Supermarket Saver

Supermarket Saver

Hello and welcome to the first proper instalment of Bargain Babe!
This weeks post will focus on something which is often viewed as mundane and boring but which if done properly can save you a lot of time, money and effort! The supermarket shop is something we all do however the way we shop differs vastly. Having worked in a supermarket myself as well as being a student on a tight budget I have collected 6 top tips which can help you save on your next food shop... so let's get down to it.

1. Up first is a tip people often don't think about when doing their food shop, you see the item you've been looking for, reach for the first one you see and put it in the basket. A great tip to help you cut down on waste and save money however is to ALWAYS check the use by date. From working in a supermarket I know that workers are told to put food items with a longer use by date (and are therefore fresher) at the back of the shelf away from direct view. By taking the time to pick up the items at the back of the shelf you can give yourself literally weeks more time to eat your food before having to chuck it away, therefore cutting down on waste and how much you're spending!

2. Second top tip is the reductions aisle! All supermarkets have one (yes even Waitrose!) and prices are often slashed in half or even lower. Items placed in this aisle are often going out of date that day and so will need to either be eaten that evening or frozen the same day to be enjoyed another time! Supermarkets don't start reducing their food items until 4pm and so your best bet is to get to these aisles between 4:30pm and 6:30pm.

3. Tip number three concerns the weight/quantity of food you're getting for your money. Often it can be confusing trying to work out which brand of food item works out as cheapest as prices and quantity vary so much. The easiest way to work this out however is to look at food items in relation to their price by weight. Under the price of any food item on the shelf will be included another price such as 100g/£2 or 1kg/£5, this is the price which will tell you which brand is providing the best value as often food items differ in weight.

4. Tip number four is buy frozen!! I can't emphasise enough how much your food bill will reduce once you switch many of your fresh food items to frozen and also how tasty frozen food can be! Some examples of frozen bargains include frozen garlic bread, two baguette's for £1 compared to two fresh baguettes for £2.50, that's over half the price for the exact same item with the frozen item lasting up to a year in the freezer and the fresh item lasting less than a week before it has to be eaten!

5. Tip five quite simply is loyalty cards! Although points do not add up to a huge amount of money on a weekly basis, after a year points can amount up to £20+ which is a lovely surprise when you go to add them up! It's very simple to do and takes no time at all, free money is never a bad thing!

6. My final tip is something which has only been available to shoppers in the last couple of years. Often referred to as 'wonky veg' many top supermarkets have started stocking fruit and veg which doesn't look perfect in shape and so was previously thrown away by producers. You can now buy this veg however at a fraction of the price of the 'perfectly shaped' alternative! Sainsbury's refer to their wonky veg as the 'green grocers selection' with items such as six bell peppers for £1.20 compared to three 'perfectly shaped' peppers for £1.80, a huge saving with the exact same flavours and freshness!

Thanks for reading, check in next Sunday for another instalment of money making tips from Bargain Babe! x