How to save £2,005.61 on your food shop by December
As the cost of living continues to rise, much of the UK is seeking ways to save money on their food bills. Here’s how to reduce it by over £2,000 by December.
Times are tough right now for many people. UK inflation has risen to a 40-year peak of 9.1% as the cost of living crisis worsens. So it’s not surprising that so many of us are tightening our belts and looking for ways to shave precious pounds off our bills.
One bill we can’t completely cut out is our weekly food shop. But there are ways we can reduce it. And to help, consumer expert Jenny McCormac from BrandRated shares seven grocery shopping hacks that could save you up to £2,005.61 by December.
1) Don’t shop hungry
Research reveals that consumers spend up to 64% more on goods when they shop hungry. On average, a family of four spends £128 a week on groceries, with a 64% rise to £209.92 when shopping hungry.
The uplift in spend is so significant as it often extends to the purchase of non-food related products such as clothing and furnishings.
2) Check out the latest deals
When it comes to grocery shopping, we are often creatures of habit, visiting the same store again and again. In store promotions change every week, often on a Tuesday. As a result, different stores are likely to vary in their affordability month on month.
So before you partake in your food shop, take a few minutes to browse online to view the deals in various stores, and shop at which is the cheapest.
3) Pick own brand products
Shoppers will save up £20.33 a week if they swap branded products to the supermarkets own range. Often, own brand products simply feature less salt and sugar with less fancy packaging. If you traditionally purchase branded products, move one step cheaper than that of the product you usually buy.
Once you have tried that, if willing, move another step below on your next shopping trip. Simply stop when you get to the cheapest product that is to your taste.
4) Avoid impulse purchases
90% of shoppers make impulse purchases on their visit to the supermarket. To avoid this extra expenditure, it’s worth being aware of several supermarket practices that appeal to consumers. For instance, children’s items are often on the lower shelves, within their reach.
Sale items, meanwhile, may be at the end of the aisles so that you are forced to walk past them and branded items (that are the costliest), at eye level. Knowing the hacks that supermarkets use allows shoppers to shop (and purchase), mindfully.
5) Make a list…but not of what you wish to purchase
It’s common practice to visit the supermarket armed with the list of products you wish to purchase. This can lead to savings of £11 as shoppers are less likely to make impulse purchases. However, a list of items that you already have may save you even more.
Consumers often look in their kitchen cupboards on autopilot and they are not fully aware of what they already have ‘in stock’. So before you leave, make a list of items that you already have in the kitchen.
This will aid in the purchase of ‘add ons’, to cook a recipe rather than buying whole new dinners. It will also avoid the purchase of items that you already have.
6) Adopt meat free Monday
One in four people in the UK cook the same four meals every week. Switching things up and learning new recipes can be a great way to save some money.
Adopting a meat free day saves the average household of four people £8.30 a week, £398.40 a year. Aim to have at least one meat free meal, of not day, a week.
7) Cut down on waste
Research shows that a UK home can throw away up to £496 a year in food. Making optimum use of the freezer reduces food waste, as well as prolongs meal choices throughout the week.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez
