If you’re looking to save money on your weekly shop it can be hard to know where to start.
The thing is though, food is one of the biggest essential expenses for families so when you’re looking to reduce your outgoings it’s a great place to make little changes that can really add up.
Here are my top tips to help you save money on your weekly shop.
Make a plan
Before you head out to the shops sit down and make a meal plan for the week.
If you know what you’re planning to eat all week you can make sure you only buy the things you need to make those meals. This will help you avoid buying things that’ll end up being wasted or overspending on impulse buys.
Look at the cost per unit
Take a bit of time to check the cost per unit of the things you buy, to make sure you’re getting the best value for money.
It might look like it costs more initially, but it will actually save you money.
For example, buying a whole chicken costs more but you can make so many more meals from it than if you buy a pack of breasts. And the cost per 100g is normally actually quite a bit less.
Try own brand products
If you always tend to reach for the big brand name products, try shifting to the supermarket’s own versions.
Sometimes you won’t even be able to taste the difference, and sometimes you’ll find you actually prefer the cheaper alternatives.
If you really don’t like the own brand versions then have a list of the products that, to you, are worth spending a bit more on. Although, it might be worth doing a blind taste test just to make sure you’re not being swayed by the packaging.
Take advantage of offers
You do need to be careful with the special offers you see and make sure you don’t buy things you won’t actually end up using.
But there are times when it’s a great idea to snap up offers when you see them.
Long life items like tinned and dried goods are worth stocking up on when they’re on offer. They’ll last for ages in your cupboard, can be used to bulk out meals to stretch them further, and can be used to make cheap dinners when you don’t have anything fresh in the fridge.
Keep an eye out for offers on things like toilet roll, to help you save money on household essentials as well as your food.
Make good use of your freezer
If you time your shopping trip right you can pick up reduced items that have reached their best before date.
All sorts of things can be frozen, including bread products, meats, and fruit and vegetables. So pick up these bargains when you see them and pop them straight in the freezer when you get home.
Then work them into your next meal plan and defrost them when you need them.
Shop around
If you normally stick to the same supermarket, try shopping around to see if it could save you money.
Shopping at Aldi and Lidl instead of the other big supermarkets can normally save families a nice bit of money on their weekly shop.
You might also find that visiting your local market for meat, fruit, and vegetables is cheaper than the supermarket.
It’s also worth shopping around when you’re in store. A lot of the big supermarkets will have things like naan bread, rice, and spices on sale at cheaper prices in the ethnic food aisle.
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