Get back to basics and slash food bill

HERE’S HOW TO SAVE OVER £1,000 ON YOUR YEARLY SHOPPING SPEND

WE British seem to love buying the big name brands when we shop.

In fairness, quite often a wellknown product can give you good value for your money, but it’s not always the case.

If like me you spend £80 or more on your weekly shop, you may be surprised to learn you could save well over £1,000 a year by buying supermarket own goods.

MY TOP TIPS FOR SAVING CASH AT THE SUPERMARKET

All that’s glitters is not gold: the supermarkets may adorn their ready meals with the word “Finest” or something similar, but there isn’t anything fine about a meal you stick in the microwave for four minutes.

Many of the bigger names charge a premium because they know we are snobs, when the reality is the cheaper, lesser-known brands are just as good and quite often even better. Buy to taste, not on price.

There are four distinct levels at which goods are sold in all of the big six supermarkets. They are: Premium: Named with words like “Finest” or “Luxury” to imply that it’s a treat.

Branded: Products like McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes or Kellogg’s cereal.

Own Brand: These tend to be presented in a similar way to manufacturers’ brands, but with the supermarket’s own take on it. Value: With names like “basic” or “savers”, the presentation is deliberately stark to imply it’s cut back to the bone.

Make sure you are familiar with the four types of products listed above, and use it as a guide to switching down a brand

You won’t always prefer the cheaper alternative but I bet in most cases you will be more than happy with it and able to enjoy it.

And the more you think about just how much cash you have saved, the more enjoyable they are.

Always remember to compare the prices as you shop. Some weeks you may find the big brands are on offer and as a result are cheaper than store brands or even value brands. In that case, stock up and save even more money.

Before you spend a penny, you can check just how much you will save by using mySupermarket.co.uk.

Simply visit the site and register, then do a shop online and they will tell you how much you can save between stores by replacing the branded items you would normally buy with the next level down.

You don’t have to buy online, you can simply log off and pop down to the shops in person if you prefer.