Beat mark-ups at the supermarket with our top money-saving tips

FOOD prices are on the up again

If you’ve been going over your food budget recently, it’s time to hit reset.

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Here I offer some ways to slash the cost of your grub.

YELLOW STICKER SAVINGS: In this supermarket section you can find food close to its expiry date for up to 75 per cent off

The time the reductions are made varies per store, but bigger savings are usually found in the evening — good for finding a cheap dinner.

You can find freezable items to defrost and eat when you want.

Herbs can be frozen in ice cube trays and I love to find veg, roast it that day and serve it with meals through the week.

DELI-CIOUS: Don’t overlook the deli counter, as the reductions at the end of the day can be great.

Fish in particular usually has heavy reductions and you tend to get better quality and more, as whole fish are cheaper.

If you can’t afford a takeaway, you can often find excellent-value “cooked-in-store” ready meals here.

Morrisons has a great pizza counter where you can pick up Domino’s pizza dupes for as little as £3, and currently mini pizzas are just 49p each, down from 65p.

WORLD BEATERS: In general you can find bulk sauces, tins, rice, herbs and spices for far less in the World Foods section than in the main aisles.

I grab lentils to bulk out stews and bolognese, and also bags of crispy snacks.

For example, in the spice rack aisle at Tesco, 50g of chilli powder is 95p, but in the World Food aisle a 400g bag of Rajah Chilli Powder is £1.49.

DAIRY DISCOUNTS: Always buy the biggest block of cheese you can afford, then you can make it go so much further by grating and freezing.

Also, whip air into butter so it doubles in size, then keep it in the fridge — it really helps the portion stretch.

With yoghurts, sometimes bigger isn’t better. For example, 1kg of Fage Total Greek Yoghurt is £4.50 at Asda, but the 500g pot is currently £1.95, so two would be £3.90, which is a 60p saving.

BAKE MONEY OFF: Nuts and dried fruit can be cheaper in the baking aisle than the snacks aisle, where VAT applies.

Unsalted peanuts are around 80p for 100g in the baking aisle, but up to £1 per 100g in the snack aisle.

• Prices correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.

Deal of the day

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MAKE a splash in the Heatwave Tropicana swimsuit by pourmoi.co.uk.

Usually £39, it is £27.30 in the sale, with up to 70 per cent off some items.

SAVE: £11.70

Cheap treat

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POP new Kinder Cards biccies straight into picnic lunchboxes, as they are individually wrapped. Just £1.80 at Morrisons.

Top swap

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ELIZABETH Arden’s Eight-Hour Cream is currently £28 at Boots.

But amazing things might happen with the Lacura Miracle Cream available to pre-order from aldi.co.uk (in-store from Thursday) for just £3.99.

SAVE: £24.01

Shop & Save

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MAKE a meal of it outdoors with three picnic-food items for £5 at Iceland. Usually around £2 each.

SAVE: up to £1

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk