How to slash your bills in face of sky-high prices by putting your freezer to good use

SHOPPERS are heading for the supermarket’s frozen- food aisles to slash their spending in the face of sky-high prices.

Grocery prices finally dipped in February — the first monthly fall since September — yet remain 30 per cent more expensive than they were in 2021.

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One in every five households is now buying more frozen goods to avoid blowing their budget, reports consumer champion Which?

Grub from the freezer can get a bad rap but has a longer shelf life and is often more nutritious than fresh alternatives.

And when we compared prices of fresh versus frozen, in almost every category you could save by opting for the latter.

Lynsey Hope looks at how putting your freezer to good use can cut your bills . . . 

FRUIT AND VEG

BUYING frozen fruit and veg tends to be cheaper and is often more nutritious.

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Anna Mapson, nutritional therapist at Goodness Me Nutrition, says: “Frozen food is often just as healthy as fresh and that is down to the transport time.

“Frozen fruit or veg is often frozen within a few hours of being picked, which means all the nutrients are retained.

“Some fresh food may have travelled for a couple of days after being picked, then sit in a warehouse and our fridge for a few days. Slowly, it will lose key nutrients.”

But fresh fruit and veg can be cheaper when it’s in season — for example, strawberries in June.

You can stock up on fresh goods when they are in abundance and pop some in the freezer for later.

MEAT AND FISH

THE most expensive part of the food shop is usually meat and fish.

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But the freezer can help you save. If you realise you’re not going to use food before its expiry date, pop it in the freezer and you can get it out when you’re ready.

The Food Standards Agency says: “Freezing acts as a ‘pause’ button on food. If you freeze food correctly, it won’t deteriorate or spoil as bacteria cannot grow on frozen food.

“The longer the food is frozen, the more likely the texture will be affected. But this will not affect its safety.”

Provided it’s frozen ahead of expiration, fish can be kept for a further six months.

Raw chicken or turkey can be stored in the freezer for up to a year, while ground beef frozen is OK for a few months.

Frozen meat and fish is also just as nutritious as fresh alternatives.

PRE-MADE

FREEZING food is often a great way to get the most out of the reduced-price aisle at your local supermarket.

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Snap up great bargains on ready meals and other pre-made foods, then stick them in the freezer as soon as you get home, to eat at another time.

You can also benefit from multi-offer deals on fresh food by freezing extra packs.

Nutritionist Anna says: “There’s usually abso-lutely no difference in the taste of frozen pre-made food, such as pizza or ready meals, if the ingredients used are similar.”

I binned less stuff and saved £120 a month’

MUM-OF-THREE Stacie Swift saved £30 in a week by choosing frozen food over fresh.

The illustrator lives in St Neots, Cambs, with husband Jon, 41, and children Matilda, eight, Arthur, six and Maisie, four.

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Stacie, 38, says: “Like many families, we have noticed our bills going up during the cost-of-living crisis, especially when it comes to the weekly food shop.

“I was really excited to try buying frozen food for a week, instead of fresh, to see if it could save us money. The kids love seafood so I bought some frozen king prawns to make a risotto.

“These cost me £2.50 for the frozen ones, instead of £3.50 for the fresh, and it was a bigger bag so we had more of them.

“I also got a great deal on frozen pizzas, buying three for £5.50, whereas one fresh pizza would usually cost me around £3.50.

“I didn’t think the pizza tasted as good as the fresh, but the kids didn’t notice so it didn’t matter.

“I also bought four packs of four frozen chicken Kiev’s for £3.10 each? I’d usually buy fresh packs of two for £2.90 each?, so that was another saving.

“And the frozen ones taste just as good – no one would know the difference.”

Stacie adds of her experiment with frozen foods: “I threw less stuff out, as they didn’t go off when plans changed and I hadn’t had a chance to cook them.

“On my weekly shop, I saved around £30.

“It doesn’t sound like much but, over the course of the month, that adds up to £120 and, in a year, which is a saving of £1,560.”

LABOUR’S U-TURN ON LIFETIME ALLOWANCE

SAVERS could face a hefty penalty in retirement as plans to protect thousands of workers from a pension tax have been scrapped.

Labour has rowed back on reported proposals to protect certain public sector workers when it brings back the Lifetime Allowance if it wins the next general election, Sun Money learned this week.

The LTA is the total amount – £1,073,100 – you can save into your pensions without incurring a tax charge. Labour committed to reintroducing the LTA after the Government announced last year it was scrapping it from next month.

It later announced it intended to prevent some public sector workers from being stung by the tax, including suggesting it would create separate allowances for doctors or teachers.

But Labour has now ruled out creating a separate system for public and private sector workers. An industry source said this suggests Labour may instead set the LTA threshold at a higher level, to hit fewer workers overall.

Tom Selby, from pension firm AJ Bell, said: “Scrapping the LTA was a hugely positive move which removed one of the biggest barriers to senior doctors taking on extra hours, alleviating pressure on the NHS. The sensible thing for Labour to do would be to quietly step away from its pledge to reintroduce it.”

REFORMS ON WAY FOR HOUSE CHARGES

HOMEOWNERS are a step closer to getting more rights over their properties and charges as a landmark bill is now in the House of Lords.

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill addresses issues of lack of control millions face over charges related to their homes.

A report by the Competition and Markets Authority this week revealed that 80 per cent of new-build homes sold by the 11 biggest property developers in 2021-22 were subject to estate management charges.

The CMA said while the average yearly charge was £350, extra charges of thousands of pounds were causing a great deal of stress to homeowners. While leasehold flats often have hefty service charges, freehold homes historically haven’t had charges attached, but new-build homes now often come with fees.

A government spokesperson said: “Through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill we are introducing measures to make estate management companies more accountable for how their money is spent.

“These measures include ensuring that freehold homeowners who pay estate rent charges have the right to go to the tribunal to appoint a new manager to manage the provision of services.”

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk