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Save Money On Your Food Shop

A regular topic i know, but i like to look on a constant basis on how to save you all money when you do your food shop. So here’s my latest ways on how to save money on your food shop.

Save Money On Your Food Shop – Change When You Shop

We are all set in our ways and have routines and habits that we rarely change. And this can include the timing of when we do a food shop. I like to do it mid morning, for no real reason. Perhaps in my head i think it at its least busy then. But business is a real factor in helping you save money. People often rush and do not look properly at what is on offer when they are flustered by crowds. In the evening you should be more assured of a quieter shopping experience, with the added bonus of snaring some reduced price items too.

Plan Your Shop

As i know all too well it will cost you money if you do your food shopping without any forethought and planning. Before you step foot in a shop, check what you already have. Even if you have prepared a shopping list, you may not need some of the items as you already have them. think too about what you are buying and how that translates into meals. Ensure what you buy will be used and not run past its use by date. I have had to dispose of food in the past because i bought ingredients for certain meals without considering when there would be time to have them all! And if you have switched your shopping time to the evening, the end of the day is a prime time to snatch such bargains.

Save Money On Your Food Shop – Reduced Price Items

There are two types of offers in a supermarket. General offers, such as normal items at half price or perhaps on a buy one get one free offer. Use these offers for items you would normally buy anyway and for NOTHING ELSE. A good value item is not good value if you were not previously intending to buy it. All it has done instead is add to your shopping bill total.

Secondly, a good place to find a bargain is the reduced price aisle, where daily items are placed on offer because they are becoming close to the end of their shelf life. This doesn’t mean you should not purchase them. If you intend to use them soon, you get a great deal, and many items can be frozen to extend their life. 

Imperfect Food

And what springs immediately to mind is wonky veg. There has long been a policy by supermarkets to supply food, especially fruit and veg that is aesthetically perfect, wasting any potato with as much as a bump on it. Thankfully that ridiculous policy has been reversed in recent years, and you can now pick up veg that is not as pleasing on the eye, at a reduced price. It still tastes the same.

Know Your Prices

It is handy to know what things should cost, across the range. If you have been doing food shops all your life, then this will not be a problem at all. But it is to your advantage to know whether every item is overpriced or not.

Avoid Brand Names

And a good way to keep prices down is to simply go own brand where you can. As i have said many times on this blog site, many own brand items are essentially the same as more expensive brand name items. And are often made in the same factory! So often you are paying up to double simply for a fancy label. Do some taste tests on popular products and see if you can save money by switching brands.

Use The System – Vouchers etc.

There is no need for you to pay exactly what the price states for all your food shopping. There are a hundred ways to get extra money off the bill. If you are happy to shop online, which is certainly an advantage in the current climate, then join every supermarket and get a delivery. They are likely to offer money off vouchers for new customers. You could save hundreds of pounds, and many will then continue to offer money off vouchers for regular customers. Use your loyalty cards and cash in balances sat on your cards. Use vouchers given at the checkout – check your draws to see if you have any lying about! 

Save Money On Your Food Shop – Other Tricks

There is plenty more you can do. Buy in bulk if you have the storage space, as the bulk purchases tend to be cheaper per unit. If you are looking to lose weight, then slowly and gradually reduce portion sizes, and fill out meat dishes with more veg, which is of course cheaper. And finally, shop around. Fact is, a tin of something like Heinz baked beans is likely to be cheaper at Iceland than it is at Waitrose.

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