5 Ways to Save Money on Your Food Shopping

At the time of writing, the world is dealing with a global pandemic that has had a huge impact on all our lives. Most countries have had some kind of lockdown with many places only allowing essential workers to carry on with their daily business. This has had a huge impact on the world’s economy with millions of people now struggling with a loss of income. Some have been made unemployed due to Covid-19, whilst others have suddenly seen their businesses go from thriving to no income at all. As well as the devastating health implications of this virus and the tragedies of those who have lost their lives, there has been a huge financial implication too.

If you’re struggling to make ends meet, then you will need to start looking for ways to cut back on your living expenses. Your priorities should now be keeping a roof over your head and keeping food on the table. You need to try to maintain a healthy diet where you can so that you can continue to stay healthy throughout the pandemic. With that in mind, I’ve put together 5 ways you can save money on your food shopping.

1. Be savvy about when you shop

Supermarkets will often reduce items at a similar time each day. They do this to get rid of surplus stock and to sell items that are close to their use by date. Often, these items can be frozen to use at a later date. These are often items that would otherwise be thrown out, so you can find some heavily discounted items. In the UK and some other parts of the world, these reduced products are known as Yellow Sticker Items.

Most supermarkets will start to reduce items in the early evening in the hope of selling them and clearing the space ready for the next morning. If you’re able to, then shopping between 7 and 9pm could mean you bag some real bargains.

Bread and bakery products are often available as well as dairy products. Think carefully about what you can actually use and which items can be frozen before you buy.

2. Switch down a brand

Many of us get into the habit of buying the same brands each time we shop. You might always buy branded Coca-Cola or Heinz soups without a second thought. But switching down to the supermarket’s own brand items could save you a small fortune. In many cases, you won’t even be able to tell the difference taste-wise, but you will certainly feel the difference in your wallet.

Have a look at this Generic/Store-brand savings calculator to see how much money you could save over the course of a few months just by switching down on one item. Then, work out how much you could save by switching other items too. This calculator will also show you how much money you could make in interest if you put those savings away too which really highlights what a difference switching brands can make to your finances longterm.

3. Meal plan and write a list

I can’t stress the importance of this one enough. You must, must, must write a meal plan and then write a shopping list based on your plan. If you don’t plan out your meals, then you’re in real danger of overspending by buying the wrong items and not having enough of the right foods to see you through the week.

I tend to work out what we’re doing each night too so that I know when I need to plan a quick and easy meal for busy night. Buying an air fryer made a huge difference to what I’m able to cook midweek since it makes cooking things like roast potatoes much quicker and there’s far less mess to clean up afterwards too!

4. Batch cook

Many of us are actually busier than ever right now. The kids might still be home, you might still be working but from home, and you’ve still got the house to look after. This can mean that you have less time to prepare meals from scratch and are more likely to dial for that takeaway. By planning ahead and batch cooking, you can save time and money. Plan to have an afternoon of just cooking, get the kids to join in if you like. Cook up a few dishes and separate them out into portions ready to store in the freezer. This means that on your busy days, you can just take out enough portions ready to heat up for your evening meal.

I always have some homemade tomato-based sauce cooked and ready in the freezer which is great for meals such as chilli, bolognese, lasagne, pasta bakes etc.

5. Use a delivery saver plan

I always try to get our food shopping delivered. With three children and both of us working full-time, going to the supermarket is just another chore to fit into the week. I plan out our meals, write out a list and order it all online. As well as helping me to stay organised, it also means that I avoid temptation. Think about all those strategically placed goodies you see at the checkout and the end of the aisles. By shopping online I don’t get sucked into throwing anything extra into the trolley!

Many supermarkets offer a delivery saver plan, which allows you to pay a set monthly fee and get as many deliveries as you like each month within that fee. I find we save around £12 each month by using this, which really does add up over the year!

 

Whilst times are hard and many of us have taken a financial hit, it really does pay to be a little extra savvy with your budget. But even when things start to improve, being a savvy shopper will help you to keep more money in your pocket.

*This is a collaborative post.