1. Think smart
Supermarkets are designed to make you want to buy. Adopt the right mindset and you won’t be tempted to overspend. Go into the supermarket with a list and a budget and stick to it. Doing weekly meal plans will help. Never shop when you’re hungry – you’ll spend more. And look around the supermarket for the best deals. For example, the baby aisle can have cotton buds that cost less than the ones in the toiletries aisle. We also recommend bending down. Shops put more expensive goods in your eyeline and cheaper ones on the bottom shelves.
2. Shop late at night
If you can, shop after the supermarkets reduce their prices on food just before it reaches its best-before date. Known as yellow-sticker shopping, it can save you a fortune. One shopper reported bagging £139-worth of food – including fresh meat, fish, vegetables and baked goods - for just £8 by buying only yellow-stickered discounted goods.
3. Swap and save
If you’re not already doing so, swap branded products for supermarket own. In some cases they are made in the same factory as the more expensive versions and there is very little difference – apart from the price which can add up to over £100 a year. For fruit and veg, try your local market. One test showed they’re 12 per cent cheaper than big supermarkets and 32 per cent cheaper than small supermarket branches.
4. Do your research
Comparison sites like mysupermarket.co.uk compare deals. Tap in your weekly shop and they’ll show you where you can buy it most cheaply. The app mySupermarket tells you which major supermarkets are selling your desired items at the lowest price while app CheckoutSmart helps you claim cashbacks on items and Vouchercloud is great for coupons.
5. Check the temperature of your fridge
The average UK household throws away £70 of food every month simply because it has been stored incorrectly. That’s a whopping £840 a year going straight in the bin. Check your fridge is set to the recommended temperature of 4°C or lower to ensure your fresh food and leftovers keep for as long as they should.
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