TEN ways you can cut your grocery bills even while you’re in the aisles.
From using a smaller trolley to the benefits of loyalty schemes – we reveal savvy supermarket savings tips.
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Before you leave
CHECK cupboards, make a plan for the week and write a list.
It’s easy to buy items you don’t need if you haven’t done a check.
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Naomi Willis, of money-saving website Skint Dad, said: “You may have things you can use, which will prevent waste and save money.”
James Andrews of money.co.uk, added: “Be flexible. Think meal ideas rather than exact recipes.”
On the way
CONSIDER which supermarket to shop at, said Katy Stevens, of money saving blog KatyKicker.
Going to a discount store could save you almost £500 a year, according to Which?.
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She said: “Most of us know Lidl and Aldi are typically cheaper on cupboard staples.
“But Farmfoods and The Food Warehouse by Iceland often stock branded frozen items at lower prices.”
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In the car
LEAVE your carrier bags in the boot of the car to make sure you never forget them.
A family shop can easily fill half a dozen carrier bags.
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These will cost 20p each, which is another £1.20 on your shop each week, or £62 a year.
Instead, buy a couple of reusable bags.
These are bigger and more durable, so they can fit more in and will last longer.
At the trolley station
USING the biggest trolley might seem like the easiest option but it could be tricking you into spending more.
Choosing the smaller trolley will mean you are more conscious of what’s going in as it fills up more quickly.
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Naomi Willis said: “If you’re just there to do a top-up shop, don’t use a trolley.
“Grab a basket or just carry what you need by hand.”
At the door
MOST supermarkets have free wifi.
Jump on to that and you can spare your phone’s data while searching for deals as you browse the store.
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Naomi Willis recommends apps such as CheckoutSmart and GreenJinn to help you find vouchers or cashback offers as you shop.
Pick up the supermarket’s mag if it has one – there are often offers inside.
In the aisles
DON’T be drawn in by special offers and fancy marketing.
And think value, not brand.
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Own-brand products are often just as good.
Looking at price per weight is also a good idea to get the cheapest items.
Charlotte Jessop, of website Looking After Your Pennies, said: “Look at the lower shelves too, as the most profitable products are usually placed at eye-level.”
Look in every section
DON’T forget to look in unusual places for bargains.
Items such as soy sauce, rice and noodles can be cheaper in the “world foods” aisle.
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James Andrews said: “Items like raisins can be found for less in home baking than in snacks, and the freezer aisle is almost always cheaper than the chilled one.”
Charlotte Jessop recommends avoiding the seasonal aisle.
In the checkout queue
SHOPPERS can save cash if they use loyalty schemes such as Tesco’s Clubcard or Sainsbury’s Nectar.
Some will let you reclaim lost or forgotten points from up to two years ago.
For Tesco, you’ll need to log in to the Clubcard website to do this – it will show your voucher history.
Storing up points can get you money off your shop too.
At the till
DON’T forget to claim any vouchers you are eligible for.
Parents with young children can get Healthy Start vouchers worth up to £442 a year.
And you might be able to get some help with the shop under the Household Support Fund.
Contact your local council to find out what help is available.
At your computer
IF you are shopping online rather than in store, there are still ways to save.
You are less likely to give in to the temptation of special buys and offers as you only search for what you want.
First-time customer voucher codes, can get you money off.
Websites such as MyVoucherCodes or MoneySaving Expert can help you find these.
It’s also worth checking cashback websites.
‘Yellow stickers save me £40’
SAVVY mum Sarah Bryer saves hundreds of pounds a year on her grocery bills thanks to yellow sticker bargains.
The life coach, 40, who lives in Essex, shops at Aldi and Lidl and always visits after 6pm to pick up bargains.
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She spends £80 a week on food but says that she saves £40 buying food that is nearly out of date.
Sarah said: “We often go for two weeks without shopping as I just buy all the bargains and stock up my freezer. I get a real buzz out of it. Meat is always a good one because it can be so expensive at full price.”
Sarah, who runs Show/Girl Coaching and lives with her husband Lee, 37, a train driver, and daughter Bailey, five, picks up unseasonal bargains to store in her freezer.
She adds: “I plan my visits when the weather is unusual. For example, if it’s summer and it’s raining I go to buy meat. That is always a bargain buy because it’s there to entice people to barbecue but they won’t do that in the rain.”
‘I buy discount damaged food’
MUM-OF-FOUR Vicky Saynor often fills her trolley with damaged tins of beans and pulses – which have been reduced down to just 1p.
She spends £50 to £60 a week feeding her family and her frugal tricks help save hundreds of pounds a year.
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Vicky, 46, lives in Hertfordshire with her four kids Poppy, 16, Felix, 13, Mylo, 11, and ten-year-old Willow, and her husband Chris, also 46. The couple run a self-catering holiday business, Bethnal&Bec.
She said: “The cost of our weekly shops shocked me and I had to find a solution to reducing them, as money was tight. There is nothing wrong with goods that have damaged packaging. It tastes the same. Who cares if the label or tin is damaged?”
She scours the aisles of her local Tesco and Asda to find discount items and uses a slow cooker she bought on Facebook Marketplace for £5 to batch-cook recipes.
Vicky added: “I also use free food apps Olio and Too Good To Go. They offer free food and household items. This week I picked up two bags of shopping from Asda for £6 as everything was near its best-before date.”
