The soaring cost of a grocery shop over the past year means our weekly shopping bills seem to be getting higher and higher.
Hundreds of pounds are being added to the average yearly shopping bill as shoppers see the highest levels of food and drink inflation since 1977.
The Competition and Markets Authority, the UK's main competition watchdog, says that "global factors" had been "the main driver of grocery price increases".
As bills increase, here are some savy tips on how you can save some money on the supermarket bill:
1. Plan ahead
Write a shopping list will help you budget. Turning your meal planner into a shopping list reduces the risk of making impulse purchases.
2. Eat before you go
Never shop when you are hungry. It means there is less chance of you picking up something that looks nice but you don't need.
3. Avoid marketing traps
Avoid falling into retailer marketing traps. End of the aisle shelving is one area where supermarkets often try to get consumers to make impulse buys – often by offering deals that look better than they actually are. For example the price of a tea brand’s medium-sized pack might have been reduced but bigger packs on sale in another part of the store could still offer a cheaper price per tea bag.
4. Sign up to loyalty card
Loyalty card schemes can save you money although not all of them offer immediate savings. Tesco Clubcard holders can access special discount prices on popular items both in-store and online. Sainsbury’s (Nectar), Morrisons (My Morrisons), Waitrose (MyWaitrose), Lidl, and Co-op also offer loyalty schemes, which typically offer rewards or money off future shops or specific items.
5. Shop the frozen aisles
Fruit and veg from the frozen aisle tends to be cheaper and the NHS says that it is just as healthy as fresh.
6. Choose your time carefully
.Shopping at unpopular times, especially in the evening, could save you a lot of cash. As supermarkets get nearer to closing time they will usually pop discounts on fresh items.
The moneysavingexpert website says: "As a rough guide, the first yellow stickers tend to appear mid-morning, and silly price reductions begin early evening, when stores cut prices by 75% and more. But let's be clear – this is an art, not a science. Reduction times vary not just by supermarket but by store."
7. Check use-by date
Check the best way to store different foods so they don’t go off before you get to use them. Check use-by dates too. If you don’t have a plan to use something before its use-by date can you freeze it? Batch cooking and freezing portions will also help you save money and preserve food. And then when you don’t have time to cook you’ve got a ready-made home-cooked meal. Just don’t forget to defrost it.
8. Pick a small trolley or basket
Super saver Lynn Beattie, who runs the MrsMummypenny blog says that even the choice between a trolley or basket could save you money.
The idea is that if you have a small trolley or basket, you can’t carry as much - therefore, you’re more conscious about what you’re spending.
So by making the switch from a big trolley, you could find you’re cutting back without even realising it.
Lynn told The Mirror: “The half trolley works well on a big shop, it makes you focus in on the essential purchases and makes you less likely to buy bigger volumes or packaging that might lead to wastage or higher spending."
9. Hunt for disguised own brands
This is a tip from moneysaving expert Martin Lewis' website. They point out that often there is little different between normal and own-brand products.
The website says: "For an ITV programme, Martin got a scientist to examine some own brands and compare them to the main brands. Surprisingly, almost none were nutritionally identical. The conclusion was small differences were deliberately added so no one can say "they're the same". Even so, they're often very similar in taste, so it doesn't matter too much."
10. Don't forget market stalls
The moneysavingexpert website also points out that while supermarkets may be convenient, local market stalls can have cheaper prices for fruit and vegetables.
A Channel 4 Dispatches investigation in January 2013 found local markets and grocers were up to 35% cheaper than supermarkets.
The website points out that mystery shoppers visited local markets, independent shops and big brand supermarkets in 32 locations around the country. Big supermarkets were 12% more expensive, and small 'Metro' branches 35% more expensive.
Read next:
