WITH our council tax and energy bills set to rise again in the coming months, most of us will be feeling the strain on our budgets.
Especially during the current cost of living crisis which is seeing the prices of household essentials continuing to skyrocket.
Rather than going to the supermarket every week, we do one big monthly shop[/caption]
And it costs just £121.36 in total – which is around £30.34 a week[/caption]
One thing that helps is picking up yellow-sticker goods[/caption]
We get most of our food shop from Sainsbury’s but also jump into B&M and M&S[/caption]
So finding ways to keep costs down on other things like our food shop and supermarket bills is key.
And one way I do that is by going for one huge monthly food shop rather than jumping into the supermarket every week.
With two jobs, a house to run and a wedding to plan, it can be too hard to find the time to jump in every week to stock up.
So doing it once a month not only saves time but also saves cash as well.
My fiance Ryan and I always go to Sainsbury’s for our food shop – not only does it have high-quality food but the prices are hard to beat and it has impressive deals on all things from meats and fish to snacks and juice.
We then go to M&S and B&M to top up on a few extra things that are cheaper there.
And on our latest trip, our food shop came to just £121.36 in total for four weeks, with our Sainsbury’s bill coming in at £105.36 – including our toiletries.
Our trolly was packed full as we took advantage of a number of things on offer and foods that were reduced with yellow stickers.
We picked up a number of different fruits and vegetables, with some as cheap as 69p a pack.
We also nabbed a pack of chicken for two for just £2.39 and a pack of 12 meatballs for £2.56.
But that’s not all, we also made sure to stock up on plenty of ready meals for those days when we are on the go, like a chicken balti curry with rice and a chicken tikka curry with rice, which were just £2.50 each.
As well as this, we made sure our cupboards would be full to the brim as we bought plenty of rice and dried pasta, which were only 85p and 65p respectively.
We then found the sauces and wraps which we got for £1 and £1.50 which will actually last us for much longer than four weeks as we don’t always need to pick them up on a monthly shop.
Not only did we nab a large selection of cupboard items, but we also stocked up on juices as well – with cartons of fruit juice at just £1.75 and a pack of 24 Pepsi Max cans for £8.50.
And to ensure we had plenty of options for snacks and breakfast we got plenty of Weetabix, trifles, snacks and muller rice pots.
We make sure to pick up items that are part of their Aldi price match range[/caption]
Sainsbury’s also has the Nectar card which can help save cash on your shop[/caption]
So, how did we do it?
The cheap prices at Sainsbury’s were just one of many different factors that contributed to how we managed to keep our food shop costs low.
It’s all about shopping around, planning means in advance, looking for yellow-sticker bargains and signing up for loyalty programmes for the best discounts – like the Nectar card.
For example, some toiletries are cheaper in B&M which is why we went to the bargain retail giant for a few items.
We spent £8.10 picking up a jumbo pack of kitchen rolls as well as shower gel and toothpaste.
But we picked up shampoo, conditioner, make-up wipes, cotton buds and other painkillers in Sainsbury’s because the price was better.
We also really enjoy the chips in M&S which is just £2.50 for a pack that feeds two. So we bought three and paid £7.50.
Ryan and I also save cash by searching for yellow-sticker bargains and meticulously planning our meals in advance.
We went for our food shop on a Friday, which is an ideal time to go because there are usually more items reduced because the expiration dates are up at the end of the week.
Supermarkets tend to put the prices down on these items even though the food is absolutely fine and can be put in the freezer.
In our last shop, we managed to pick up things like a pack of two boneless Scottish salmons for £3.94, two 400g British fresh diced chicken breasts for £2.39 and an Italian-style chicken breast for two for just £3.59.
It’s small savings, but when you pick up enough of these it can take tens of pounds off the total bill.
Planning ahead of time what meals we are going to make throughout the week can make a huge difference to her bank account.
As we pick things up, we check the dates and everything super fresh that needs eaten first gets cooked that week.
But anything that is reduced or has a much-later use-by date gets put in the freezer.
When to bag yellow sticker bargains
Aldi: Look for red stickers near closing time, offering up to 75% off perishable items and 30% off damaged packaging goods.
Asda: Discounts happen twice daily, in the morning and evening. Early risers can find fresh produce for as low as 10p.
Lidl: Price cuts occur first thing in the morning and before closing. Use the Lidl Plus app for additional weekly promotions.
