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WE all love a bargain, and shopping at the right time might just bag you one.
Popular discount chains such as Poundland, B&M, Aldi and Lidl have one-off specials and heavily reduced items - here's how to get at the front of the queue for them.
With the ongoing cost of living crisis and rising inflation, it's more important than ever to buy products at their lowest possible price.
With some households having to make tough decisions, like choosing between heating or eating, discounted items like heated blankets and dressing gowns will make all the difference for struggling Brits.
Supermarkets and discounters are designed for shoppers to get everything they need in one visit, so they're often open early in the morning until late at night.
But if you want to maximise your chances of picking up reduced items and one-off specials, then you need to be savvy when you plan your visits.
We've asked retailers and savvy shoppers for their top tips on the best times to go shopping at four of our favourites: Aldi, B&M, Lidl and Poundland.
Always remember to shop around for deals before making a purchase, and if you weren't planning on buying in the sale, swerve it altogether to avoid unnecessary spending.
Here's what we discovered.
Red sticker items are rare at Aldi's 830 UK stores, but the supermarket says that none of its food goes to waste, so there are some to be found - if you're quick.
Aldi said it marks down perishable products such as bread, meat and fruit and vegetables by 75% on their last day of life before stores close.
It adds that the times that items are reduced vary by store and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
That means you'll need to keep an eye out for red stickers next time you’re roaming the aisles at Aldi.
If you find you have the most luck at opening time, you can find your nearest store's times by using the supermarket's
Trading hours vary by shop but the majority open at 7am or 8am.
Specialbuys are Aldi's weekly collection of items that it doesn't normally sell, which can range from pizza ovens to power tools.
New stock comes into stores every Thursday and Sunday, so naturally, these are the best days to visit for the best one-off special deals.
For an even better chance of bagging the best items, head there for your local store's opening time.
You don't have to head into stores to bag a Specialbuy, though.
They also go on sale online, usually at midnight on Thursday and Sunday, and .
But note, for large items is £3.95, and for extra large items it's £9.95, even if the order value is over £30.00.
Remember: once they're gone, they're gone, so if there's something you really want, visit as early as possible.
B&M has previously said its staff members don't know what will be reduced until the day itself, with products marked down in price every day.
But on Facebook, savvy shoppers think they've cracked the formula for when the discount chain lowers prices.
It's said Wednesdays are the best day to head to B&M as this is when many products are reduced, according to Tom Church of .
But reductions happen on other days too.
Tuesday is thought to be when staff reduce food, pet items and cleaning products, while Friday is another big clearance sale day, shoppers have speculated previously.
You might also see reductions on Thursdays and Saturdays though, as apparently these are the days stores try to flog old stock and seasonal items at lower prices.
It's best to head in on these days in the morning, as it's said staff will start reducing products from about 7.30am.
You can find out when your nearest store opens using B&M's .
B&M says it stocks its more than 650 shops with new items everyday.
The retailer told us that often it will make a deal with a supplier and have the item in store the very next day.
This confirms what B&M fans have said, too, as thrifty shoppers say there are new deals in stores every day.
They recommend regularly looking at the B&M website, which lists nearly everything in stores right now.
But don't rely on it too much, as not all products will be on the website.
You can also sign up to B&M's newsletter, which will tell you about its latest offers.
Footfall is at its lowest at 3pm and 6pm, B&M staff told us.
Perfect if you already know what you want - but you might miss out on deals that come in earlier in the day.
FOLLOW our tips and tricks to cut the costs of your shopping:
Unlike many other supermarkets, Lidl (and Aldi) reduce their items at the start of the day, according to experts.
Lidl usually reduces products in its 800 UK stores near the use-by date to about 30% of the original price, bloggers from have previously revealed.
Opening times vary from shop to shop, but most open from 7am or 8am.
You can find out your local branch's opening times by using .
We asked Lidl to reveal when it thinks the best time to shop there is - but we didn't hear back.
It's no secret that every Thursday and Sunday, Lidl refreshes its Middle of Lidl items.
Just like Aldi's Specialbuys, Lidl's middle aisle offers can include a wide variety of items, from power tools to fresh flowers.
You can find out what's currently in stores, and what will be coming in over the next week, on .
If you want to avoid the crowds, you'll generally have the aisles to yourself between 9pm and 10pm at Lidl.
But this can vary day-to-day and between stores.
You can use Google's "popular times" feature to find out the least busy periods for your nearest shop.
Blogger Tom Church told The Sun that Poundland reduces the price of perishable items in its 850 stores to 50p if the best-before date expires that day before the shops open.
But a little-known tip, which the retailer has previously confirmed, is that any food item unsold by 4pm will be reduced again to 25p.
So it could be worth popping in when your local branch opens or mid-afternoon.
Find out the opening times of your local store by using Poundland's .
The official line from Poundland is that delivery times for new stock vary from place to place, but every shop will be re-stocked daily with chilled items.
That said, you're probably best to visit your local shop in the morning soon after it opens to have the best chance of bagging the most popular items.
We've previously revealed the top 10 tips for saving money at Poundland.
But be careful, because Poundland actually charges you double for some branded goods compared to supermarkets.
Meanwhile, in TK Maxx, there's a way you can quickly find out if an item has been reduced twice by looking at the label.
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