all the supermarkets when we checked, so using the coupon would make it free.

You’ll have to print out the coupon and show it in store to get the offer – but it might be a good idea to check ahead to see if your nearest supermarket has it, as stock will vary.

How else can you get money off shopping?

Using cashback websites and coupons are a great way to get freebies – but there are other ways you can save on your shopping too.

Hungry Brits can get free and discounted food from restaurants and brands by signing up to free subscription trials.

For example, Pret a Manger’s subscription service, which launched in September, is giving customers free coffee for a month when they sign up.

Under the Your Pret Barista service, customers can get up to five drinks per day for a £20 monthly subscription – as long as coffees are purchased half an hour apart.

But new customers can get the first month completely free, and you’ll be able to cancel at any time, without charge.

It’s also a good idea to sign up to your favourite chain’s apps, such as McDonald’s or KFC.

App users can often get exclusive deals and money off on their favourite meals – and at McDonald’s, app users can get freebies and discounts on their birthday.

Food waste apps could also chop hundreds of pounds off your grocery bill.

Supermarkets and restaurants often throw away unsold fresh food at the end of the day – but you can use food waste apps to pick these items up for free.

For example, if you download the Too Good to Go app, you can pick up a bag of unsold food for low prices from shops such as Greggs and Costa.