How to bag big savings on the shopping run

● SEARCH DIFFERENT AISLES – AND LOOK UP AND DOWN: Consumer champion Which? found some products, such as rice and chickpeas, can be cheaper in the world foods aisle and sultanas and cashew nuts often cost less in the baking section. Supermarkets often place less profitable items high and low on the shelves and the ones they want to promote at eye level.

● AVOID CONVENIENCE STORES:

It isn’t an option for everyone, but it could save you hundreds each year. Analysis of the average prices of 48 items at Tesco Express and Sainsbury’s Local found the highest weekly price difference between Sainsbury’s and its convenience counterpart was £10.20, or £322 over a year. And a basket of Tesco Express groceries cost on average £279 more over a year than in its main stores.

● SHOPPING AROUND COULD SAVE £9.21 PER BASKET:

It often pays to look in different supermarkets for the best prices. In March, Lidl was named the cheapest supermarket – a basket of 21 groceries cost an average of £26.83 compared with £36.04 for the same or equivalent items from priciest Waitrose.

● DON’T DISMISS OWN BRANDS:

Supermarket ownbrand products can be a lot cheaper than the big names. Which? found in blind taste tests that they are not only cheaper but sometimes taste

better than their well-known brands. Tests on essentials such as beans, orange juice, honey nut cornflakes and coffee revealed shoppers could save a packet without compromising on taste. Switching from Innocent orange juice (£3.60 for 1.35 litres, 27p per 100ml) to Aldi’s The Juice Company smooth orange juice (£1.69 per 1.75l carton, 10p per 100ml) could save nearly £100 a year.

● STOCK UP WHEN YOU CAN:

Grocery prices can vary from week to week, fluctuating by up to 284 per cent. Which? exposed pricing secrets in 2021

when Asda almost always beat its rivals on the cost of branded groceries, while at five of the big supermarkets it found you could pay almost four times the amount for the same product on some days than others. “Yo-yo” pricing means it is often worth stocking up when items you buy regularly are discounted. This approach can work particularly well for store cupboard items and products that can be frozen.

● GET REWARDED FOR YOUR SPENDING:

Sign up for supermarket loyalty schemes. Many offer exclusive discounts, rewards, charity donations and competitions to loyal customers. People can save between 50p (with Sainsbury’s Nectar) and £5 (Iceland) for every £100 spent when using a loyalty scheme. However, that could easily be cancelled out if the shop’s prices are higher than those of its competitors. So while it’s always worth signing up to schemes offered by shops you already use, you probably shouldn’t change where you shop just to earn points.

● DON’T BE DUPED BY DISCOUNTS:

Stores often place vertical signs with offers on in the middle of the aisle, with the intention of catching your eye. While special offers can be helpful, they can entice you to buy items you hadn’t intended. When working out whether the price is actually decent, look at the unit or “per 100g” cost rather than the overall pack price. It’s also worth noting that “value packs” don’t always offer the best deal. Sometimes buying two packs of five is actually cheaper than one pack of 10.

● WRITE A LIST AND STICK TO IT:

Supermarkets purposefully spread different types of groceries across different sections to make sure customers walk past as many shelves as possible. Making a list and trying not to be distracted by other products is an easy way to save money, but it can be more difficult in unfamiliar stores. In most, dairy products and bread can be found at the back, fruit and vegetables at the front and drinks and frozen items at the far end.

● TRY SHIFTING DOWN A RANGE:

There are usually a number of different ranges of own-label products, from basic and value brands to premium. There are decent savings to be had by moving down a tier – and often the budget option

tastes just as good.

● BE FLEXIBLE WITH BESTBEFORE DATES:

Food with a use-by date must be used by midnight of its expiry date or it could be unsafe. Best-before dates are far more flexible and don’t have the same safety issues. Food near or even after its best-before date is usually fine to eat and often heavily discounted. If you find something in the cupboard past its best-before date, give it a sniff. If it smells fine, it should be OK to eat.