With the current cost of living crisis, it’s important to keep a look out for those day-to-day rising costs and where better to start than with your food shop. Doing the weekly shop is inevitable and so putting time into planning and being smart about your food choices can help to cut costs. To help you stretch your budget as much as possible, we’re giving you our top tips to save money at the supermarket and eat well:

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Do Your Research

If you want to save money, you’ll need to put in a bit of prep time. Using certain comparison sites, like Trolley.co.uk, to compare which supermarket will be best for your shop based on your budget and how much you can save on products you actually want/need to buy. It may even mean going to one store for certain products and another for the rest. 

Make The Most of Loyalty Schemes

Be it Clubcard, Nectar, Morrisons More or the Co-op Membership, always make sure that when you shop you are earning loyalty points. Then, ensure you’re using those valuable vouchers when they drop into your inbox. 

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Meal Prep, But Make it Fun

Planning out your meals for the week is a great way to cut back on costs and help you to eat a little more mindfully - by already knowing what you’re going to have for dinner, you get rid of the indecisiveness and eating for convenience. A key part of meal prepping and sticking to your list is making sure that you still have a few treats factored in. Don’t be unrealistic when you shop, if you want some crisps or sweet treats, then don’t feel bad for buying a few, as long as they’re in your budget and it’s not the only thing in your basket. 

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Compare Prices and Sizes

It’s important to keep an eye out for those tricks that supermarkets try to play on you - they may make it seem like the larger size is the cheaper option because it’s on offer, but that may not always be the case. Make sure to look closer at the price per 100g or per kg on the price label. 

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Go Own-Brand

Wherever you can, it’s always a good idea to switch to own brand products. If you can’t make the swap with your favourite cereal or lunch staples then try switching your toiletries and cleaning products first. 

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Think Frozen

Frozen fruit and vegetables are much cheaper than fresh and will keep for longer. 

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Bring Back Bags 

Always bring your own bags! You must have a cupboard full of plastic bags that you’ve bought for 10p, well now it’s time to put them to use! Save a bit of money and the planet by reusing plastic bags. 

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Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry

This is never a good idea - unless you want to leave the supermarket with a bag full of chocolate, no proper meals and a hole in your wallet, it’s best not to be doing this.

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