There’s no doubt that food prices are expensive. But are you getting the most out of your money? How can we save on our shopping?
Pushing your trolley down the aisle of your chosen supermarket, are you thinking about what you’re chucking in?
Picking up abag of sugar, you can’t remember if there’s already some in the cupboard.
And you’re sure you saw that the carrots were cheaper in another store.
But it’s fine –amultipack of salt and vinegar crisps are on offer, so at least you have that.
When we’re busy or in arush, it can be so easy to not really think about what we’re putting into our baskets.
And when we are not thinking, seeing the receipt at the end can come as abit of ashock.
But for many adults in the UK, food is noticeably more expensive now.
In January this year, four in 10 adults reported having to spend more than usual on the food shop to get what they normally buy, according to a survey by the Office Of National Statistics (ONS).
And despite food inflation falling from 6.1% to 5%, according to database of consumer buying behaviour NIQ, the cost of food is still having an effect on families.
In January, an ONS survey found that 49% of adults said their cost of living had increased –of these people, 91% said one of the reasons for rising costs was higher food shopping prices.
But how can we cut back on shopping costs?
‘Budget supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl are normally the frontrunners in terms of price and are a great place to start if you’re looking to cut back your shopping bill,’ advises Liz Hunter, commercial director at Money Expert.
‘However, splitting your food shop across several different stores can allow you to maximise discounts and save even more money.
‘Aldi and Lidl will normally offer the best price for everyday essentials, but specific deals on certain items at bigger supermarkets like Tesco, Asda or Sainsbury’s could temporarily offer acheaper deal. In this case, you could stock up on that particular item –especially if it’s tinned, canned or freezable –to save money long-term.
‘You might find that some specialist stores offer better deals on specific items.
‘Iceland often has multi-buy deals on, which can sometimes make certain frozen items cheaper than they would be at Aldi or Lidl.
‘International supermarkets often offer agreat price when bulk buying foods like legumes, lentils and grains – often even cheaper than budget supermarkets.’
This way of shopping is incredibly beneficial if you have the time.
But with kids, jobs and busy lives, not alot of us do actually have the time or resources to visit multiple diffe
