Planning your food savings

When asking about debt advice, it is not often that anyone thinks about the smaller savings that can be made on your food budget. My grandma used to say “Save a penny for a rainy day”. She was right, and every penny saved on my food budget had an impact on my financial spend. Saving money on food and making dinners on a budget may be your saving grace, but it does require planning and perfect execution!

I have a few ideas and suggestions, and I hope you may find this helpful:

Step 1

Meat is very expensive in general, especially if you buy at a supermarket. There are many clever ways to substitute your meat and still get the best value for your money. Buy pork mince instead of beef. It is usually cheaper. Turkey instead of chicken can bring a new flavour to your table AND save on your food budget. If you must have beef, consider the cheaper braising steak. Also try and buy from your local butcher. They have prime cuts at good prices AND will pack and prepare your meat in the right sizes for you and your family. This ensures no wastage and you can buy in bulk and freeze the meat.

Step 2

Use a trusted website and find the cheapest supermarket. Don’t get suckered into advertising gimmicks. Try a bit of late shopping too. Many shops reduce prices late at night.

Step 3

Avoid take outs. It is cheaper to buy for a small family and cook the meal yourself.

Step 4

Shop online. By setting a budget and shopping online, you are not side-tracked by advertising. Most often you will find that you buy what is needed. Once your initial shop is done, you have an instant shopping list and repeating shops is easy.

Step 5

Plan your meals. Know what you want to cook before you go shopping, and stick to your list!

Step 6

Although the packaging may not look too appealing, the taste is usually the same when you buy the shops ‘own brand’ and you can save up to 33% on your food budget.

Step 7

Use the loyalty card and voucher systems. There is no shame in that.

Step 8

If you are considering the offers available by your local store. Remember that sometimes the saving is not worth spending. For instance: Saving 5p when you buy three juices for £3 when you really just wanted one…

Step 9

Avoid the local corner shop. As convenient as they may be, they are VERY expensive.

Step 10

Buy your fresh fruit and vegetables from the local market. You will be amazed at the atmosphere and the quality of the goods.