CASHING S

HOPPERS could soon find food prices hard to swallow after crops suffered the double blow of freezing winter and summer heatwave.

The price of meat, veg and dairy products is expected to rise and the Centre for Economics and Business Research recently warned the hikes could add almost £86 to a typical annual grocery bill.

But here Kate Hardcastle, retail expert for ITV show Eat, Shop, Save, reveals how savvy shoppers can save even more than that and still eat well... FREEZER food is not always associated with healthy eating but you can pick up some of the best, and most convenient, bargains.

Frozen fish is just as fresh, if not fresher than fish on the fish counter, some of which has been frozen previously. The frozen fish is also often much cheaper.

People assume frozen food isn’t as nutritious, which doesn’t make any sense – food is picked for freezing straightaway, whereas fresh food can be in transit days before it gets to its destination.

Frozen things like garlic, ginger and chopped onions are often much cheaper than the fresh variety. HAVING a meat-free day a week can save money. You can make delicious and nutritious veggie meals to feed the family for a fraction of the cost of a meat meal. PEOPLE think they are being very virtuous by doing their big shop at a budget store like Aldi or Lidl but then they do top-up shops during the week at a more expensive shop, which blows any savings.