Time to switch the way you shop
AS LIVING COSTS SPIRAL, RETHINKING MEALS, STOCKING UP AND BATCH COOKING COULD BE THE WAY FORWARD, SAYS HARVEY JONES
Your Money
THE price of almost everything is going through the roof right now – including the cost of food.
It’s why more than 20 million people are planning to reduce their spending on meals – one in three of us. That is more than any country surveyed by tech start-up Streetbees. Its founder Tugce Bulut says: “This is frightening. Food is not a luxury item, this is about the staples that people need in order to live.”
Three in 10 adults fear they will struggle to put food on the table, according to Payplan’s Autumn Income Shocks Survey.
Here are some ways to cut your food bills.
Keep a lid on bills
Jonny Sabinsky, head of communications at thinkmoney.co.uk, suggests using up what’s in your cupboard, fridge or freezer before buying more: “Instead of choosing a recipe that requires a host of new ingredients, base your meal plans around what you already have.”
And make a list of your household items before you hit the shops, Jonny adds.
“We’ve all ended up in the supermarket aisles trying to remember whether we’ve already got salt, pepper and ketchup at home. Too often we double up just in case we’re wrong.”
Plan meals for the week so you will buy only what you need and it will stop you browsing the aisles and picking up whatever takes your fancy.
Stock up on the cheap basics. Most supermarkets now do their own brand or cheaper version of essential items such as tinned tomatoes, beans, rice and pasta. You could save even more if you buy them in bulk.
When buying reduced items, check if they can be frozen.
“Plenty of meats and fish can go in the freezer to use at a later date, but most fruit and veg can’t,” Jonny says.
Premium brands charge premium prices, yet the quality isn’t always better.
“Test the water by swapping out a few own-brand products and see which ones you can live without,” he says. Don’t lose your head over offers and promotions. It’s only a great bargain if you actually use it, he adds.
James Collier, co-founder of nutritionally complete food brand Huel, says doing bigger shops less often could save you money.
“Are you always left with a mouldy bag of potatoes or carrots every month? It could be simpler to buy your vegetables frozen.”
Switching to frozen food can reduce household food bills by as much as £1,500 a year, according to research by Manchester Metropolitan University.
Emma-lou Montgomery, associate director at Fidelity International, says it will be hard to resist the temptation to stockpile, given shortage warnings.
“But don’t rush into buying everything just because it’s at a discounted price. Ask yourself, do I really need this particular item and am I really making a saving?” As Christmas approaches, sweets, treats and festive goodies are likely to be positioned next to the till to tempt you into purchases.
“Another trick is to place items the retailer most wants to sell directly at eye-level on the supermarket shelves, she adds.
“It is designed to appeal to time-strapped shoppers, but don’t fall for it. Look at the shelves above and below and keep an eye out for the true bargains. Stick to your list and avoid those impulse buys on the way to the checkout.”
Remember that you may pay more when shopping at convenience stores like Tesco Express and Sainsbury’s Local, than their bigger outlets.
Abigail Yearley, spokesperson for Top Cashback, suggests following influencers such as Miguel Barclay (@Miguelbarclay), author of One Pound Meals, who show how to cook delicious food on a tight budget.
“Supermarket social media accounts have similar content, for example, feed your family for a fiver.”
She warns bulk buying can end up being a false economy, as you may buy more than you can use.
“Supermarkets display how much an item is per gram which makes it easy to compare the amounts on offer.”
Another way to reduce your food spend is to take a packed lunch to work, says Jo Thornhill, money expert at Money Supermarket.
“Spending £5 a day on lunch adds up to £100 a month, or £1,200 a year.”
Use codes and cashback apps
Website moneysavingexpert.com devotes a whole section to freebies and discounts at supermarkets, which is well worth checking out.
You can search for the latest apps, online codes and cashback schemes and coupon expert Rhiannon Moorhouse highlights what is out there now.
Free cashback apps giving you money off groceries include Shopmium, which offers discounts at the big supermarkets, Boots, Whsmith and Mccoll’s. There, you can get money off brands such as Birds Eye, Chicago Town, Costa, Dolmio, Kleenex, Lindt, Mccain, Pepsi, Persil, PG Tips, Shreddies and Tampax. Emma-lou also recommends apps Green Jinn and Checkoutsmart.
You can also claim cashback on your shopping, for example, up to 16.5% cashback with Sainsbury’s via topcashback.co.uk
James Andrews, finance expert at money.co.uk, says downloading supermarket apps is also worth doing.
“Doing this will keep your loyalty points and coupons in one place and claiming your rewards can be done with a quick scan. You also get notified of deals and discounts.” Apps work differently, he says. “With Topcashback or Quidco, you get direct cashback on purchases made from selected retailers. Alternatively, receipt-scanning platform Shoppix lets you build tokens that can be exchanged for gift vouchers and cash prices,” he adds.
Consider the Iceland Bonus Card, which is offering holders the chance to save up to £1.50 within its weekly deals on brands such as TGI Fridays, Chicago Town, Birds Eye and Goodfellas. You can also receive an additional £1 for every £20 they add to their Bonus Card savings.
OLIO is a local community app that connects neighbours with each other to share unwanted food. It has a partnership with businesses including Pret, Costa and Tesco, which OLIO food waste heroes collect and share.
Kitchen hacks
If milk is likely to go off before you use it, stick it in the freezer so it won’t go bad.
Freeze leftover herbs with melted butter in an ice tray, to cook with later. You can do the same with garlic, chillies and ginger.
Don’t bin those old and wrinkly tomatoes, either. Roast them in the oven with garlic or boil them up to make a pasta or pizza sauce.
Cutting back on meat helps too. Pulses, chickpeas and beans bulk up sauces and stews at minimal cost.
And use up leftovers. Turn old veg into soups, sauces or chutneys. Freeze browning bananas for smoothies and use dry bread to make croutons.
Batch of the day
Families could save around £1,440 a year by batch cooking, according to research from Pyrex.
You can also eat more healthily and cut down on stress, says family cooking expert Suzanne Mulholland, author of The Batch Lady.
■ You don’t need specialist equipment to batch cook. Most items should already be in your kitchen. “You may need a large pan to enable you to cook more ingredients in one go,” Suzanne says.
■ Make one for the fridge, one for the freezer. Get into the habit of doubling or tripling the ingredients and set aside the extra portions to freeze and reheat later.
■ Buy freezer-friendly storage containers. Choose different shapes and sizes, so you can cook and bake, then cool, store and reheat in the microwave when needed.
■ Pasta is great for batch cooking. Oven bake, freeze and microwave and reheat it all in the same tray.
Suzanne says: “If you intend to freeze your pasta dish, only cook for six minutes so it won’t be mushy when you defrost it.”
■ Cool before you freeze. Always cool meals before putting them in the fridge or freezer. Stick on a label with the date. Most need to be eaten within three months.
■ Plan ahead. Set aside a little time each week to plan what you want to cook that week, or even that month, and make a shopping list of the ingredients.
■ Get recipes online. Pyrex and The Batch Lady have created easycook recipes for novices, with an average cost per serve of £1.57, at pyrex.co.uk/pages/batchingfor beginners.
Or search for best batch-cooking family recipes at BBC Good Food, 50 Batch Cooking Recipes from Food Network and Jamie Oliver’s Batch Cooking Recipes.