The hidden detail on grocery tags that tells you exactly when prices drop

Imagine how much money you could save on groceries if you knew the exact time your local supermarket was going to mark them down for quick sale?

This is possible, according to Bargain Boss Amanda Dean, who has made a career out of tracking exactly when supermarkets are most likely to mark down their perishable grocery items, including meat, bakery items, cheese, milk, and roast chickens.

"I've scored $140 worth of groceries for only $28 by shopping markdowns," Dean tells nine.com.au.

"Another number was $16 for just under $80 worth of groceries."

Here's exactly how she does it.

"With markdowns, they're usually going to be the best prices just purely because they are trying to get rid of them. The stores will often try and get rid of their items within the last two days of the best before or use," Dean says.

"And they will mark those items down two to three times over the course of those days. So obviously the closer you get to the best before or the use by, the cheaper it is going to be.

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"So you're looking for these yellow stickers.

"They may have spread them out across, say, the meat section. You've just got to do a quick wander through.

"Keep an eye out for those yellow stickers."

Dean adds that another spot is in the bakery, adding: "They'll often have a big trolley with all the bakery items that have been marked down."

Dean doesn't just use expiry dates to track when these markdowns will take place, but time stamps.

"Stickers have a timestamp on them, which a lot of people don't seem to realise. So if you are not looking to buy markdowns, have a look at the stickers.

"Pay attention to the timestamp because it's telling you what time your local store does their markdowns.

"Whole chickens, steaks, ribs, proper fresh food, meats ... so you're not just living on carbs and grains. You're living on healthy, proper food."

She also suggest getting to know your local major supermarkets and tracking the times they mark down their perishable grocery items, which can differ between locations.

"Stores will do it pretty much every day because they need to turn over that stock that is going to expire or the best before is going to pass," Dean says.

She says typically supermarkets will mark down their meat and bakery items "later in the day" so she times her family's grocery shopping between 3.30pm and 6.30pm.

"I find that they try and get that out for the dinnertime rush. So people who are stopping in after work, you know, they come and they check, they grab a steak, they go home and cook it.

"So it seems to be around that time."

The bakery section "tends to be a little bit hit and miss" Dean says.

"Sometimes it's quite late. It just really depends."

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