With the cost of food continuing to put pressure on household budgets, finding ways to make your weekly shop go further can make a real difference.
Eating well doesn’t have to mean spending more. With a little planning, some smart shopping habits and a few store-cupboard essentials, it is possible to cook nutritious, tasty meals while keeping an eye on your budget.
Here are some simple ways to make your food shop work harder for you.
1. Plan your meals
Before heading to the supermarket, take a look at what you already have in your fridge, freezer and cupboards.
Planning a few meals for the week can help you avoid buying things you don’t need and make it easier to use up ingredients before they go to waste.
You don’t have to plan every meal. Even having an idea of four or five meals for the week can make shopping easier and more affordable.
2. Make a shopping list
Once you’ve planned your meals, write a shopping list and try to stick to it.
A list can help prevent duplicate purchases and reduce the temptation to pick up things you don’t really need.
It can also be useful to organise your list into sections such as fruit and vegetables, fridge, freezer and cupboard items, making your shop quicker and easier.
3. Cook extra
If you’re cooking a meal from scratch, consider making a larger batch.
Extra portions can be kept in the fridge for another meal or frozen for another day, helping you make the most of your ingredients.
Batch cooking can also save time on busy days when you might otherwise be tempted to buy a takeaway or convenience meal.
4. Don’t be afraid of supermarket own brands
Branded products aren’t always the best value.
Supermarket own-brand versions of everyday staples such as pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, cereals and pulses can often cost less while still working perfectly well in your favourite recipes.
Compare the price per 100g or per litre rather than simply looking at the price of the packet. This gives you a better idea of which product offers the best value.
5. Check the reduced section
The reduced section can be a great place to find bargains, particularly if you know you’ll be using the food soon.
Fresh meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and other products can sometimes be reduced as they approach their use-by date. If you can’t use them in time, check whether they can be safely frozen.
Always follow the storage instructions and use-by dates on foods where food safety is important.
6. Make friends with your freezer
Your freezer can help you save money and reduce food waste.
Frozen vegetables and fruit can be particularly useful because you can use exactly what you need and keep the rest for another meal. They are also convenient when fresh produce isn’t in season.
Frozen fish can also be a more affordable alternative to some fresh options and can be kept until you need it.
Freezing leftovers, bread and suitable fresh ingredients before they go to waste can also help stretch your food budget.
7. Build up a useful store cupboard
Keeping a selection of versatile ingredients at home makes it easier to put together a meal without needing another trip to the supermarket.
Useful staples might include:
- Rice and pasta
- Tinned tomatoes
- Tomato purée
- Beans and lentils
- Stock cubes
- Dried herbs and spices
- Cooking oil
- Salt and pepper
- Soy sauce
These ingredients can be combined with fresh, frozen or leftover ingredients to create all sorts of affordable meals.
8. Compare prices
Don’t assume that your usual product or supermarket is always the cheapest option.
Compare prices between different shops and look at the unit price where available. This shows how much you’re paying per kilogram, litre or another standard measurement and makes it easier to compare different sizes and brands.
Online shopping can also make it easier to compare prices, although remember to take delivery charges into account.
9. Avoid shopping when you’re hungry
It sounds simple, but shopping when you’re hungry can make it much harder to stick to your list.
Having something to eat before you go can help you focus on what you actually need rather than filling your basket with tempting extras.
10. Make fewer, bigger shops
Frequent trips to the supermarket can make it easier to spend more than planned.
Where possible, try doing one main shop each week and use what you already have between shops. A smaller top-up shop for fresh items can help you avoid buying more than you need.
This approach can also encourage you to get creative with the ingredients already in your kitchen.
11. Look beyond the usual aisles
Don’t overlook supermarket world food aisles. Ingredients such as rice, pulses, spices, sauces and other store-cupboard staples can sometimes offer good value compared with similar branded products elsewhere in the shop.
Exploring different ingredients can also add variety to your meals without needing an expensive shopping list.
12. Use loyalty schemes and vouchers wisely
Supermarket loyalty schemes, offers and vouchers can sometimes help you save money, particularly if they’re for products you were already planning to buy.
But don’t buy something simply because it’s on offer. A bargain isn’t a bargain if you don’t need it or won’t use it.
13. Cook from scratch where you can
Cooking from scratch doesn’t have to mean complicated recipes or spending hours in the kitchen.
Simple meals made with basic ingredients can often be cheaper than ready meals and give you more control over what goes into your food.
Think soups, pasta dishes, curries, stews, jacket potatoes, omelettes and traybakes – affordable meals that can easily be adapted depending on what you have available.
14. Buy what’s in season
Seasonal fruit and vegetables can often offer better value and flavour.
Choosing what’s in season can also help you add variety to your meals throughout the year. Local and seasonal produce can be a great way to explore what’s grown closer to home.
Good food doesn’t have to cost more
Savvy shopping is about making the most of your budget, rather than simply buying the cheapest thing available.
A little planning can help you waste less, make ingredients go further and cook more meals from the food you already have.
Whether it’s making an extra portion for the freezer, choosing own-brand products, checking the reduced section or simply writing a shopping list, small changes can add up to significant savings over time.
And perhaps the most important tip of all: shop smart, cook well and make the most of what you’ve got.