After mortgage or rent payments, the weekly shop is most families biggest expense. With unstable weather conditions (think last years very cold winter followed by an extremely hot summer) and the uncertainty of Brexit still looming over us, food prices have been gradually creeping up. However, there a plenty of quick and easy ways to save money on the weekly shop.
1. Shop at a different time of day
Most people are creatures of habit and will shop at the same place and time each week. Mixing things up and shopping at a different time of day could actually help you save money. When the supermarkets are really busy it can be difficult to take a good look at what’s on offer, especially if you’re shopping with children it can feel as though you want to get in and out as quickly as possible. Shopping in the evening when there are fewer people around means you can take your time, look for the best offers and hopefully find some good reductions too.
2. Always have a list and a plan
Take a good look through the cupboards, fridge and freezer before you go shopping to see how many meals can be made without actually buying anything. Having a list also stops the mid-shop panic on whether you really do have that jar of sauce in the cupboard or not. Turn the ingredients you have into a meal plan and only buy what you need to make those meals. This approach also helps with stock rotation and makes sure everything is used before buying new.
3. Check the reduced section
I love a bargain from the reduced section and although the best reductions are usually in the evenings there are still discounts to be had throughout the day at most supermarkets. Most reduced food should be ok for a day or two at least, however freezing or cooking as soon possible is the best option to make sure foods stays edible.
4. Buy Wonky Veg
Wonky fruit and vegetables have been getting a lot of press recently, in particular with the release of Lidl’s wonky veg boxes for just £1.50. Wonky fruit and vegetables are great for a number of reasons – as well as saving consumers money they are great for the environment as they help prevent food from getting wasted. As a lot of vegetables end up in stews, soups and casseroles it really doesn’t matter that they don’t look perfect to begin with. Morrison’s even does wonky avocados!
5. Look for special offers before shopping
Having lots of special offers at eye-level is one of the ways that supermarkets like to lure us into spending more money. While offers are great when they are on products you really need, it’s still worth price checking against own brands and other supermarkets to make sure the offer really will save you cash.
It’s also worth looking at the special offers before you go shopping. This eliminates any ‘in the moment’ temptation and if there is something you’d buy anyway you can plan meals around it with what you already have in.
6. Find Money-off vouchers
Money off vouchers are a great way to save money on the weekly shop. I often find vouchers for FarmFoods posted through my door and as I’m signed up to Nectar I often get vouchers for Sainsbury’s in the post too. Sometimes the big newspapers will have money off vouchers – a recent example is The Sun having £10 off a £40 shop at Lidl – worth spending the 55p on the paper for the discount.
7. Swap a brand/Drop a brand
This is always mentioned when people are trying to save on their weekly shop but it really can make a huge difference to how much you spend overall. If you try something once and really hate it, it’s easy enough to swap back up next time you shop. However, more often than not people end up sticking with the cheaper version – even if it’s not exactly the same, sometimes the amount saved is worth it.
8. Save even when shopping online
With modern life being super hectic, lots of families have switched to shopping online. When it comes to saving money, this can be a great start. Although there are no reduced bargains to be had, it can definitely curb impulse buying and it’s easy to update your basket whenever you like.
Shopping around even when grocery shopping online could save you a lot of cash as most supermarkets have great introductory offers. As an example, Sainsbury’s offer £18 off your first £60 online shop. If you do want to stick to the same supermarket though, it’s definitely worth investing in a delivery pass for the month, or even the year.
9. Don’t forget your loyalty card
While it’s true that you should never shop anywhere just for the loyalty points, it’s always worth using your card if you are shopping there. My favourite is Nectar – they have lots of events during the year that can help increase your points, they can be collected on petrol and the annual double up event in the run up to Christmas means I get lots of value out of them, even though I don’t do my big weekly shop at Sainsbury’s.
10. Bulk up with cheap ingredients
Meat is often the most expensive part of a meal – so cutting it by half or even completely can save a fair bit of money. Meals can be bulked out with extra vegetables, lentils and beans, and even stuffing or breadcrumbs. You could also try serving bread alongside meals to make them more filling without needing to add more meat.
What other ways could you save money at the supermarket?
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I save money by only buying my “brands I cannot live without” when they are on offer. I have done this for several years and keep a separate “stores budget” for these non-perishables. I have paid less than half the RRP for my shower gel for over five years now – but I do buy them 4-6 at a time, so you need a bit of a space and that separate fund so you can always take advantage when you need to stock up.