Inflation has seen the cost of everything we buy rise sharply recently, especially food prices. That’s why now is a good time to look at the best way to cut your bills and find the best deals. Let’s take a look at some simple ways to reduce the cost of your grocery shopping.
Food shopping on a budget
The last couple of years has been quite rough. First, we had the pandemic and as that was still rolling on, we saw an energy price hike. This had a knock-on effect and saw inflation rocket, with the price of everything going up and up. And if that wasn’t enough, Russia decided to invade Ukraine, which pushed prices up even further.
Although wages and benefits should rise, the chances are, it won’t be enough to cover the extra costs. That’s why it’s important to save money in any way you can. So let’s see some ideas on how to save money on your weekly grocery shop.
Create a grocery budget
This is the least interesting part but also the most important. You need to know how much money you have coming in and going out of your account each month to work out how much you have to spend.
Start by writing down your income, including wages, benefits, side incomes and any other money you might have coming in.
Then, you need to work out all of your outgoings. This is quite a long process and you’ll need to go through your bank to see when and where your money goes. And this isn’t just your regular monthly bills, but working out how much you spend on things like presents, haircuts and takeaways.
If you don’t fancy doing this all on your own, budgeting apps can help you do most of the hard work. Take a look at Moneyhub which is free to use for new customers and allows you to get a great overall view of your finances.
Also worth reading
Meal plan
When you know how much you have to play with each week, it’s time to focus on creating a meal plan. Knowing what you are due to eat each day means that you can stick to your budget much easier. It also means that you won’t get caught short during the week and end up buying a takeaway when you’ve realised you’ve got nothing in the cupboard.
When meal planning, consider batch-cooking meals. This will save you a lot of money in the long run and allow you to freeze some food for a later date. Great food for batch cooking are meals like chilli, bolognese and ratatouille. And don’t forget to bulk it out with vegetables, which is a cheap way to make your meals go further.
Create a shopping list
Before you go set out for the supermarket, make sure you have a grocery list. A shopping list gives you a good idea of how much you will spend. It won’t be exact, but if you buy similar items each week, you’ll have a good idea of the expected total cost. This reduces the chance of you being left embarrassed at the checkout as you realise you haven’t got enough money.
Plus, using a list will reduce the chance of you making impulse purchases.
Change your supermarket
If you find yourself visiting the same grocery shop each week, next time, it might be worth switching.
Did you know that around 25% of shoppers use Tesco as their main supermarket? That’s not surprising when you consider how many stores they have, the great deals Clubcard holders get and the range of food they provide. But having such a good loyalty program and so much choice comes with a price.
A study by Which? showed that Lidl and Aldi were cheaper than Tesco and all of the other traditional UK supermarkets.
If you’re willing to sacrifice the number of choices you have in brands and you’re able to travel a little further, you could save over 20% on your total grocery bill.
When in store
Supermarkets are keen on you to spend as much as possible. That’s why you’ll find a lot of premium items at the centre of a display or near eye level. Look to the bottom of a shelf to find the store brands which tend to be cheaper and better value products.
And when choosing what you want to buy, check the price per quantity rather than the unit price. Pricing labels on the shelf should tell you how much you pay per gram or litre (or similar). With products all coming in different shapes and sizes and a range of special offers available, these labels let you know which one really provides the best value. But generally, you’ll get a better deal if you buy in bulk.
And look out for yellow sticker items. These are products nearing their sell-by dates and need to be sold (usually that day). It’s important to note that even though the product needs to be sold, it doesn’t mean it needs to be eaten that day. Fresh produce, fresh fruits and similar items can often be used for another couple of days without issue. And if you find food the is freezable, then as long as you have room in the freezer, there’s no reason not to buy in large quantities.
Products will often be reduced in price in the morning, although not by much. For the best price, wait until the evening when items will sell for next to nothing. And if reduced grocery prices doesn’t make you feel better, how about the fact that you’ve helped to reduce food waste?
Oh, and never go shopping on an empty stomach. Everything looks so much more tempting when you’re hungry and you’re more likely to make impulse buys.
It’s not only supermarkets where you can bag a bargain
Aldi and Lidl aren’t the only shops where you can bag yourself a bargain. Discount stores like Home Bargains and B&M stock a lot of dry grocery and non-food items.
They mainly sell name brands, but at a lower price. It’s well worth paying a visit to either of these and stocking up on items like cereals, laundry detergent, toilet paper or any other kind of bulk items.
Use apps to help you save
There are plenty of apps out there that can help you to save money on your shopping too. These apps work in different ways and can save you various amounts.
Receipt scanning apps
These apps are the easiest to use. When you get home from your shopping trip, simply open up the app and take a photo of your receipt. You’ll then be rewarded with points that can eventually be exchanged for PayPal cash or Amazon vouchers. And the best thing is, you can use all of the apps with just one receipt.
Cashback apps
Although receipt scanning apps are great, they do take a while before you see any returns. So, why not look at using some cashback apps for some quick savings?
These apps show you special offers for selected items, but depending on what you’re buying, can save you anywhere between 50 pence and £5. Once you’ve bought the item, take a photo of the receipt and submit it for review. Once checked, you’ll receive your cashback within a couple of days.
Or take a look at my post about the best receipt scanning apps.
Hunt for cheap food
As a nation, we have become a little obsessed with dates put on food. But remember, if food passes its Best Before End (BBE) date, it doesn’t mean that it’s no longer safe. It will still be edible and in most cases, will still be fresh for some time afterwards.
Check out sites like Approved Food and Best Before It’s Gone
Both of these offer food that’s close to or just past its BBE date. And because it could end up being thrown away, it’s sold off for far cheaper prices. There are delivery costs involved though, so you need to buy in bulk to make sure you’re getting the best value for money.
If fresh food is more of your thing, then take a look at the Too Good To Go app. Here, you’ll find major chains like Costa and Greggs selling excess stock for discounted prices at the end of each day. Be warned, the food goes very quickly. A similar app worth checking out is Karma. This offers reduced food from smaller food outlets, although it has limited availability outside of the major cities.
Finally, it’s also worth downloading the Olio app. This allows you to connect with people that are trying to give away their excess food. And it’s not only individuals but companies will sometimes list items too.
Jisp is another app worth taking a look at. It will give you discounts at smaller convenience stores. All you need to do is scan a barcode on selected items when you’re in the store and you’ll be given a voucher to use at the checkout. Use the code 7FTCEA when you join for a 50 pence bonus.
Food shopping on a budget conclusion
Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life that the price of groceries will always increase. But, there are still plenty of things you can do.
Creating a budget should always be your first step, combined with meal planning. Once those two things are sorted, your food costs should soon start to drop. And the apps I mentioned above will also go a long way in helping to give you extra savings.
But if you’re still struggling with the costs, don’t be ashamed of the fact. There are organisations out there that are willing to help. Take a look at The Trussell Trust, which can point you in the direction of your nearest foodbank where you can pick up free food kindly donated by others.
Further reading
If you prefer online shopping, why not take a look to see which is the cheapest online supermarket?