50 ways to slash your grocery bill
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THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SPENDS A WHOPPING $7,500 A YEAR ON THE WEEKLY SHOP. FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE TIPS AND CUT YOURS BY UP TO 40 PER CENT.
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AT THE SUPERMARKET
1 BUY IN BULK It works out much cheaper in the long run if you buy the biggest sizes of an item, whether it’s toilet rolls or breakfast cereal. The cost per item goes down the more you buy. Check out the unit price, eg 30c per nappy, on the shelf.
2 SET A BUDGET Take a calculator with you and tot up as you go round. Shop with cash rather than plastic. If you normally spend £60, take £45 instead. You won’t miss the difference if you shop wisely.
3 ORDER ONLINE It’s much easier to stick to a budget when you use the internet. You get a running total as you shop and can remove items from your shopping “basket”. Both www.tesco.com and www.ocado.com (Waitrose) have clear, easy-to-use sites. Perks include free delivery and free gifts.
4 STASH THOSE COUPONS Cut out the money-off coupons that come through the door or are printed in newspapers, and make sure you use them.
5 BUY OWN-BRAND Don’t assume brand names are better than own-brand ranges. A tin of beans costing 25c may be made in the same factory as one costing over 70c. Try the taste test and see if your family notice the difference.
6 NEVER SHOP ON AN EMPTY STOMACH Shoppers buy up to 15 per cent more when they’re hungry. Why do you think stores put the freshlyroasted chicken near the entrance?
7 TRY LESS WELL-KNOWN SUPERMARKETS Cheaper doesn’t equal cheap and nasty, and their own-brand products often match that of leading brands. Try Lidl, Aldi and Netto. See www.lidl.ie , www.aldi-stores.co.uk and www.netto.co.uk
8 MAKE A LIST And stick to it. Impulse-buying accounts for up to half of our grocery bill. A list also means you’ll be in and out much quicker.
9 LEAVE THE KIDS AT HOME It’s easy to pop another dessert or packet of biscuits in the trolley to keep the kids quiet. Go solo to avoid demands.
10 BUY FROZEN VEGETABLES Cheaper and often just as good nutritionally as it is packed closer to the time of picking.
11 CHECK OUT THE REDUCED RACK Products with today’s eat-by date are fine when you intend to eat them that day.
GO GREEN
13 GROW YOUR OWN FOOD Herbs can be grown on your window sill or tomatoes in a Grobag. Add homegrown basil to pasta with chilli and garlic, or parsley to plain fish. Visit your local garden centre.
14 JOIN A BOX SCHEME The Soil Association says: “Buying organic fruit and veg through a box scheme can work out cheaper than the equivalent non-organic food.” A mixed box of five vegetables and three fruits costs about £15. Delivery is free and your can add milk and meat. Try Abel and Cole on 0044 8452 62 62 62/ www.abel-cole.co.uk or visit www.whyorganic.org to find your nearest scheme.
15 GET AN ALLOTMENT Grow your own favourite vegetables - carrots, brussel sprouts and spuds. Ring your local council or contact National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners on 0044 1536 266 576/ www.nsalg.org.uk or www.allotments-uk.com
16 CUT BACK ONE DAY A WEEK Just eating fruits on one day of the week can give your body a much-needed rest and repair, say some health experts. (Not recommended for children, pregnant women or people with medical conditions.)
17 INVEST IN A BREADMAKER Shop-bought loaves can cost up to a whopping £3 each. Why not invest in a breadmaker - it’ll pay for itself in the long term. Check out Antony Worrall Thompson’s breadmaker, from Argos or Currys.
18 KEEP HENS Get your hands on the freshest eggs you can get. Hens make alternative pets for children, are easy to look after and cost little to keep - unlike the kids!
19 BARTER WITH FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS If you know someone who makes chutney, you could trade for one of your homemade cakes.
20 RECYCLE CARRIER BAGS Tesco shoppers who use their own bags or re-use carrier bags will get 1p per bag on their Tesco Clubcard. Other stores will no doubt soon follow suit with “green points”.
21 MAKE YOUR OWN JAM Knocking up a batch of jams, marmalades and pickles may sound a bit The Good Life, but one evening’s jam-making should last a family for a whole year.
22 FARMERS’ MARKETS Over 500 farmers’ markets nationwide sell good value, quality local or organic produce, from Halloween pumpkins to goat’s cheese. You may even see a photograph of the cow who made your milk! Go to www.farmers markets.net to find your nearest market.
PLAN AHEAD
23 BARGAIN HUNT Shop around for the best weekly deals. Supermarkets regularly lower their prices to compete with each other. See price comparison websites www.trollydolly.co.uk and www.kelkoo.co.uk . Check Tesco’s prices against its competitors at www.tesco.com/price-check-search
24 FREEZE HALF A MEAL Make larger batches of shepherd’s pie or a curry and put half in the freezer for a cheap ready-meal when you’re too tired to cook.
25 START THE CHRISTMAS SHOP NOW Buy one luxury item a week and by the time the big day comes, you won’t have a huge bill. Just make sure you hide them well!
