Prices are rising on all fronts as the cost of living crisis bites. Energy bills have gone up, fuel is more expensive - and food isn't as cheap as it was, either.
But there are ways to ease the squeeze on our funds. An app called Too Good To Go gives people the chance to buy food that would otherwise go to waste at cafés, restaurants and shops merely because it hasn't sold in time.
Lucy Leeson, who writes for Hull Live , put the app to the test - in the knowledge that users don't know what they are going to get. This makes it something of a gamble, but she took the plunge.
"I had a long day at work and missed the chance to go to the supermarket for our weekly shop as needed to get my boys from school and nursery," said Lucy. "Instead of spending £20 plus on a takeaway for the four of us, and still wanting to get some nutrition, I put my faith in ordering two carvery magic bags from West Bulls pub, part of the Stonehouse pizza and carvery company.
"I placed our order - which came to £6.58 in total - what a steal?! - and my husband went to collect the bags at the specified time slot we had. When he got there, all he had to do was show our order on the app and the bag was waiting for us."
Lucy went on: "When he got home and we opened the bag in front of us, I was blown away by the sheer amount of food. We could easily have fed another family-of-four. We had Yorkshire puddings, mounds of mashed potato and roasties, dozens of slices of tender roast beef, lashings of gravy, four humungous sausages, stuffing balls and lots of fresh vegetables including carrots, peas, broccoli, sweetcorn and cabbage.
"I plated up for four - and there were still lots left over. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said we could have fed two more adults and two more children. And, most importantly - the taste? It was delicious and it tasted very fresh and no different to as if you were eating homecooked food.
"My personal favourite was the roast beef and vegetables (both cooked to perfection), whereas my husband and boys loved the sausages and Yorkshire puddings. I knew it was good as the boys in the family were so stuffed, they couldn't even manage a dessert. In-fact my husband couldn't eat anything until late afternoon the following day."
Lucy summed up by saying she would "definitely use the app again" when her family feels like getting a treat for a bargain price.
"I also felt good that we had stopped food going to waste," she said. "I am even thinking of going for a magic bag from Starbucks or Costa for an afternoon work pick-me up."
