Best tips for saving money on food shopping.

[coodawoodashooda]

I go through phases of being better at being sensible with the food shop. Im spend much less on top up shops and try hard to stay off amazon. Can you please help me stay focused? Thanks in advance.

Boring but meal plan so there is no waste. Write a list and stick to it. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I save a lot by shopping in aldi but do sometimes have to go to Tesco to get bits they don’t stock

Meal planning and shopping online has helped me save money. I can see exactly how much I'm spending. When I go shopping in person I always buy extra and things I don't need.

Make it a game/goal. Save it up for Xmas or for treat for yourself or to pay off the next gas bill etc. Work out how much you have been spending over pay few months and then set a goal. Even £20 week makes a huge dent in 3m time. Taking cash out and saving it in jar is also good incentive for me.

How much are you spending now?

Buy good quality organic vegetables, use the whole thing (because you can as no pesticides so for example don't peel the potatoes or carrots, use the stalks of broccoli in soups).

This way you get far superior nutrients, actually need less. And end up spending less in the long term.

If you can stomach it eat organic liver once a week, cheap as chips and incredibly nutritious. You should be looking at how much nutrition you can get for your £.

Same with salmon. Only buy wild abs never microwave it. Eat twice a week.

Homemade soups are incredible for nutrition, quick, cheap and a crowd pleaser.

Meal plan, stick to your list - I shop mostly at Lidl not because the products are cheaper but it’s so much easier to stay focussed on your list (just stay away from the middle isles so you don’t end up with with something like a surf board ) they don’t move their products around, there’s less choice and they don’t do loads of half price and BOGOF offers, which makes you think your saving but most people just end up buying more because of this (otherwise shops wouldn’t do it). I think that’s the main reason people save money there - same with Aldi.

@Akire

Make it a game/goal. Save it up for Xmas or for treat for yourself or to pay off the next gas bill etc. Work out how much you have been spending over pay few months and then set a goal. Even £20 week makes a huge dent in 3m time. Taking cash out and saving it in jar is also good incentive for me.

How much are you spending now?

I reckon i spend £80 a week. It's hard to be sure because i do bulk buy toiletries. I find i waste fresh stuff too often. Especially apples and no one wants them when theyre soft. Im good at freezing milk and bread. Better at accepting that we do like treats so buying the cheaper version.

Any meal planning tips?

As above, MEAL PLAN. If you get tempted by things you don't need then shop online, you'll save more than the delivery (and some on fuel)

Lidl, Aldi, ASDA and Tesco are generally cheaper than Sainsbury's

Do a couple of meat free meals a week - bean chilli, lentil curry etc are cheap.

Stick to staple cheaper ingredients to bulk out meals like rice, oats, carrots, other root vegetables. Some frozen veg like spinach are cheaper than their fresh alternatives and also less waste.

I've tried to introduce a soup and pudding night. Nobody seems that bothered so that's a definite bargain.

The liver idea is good but i just couldn't.

Its to easier throw in load fresh stuff because you always buy rather than it’s on the list. I never buy salad now unless I know
I’m eating it that day. I’m not huge fan and would just rot in fridge but would buy cucumber and lettuce out of habit.

If eating apples are going soft buy fewer and keep them in the fridge or cook them down to make apple sauce. Or shove them in a crumble, not as good as Bramley but still yummy (especially with a handful of frozen berries) and a cheap pudding with some custard

Also OP have you looked at thrifty Lesley's recipes or gone on the moneysavingexpert Old style forums?

For me I find online shopping helps me stick to a budget.

I actually enjoy the restriction of not being able to spend more than my self imposed £50 budget. I fill my basket with what I want and if it's over budget I go back in and trim it until it's under the limit. I very rarely have to top up, and if so it's just milk or something.

@Akire

Its to easier throw in load fresh stuff because you always buy rather than it’s on the list. I never buy salad now unless I know I’m eating it that day. I’m not huge fan and would just rot in fridge but would buy cucumber and lettuce out of habit.

Yeah that was what was happening

I agree with meal planning and list writing then sticking to that list. We sit down once a week with all our cookery books and Pinterest and just decide what meals we want, write them down then order what we need.
If you keep buying apples and they go soft buy less apples.
Also I love to buy huge packs of things then decant them into smaller more manageable jars (eg we have the biggest bag of pasta you can buy which I keep at the back of the cupboard and just fill up a clip top jar), this works for all dried and/or long shelf life foods. Also multipacks of tins are generally cheaper than buying separate tins (though the plastic wrapping is an issue).
Eat less meat - pulses, legumes, etc are a lot cheaper, can be bought in bulk, last longer and can replace nearly all meats - look on Pinterest for recipes.
Personally I hate soup but if we have random veg in the fridge that's looking a bit sad I'll stick it in a big pan with a bit of stock, spices, etc and cook it on a low heat then blend it to make lunches for my husband.

Use a meal planning app. Or make a complete list of what you need to buy. Avoid ordering out if not for a party etc. Take stock of what is in your cupboards, pantry and so on too. I like to buy my fruit from farm shops and a local weekly open air market stall as not only is it cheaper, I save the British fruit industry as well. You can even have specialty food boxes delivered to your address (order online). Another way to save money is to purchase fruit from a PYO farm.

@coodawoodashooda it's boring maybe but I meal plan a kind of rota - for example Sunday is a roast, Friday is fish (tuna is cheap), Thursday is pasta, Monday is leftovers from the roast. Saturday is toasties. Tues and weds casserole/one pot. Not the exact same meal but the same kind of general main ingredient. I have folder (a real-life folder, as opposed to a computer folder) of recipes I know work, and everyone will eat.

I add potatoes to anything that stands still long enough. (Cheap!)

Meat protein is expensive so I half the quantity in any recipe and sub for veg/lentils.

Meal planning is great as said above. I also saved money by buying my toiletries and cleaning products from the pound shop or wilkos. Still branded stuff but might be a scent they have discontinued etc

Meal plan and stick to it
Double up on dinners where you can so they also serve as lunch for the next day
Aldi/Lidl

I’ve just come back from doing our weekly food shop at Aldi. This includes literally everything for the week ahead as I have planned every meal plus lots of meat, fruit and veg, fresh bread from the bakery and snacks. It’s just DP and I and I spent £40.89 We definitely don’t feel like we’re scrimping either.

If fruit is starting to turn use it in baking rather than Chuck out - Mary Berry apple cake is great for eating apples, al sorts of banana loaf/muffin recipes for brown bananas. These can be easily frozen for the future. I’d also say when cooking stuff like casseroles, Bolognese, soup it’s very easy to make double and freeze the extra. This means that when lonely is tight and/or you are in a hurry and tempted to quickly grab an expensive ready meal you know you’ve got something you can defrost and reheat

Slow cooker - stews, casseroles, lasagne. So cheap and lasts 2 sometimes 3 days!
We usually have one day towards the end of the week where we don't buy anything new and just make a meal out of anything already in the cupboards or fridge. e.g. an omelette with salad. We only started this recently to reduce our food waste but it's also saved us money.

Some great posts her thanks for the inspiration!

OP have you tried the offers on meal boxes like Gousto etc? And discounts for first time online shopping? That can save a bit as a one off.