Ten Tips to Help Lower Your Supermarket Bill

It sometimes seems that no matter how organised you are, how many lists you write and how careful you try to be it’s still very easy to come home from the supermarket with far more than you need. If you are lucky enough to have a choice of supermarkets you could use a website like My Supermarket to compare prices before you leave home.  Here are ten other ways to reduce your shopping bill:

1. Have your shopping delivered

Although there might be a small charge to have home delivery you will still almost certainly save money.  Impulse purchases are much more difficult with an online shop and you are less likely to be tempted by special offers.  Fresh produce is now much more reliable and the chances of getting a loaf of bread of the best before date or over ripe bananas is small.

2. Pay with cash

If you only need a small number of items, leave your purse at home and take cash.  This will limit how much you spend and you will make more sensible decisions.

3. Use your freezer

A great and cost-effective way of buying fresh meat is to take advantage of items being sold at a reduced price and sticking them in the freezer when you get home.  You can do the same with almost anything from bread to ready meals and cheese.

4. Leave the children at home

Nothing is more likely to make you overspend than bored children trailing after you.  If possible leave them at home so you aren’t tempted to buy them a ‘treat’ for being good.

5. Be wary of ‘special offers’

Sometimes there are genuine 2 for 1 or buy two get one free offers that make sense.  If these are on non-perishable items you use all the time like toilet paper or soft drinks it makes sense to stock up.  If, however, the promoted items are perishable you’ll probably end up throwing half away.

6. Don’t discount own brand items

We’re not suggesting you start drinking value cola but there are many own brand items available that are just as good, if not better, than top name ones.  As I always add a dash of Worcester sauce to my baked beans, for example, it really doesn’t matter if they are Heinz or Sainsburys. It’s worth experimenting to see if you can find good quality items that taste almost the same.

7. Don’t shop when you’re hungry or tired

Most people know not to do a big shop when they’re hungry but being tired can also affect your purchase decisions and you are much more likely to buy expensive ready to eat items or ‘comfort food’ to make yourself feel better.

8. Don’t stick to your routine

If you always buy Colgate toothpaste but Aquafresh is half price why not give it a try?  Habit buying can end up costing you a lot of money over time.

9. Buy food in season

No matter how nice they look buying Strawberries from South America at £3 a punnet makes very little sense.  Buy seasonally and you’ll save a lot of money.

10. Only buy what you need

If you pass a shop on your way home from the school run or work try to buy only what you need for that day rather than stocking your cupboards full of items you won’t be using for weeks.  If you do have a lot of food at home trying searching a website like Good Food for recipe ideas based on what you have available.  Think of it a bit like Ready, Steady, Cook and experiment!

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