Save as you spend with our top grocery shopping tips

Do you often find yourself leaving the supermarket with a trolley full of goodies, only to get home and realise you’ve still got nothing in for dinner? Maybe you’re a chronic “ooh, look!”-er in the store, and find yourself spending a small fortune on what you thought were offers. Well, you don’t have to panic any longer! We’ve got a few tips to help you keep the costs down and make the most of what’s in your kitchen cupboards.

Keep it simple

Otherwise known as typical motherly advice, make a list, and stick to it! It’s so easy to want everything in the store when you get there, so by making a list you can make sure you’re only buying the things you need (and maybe just one extra packet of biscuits for the weekend!). It also means you won’t end up buying something only to find you already had it in at home, so no more stockpiling butter or baked beans.

Check alternative places

Supermarkets are great when you’re doing a full grocery shop, like right after payday when you need to fill your fridge and can finally stop living on peanut butter and stale bread. But when you’re doing small top-up shops throughout the week or the month, it’s easy to stack up the cost with unnecessary purchases by using convenience stores or supermarkets. Instead, try popping into Poundland or a similar discount shop, where you can pick up some amazing deals on usually-higher priced produce, especially snacks like Oreos or Haribo!

Or, if you’re looking to make your overall shop cheaper, and you’re not too concerned with food that’s close to its best before date, Approved Food or Clearance XL are great websites that you can do a huge online shop for at a fraction of the cost. They work by selling products that are coming close to their best before date, or that are in bulk quantity, meaning they’re able to make it super cheap.

Shop online

Another great way to keep track of what you’re spending is shopping online. Not only does it mean you can get yourself stocked up from your sofa, but you can also keep an eye of your total spend, so setting a budget is super simple. Plus, if you’re getting a bit concerned at the rising cost, you can control it by adjusting your basket accordingly. When you’re shopping online, it’s harder to be tempted by the unnecessary treats and goodies on offer. Great for your wallet and your waistline!

One great site for doing your grocery shopping is www.mysupermarket.co.uk, which acts as a comparison site for your shop. Complete your shop as usual, and My Supermarket will let you know the cheapest supermarket to order it with. You can even complete your transaction and book your delivery through the site, meaning saving money is easier than ever.

Vouchers and deals and offers, oh my!

Our final tip is to make sure you’re making the most of the different offers, vouchers and deals that exist. Loyalty card schemes like Tesco Clubcard, Morrisons More, Sainsburys Nectar and more give you vouchers and coupons to save money on your weekly shop, and often you can get points through other channels too. For example, you can gain Nectar points when booking train travel from certain sites, and then you can redeem your points on your groceries.

Similarly, there’s always special offers in stores to watch out for. From Aldi’s Special Buys to Asda’s rollbacks, there’s usually something to look out for that will help you save. And don’t forget, buying things out of season always helps!