As a result of the Cost of Living Crisis people are looking at more ways that they are able to save money every week with their food shopping.
The Public Health Dietitians Group has been providing advice to households on how to budget more effectively and cut down on the costs of their weekly food bills via its Youtube channel.
As food bills are continuing to increase and prices continue to increase, it can be useful to look at new ways you can cut down on your expenses such as moving away from branded products to cutting down on food waste so that you are not throwing away food unessecarily.
Read more: How the prices of supermarket own brand and value ranges compare
Registered Dietitian Daniel Sproule has given some advice to households on behalf of the Public Health Dietitians Group which could save families a few quid over the summer months.
The Top 10 tips to saving money on your food shopping
Planning ahead
It is important to Know your budget and work out what you need to cover bills and other essentials before making your food shop as you will know what you have available to spend.
Making a meal plan is a good way to keep organised and manage your budget and cut down on food waste. Think about how many meals you will need, who will be there, how much time you have to prepare and the likes and dislikes of yourself and your family, and make sure that you have the storage space available for what you are buying.
Then once you have your meal plan use it to make your shopping list and you might find it helpful to have this stuck to the fridge so you can add items as they run out and always remember to take it with you to the supermarket!
If you can, planning a big shop once per week can often help with budgeting as it cuts down on impulse buys.
Also don’t forget to bring your bags as ones at the supermarket will be charged.
Savvy shopping
Find the best place to shop - check out local shops and businesses as well as the bigger supermarkets as you may be able to get better offers at local shops or markets rather than sticking to the one place.
Check for offers prior to going shopping and compare prices online of the supermarkets.
Online shopping is also a way of cutting down on money and time and can be handy if you do not have access to a car or public transport.
Buy your essentials first and make sure you buy what you need before what you want.
Avoid browsing and stick to the aisles that you need in order to cut down on impulse buying.
Looking for reduced items is another way of saving money with many shops marking down items at the end of the day and get to know what time your local shops do this. But these are items coming towards their best before date so make sure that if you are not using it soon you have space to store it in a freezer.
Also be aware of the dates of products so you know when you need to use them and where to store them.
The Brand Challenge
Most supermarkets will have a branded, own branded and value brand of the same foods and more people than ever are turning to own brand products to use find them just as good as branded ones.
If you normally buy branded products why not try a cheaper own brand product instead.
Make sure to check the nutrition levels of each product and you will find that usually there is very little difference between them.
Be aware of special offers
There are many special offers across a range of shops and supermarkets. Sometimes they can be a great way to save money but sometimes they may not be as good as they seem.
Only buy an offer if it is something that you will use and you need it. Also make sure to check dates and your ability to store an extra item as buy one get one free offers for example could end up costing you more if you have to throw some of it out.
Always remember to check the unit price, just because a pack is bigger does not mean that it will be saving you money.
Cut down on food waste
4.5million tonnes of edible food waste is thrown away in the UK every year, with the average household throwing out around £500 of food per year.
So taking steps to cut down on food waste will help to save money and the planet.
Making sure that you are storing food correctly and fridge and freezers are at the correct temperature.
Keep a store cupboard
A store cupboard is a store of basic ingredients with a long shelf life, such as canned or dried foods. It can make cooking healthy meals more straightforward if you have all that you need at hand.
Make meat go further
Meat is often the most expensive thing in our food basket and while we need some for protein and iron, the majority of meat eaters are actually eating more than what is needed.
Beans and pulses, such as lentils and chickpeas, have lots of protein and fibre in them so can be very filling and nutritious and are much cheaper than meat and can help meals go further.
So if you are making a meal you can try and use half the amount you normally would by bulking out the rest with beans or lentils to help cut back on the price. You can also add grated or chopped vegetables.
Love your leftovers
Make sure to store your left overs correctly, allowing them to cool for two hours before going into the fridge and eat or freeze within 48 hours. Rice is an exception to this and should be put in the fridge within one hour and eaten within 24 hours.
Make good use of your freezer and freeze any leftovers in air-tight containers for a handy ready meal when you are short of time.
Batch Cooking
Batch cooking means making more than what you need at the time so that you have more for later, so cook once and eat twice. It is a great way to save on electricity and batch cooking ingredients can often work out cheaper while saving time too.
But what you are not eating immediately into separate containers and make sure to put in the fridge or freeze.
Always remember to only reheat food once.
Fakeaways
Cooking for yourself what you would normally get from a takeaway.
For more information from the Public Health Dietitians Group please visit its Youtube channel.
