How to find Easter eggs without breaking the bank

It's almost Easter, and for most kids - and many adults - chocolate will feature largely.

A survey two years ago found that the average child gets eight Easter eggs, which they stuff down in just four days.

All this doesn't come cheap, with the average parent spending a whopping £25 on their child. But take heart: according to HotUKDeals, it's possible to find great-quality eggs that really won't break the bank.

Where can you get the best Easter eggs?

Check discount stores for high-end brands
Don't discount the discounters when looking for high-end branded eggs. Last year the hottest Easter egg deal, as voted by the members of HotUKDeals, was for a Ferrero Rocher Easter egg that cost £6.50 on the Debenhams website - but just £2.49 in Home Bargains.

This year, Wilko has large Easter eggs of various types for £2.50 instead of £4.00 online and in-store.

Don't pay over the odds for 'free from' eggs
Last year, Holland and Barrett offered Choices dairy-free Easter eggs on a buy one, get one half price (£2.79) basis. The year before, Home Bargains had Kinnerton's free from dairy, egg, wheat and nut Chocolate Easter egg for £1.99 instead of £5.99; and ASDA sold its own-brand free-from Easter eggs at half price - just £1.50.

Free Easter eggs, Mother's Day booze, pots, seeds and snacks

Check out the supermarket
Over the last two years, Easter egg offers at Tesco were voted as some of the best, with buy two get two free on a range of medium Easter eggs (£1.50 each). Large Easter eggs were half price at £2.00.

This year, HotUKDeals members have spotted that ASDA has Thornton's Fruit Collection Chocolate Easter Egg 226g as part of their three for £10 offer. Meanwhile, Tesco has the Lindt XL Easter Egg for £10, and large Easter eggs at Iceland are currently two for £5.

Check for codes
Two weeks before Easter last year, Hotel Chocolat offered 15% off for one day using the code EGGS. Members of HotUKDeals also noticed that you could combine the code with the chocolate maker's Easter mix and match offer to get three £10 Easter eggs for £22.50 or less using click and collect. A week before Easter, it knocked another 15% off, this time for a £20 spend.

Where to shop for the best deals and discounts

Buy on or after Easter
If you can wait, the best deals on Easter eggs are to be found on or after Easter. Last year, on Easter day itself, John Lewis Easter eggs were down to half price; the day after, Easter chocolate was spotted at half price at Waitrose.

And five days after Easter, Waitrose was practically giving Easter eggs away, at 90% off, while Sainsbury's had 70% off Easter chocolate and Thorntons had Easter eggs for just £1.