12 tips to cut grocery bills – and it could save you £3,800 a year

RISING food prices are difficult to swallow, with hard-pressed families facing a £454 leap in annual grocery bills.

With the average household forking out £5,345 on food alone — and hundreds more on cleaning and laundry products — finding ways to save has never been more important.

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Follow our dozen top tips to put the pennies back into your purse.

1. GRANNY GROCERIES: Modern items such as liquid soap, shower gel and washing capsules mean you’re paying more for added water. Switch back to what your gran would have bought, such as solid soap bars and washing powder. Ariel washing capsules for your laundry can cost up to £11.80 per kg compared to Ariel washing powder at only £3.08 per kg. SAVE: Average of £350 per year.
2. DITCH THE KITCHEN ROLL: Some big-name brands have hit £6 a pack, but you can buy three reusable microfibre cloths for £1 at Iceland. Pop them in the wash after use then use again. SAVE: Up to £200 a year for a big family.
3. LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS: The average family wastes £800 worth of food every year — equivalent to eight meals a week. Learn how to use your leftovers at lovefoodhatewaste.com. SAVE: £800 per year.
4. SEARCH OUT THE SUPERDEALS: We all know how to hunt down discounted “yellow labels”, but many supermarkets also offer weekly mega price cuts on key items. Seek out the “Middle of Lidl” deals updated on Thursday and Sundays and the store’s “Pick of the Week” food offers. Aldi has a fortnightly “Super 6” offer with six discounted items. The Co-op offers a £5 Freezer Favourite bundle. SAVE: Around £500 per year.
5. COMPARE PACK SIZES: Always check the cost per gram, per unit or per item to hunt down the best deal. It should be displayed on the price card in-store. SAVE: £150 per year if you do it consistently.
6. GO FOR GROCERY CLONES: Like a designer dupe for food, grocery clones are own-label products which are similar in taste and appearance to your favourite big-name brand. Swap a £2 box of Kellogg’s corn flakes for a 55p box of Lidl’s Crownfield corn flakes and save £1.45. SAVE: Up to £800 a year.
7. SHOP WONKY: Strange-shaped fruit and veg tastes the same but costs less. Morrisons sells wonky veg products from 45p, while Lidl’s £1.50 Too Good To Waste boxes contain a whopping 5kg of fruit and veg that may be slightly damaged or discoloured but is still perfectly good to eat. SAVE: £150 a year.
8. GO MEAT FREE: Bulk out meals with beans or tofu — or go veggie a few days a week. Each meat-free day of the week saves £100 over the year. SAVE: £100 minimum.
9. BE ADVENTUROUS: Switch from your standard meat to cheaper cuts, which can be even tastier. Love fish? Swap cod for pollock and tuna for mackerel. SAVE: £175 a year.
10. SEEK OUT NEW STORES: Supermarkets put on offers to lure in new shoppers. Lidl has special welcome cards that allow you to grab a free item when you spend over £20 and show your card. SAVE: £20 for each new store you find.
11. GET PAID TO SHOP: Use cashback sites and apps to claw back some pennies on every purchase. Try TopCashBack, Quidco and Greenjinn.com. SAVE: Average of £350 per year
12. TAKE STOCK: Always do a stock take before going shopping. It will stop you buying what you already have and it’s amazing how many great recipes can be made from a few storecupboard items already sitting there. SAVE: Average of £240 per year.

Simple tweaks to halve your weekly spend

AFTER she and her husband both lost their jobs, mum-of-two Naomi Willis and her family found themselves £43,000 in debt.

But the savvy supersaver managed to pay it all off in just four years – and has since set up the award-winning Skintdad.co.uk blog to help others do the same.

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Naomi, 34, runs her blog full-time with husband Ricky, 39. The couple live in Hull with their two children.

Naomi said: “I know the burden of living on very little but managed to become debt free by learning from past mistakes and following my own tips.

“As a family of four, we went from spending £70 a week on our shop to around £38 with just a few simple tweaks.”

Here is Naomi’s guide to cutting back the cost of your weekly shop.

1. Do you take the car for the weekly shop? Use an app such as PetrolPrices to find the cheapest fuel in your area before you head out and fill up on your trip.
2. Get your just rewards. Sign up for every single supermarket loyalty card and shop at the one offering the best deals that week. Download the apps to your phone for extra deals and so you never find yourself without the right card.
3. Meal plan. Planning weekly meals will reduce the money you spend at the supermarket and lower food waste – as you will be buying just what you need.
4. Use a slow cooker. This uses less energy than an oven.
5. Get appy. Sign up to foodwaste app toogoodtogo.co.uk/en-gb which offers unsold food from cafes, stores and restaurants at bargain prices at the end of the day.
6. Most people think you need to visit supermarkets in the evening for discounted food, but the best bargains are often found first thing in the morning as staff reduce what needs to be sold that day.
7. Cooking from scratch should save you money. Get started with simple recipes from 6p per portion at skintchef.co.uk.
8. Take advantage of tech that cuts the cost of your shop. Apps like Honey automatically apply available discount vouchers.
9. Give yourself a weekly food budget and a buffer, For example, £60 with a £10 buffer. It will stop you buying pricey treats you don’t need but will allow you to pick up extra yellow sticker bargains.
10. Cut back wisely. Most things you can scrimp on but you wouldn’t want to buy too cheap a toilet roll and put your finger through it!

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk