How-to Guides » OLD GUIDE Cut your food bills

Shop sensibly

6 tips on this task  |  Tweet

1) Buy in bulk

Bulk buying can offer genuine savings, especially if you share out the produce among friends and neighbours. Sacks of rice, for example, are extremely cheap from Asian grocers.

2) Avoid pre-packaged food

If possible, try to buy food that isn't wrapped up in loads of packaging as it'll be cheaper. Buy your fruit and veg loose, and also purchase more from the deli counter -- cheeses and meats are likely to be cheaper here than those wrapped up in plastic on the shelves. It will also taste fresher.

3) Buy cheaper cuts of meat

Some cuts are cheaper than others, perhaps because they take longer to cook. But if you're prepared to take a little more time over your cooking, buying cheaper cuts of meat is a great way to save!

4) Bin the big brands!

Supermarkets’ own label products often contain the same ingredients as their big brand equivalents. They can taste just as good too - and cost a lot less!

You can see how certain products compare in both cost and taste by checking out the Supermarket Own Brand Guide website.

5) Check your units

It's always worth checking how much an item costs per 100 grams/ kilogramme - sometimes you may find it actually costs more to buy a larger packet than a smaller one.

6) Watch out for supermarket scams

Supermarkets will try anything to tempt you to buy more than you need. So keep your eyes peeled for cunning tricks such as the smell of freshly baked bread, confusing store layout, clever product placement and relaxing music.

7) Keep to a time limit

Don't spend hours and hours wandering around the supermarket aisles. The longer you spend there, the more you're likely to spend. Just get what you need as quickly as possible, pay, and leave.

8) Collect loyalty points

Sign up to a loyalty card, such as a Tesco Clubcard or Nectar card, and whenever you go food shopping, you'll earn points. You can then spend these points on groceries in the future, or redeem them against days out, petrol, gifts or hundreds of other goodies.

9) Earn cashback

If you can afford to pay off your credit card bill in full each month, use a cashback credit card to do your shopping and you’ll earn a bit back every time you spend! Just make sure you definitely pay off the balance in full each month - otherwise you'll be hit with a hefty rate of interest which will outweigh any cashback benefits.

Compare cashback credit cards with lovemoney.com

10) Check your receipt at the checkout

Getting home to find you've been charged twice for an item you've only got one of can be frustrating. And more often than not, we can't be bothered to trek back to the supermarket to complain. So make sure you check your receipt at the checkout to find out whether there are any errors.

11) Only buy your groceries

Don't add toothpaste, soap, shampoo onto your grocery bill as this will quickly make it more expensive. Make sure your food budget is for food only!

Next task: Frugal cooking

Register now to adopt this goal and offer tips!