Top Shopping Tips to Save Money on Food
28 August 2023
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Hi friends!
I recently feel that all I talk about with people is the increase in food prices, do you get this too? They are rising and there is no doubt about it. And this phenomena has made us all more aware of what we put in our shopping basket and, ultimately, what we put into our mouth. The cost of my weekly food shopping has changed too, and I have been asking myself a lot of questions about where to look for savings:
Shall I eat less meat and poultry?
Shall I give up on organic eggs?
Shall we buy more products in bulk?
If you’re also worried about the ever-rising cost of food, then follow my tips on
How to Save Money on Food Shopping Without Having to Make Huge Compromises on Quality:
1 Compare different brands for price per ml or g/kg.
You may find that chopped tomatoes can cost you twice as much when they’re branded. Also, you may discover that some organic-certified products are not much more expensive than non-organic. You may find online shopping especially helpful to compare, since the products in the shops have different promotions and are distributed in various aisles across the shop.
2 Buy loose fruit and vegetables as they will always cost less per weight than packed.
Plus, you minimise their contact with plastic packaging that can contaminate food and is a non-recyclable waste.
3 Embrace ‘wonkiness’.
Don’t be put off from buying fruit and veg that don’t look perfect. The more ideal they are, the more preservatives and chemicals they have been sprayed with – to the extent that not even mould or food warms are keen to colonise. Wonky vegetables are usually more affordable, too!
4 Review your choice of shops.
The supermarkets are making a lot of effort right now to compete with each other and if you have been shopping in the same places for a while, you may be surprised that the same (or very similar) product can be found cheaper in another shop. I would always promote buying food locally and supporting native producers, but I believe it’s worth finding your own balance.
5 Make the most of special offers and sales and buy in bulk.
I have customer reward cards in a couple of places and if I find my favourite products on offer, I buy more of them in one go, especially if they have a long shelf life. Depending on the amount of storage that is available to you, stack up on rice, olive oil, alternative milks, coconut oil, coconut milk, butter (keep in the fridge), steaks and fish (keep in the freezer). I use online shops for big packs of nuts, seeds, dried fruit and spices, too!
6 Pick less popular parts and cuts.
Instead of purchasing chicken breasts, buy a whole chicken and divide into portions – on top of breasts, you will also get legs (perfect for roasting), wings (great on a barbecue) and carcasses (ideal for chicken stock). Similar gain can be achieved when choosing skirt or rump steaks instead of fillet or sirloin (marinate them first and they will be just as tender), and mackerel instead of salmon.
7 Buy less food of better quality.
Invest in high quality meat, fish, poultry, eggs and oils and maybe introduce more vegetarian or vegan dishes to vary the sources of protein. Sometimes we overestimate how much of it we need in one meal – and it is always a good idea to have more veggies anyway!
8 Be creative with your leftovers to minimise wastage.
Here are some ideas for what to do with leftover food:
- Create your own version of an Abundance Plate using cooked grains, vegetables and protein-rich ingredients. You can find some examples on my Instagram account.
- Use leeks, onions, spring onions, carrots, parsnips, celery, and any meat or poultry off-cuts or roasted bones and carcasses to make a stock.
- Chop up vegetables that are about to wilt or spoil and freeze them.
