Grocery shopping list: 8 savings expert tips to keep costs down

This has become a major concern for many people, especially those who are struggling to make ends meet.

The latest announcement from the Office for National Statistics showed that food inflation remains stubbornly high, although the overall inflation rate has eased slightly.

Grocery and non-alcoholic beverage prices continued to rise in April 2023, by a staggering 19.1% year-on-year.

So what can we do to combat high food prices and save money?

We asked an expert for his top tips.

How to save money when shopping for groceries

Since groceries are still very expensive, any opportunity to save money is welcome.

Every year, over 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted worldwide. Therefore, it is important to make your grocery store as efficient as possible.

MuscleFood.com’s Ashleigh Tosh said, “It’s worrying how much food prices have risen over the last year, with items like pickles, chicken, beef and pasta becoming more expensive.”

“We wanted to share these tips to help Brits stick to their grocery list, plan their weekly grocery shopping and cut costs.”

Check the fridge, freezer, and cupboards before you head out

If you’re looking to save money on your grocery shopping, it pays to look at what you already have.

See what you’ve used up, what needs to be refilled, and what’s left for the week.

It is also worth checking the expiration date of fresh produce, as well as the condition of fresh fruit and vegetables.

To save money and avoid buying unnecessary items, it helps to take stock of what you already have and make sure you’re not buying duplicates or overstocking items that are still fit to eat.

Keep your fresh produce needs vague

Fresh fruit and vegetables saw the biggest price increases, and there were also availability problems.

Therefore, when preparing your meals, try to keep your fresh fruit and vegetable needs vague and non-recipe dependent.

This way you are less restricted in what you can buy and can browse the reduced section for this week’s vegetable dishes.

Opt for frozen products

If you typically buy products from the chilled or fresh produce section, you should opt for frozen alternatives.

Fruit, vegetables, fish and meat are often available in larger quantities in the deep-freeze area and thus save a lot of money.

In addition, frozen foods significantly reduce food waste in households because they have a much longer shelf life. However, be sure to check the expiry date and do not leave the food unused in the freezer for a long period of time.

Consider the season

It’s important to remember that fresh fruits and vegetables usually do best during the right growing season.

During this time, fresh produce is generally more readily available and stays fresh longer.

A quick Google search will tell you which fruits and vegetables are in season.

Avoid impulse spending

The next time you’re at your local supermarket, it might be worth making a mental note of where your regular items are, because planning can help you avoid spending unnecessarily.

Try to write down your shopping list in the order in which it appears at the supermarket. For example, keep all types of bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, etc. together.

This way you can try to reduce visits to unneeded aisles – and resist the temptation to make impulse purchases!

Ashleigh Tosh says, “Things as simple as planning your grocery list in aisle order at your local store can have a huge impact on improving the overall cost of your grocery store.”

With Sainsbury’s revamped Nectar card, shoppers can now enjoy a discount on around 300 items both in-store and online. Morrisons introduced the Morrisons More program to replace the My Morrisons program and the Co-op also introduced a loyalty card with discounts.

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