Budget-Friendly Shopping Hacks 🛒

 

 

Eating healthy, nutritious food can be hard, especially right now with the cost of food forever going up, the whole process can end up costing an absolute bomb 💣

 

But it doesn't have to! 

We've put together our top, budget friendly shopping hacks, you don't have to do them all, some you may already be using in the supermarkets, it's up to you. The point is, it's about making small changes, that make a big impact over time 🕰 

 

1. Make a Shopping List:  

One of the most effective ways to save money in the supermarket is to make a shopping list before heading to the shops. Are you part of the 87% of us that make impulse buys when shopping? A shopping list helps you avoid impulse purchases and ensures that you only buy the items you need. 

When making your shopping list, plan your meals for the week and make note of the ingredients you'll need. This will help you avoid buying unnecessary items and reduce food waste 👍 

Remember - don’t go shopping if you’re hungry, this can really influence what you put in your basket/trolley, have a quick snack before you head out and stick to your shopping list 🤩 

 

2. Utilise Your Freezer ❄️  

Your freezer can be your best friend when it comes to saving money on groceries. When you find a good deal, perhaps you're in the supermarket when all the reductions have just been put out, stock up and freeze it for another day. You can also freeze leftovers, which can be really helpful to have on hand on busy days.

Additionally, freezing herbs, spices and even wine can help prevent waste and save money in the long run.  

Herbs 🪴 - these often get used for a meal and then left in the bottom of the fridge to waste away, think ahead, once you have used what you need chop them up and pop them in the freezer for another day. 

Spices – fresh ginger, garlic, lemongrass and even chilli can be frozen, either in their whole form or chopped up ready for when you need them. Alternatively, if you have a few of these things, blitz them into pastes and keep in ice cube trays,  these ingredients are core components in many curries, stir fry's and broths.

Wine 🍾 – leftover wine from the weekend? Don’t leave it on the side for a week, only to throw it out when Friday night comes back around, pop it into an ice cube tray and then its portioned out ready to add to a bolognaise or stew. Recipes sometimes call for a small amount of wine to season a dish, having it ready in the freezer means you don’t need to crack open a whole bottle for just a splash 🍷 We have Nigella Lawson to thanks for this incredible hack! 👑   

3. Incorporate Pulses into Your Diet:  

Pulses, such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas, are a great source of protein and fibre and can be used in a variety of dishes. They're also budget-friendly and can be bought in bulk, buying them dried or even canned means they require no energy to store them either 👍 

Consider incorporating pulses into your diet by adding them to soups, salads, and stir-fries. They can also be used as a meat substitute in dishes like chilli or Shepeard's pie or just used to make a meat version go further 🤩  

4. Shop Seasonal Where Possible:  

Shopping for seasonal produce can help you save money and support local farmers. Seasonal produce is often cheaper and fresher than out-of-season produce that has been imported from other regions. Not to mention it will have a better nutritional profile and not have travelled thousands of miles ✈️ Right now asparagus is being flown in from Spain and even Mexico in some cases, but in a couple of weeks it will be in season here in the UK 🇬🇧  

 

May Seasonal Fruit & Veg: cucumber, asparagus, new potatoes, spring onions, watercress, rhubarb  

June Seasonal Fruit & Veg: broad beans, lettuce, courgette, chard, gooseberries, strawberries  

 

5. Make the Most of Supermarket Apps:  

Many supermarkets offer apps that can help you save money on your shopping. Each supermarket is slightly different, some offer cash back to spend in store, others give you discounts for signing up, some apps also offer personalised recommendations based on your shopping habits, which can help you save money and reduce food waste. 

 

Lidl – having a loyalty card with Lidl gets you points when you spend, they then give you coupons based on the products you buy, which means you save money on the products you love ❤️  

Tesco – being a club card member allows you to get your favourite brands at a lower price in store, plus for ever £1 you spend you get a point. These points add up to money off vouchers which you can then spend in store. 

Waitrose – a MyWaitrose card unlocks a whole array of discounts, including 20% off the meat and fish counter on certain days, various discounts on products (similar to club card), plus you get to choose 2 vouchers a week to apply to your shop, these range from 50p to £5 off depending on the products and your spending 🤩 For example right now my vouchers are 50p off KriKri Greek yoghurt and chicken breast fillets. 

Sainsbury’s - Nectar points work in a similar way to Tesco’s club card, in Sainsbury’s for every £1 you spend you get 0.5p cash back. This is half of what Tesco offers 👀 but it is still money back for every £1 you spend. 

M&S - having a Sparks card means every time you shop in M&S and scan it you have a chance of getting your shopping for free 🤩 the sparks app also allocates various vouchers to your wallet each week, sometimes it might be a free bunch of bananas or money off a specific item, for example right now my offers include, 15% off fresh fruit, 15% off juice and 15% off prepared meals.

 

This week on TikTok and Instagram 🎥 We'll be back in the supermarkets putting some of our 5 hacks into action.