10 Ways to Save on Your Supermarket Shop

10 Ways to Save on your Supermarket Shop

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If you need to cut back and aren’t sure where to start, check out the following 10 ways to save on your supermarket shop. It’s a great starting point to help you out with your money-saving challenge when it comes to your weekly food shop.

Never shop when hungry!

1. Budget

Decide on your food budget for each week, and stick to it. Look at your past receipts to get an idea of how much you spend each week, and see if you can reduce it by £5 – £10 for your next shop. The tips below can help with this.

2. Check Current Food Stock

If you worked in a restaurant, you wouldn’t order food you didn’t need if there was already food in stock. So take an inventory of what you have available in the fridge, freezer, and cupboard, and work out what you can make a meal out of, bearing in mind you may need to purchase additional ingredients. Avoiding over-stuffing your fridge unnecessarily can also help keep your electricity bill down, as the fridge isn’t having to over-work to cool the food. 

3. Write a Meal Plan

After creating your budget, you now know what you have available to spend. Now write a meal plan for the week so you don’t end up buying things you don’t need. 

TOP TIP: Cooking from scratch is loads cheaper AND it’s healthier. 

4. Make a list

Now that you’ve drawn up your meal plan, write your shopping list. Throughout the week, keep an updated list on your fridge of anything you’ve run out of, or use a notes app, or pop it in your supermarket app.

5. Downshift Brands

Try a supermarket’s own brand, or if you already buy own-brand, try a discount brand. You’ll often find these on the lower shelves. As a marketing technique, the bigger brands are placed at eye-level to push sales. So keep your eyes peeled and seek out the bargains. Also, compare price per weight to ensure you’re making the best saving. This doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality, and often the discount brands are just as good quality as the main brands. Don’t knock something until you’ve tried it, especially if it means saving money

6. Swap Supermarkets

Try switching to a ‘budget’ supermarket, such as Lidl or Aldi. I find my shopping is around 40% cheaper with Aldi than when I shop with Tesco. I’m always amazed at Aldi’s versions of some of our favourite brands, such as Bramwells Real Mayonnaise™️. Their stone-baked pizzas are always a hit for an easy Friday-night-chuck-it-in-the-oven meal in our house, too (and they cost less than £1!). While you can’t order online, you can do a virtual shop before you go to see how much your shopping will be by browsing their groceries.

7. Coupons and Discount Vouchers

Keep an eye out for money-off coupons and discount vouchers, which you can find on various websites and in magazines. Don’t forget to check the free in-store supermarket magazines, as these often have plenty (Tesco magazine is always a great one).

8. Never Shop Hungry!

I think this one is fairly self-explanatory unless you want to blow your budget and come home with a fridge full of snacks that may or may not get eaten. Have breakfast/lunch/a snack before you go, and if you’ve completed points 2 and 3 above, you won’t need to shove those tasty ‘deals’ in the trolley. They’re only deals if you actually need them and they’ll get eaten.

9. Scan and Shop

Available in most big supermarkets, use the scan and shop function as you go, to avoid any nasty surprises at the till and ensure you remain within your budget (you might have to cut back on the treats). I had my first go on a recent shop at Tesco and it was great fun!

10. Do You Need It?

The ultimate question. Be honest – do you really need it? If it isn’t on the list, don’t buy it! Whether it’s a special offer or a nice new addition for the house from the ‘home’ section, think about whether it is actually something you really need or whether you just want it. Resist temptation, and don’t place that unnecessary item in the trolley.

If you bear these 10 ways to save on your supermarket shop in mind, you should be well on your way to saving some money. I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the savings you’ve made. Why not try to reduce your spend even further next week? Let me know how you get on in the comments below. 🙂

Love,

Miss Penny xx

4 thoughts on “10 Ways to Save on your Supermarket Shop”

  1. Pingback: Meal Plan on a budget – Miss Penny Money

  2. I have found myself shopping while hungry way too many times and that just blows my grocery budget. Everything looks good at that point.
    I love the point about switching markets as well. I have noticed a significant difference when I shop at Aldi compared to regular markets. The quality is no different and it is actually sometimes nicer to shop there.
    Thank you so much for these helpful tips!

    1. I know what you mean, it’s so easy to see lots of yummy things and ‘accidentally’ drop them into the trolley! 🙂
      And I totally agree – actually I think sometimes it’s easier to shop in Aldi as there are less branded good screaming ‘buy me’ from the eye-level shelves! You’re welcome, thank you so much for your comment.

  3. Pingback: How to cut spending and pay off debt – Miss Penny Money

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