Grocery shopping is a pinch point for many in the cost of living crisis – MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry shares tips for saving on your weekly shop
The weekly food shop is stressful. Lots of offers, bright lights, busy people.
Then there’s the pricing strategies, with some labels priced by the 100g and the same type of product priced by the kg. Who has time to do maths in the supermarket?! The good news is that there are lots of ways you can regularly save on your weekly shop without having to do a maths exam before you reach the till. Follow these tips to make the most of weekly savings and make your monthly budget stretch further.
Use loyalty schemes
Starting with an obvious one, but supermarket loyalty schemes have come on leaps and bounds in recent years. The marketers have recognised we don’t really want to earn points to go to theme parks or buy gifts with – we want money off our groceries.
Some schemes, like Tesco Clubcard and Morrisons More Card, offer discounts on retail purchases across the store. You’ll also earn points as usual, either to get money off your shop (both schemes) or offers with Clubcard. Other supermarkets run similar schemes.
Fresh or frozen
Fresh fruit and veg might seem cheapest up front, particularly if you only want a single carrot or a few peppers. However, they will perish faster, resulting in food waste. If you’re planning on cooking a dinner tonight, fresh will be great – especially if you pick individual items rather than more expensive pre-packed ones.
But frozen veg is cheaper and often fresher than the stuff in the greengrocer section of the shop, because it’s usually frozen at source. You can also select single portions from a bag, meaning you’ll have ingredients to hand when you need them.
Buddy up for offers
Consider doing your weekly shop with a family member or friend. It can work out far more cost effective to buy in bulk and split between you. This works even better when there are offers on food, too – you each pay half the price instead of getting extra food you don’t need. For example, if a multipack of crisps is on buy one get one free, do you really need 24 packs of crisps? Or would you rather have 12 packs for the price of six?
If splitting the weekly shop fills you with dread, you can also consider buddying up for larger monthly stock ups at member clubs like Costco. Famed for industrial-size multipacks, many of us don’t have storage space to stock up on essentials – but if you split it, you’re getting the bargain bulk prices and helping out a friend. You can also join an online shopping group to buy things for group discounts online!
Cook from scratch
Yes, this one sounds obvious but in the age of convenience it’s easy to opt for the ready-made meals or pre-sliced veggies. Of course, there are times when these are essentials – but consider if you need convenience groceries every time you shop.
Cooking from scratch can take longer – but it’s also quicker than ordering food and waiting for a costly takeaway to be delivered! There are loads of amazing recipe sites out there for hearty 15-minute meals to satisfy the whole family, without it taking forever.
Use meal planner apps
Meal planning might seem like a big task, but if you dedicate half an hour a week to it, you’ll find that you use your groceries more efficiently, reduce food waste, and can prepare ahead for some meals, too. You won’t buy things you don’t need, and straying from the list or shopping without a plan is always the fastest way to make your grocery bill spiral!
We like the SortedFood Sidekick app, which lets you plan a week’s worth of recipes and gives you the shopping list you need, before step-by-step recipes (including voiceovers if that’s how you prefer to learn). There are plenty of meal planner apps available for Android and iOS, however, so make sure you look in the app store and choose one that suits your needs and lifestyle.
Look for reduced food
Of course, the yellow sticker cabinet is one all budget-savvy people are aware of, and many will even know the time of day most things get reduced.
However, there are more ways to get reduced and free food. Too Good To Go, for example, is an app that lets restaurants, cafés, and shops offer bargain prices on food that will only get thrown out at the end of the day. It can be a bit of a gamble, but you can often score a decent dinner for a significantly reduced price.
You could even nab free food on the Olio app, where your neighbours and local restaurants can post excess ingredients that need to be claimed before they’re thrown away.
Shop online
If you can’t help yourself when you see a great deal on the shelf, online shopping could be for you. Delivery passes make delivery costs cheaper, and you can select a time that suits you – perfect for those with a busy social life.
There are often also online-only deals and offers, and shopping online lets you stick to exactly what you need. There’s the added benefit of scheduling your shop in advance and adding to the cart during the week, so you’re not left with a missing ingredient on shopping day!
Shopping for groceries online lets you check which basket is cheaper – so you can switch it up each week between supermarkets if you’re a true bargain hunter. Finally, it saves precious time: if you don’t have an hour or so each week to spare, you can do your groceries at 6am from bed before the kids wake up!
Grocery shopping is a tedious task we must all do – but these tips can help you save money and stop it becoming an overly expensive chore. Remember, too, to always check online for deals and discounts before you go shopping, as you could get an extra bargain into the mix.
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