M&S: Reductions often occur near closing time. Monthly in-store offers and combo deals, like the £12 Dine In for Two, provide extra savings.
Morrisons: Yellow sticker discounts appear throughout the day. Register for a More Card to get specific day-based discounts, like 20% off fish on Fridays.
Sainsbury’s: No set discount times; look for yellow ‘reduced’ stickers. Register for Nectar prices for nearly 50% off weekly offers.
Tesco: No fixed discount times. Check the “mark-down section” in 300 stores for reduced-price items like salads, bread, and meat
This means we check it at the start of each week and plan what we’re going to have so we can go through things that are in the fridge first and then check the freezer so we know what we need to take out and let defrost.
Doing this makes sure that we keep waste to a minimum while making use of everything that we pick up.
This is also a great way to have a varied diet because you can plan to eat different dishes at different times to spread them out better.
Since we only go to a shop once a month, we freeze the majority of the food which also works out perfectly for the dishes that are pre-made or pre-seasoned.
Planning in advance also makes sure that anything that can’t be frozen is eaten first so it doesn’t end up getting thrown out.
Another way to get money off your food shop is by signing up for loyalty store cards like the Nectar card.
Not only do you get loyalty points which you can build up and spend in store, but it also cuts the prices down on loads of different items when you use it.
For example, a Pukka pie costs just £1.25 when you use your Nectar card, which is cheaper than the standard price of £2 each.
Hacks for Keeping Food Fresh in Your Fridge
IF you want your food to stay fresh, you’ll need to try out this useful hacks…
- Herbs in Water: Store fresh herbs like parsley and coriander in a glass of water, then cover with a plastic bag to keep them fresh for weeks.
- Wrap Greens in Paper Towels: Wrap leafy greens in paper towels before placing them in a plastic bag. The towels absorb excess moisture, preventing wilting.
- Use Mason Jars: Store salads, chopped vegetables, and even leftovers in mason jars. They are airtight and keep food fresher for longer.
- Revive Stale Bread: Sprinkle a bit of water on stale bread and pop it in the oven for a few minutes to make it fresh again.
- Baking Soda for Odours: Place an open box of baking soda in your fridge to absorb odours and keep food tasting fresh.
- Freeze Herbs in Olive Oil: Chop herbs and freeze them in olive oil using an ice cube tray. This preserves their flavour and makes them easy to use.
- Keep Cheese Fresh: Wrap cheese in wax paper instead of plastic wrap. Wax paper allows the cheese to breathe, preventing it from becoming slimy.
- Store Avocados with Onions: Place a cut avocado in an airtight container with a slice of onion. The sulphur compounds in the onion slow down oxidation, keeping the avocado fresh.
- Use Vinegar Wash for Berries: Rinse berries in a mixture of water and vinegar (one cup of vinegar to three cups of water) before storing. This kills bacteria and mould spores, extending their shelf life.
- Egg Freshness Test: To check if eggs are still fresh, place them in a bowl of water. Fresh eggs will sink, while old ones will float.
Implement these clever hacks to maximise the freshness of your food and make the most of your groceries.
A pack of six apples were down by 55p to £1.25, while a pack of carrots, broccoli and cauliflower came to just £1 and a ready meal four cheese ravioli pasta was only £2.60.
The Nectar card also brought the price of the chicken balti curry with rice and a chicken tikka curry with rice down by £1.60.
The pack of 24 cans of Pepsi Max was also discounted by £3 from £11.50 to £8.50.
In total, we saved £13.35 alone using the Nectar card on our last food shop.
The Nectar card also uses algorithms based on your shopping habits which let it offer even more discounts and additional bonus points on products that you pick up often.
And, lastly, as we walk around Sainsbury’s we make sure to pick up items that are part of their Aldi price match range.
This is how we picked up a pack of 12 beef meatballs for £2.56, a 330g garlic bread baguette for 72p and a 500g bag of fusilli pasta for 65p.
All of these tips combined meant we managed to keep our food shop to just £121.36 a month – which works out at roughly £30.34 a week.
Of course, we do need to pop in every now and then to pick up things like milk and bread but on the whole, it’s still cheaper than doing a weekly shop when we are more likely to pick up a lot of little extras over the month.
When you pick up enough yellow sticker items it can take tens of pounds off the total bill.[/caption]
The Aldi price match range in Sainsbury’s also keeps costs down[/caption]
