How to Save Money on Your Food Shopping
Posted on October 20th, 2018Everybody loves good food, but nobody likes spending money on food. The solution? Find clever ways to save money without skimping on quality. It may seem like a bit of a faff, but by pinching pennies here and there, you can actually save a lot in the long haul. So, without further a due, here’s how to save money on your food shopping.
Look out for special offers
Unless you have one very specific brand of teabag that you just can’t live without, why not buy what’s on offer? You can save a lot simple by purchasing things that are on clearance or have a multi-buy offer. Obviously, don’t buy 50 toilet rolls just because they were cheap, but have a look around to see how much you could save by being a little less brand loyal. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Take advantage of loyalty cards
Loyalty cards are a fantastic way to save a little money without doing anything at all. Most supermarkets will have a loyalty scheme that rewards you for being a frequent shopper, and you can use the rewards to save money on a range of different products. All you have to do is request a card and your supermarket will send you one free of charge. Simple.
Go for own brand items
For many products, the supermarket’s own brand is just as good as the next premium brand’s product. Of course, this isn’t always the case, but you can make substitutes here and there for things that have little to no taste difference. A lot of our perceptions on taste come from clever marketing tactics and our parents’ buying preferences. Break the buying habits, and you could save big.
Write a shopping list
Without a guide, you might be tempted to buy things that you don’t actually need. Supermarkets are notorious for blasting shoppers with offers for all kinds of products and the temptation to buy a share bag of sweets that were only 47p is all too real. But you must stay strong! Although 47p may not sound like a great amount of money, it all adds up to a much larger food bill than you originally intended. Write a list and stick to it. You’ll thank yourself later, trust us.
Check the price per gram
Those sneaky supermarkets are at it again. How many times have you compared two similar products and simply picked the cheapest one? Well, you might have picked the technically more expensive option. Let us explain.
Say you have 2 boxes of strawberries. Box 1 is 500g and costs £4.30, box 2 is 250g and costs £2.40. How many of you would buy the second box over the first one? Probably a lot of you. However, the first box is actually better value. The strawberries in box 1 cost 8.6p per gram and the ones in box 2 cost 9.6p per gram. Who says you don’t use maths after school?!
p.s., if you aren’t willing to whip out a calculator in the middle of the supermarket, then try looking at the small print of the price label on the store shelves. Sometimes, they have the price per gram written for you.
Don’t shop when you’re hungry
The golden rule that we should all abide by. When you’re hungry, you are incredibly susceptible to sugary, carby, fatty foods because your body is deprived of calories. This means that you are much more likely to make an impulse purchase on these types of foods. Save yourself a lot of unnecessary expenditure and eat something before you head out on your shopping trip. You’re welcome.
Go green
This one might irk some of you, but it is true: meat and dairy is expensive. By cutting them out of your diet even once or twice a week, you can save a ton of money, plus you’ll be helping the environment by cutting your carbon footprint. Get creative in the kitchen and try to come up with some tasty, plant-based meals to eat that will be lighter on both your wallet and your waistline. Alternatively, there are heaps of recipes available for you to follow along with. Try it and see.
Save your leftovers
Did you know that over £13b worth of food is thrown out each year in the UK alone? That’s a shocking statistic. Not only is it a shame to waste that much food, but it’s also a huge waste of money. To solve this problem, serve smaller portions and save any leftovers in the fridge. You can freeze them if you don’t think you’ll get around to eating it all before it goes off.
Shop seasonal
Seasonal fruit and veg is much cheaper on average than out-of-season produce. This is because a lot more went into getting them to the supermarket stores, which then inflates the price. Check out this handy guide to seasonal fruit and veg in the UK to help you shop seasonal and save money.
Those are our best tips on how to save money on your food bill. We hope this gave you some new information that you can take with you on your next supermarket trip. Since you’ll be saving so much money on your shopping from now on, you’ll be able to put more towards the important things in life, like maybe saving up for a deposit! Check out our new homes developments and see if we can tempt you.
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