Top Tips for Grocery Shopping Saving

lifebeginsagain

Hi everyone.

I am doing the £2012 savings challenge and the coupons for Christmas challenge but would also really like to cut down our food bills which come in at about £400 - £500 a month for 2 adults and 2 children (8 & 5yrs). This figure does include cleaning products and toiletries as well.

I shop at our new local butcher who is cheaper than Sainbury's:j.
I am a housewife so I do have time to cook and bake and will be growing some veg and salad again this year in the spring.
We do eat meat for pretty much all our meals so would love some cheap veggie dinner ideas.
My son has a tree nut and peanut allergy so sometimes we have to go for a more expensive option if the cheaper one has a nut warning (the supermarkets own brand for example has a nut warning). ALL Tesco own brand products cannot guarantee that they are nut free which is terrible! However Sainsbury's has excellent allergy advice on all it's own brand products.
The children and DH all take packed lunches to work.

Does anyone buy their toiletries and homecleaning products elsewhere to save money?

What do you think would be a realistic weekly budget?

Any Top Tips gratefully received:)


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jgejnr

BM Bargains and Wilkinsons are the places to buy your cleaning products.

turquoise_goat

Hi lifebeginsagain,

Good thread to start!

You were saying that you are interested in reducing costs and finding some veggie options. Have you considered buying quorn meat or the supermarket own brand meat free products? So if you are making chilli con carne you could use frozen quorn mince instead of meat from the butcher's? It tastes exactly the same BTW- nobody will know the difference! You can sometimes get these frozen quorn products on a deal as well (have a look on mysupermarket.co.uk)

I also think Wilkinson's is a great place to get cheap cleaning stuff, but you could also try poundland and savers if you have these shops near you.

Good Luck :j

Mrs_Arcanum

Make sure you have eaten just before you shop.
Try your nearest Aldi or Lidl instead of the larger supermarkets. There is less temptation to buy unnecessary stuff as they are not filled with all the "ooh that looks nice" or "that will make a change". Plus bargains and reduced prices are exactly that, not a deceptive offer which is not really that competitive when you do the sums.

Lugh_Chronain

You could also try searching HotUKDeals from time to time as well.

Snugglebunny8

you could check mysupermarket online to see what offers are on before you shop, and plan your meals around the cheaper ingredients perhaps? I have 2/3 days a week where we have a non meat pasta/tomato sauce based dinner with what my kids sweetly call 'hot bread!' (39p Sainsburys basics 2 x baguettes, they are really good) and stuff like cheese or scrambled eggs on toast with salad, potato wedges etc. buying what's on offer.

For toiletries, cleaning products and washing stuff etc, I keep eye on grabbit board and on mysupermarket - if there a great deal (ie Surf 54 wash £4 at Mr T at mo) I stock up on it, same with toothpaste, shampoo etc, stock up when half price - check the shelf edge label for when offer on until, then buy one or two each time you go. If good offer on something you eat a lot of, the trick is to look at the back for the longest use by date, then work out how many you will use between now and the longest use by date and buy that many so you dont end up throwing stuff out.

I get supermarket and M&S vouchers from Valued Opinions, try and save for Christmas if I can, along with Nectar points.

A la 'Up in the Air' I try not to buy anything without it benefitting me, if its Boots or Nectar points or cashback online.

Every week I take out a certain amount of cash (Im useless if Ive got debit card with me!) and take that along with list I check beforehand on mysupermarket - I tell hubby and kids Im not shopping again until (whatever day) and if they decimate the cupboards and fridge like a plague of locusts they will have to do without until then!.

I try and see if I can finish the week with anything left (usually not!) but if I do I treat myself to a Starbucks amazing how that stops me buying something in store!!!

if you are like me its not easy getting to supermarket in the evening with being busy with children, but if you can get to know when your local supermarket marks down items its worth popping in then for reduced meat, bread etc you could freeze.

hope that helps a bit, good luck,let us know how you go.

Ess-six

The monthly Grocery challenge on the Old Style MoneySaving Board is full of tips on reducing your grocery spend

flippin36

Make a weekly meal plan and make a list

Do a weekly cupboard inventory so you know what you've got and what you need

Set a weekly budget - take a calculator and add up everything that goes in the trolley, when you get to your limit check through the trolley and put back anything that you could live without.

Have a tub or tin in the kitchen to put all your grocery receipts, keep totting them up so you can see how much you are spending, helps to stay in budget.

Meal plan for 5 or 6 meals. At the end of the week make up a meal from anything that needs using up (pizza, omlettes, pies, veggie lasagne, quiches are good for using up)

Freeze everything you can to avoid waste, label using masking tape with date info etc.

Go shopping late at night for reductions

Look to Amazon for things you will buy regularly. I recently discovered nappies were considerbly cheaper than supermarkets (even when they are on offer) So have subscribed to get 10% off and have them delivered to my door.

HTH a little and good luck.

lifebeginsagain

Thanks everyone for your great tips :T

I have just found the grocery challenge thread - so much info and recipes - fabulous!!

Lot's of planning to do I think!;)

santer_2

Own brands can be good, set the score to 9+ then tick any shops which are convenient, tick any dietary requirements, enter the search item

http://www.supermarketownbrandguide.co.uk/search.php?table=all

You can set the score lower, though that may affect the suitability of the product

You can check here for offers, it is not exhaustive but covers the main shops

http://www.madaboutbargains.co.uk/offers/Off-Your-Trolley.htm

Ilona

My top tip is to miss out half the aisles in the supermarket, dont go down them. Think 'eat healthy', no biscuits, cakes, chocolate, sweets, puddings, crisps, pop, microwave ready meals, and processed junk food.

I find Wilko quite expensive. You dont need fancy cleaning products, diluted wash up liquid in an old spray bottle will clean most things.

If you copy your last shopping list on here, I bet I can strike out quite a few of the items and suggest cheaper alternatives.
Ilona