10 Ways I Save Money On The Weekly Shop

Photo By Grant Cochrane

With the "big move" looming, a new baby on the way and Christmas around the corner, I've been thinking alot about money. I've cut down on groceries and other bills, improved on the payment plan I had on the single debt I have and had started putting money away for emergencies (a process that will have to start again as I've had to buy a new laptop!). Whereas I'm not overly worried about the subject, keeping on top of my money by budgeting and seeking out the best offers for things etc has become something of a new hobby! This will no doubt be a useful hobby to have in years to come, as I will have to tighten my purse strings even further when Big Bear and I move in together!

Here are my own 10 tips to saving money on the weekly shop!

1. Find out what economy buys are worth it. Some things that are economy brand are almost exactly the same as the named brand version. Baked beans are the most commonly mentioned. I tend to buy economy brand block cheese and eggs (I rarely eat baked beans anyway) and almost everything else is supermarket's standard brand. Economy mince is something I stay away from at all costs!
2. Abandon the chocolate bars and crisps. Growing up the multipack of crisps was always the first to disappear, followed closely by the chocolates and the biscuits. These treats were abandoned in the first week of living alone - I soon realised that having them at home was too great a temptation - it's easier not to buy them at all!
3. Do the bulk of the grocery shop online. I only discovered this one in the past few months as my mobility has slowly decreased due to PGP. It's hard enough to slug around a supermarket, but by the time I bus/taxi home and struggle up four flights of stairs juggling a pram, a week's worth of food and a 5yo who is desperate for the toilet I'm done! These days it's a necessity rather than a choice because I can barely get myself up those horrible stairs let alone carry things! Not only do I leave the supermarket treats behind (think pack of cookies, a bottle or two of pop etc) but because I rely on public transport it costs me less to book an 8hr delivery slot every Sunday than it does to travel to the supermarket and back.
4. Take advantage of any "Price Guarantee" or similar scheme. This is a very recent discovery. A certain supermarket (the one I shop at) has recently started advertising a "Price Guarantee" where they pay you in the form of a voucher if your shopping isn't 10% cheaper than their rivals. Take full advantage of this. Just because they've won an award for being the cheapest for the last 10 years or so (have you guessed who it is yet?) doesn't mean they are 10% cheaper. If you shop online like me, you don't need receipt numbers, just the log in details you use to shop with them.
5. Be flexible with your time. It's easy for any website to sting you at the last minute with their delivery charges and supermarket websites are no different. The key to low charges is flexibility. Don't book a 1hr slot or a 2hr slot if you're going to be home all day - book as big a slot as you can. This halves my delivery fee.
6. Be flexible with the budget. If you're only just starting then this may not be an option for you right now - I remember when I was so skint it was necessities only with no money left over for special offers etc. Now I'm on my feet financially I take advantage of most special offers, bulking up as much as space allows on anything with a long shelf-life that I know will get used. Cleaning products and tinned products take the lead on this!
7. Rethink your portion sizes. Big Bear struggles with this one when he's dishing up food for Little Bear - he always ends up giving him the same amount of food I give Goldilocks! When dishing up food such as fruit and vegetables remember - a portion counts as roughly the amount you're able to hold in one hand. Three grapes cut in half is ample for Little Bear but when you put three grapes in a bowl it doesn't seem like much at all! Just remember how tiny their stomachs are compared to your own.
8. Shop around for your preferred brands. We all get into comfort zones with our shopping - I only have a certain brand of coffee, Goldilock's pull-ups for night-time, Little Bear's nappies and wet-wipes... the list goes on! Once you've learned what you're willing to budge on and what you can't it's time to find your special things at lower prices! I find Google Shopping brilliant for this purpose (and many other purposes - another blog entry of it's own!) and many times Amazon has come up trumps!
9. One item can have several uses. Old, worn clothes and towels can make great cleaning cloths, a giant bottle of shower gel can also be your liquid handwash, food packaging can be re-used depending on what it is. Reusing an item, or buying one product for several different things not only helps the environment but it also helps line that pocket!
10. Think green. Some products that are "eco-friendly" can be vastly over-priced and definitely not worth it, but take some time to sort the wheat from the chaff! Could you consider swapping washing powder/liquid for an eco-friendly substitute such as washing balls? Mine claim to last up to 1000 washes (if you did a wash every day, that would be 2 1/2 years!) and were about £30. You aren't supposed to use fabric softener with them which at first I thought might be a drawback, but I don't notice the lack of scent - another saving there!

How do you save money on your weekly shop?