THERE'S no better feeling than scoring a mega bargain – and these ones could save you £466 a year, according to deals expert Joseph Seager.

As households are being stung by a cost of living crisis, finding ways to shave money off big bills has rarely been so important.

Shoppers are paying up to 60% more for their groceries, while millions of households saw their energy bills rocket last month after the price cap went up.

Drivers are also being hit at the pumps as the price of fuel soars.

All in all, households are set to be hit by a £1,000 fall in income as the big squeeze continues.

So, The Sun sat down with deals expert Joseph Seager to see how you can avoid paying full price on subscriptions, meals out and more.

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Mr Seager runs the savings blog Thrifty Chap and explains how to save hundreds of pounds.

Cashback deals – save £300 a year

You can save hundreds of pounds a year using cashback sites – they work by essentially paying you to shop or take out deals. 

The site gets paid commission from the retailer you shop with and gives you a slice of money to keep too. 

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Most cashback sites are free and you just need to sign up with your name and email address.

"It could save you £300 a year – I’ve saved over £4,000 with Quidco," Mr Seager said.

Quidco and TopCashback are two of the most popular sites – but there are other ones you can use too, like Shopmium and Green Jinn.

But cashback is never guaranteed and the offers can disappear, so never buy something just for the cashback – make sure it's something you needed anyway, and always shop around for the best deal.

Switch banks – up to £150 free

Banks often offer incentives to get new customers in – you could get up to £150 FREE just by moving current accounts.

Currently, there are a number of switch deals running – First Direct is giving new customers £150 and there's £125 on offer from both Halifax and Nationwide.

But make sure to read the small print, Mr Seager said.

Often you'll have to pay in a certain amount of money each month to qualify, or you might not be eligible if you've been a customer of that bank before.

It could be a red flag to lenders if you switch banks multiple times in terms of your credit worthiness – which could stop banks giving you a loan or mortgage.

There are other things to watch out for when deciding when to switch, Mr Seager added: "Be sure to check all the incentives available and the customer service scores of the banks you’re looking at moving to."

Free cake at Costa – save £2.50

A birthday isn't a birthday without cake – and you can get yours for free from Costa on your special day.

"You should get the reward on your birthday to use within a week, and the cakes are worth around £2.50," Mr Seager said.

You have to have the free Costa Coffee app to get the deal, which is free to download via Google Play or the App Store.

You need to put in a few personal details and opt into marketing. Make sure your birthday is right in settings.

Costa isn't the only chain offering freebies on your birthday – other retailers do too, because it's a good way of tempting customers back into stores.

At Greggs you can get a free sweet treat on your birthday – you need to have signed up for the rewards app to claim.

While at Frankie and Benny's you can get a free main meal or a bottle of prosecco for just £10 if you're wanting to dine out on your big day.

"Free" kids meal – save around £3

Grabbing a spot of lunch out is a real treat – but you don't have to break the bank if you go to Morrisons.

Kids can eat for free at the supermarket's cafe – but there is a catch.

You'll only get the free meal if you buy an adult meal – prices for these start from £4.50.

"The deal runs everyday after 3pm and you can save around £3," Mr Seager said.

Be warned though, you might not be saving as much as you think on some meals.

The Sun recently revealed that the supermarket hiked the cost of its cafe fry-up by 50p to £7.49 last week.

Food waste apps – £10 saving

Popping to shops like Greggs, Costa and Starbucks for a quick snack can soon add up.

But using food waste apps like Too Good To Go could help you bag treats from these stores for much less.

The app works by letting shops list excess food that was only going to be thrown away at heavily discounted prices.

Shoppers can pick up a "mystery" bag of these goodies for much less.

"You can often get £15 worth of food for less than a fiver, which is a £10 saving," Mr Seager said.

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"You often have to order them the night before to collect the day after."

The app can be downloaded for free from Google Play or the App Store.

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