You may love pushing your trolley down the supermarket aisle and looking for the best deals or consider it a job that just needs to be done. Either way, we all know that grocery shopping is essential.
While the supermarket’s job is to sell as much product as possible, it is our job to spend as wisely as possible! Here are some helpful tips to make your money go further in the supermarket.
The unit price of an item is usually displayed next to or below its selling price and will let you know the cost per unit or weight, for example kilogram, litre, or count.
This is a great tool which helps you to easily compare which products are the best value, even when they are being sold in different quantities.
Remember that larger pack sizes, multipacks, or promotional offers don’t always mean the best value for money, so check the unit price.
Remember to look up and down the shelves. Due to their convenience, we often buy branded products displayed at eye level. However, the lower shelves will display less expensive items and supermarket own brands, which may suit you just as well.
Look around the shop. Things like nuts and naan bread, etc., will be in several locations throughout the store. Take a moment to look around and use that unit pricing to find the best value.
Instead of following the normal journey through the store, which can lure us into buying products we don’t need, try doing it backwards. (And no – we don’t mean physically walk backwards!) Take the wrong way around a supermarket (start in front of the tills and go from there) to avoid impulse buys and help you stick to your shopping list.
Sometimes we can be wary that loyalty cards really offer genuine savings. However, we can take reassurance from the Competition and Markets Authority investigation that recently found 92% of loyalty card prices offered a genuine saving against the ‘usual’ price in the same store.
If you regularly shop somewhere where loyalty cards are available, using them could give you various perks and help make your money go further.
Even though you may have your favourite brands for certain products, try downshifting to the supermarket own brand range for a significantly reduced price.
This is an effective strategy for pantry staples like pasta, rice, and even household cleaners. Own brand products are less expensive due to reduced costs in product development and advertising, and they have occasionally outperformed premium brands in consumer blind tests, so consider giving them a try.
Reduced sections, which offer items nearing their use-by dates at reduced prices, are goldmines for savings.
Make sure to give this section a check for fresh produce, meats, and bakery items which you like. If you aren’t planning to eat this food immediately, you can store it in your freezer.
These items should be perfectly safe to eat, but remember to inspect them for signs of freshness by looking, feeling and smelling them. It’s also important to remember not to eat items past their use-by date, unless you have frozen them before the date has expired.
Even though you may be aware of some or all of these tips and tricks, it always helps to remind ourselves of the ways to shop smarter to ensure you are getting the best value for money from your supermarket shop. So get out there and be a savvy shopper!