Halve your food shop!

The average weekly shop costs a whopping £78.10, but these expert tips could see you slashing yours

From the chocolate F bar at the till to the foray into the clothing section, overspending at the supermarket is easy. We asked Abbie Dickinson, money expert at cashback site Quidco, to share her tips to cut your weekly shop.

PRICE WATCH!

Search for super deals on items you use a lot. “Think frozen food, tins of chopped tomatoes, washing-up liquid; if you’ve got the room to store them, take advantage of big discounts,” says Abbie. A family who goes through a £2.50 tube of toothpaste per week would save £65 per year by stocking up at half price.

GET FREEBIE GROCERIES

Forget Instagram, Clicksnap refunds your cash when you purchase certain items and upload a picture of your supermarket receipt. “Check the app for daily, weekly and seasonal deals on everything from milk and bread, to beer, ready meals and even chocolate,” says Abbie. Clicksnap users can save over £20 per week, £1,040 in a year.

TRY OWNBRAND

“Sometimes the supermarket own-brand option is just as good for a significantly cheaper price,” says Abbie. “Products such as bleach and paracetamol can be exactly the same as their named-brand counterpart.” Based on a £78 shop, switching to own-brand could save up to £29 a week, £1,508 a year.

EARN CASHBACK

Cashback deals can save you hundreds if you check for them diligently. “There is a cashback deal on nearly everything you buy,” says Abbie. “If you shop through Quidco, you can get up to 10 per cent in cashback.” Cashback on an average weekly shop would save £406 a year.

PRAISE AND COMPLAIN

“If you send a letter of praise to the manufacturer they often send you goodies or vouchers,” says Abbie. “If products aren’t up to scratch, let the retailer know. They’ll sometimes give you vouchers to win you back.” A goodwill gesture could be up to the value of £10.

TAKE THE YELLOW STICKER CHALLENGE

Don’t just pop to the supermarket at any time – plan your shops around the best deals. “The later you leave it, the more likely you are to see yellow stickers on perfectly good items that need to be cleared to make room for new stock,” Abbie says. “You can regularly get up to 75 per cent off, so look for those yellow stickers.”