food shopping cutting down

MoneyQueen

Try to shop in the night, when many things are reduced - buy in bulk and then freeze them

lil_me

When first cutting down on spending I found a 'price book' helped. Basically a small note book, on each page I did lists of items I bought regular, in mine it was seperated dairy, frozen, tins, baking, etc etc. I put a price for each one (and weight of the product) for each shop. When I go shopping as each shop is about as far away as the other I buy whatever is cheapest in each shop.

If there is say a BOGOF on butter in one shop, but it's cheaper to buy 2 singles elsewhere then I see it's not a bargain after all. Same goes for yellow sticker reduced items, for example I was in Asda, they had an oops pack of sausages that looked nice but when I checked I pay less at the farm shop per kilo for really nice ones that are fresh instead of close to date.

With all the prices going up on things at the minute I'm just starting a new one (old one is over a year old and starting to drop to bits/have lots of scribbles in it) especially as I'm trying to reduce spending.

Coupons always be aware not every store takes them off anything, one up here hauled a customer in the office after she tried to use a lot at once.

mumoftwo

What I have learned from the experts on here is to mealplan and only buy what you need to make those dishes. Write 7 meals down for the coming week, and see what you already have in the freezer/cupboards and make a shopping list. Another tip I got on here is that people shop online so that they are not tempted to buy extras.

lil_me

how did I forget meal plan. Like mumoftwo said, work with what you have in first then see what you need extra to make a meal with what you have left.

Shopping online can work well if you stick to a list and use the extra codes, the only trap I see is those who will spend £100 to use a better code when really they would have only spent £50 if they didn't have the code to use.

GardenMillie

Hi

I'm a Tesco fan but also shop at Lidl and Aldi. Have had few bits out of massive Asda near my work but not always great quality. Lidl often have good offers eg premium pack of sausages £1 these can be split and frozen or made into sausage casserole with lots of veg to stretch them. They also had a big lasagne in the fridge cabinet for £1 (usually £2.40?) and I gave it a try and got three generous portions from it. I always check the reduced section.

krispyg76

Go shopping with a list

Don't go when you are hungry

Buy what you need

floss2

krispyg76 wrote: »

Go shopping with a list

Don't go when you are hungry

Buy what you need

I would add:

Plan your week's menus before making a list, using what you have in cupboards / fridge / freezer

Take your budget in cash & coupons, and leave cards at home so no temptation!

Check local markets / farm shops for fruit / veg / eggs / local meat

Buy in season

Bulk buy BIG bag of spuds - but only if you can store them!

The_shuffs

Hi all i am a great fan of tesco we get 10% off as my OH is a baker at our local store but i will go to Lidls there offers are really good. Just in time for christmas we have an Asda opening in our town so i will be going there for a look have not started the GC for september am going to wait till oct best of luck to you all keeping saving Rachael xx

Racklen

i fond shopping on line i stick to my list of what i need to cover meals for the month and i impulse buy also i can see the cost as i go along and before i check ouyt i can remove things easily if ive over spent on my budget.

helps me be sensible and ive now started using my supermarket.com so that will give me ideas on alternatives, but if i go in a shop shopping ill spend twice as much on all those extra offers that i dont actually need.

good luck with your budgeting it an on going task reducing your bill my key tio my reducing is preperation

always plan my meals and work out what i need and dont buy more, plus helps with not piling on the pounds and you become more aware of how much fruit and veg etc your eating or not eating as it was at the start for me