Beverages — half price deals

Buying beverages on special

Soft drink, juice, coffee, tea and energy drinks move constantly through half price cycles, and the multipacks are where the saving concentrates. Coffee in particular is worth watching: instant jars and capsule packs carry a high shelf price and go to half price often enough that paying full price for them is close to optional if you plan ahead.

Watch the expiry on anything with dairy or fruit content — flavoured milks and chilled juices are sometimes discounted because they are close to date. Long-life items like coffee, tea and soft drink have long shelf lives and are safe to buy several of. Also be aware that the "was" price on a multipack is calculated against the single-unit price, so the headline discount can look larger than the practical saving over buying the same drink in a big bottle.

Related reading: how to check a half price deal is really a deal and what is actually worth stockpiling.