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Smart supermarket shopping

Friday 24th Jan, 2025

 

Be Money Smart in the Supermarket!

Whether you love going to the supermarket, or find it a real chore, there are lots of ways to make the experience more rewarding, especially ones that help you SAVE MONEY. 

Here are 8 tips for saving money when you do your grocery shopping.  Perhaps you can suggest others; please share them with us.

 

Plan your shopping trip before you go

Start by writing a shopping list, and set a budget for your weekly shop.  It may seem like a lot of work, but why not create a meal plan for the week ahead – that’s every breakfast, lunch and main meal – so that you know what you are going to need?  Then check your fridge and food cupboard to see what items are running low and their ‘use by’ dates, to decide what you really need to buy and what can be put off until the next week.   Remember, the aim is to avoid buying more food than you actually need and not have to throw anything away.

 

Be strict about staying within your budget

If you find this difficult, try ditching the debit or credit card for your food shopping and use cash instead.  Put the agreed amount of cash into an envelope and then you’ll be able to see how much money you have left at the end of your shopping trip.  Keep track of how much you are spending as you go round the store and don’t be afraid to take stuff out of your trolley or swap for an alternative, so that you don’t go over.  Allow yourself one weekly treat (within your budget) – even if only £1 for a chocolate bar or favourite magazine – as it will keep you motivated and stop you feeling guilty.

 

Tour the store wisely to avoid impulse buying

When you’re in store, it’s very easy to get tempted and buy stuff you don’t need.  The supermarkets are very clever at putting special offers and exciting new products in your face, on the aisle ends and at the checkouts, to grab your attention!   So, here’s our top tip:   Instead of browsing the whole store, only go into the aisles you need for the things on your list.  Try not to shop when you’re hungry or in a rush, as you are much more likely to spot something sweet and tasty that you hadn’t planned to buy.  And don’t get tempted when you’re feeling bored waiting near the tills, as that’s where they put small packets of sweets, chocolates, and crisps.  Often these cost more than bigger packs elsewhere in the store.

 

Study prices and product details carefully

This one can save you lots of money.  Products come in varying shapes and sizes, and boxes often look roughly the same but have different amounts in them, making it hard to compare prices.  UK supermarkets have to show the ‘price per 100g (or per 1kg)’ or the price per unit, and this is the price to use when comparing one item with another.  Unfortunately it’s usually in quite small print on the shelf edge.  Often you’ll find a product marked “Special Offer” that has a higher unit price than similar items nearby!  So, take care. 

With toilet rolls and paper towels, there’s another problem.  You might see two packs that look similar, at very different prices.  Should you go for the cheapest?  Not necessarily – you need to check how many sheets they have on the roll (also perhaps the paper thickness) to compare which one is really best value for money.

 

Seek out best value products

Supermarkets tend to display the most expensive (or most profitable) items at eye level.  So take time to look at the lower or upper shelves, where you may find some lines that serve the same purpose, but cost less.  Look also for the supermarket’s ‘own label’ items.  These tend to have two or three levels of quality/price.  Don’t dismiss the Basic/Value options which are always cheaper, or at least give them a try.  They can still represent great value for money.  

As food products approach their ‘Best By’ date, they are often reduced (by anything from 30% to 90%) and given a Yellow Sticker.  The best time to find these is late in the evening, or on Sunday afternoons.  But take care to either eat them today, or freeze them as soon as you get home.

 

Use coupons, vouchers and supermarket cashback apps

There are cashback apps that work with supermarkets to offer you money back on your shopping, such as GreenJinn, Shopmium and CheckoutSmart.  When making your shopping list, why not check them out and base your purchasing on that week’s best deals?   Supermarkets usually have loyalty cards or rewards schemes (Tesco Clubcard, Sainsbury’s Nectar, Morrison’s More Card, Co-op Members etc) offering exclusive prices, rewards, money back or even birthday treats.  

After checking out, study your receipt.  Is there anything that you have been charged more for than the price shown on the shelf?   Supermarkets do make mistakes, so do take your receipt to the Customer Service desk and query it, and you’ll usually get the difference back.

 

Compare prices and use a range of different stores

Instead of buying all your needs from one supermarket, you might make big savings by spreading out your weekly shop more.  Nowadays, apps like MySupermarket make it easier to compare prices and find out which ones have the cheapest special lines, such as Gluten Free products or foods from around the world.  Don’t forget to support local markets if you like fresh produce.

 

Aim to be good with food

Not all of us are great chefs or lucky enough to have a housemate who knows how to cook everything.  But learning to cook a few basic meals, and preparing at least some food yourself instead of just buying Ready Meals would save you lots of money.  Your local community centre may run basic cookery classes, or you could invest in an easy-steps recipe book. 

According to Friends of the Earth, the average UK family spends £470 per year on food that gets thrown away.  Two-thirds is still edible!  Mostly it’s because we bought, or cooked, too much, the main wasted items being bread, potatoes, fresh veg and salads, and milk.  Imagine the savings we could make if more of this food was used rather than binned!   So, aim to get creative with left overs and make them into something new, or freeze to use another day.  Fill up your freezer with frozen veg, fruit and meat, which is not only cheaper but there’s no rush to use it up. 

We hope these money saving tips will give you food for thought.  And, if you do manage to stay below your budget, why not save the remainder in a handy HEY Credit Union Savings Account – to help you through times of extra spending pressure, like Christmas, or for a rainy day!

 

JES 18/01/25

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