shopping around different places to make monthly savings?

bagpussbear

Hello, I don’t normally go on this particular Board, but I would really appreciate people’s advice and views about grocery spending please.:o

Like many people, I need to get our grocery budget down. We are a family of 3 (me, husband and my son almost 18) I have 2 cats.

We get out main shopping delivered by Sainsburys at the beginning of the month, and top up weekly for milk, bread etc. I budget £300 (that’s food, household, toiletries and cat food/litter) but recently I have been spending about £400.

Need to get it down! I’ve noticed that even some of the basics stuff have gone up, and by and large don’t tend to buy the big brands unless we really prefer the taste over the cheaper products.

I am thinking of using some of the poundland/bargain type shops to pick up some items, but wonder if it’s worth the effort, ie. do you really make a large saving by shopping different places for different things?

Does anyone do this please? shopping at different places? What stores are good for what? I tend to cook more convenience type products in the week, but like to cook proper homemade meals at the weekend and enjoy using my slow cooker – will obviously look through this board to find cheap things to cook.

But anyone willing to share different ways they’ve found to shop around and save money, I would be grateful?

Thank you in advance!

richardw

Go to Aldi and save lots.

paulineb_2

I do shop around as I live in a town where there are lots of supermarkets.
I shop in home bargains a lot, also aldi as well, B and M bargains, wilkinsons, also use poundland, farmfoods and poundworld.

Farmfoods are really good for cheap frozen veg. Home bargains sell branded foods cheaply and I use aldi for the cheap fruit and veg and a few other things.

paulineb_2

I get my cat litter from home bargains, they do a 5l of eco litter for 99p. Poundworld also do a similar product for a quid.

browneyedbazzi

I do most of my regular shopping at sainsburys but go at least once a month to Morrisons and Lidl to stock up on offers or things that are regularly cheaper.

How much benefit you'll see depends a lot on what sort of things you buy and use a lot of. For me I think I save a decent amount and as neither shop is particularly out of my way it only costs me a little bit of time to shop around so it is well worth doing.

bagpussbear

Thanks everyone. I think I might take a trip to Aldi, never been there but have heard good things. Sounds like savings are to be had then by shopping around!

Farmfoods is a shop that I've walked past often but never popped in, will check out the veg there, thank you.

Pauline: don't know if you wanted to check out the cat litter from Sainsburys, theirs is £1.24 for a 8L bag. Sounds like its a good deal then?

maman

bagpussbear wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I think I might take a trip to Aldi, never been there but have heard good things. Sounds like savings are to be had then by shopping around!

Farmfoods is a shop that I've walked past often but never popped in, will check out the veg there, thank you.

Pauline: don't know if you wanted to check out the cat litter from Sainsburys, theirs is £1.24 for a 8L bag. Sounds like its a good deal then?

I do almost all my shopping in Aldi but stock up on some things in other shops like Farmfoods and £ shops (I don't go to them every week). In Sainsbury's I buy just a very few brands that I still prefer.


I'm not sure what you mean by 'convenience type food in the week' but if you mean frozen stuff then it's worth looking in Iceland. I like their plain, frozen fish but they do all sorts of ready meals too.


Personally I find that ready meals that are good quality are not worth the money for the portion size and those that are cheap are not nutritionally sound. If you did find some time to do some cooking for the freezer (i.e. home made ready meals) it would save you money and be healthier. And what about some really cheap meals like egg, beans and chips?;)

paulineb_2

bagpussbear wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I think I might take a trip to Aldi, never been there but have heard good things. Sounds like savings are to be had then by shopping around!

Farmfoods is a shop that I've walked past often but never popped in, will check out the veg there, thank you.

Pauline: don't know if you wanted to check out the cat litter from Sainsburys, theirs is £1.24 for a 8L bag. Sounds like its a good deal then?

I have bought that one more than a few times, when Ive had a sainsbury shopping delivered, yes it is very good value.

I get the eco stuff as I can carry 5l home and its pretty lightweight.

Home bargains also do an 8l of the same eco litter and Ive not bought that as its a bit heavy but if I go with my mum she can put it in her shopping trolley and we can split the litter between us. Havent checked out the price but I think it might be a bit cheaper per litre than the 5l stuff

Farmfoods frozen veg is 3 for £2. I go through quite a lot of frozen veg and tesco frozen spinach, the price kept rising, went from £1 to £1.40 a bag within the space of a few months. Its a smaller bag than the tesco one but it still works out cheaper.

Farmfoods also do the small bags of frozen veg that you put in the micro for 3 for a quid.

They also do princes tuna for 49p a can (I dont eat tuna but my cats do). B and M are currently doing 5 cans of tuna for 2 quid and thats the cheapest Ive seen it in any shop.

paulineb_2

I get my toiletries at superdrug. All their own brand stuff isnt animal tested and most of it is suitable for vegans, but its also very cheap and decent stuff as well. Body sprays are around 70p just now, toothpaste is about 50p, I think each store also has offers, Ive been buying a conditioner similar to frizz ease in one of the local stores and its half price just now, about £1.70

for cleaning stuff, I buy astonish products, cheap. I also do use home made stuff like vinegar and bicarb of soda.

I have a poundland and a poundworld near me, poundworld is an excellent shop, have bought a lot of their products.

MysteryMe

Iceland often have offers on tea and bread. Their frozen veg and fish is good value. I don't care for the quality of their fresh fruit and veg TBH but your local shop may be different.


I buy my fruit and veg at Aldi and try and stick to the super 6 offers and am always pleased with the quality but other stores seem to have problems. Lidl do meat and other offers on weekends.

paulineb_2

Also, if you want to stock up and dont mind buying food close to its best before date or past it (still safe to eat), you really cant beat approved foods.

Ive had some fantastic bargains from them over the last couple of years.