26 MAKE TOMORROW’S LUNCH FROM TODAY’S DINNER Pop some pasta in the fridge in an airtight container or cut off a few slices of Sunday’s roast. Saving E4 a day tots up to E1,000 a year.
27 PLAN YOUR WEEKLY MENU Plan the week’s food - for example, pasta on a Monday, fish pie on a Tuesday etc. Buy all your ingredients to avoid rushing to the corner shop for cupboard items like baking powder and flour.
28 EAT LESS EXPENSIVE MEALS Economical meals just require a little thought - pork steaks are cheaper than beef steaks, stewing steak takes slightly longer to cook but makes lovely stews. Ask your butcher for his recommendations and cooking tips.
29 GET A MAKRO CARD Makro is a trade only wholesale warehouse. Businesses can apply for cards. Check if your office has one which you could use to get savings on bulk household buys. See www.makro.co.uk
THINK THRIFTY
30 BUY A FRIDGE-FREEZER Throwing away food past its use-by date because you hadn’t got round to eating it is a terrible waste. Freeze fresh goods on the day of purchase, or split larger, cost-effective food items, such as lamb chops or frozen fish.
31 SPEND E1 LESS ON EVERY BOTTLE OF WINE A little of what you fancy does you good - but the savings soon mount up.
32 KITCHEN ROLL Don’t waste money on goods you only throw away. Cut up old T-shirts or towels for mopping up spills and throw them in with the wash.
33 HOME-MADE SOUPS You can cook up enough delicious soup to last several days for the same price as a couple of premium brand tins. Just add your own ingredients to chopped onions and seasoning, and add stock cubes and milk.
34 MAKE EXPENSIVE INGREDIENTS GO FURTHER If you buy a ham, use it for several meals - for example, Sunday roast, Monday sandwiches, Tuesday curry…
35 REUSABLE NAPPIES Disposable nappies cost around E1,800 from birth to 2.5 years. Save E8 on your weekly shop by switching to cloth nappies - around E400 from birth to potty, including laundry costs.
36 BUY A TROLLEY-BAG Remember your granny’s tartan one? Walk to the supermarket and wheel your purchases back. Not only will you save on petrol you’ll only buy the essentials, and won’t spend any longer in the shop than you have to.
37 USE EVERYTHING Squeeze out every last penny’s worth. Meat bones and vegetable trimmings can make delicious stocks. Leftover vegetables and meats can be thrown into the same stock for free soups and stews, or used in pies, crepes or casseroles.
38 DON’T BUY CLOTHES Supermarkets may have great bargain clothing ranges, but spending E26 on a pair of jeans you didn’t intend to buy is not saving money!
39 2 for 1 OFFERS Keep an eye out for them in the shop or online. The best are household items, like toilet rolls and washing powder as you’ll definitely use them and there’s no best-by date.
40 RAID THE CUPBOARD Use up those half-eaten packets of pasta, lentils or rice sitting on your shelf. There’s probably a tenner’s worth of food going to waste.
41 LOYALTY CARD For every pound you spend you get points added to your card, which convert into money-off vouchers or specific rewards, such as family meals out.
HEALTHY GRUB FOR LESS
42 THINK LIKE A STUDENT Students are used to making their food budget go further - leaving more money for beer! Put any cash you save from cheaper meals in a jam jar and use it as a family treat (or pint) at the end of the week. Check out The Classic 1,000 Student Recipes by Carolyn Humphries.
43 CUT DOWN ON JUNK FOOD Or give it up. Have healthier, cheaper alternatives, like popcorn, bread sticks and raisins rather than chocolate, crisps and biscuits.
44 EAT LESS MEAT Try cooking Asian and Indian recipes where meat is used more sparingly. Or reduce portion sizes - a cigarette box-sized serving of protein is all you need.
45 ORGANIC OR NOT? Know when it’s worth paying extra for organic. Milk, eggs and chicken are worth the expense, beef and lamb isn’t. Anything grown in soil tends to hold pesticide residue as do apples, celery, lettuce, pears and strawberries, so buy organic.
46 BUY DRINKS FOR THE WEEK Take a thermos of tea or coffee or a beaker with fruit juice rather than buying drinks when you’re out. You’ll save heaps through the week.
47 TURN OFF THE ADVERTS Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses or that annoying glossy family on the adverts. Expensive cereal won’t change your life so don’t be swayed.
48 FILL UP ON HEALTHIER FOODS Wholegrains in brown breads, rices and pastas are better for you and fill you up. You won’t end up craving food, especially the wrong sort, and you’ll eat less. If the kids hate the thought of brown bread, try a “best of both” variety. They won’t know the difference.
49 EAT AT THE TABLE Your kids are more likely to eat what’s on their plates if they see you eating it too. A balanced meal inside them means fewer snacks between meals. Back To The Table Week is October, 16-22, 2006, see www.raisingkids.co.uk
50 ONLY BUY FOODS IN SEASON Strawberries in December are overpriced. Produce in season is cheaper and tastes better. Apples and pears grown in the UK are currently in season, as are leeks. Cabbage in winter and tomatoes from August to October.
