STRUGGLING households can get their supermarket shopping for much cheaper through this little-known scheme.
Many households are looking for clever ways to save money as rising bills and the general cost of living has left many people struggling.
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And even though energy costs are set to decrease over the summer, food bills are still sky high.
But there’s a way shoppers can get food and cupboard staples at a discounted price.
Feeding Britain is a social supermarket that gives shoppers the chance to save money on their grocery bills.
A social supermarket gives people struggling with paying for food and other essentials and on a low income the chance to do their weekly shops at a much lower price.
These products may no longer be able to be sold at their original store but are still more than safe to eat.
Feeding Britain works with local pantries and Affordable Food Clubs across the country to help households shop for less.
For example, some shoppers might be able to pick up a food box worth £15 but for just £3.
On average, members will spend around £6 each time they visit an Affordable Food Club but take home food and other essentials totalling £23.
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Here are some examples of products people can pick up and how much they cost.
We chose to compare them to Asda, Aldi and Tesco:
- Loaf of wholemeal bread for – 75p (75p at Asda and Tesco)
- 4 pint carton of milk for 90p (around £1.80 at Asda)
- 550g block of cheddar for £1.50 (£2.20 at Tesco)
- 6 eggs for £1 (£1.85 at Asda)
- A whole chicken for £2 (£3.79 at Aldi)
- 4 apples for 40p (£1.69 for 6 at Aldi)
- 1kg of potatoes for 40p (£1 at Asda)
- 1kg carrots for 40p (50p at Tesco)
- Punnet of strawberries for 40p (around £1.50 at Asda)
You can pay by card or cash and some places also accept Healthy Start vouchers.
Most customers can go once a week to a hub.
Criteria depends on each individual hub that Feeding Britain works with, but you’ll most likely have to show you’re on a low income or on certain benefits.
Some will have memberships people can sign up for where they pay a monthly fee, while others will be pay-as-you-shop.
Bear in mind that memberships may also expire – for example, you might only be able to be a member for six months or a year, so that other people can access the club too.
Your food club will explain this to you when you sign up.
You can see the full list of areas Feeding Britain is currently located via its website, though it is in the process of updating its website to include a more in-depth list.
If you can’t find one near you, try emailing [email protected] and it’ll point you in the right direction.
For example, there are hubs in Bristol, Eastbourne, Hull, Kingston, Glasgow and Wigan.
Is there anything similar out there?
There are other social supermarkets you can join if you don’t have a Feeding Britain hub near you.
There’s Community Grocery, Community Shop and Company Shop which all offer discounted food and essentials for people on low incomes.
They’re not always well publicised so it’s worth having a look online as you may have a couple near you.
You could also ask your local council as they should have information on social supermarkets in the borough.
In addition, Too Good to Go is an app that allows you to rescue end-of-day food from many popular cafes, restaurants, shops and supermarkets that would otherwise go in the bin.
All you need to do is download and set your location on the Too Good To Go app and you can choose from nearby stores listing their unsold food at a reduced price.
Similar to Too Good To Go, you can search for nearby food to pick up based on your location through the Karma app.
You can then purchase meals at discounted prices.
However, unlike Too Good To Go, Karma will tell you what food you are getting, so there is even less chance of it going to waste.
No Waste is an excellent way to get organised, as you can scan your food and list it by expiry date, name or category.
It makes it easier to see what you are running out of, so you don’t double up on items in your next shop.
Lists can be shared with family so you can give away unwanted food plus you can track how much you are wasting by deleting items you have eaten or that have expired.
How else can I save on my supermarket shop?
There are plenty of other ways to save on your supermarket shop.
You can try looking out for yellow or red stickers on products which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh you’ll have to eat it fast, or freeze it to have another time.
Sometimes even timing your shop to stock up just as items are discounted on the shelves can help you get the best bargains – lots of shoppers have said this is in the evening typically.
Making a list could save you some money too as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
That means going for “own” or “value” type products instead of “finest” or “luxury” lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes as well where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.
