Tips for Saving on Your Grocery Bill

It is possible to save money on your grocery bill when shopping at supermarkets or other stores. The tips we have below work at all chains, including Asda, Sainsbury, Tesco, and Aldi as well as other super markets. There are ways to budget for food, meal plan, use free food banks and much more, all which can help families save money. It is possible to shop at discount stores like Aldi too as well as use coupons to save money on grocery bills. But there are other steps to take to shop smarter and more efficiently as well.

Grocery Coupons and Vouchers

Couponing can save you a lot of money. However, it also requires a certain amount of time and dedication to use them. You have to search for the coupons or the vouchers you want, cut them out or save them to your phone, and remember to use them when you’re in the store. Some of the leading websites to use include extremecouponing.co.uk, freestuff.co.uk and others.

To maximize the effectiveness of coupons, you want to use them when those items are already on sale, so you also must comb through the sale ads for your local supermarkets. You can save a lot of money this way and there are great tips out there for how to do this in a more organized way. But if you don’t feel like dealing with coupons, use these five tips to save on your grocery bill each month.

Set up a Cash Budget

It really is important to establish a set cash budget for groceries, especially with the transition to Universal Credit which provides one payment per month. Otherwise, it is too easy to splurge on treats at the supermarket or order pizza on busy nights. If you set up a budget, then you cannot buy food without your cash. It’s just that simple. If you need help with this, then a local Citizen Advice Bureau may be able to provide free budgeting advice.

This isn’t saying you have to starve. It just means you may have to be creative if you get to the end of the week and your cash is gone. If you don’t know what your budget should be, just guess a number and start. It’s more important to give it a try than to get caught up in figuring out an exact amount.

As you get used to using cash for your groceries, you will be able to easily see if you need more or less the next week. Definitely establish your grocery budget on a weekly basis, even if you get paid every two weeks, or even once a month. That way, if you run out of money, you should only be a few days away from receiving that amount again.

Use a Food Bank

Some groceries can be obtained for free from a food bank. There are thousands of independent locations as well as Trussell Trust foodbanks that can be used for assistance. They help families that have a voucher, and many of those that get help are on benefits or welfare. Read more on saving money at food banks.

Make a Menu

Once you have your budget number established, the next most effective way to save on your overall grocery bill is to make a menu. Meal planning does not have to be as extensive as you see on Pinterest or Instagram. Just grab a piece of paper and make a list of meals you know your family enjoys. Then pick from these options.

There are lots of ways to meal plan, and there are many resources out there if you want to get more elaborate. But money experts say that the simple act of planning out your meals will help you save up to 50 percent on your grocery bill. When you are first starting out, keep it simple.

Make a List and Stick to It

With your meal plan in place, you need to figure out what to buy to make all of those meals a reality. It’s perfectly okay to plan a pizza night or eating out as well, as long as you have the money for it. Write out a complete list. Be sure to check any recipes for spices or oils to make sure you have all the basics in your pantry.

Now comes the important part. When you go to the store, buy only what is on your list. It is very tempting to see a container of ketchup and say, oh, yeah, we need that, and throw it in your cart. Resist this temptation. Unless of course, you need it for that week’s meal.

You will get to a point that you are able to stock up on items, but don’t buy it just because you need it for some unforeseen time in the future. That leads to a lot of impulse buys.

Stock up Smartly

If you see a great deal on fish and your family eats a lot of fish, you can save a lot of money by stocking up. However, if you don’t have the money to stock up, this isn’t feasible. So here are three ways you can find those extra funds in order to stock up on great sales.
• Take something else off the list
Perhaps you had a treat on the list or some other non-essential item. Take it off, knowing that you will have money in your budget again the next week and can pick it up then.
• Adjust your menu
If you have three chicken dinners planned, substitute dishes using hamburger instead. Move your chicken purchase to the next week. Perhaps you planned to order pizza one night. Use the on-sale fish for a meal instead and save your pizza money for the next week.
• Borrow from another part of your budget
There are many different ways people budget. Chances are, if you have a grocery budget, you also have other budgets.

Maybe you can do with turning down the heat or electricity this week and buy the hamburger with that money. Maybe you have a clothing budget that you don’t need to spend this week. Perhaps you planned to buy laundry detergent this week but you won’t really need a new bottle until next week. Scrutinizing your budget may open up the extra dollars you need to do a stock up.

Save Money on Christmas Food

During the Christmas many families on benefits or a low income struggle to buy toys, take a holiday, or acquire groceries for a Christmas meal. There are charities as well as schemes that help families save money. One of the big ones is the Salvation Army, and this charity offers many holiday services. Find free Christmas meals.

Use Your Freezer

When you find great deals and stock up on them, you need to learn to use your freezer. Separate the meat you bought on sale into meal-size portions and freeze it. You can do this cooked or raw but if you cook the meat first, you will be one step closer to making your meal when it’s time. If it was a fruit or vegetable that you were able to stock up on, most of those can be frozen as well.

Take out what you know your family will eat within a week or so, and throw the rest in the freezer. There are many things that you can freeze that you don’t often think of, such as sour cream, milk, cheese, and bread. When there are sales on these items, stock up and throw them in the freezer.

By using these few practical tips, both before you go to the supermarket and while shopping, you can save a lot of money on groceries without clipping a single coupon. If you love using coupons or vouchers too, that’s great. But if you haven’t had time or don’t have the desire to use them, these tips can save you a lot of money at the supermarket.