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9 Simple Ways to Cut Your Food Bills Dramatically

If you feel like your food bills are going up and up every week, this might well be the case. Many customers have noticed that the price of food and drink products has increased over the COVID19 pandemic. This is due to economic circumstances brought about by the crisis that is expected to lead to yet another recession. We all need to use food products and have to buy them on a regular basis to stay alive. But if your food bills are cutting into your monthly budget, the good news is that you may not have to spend so much just to eat. There are plenty of savvy tips that you can take advantage of to cut your food bills without having to miss out on the meals that you enjoy the most. 

Buy Own-Brand Products:

Most of the time, own-brand products aren’t that much different from the branded versions. Some supermarket’s own-brand products cost a lot less than branded products, and there isn’t that much of a difference in quality. If you normally purchase branded goods, it’s well worth switching to own-brand alternatives for your next shop to see if you can actually tell the difference. The chances are good that you won’t be able to, or the difference is so subtle that it’s not worth paying more for. Of course, there’s a chance that you won’t like all the own-brand products as much as you like the branded ones, but trying them all at least once gives you the chance to figure out which ones you will buy again and where to stick to brands, still saving money in the process. 

Try Cheaper Supermarkets:

Try cheaper supermarkets
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If you’re still doing your shopping at the ‘Big Five’ supermarkets, then you’re missing out on a lot of cost savings. Today, more and more people are using German discount supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl because they offer a wide range of products at much better prices. While you might not find everything that you need in Lidl compared to a hypermarket like Tesco Extra, for example, you can certainly make big savings on the majority of your food shopping and head to the big supermarket for anything else that you need and couldn’t find. 

Shop Online:

Shopping for groceries online has become more popular for customer safety during the COVID19 pandemic in 2020 and is a great way to save some extra money on your food bill. When you’re shopping online, it’s usually less tempting to throw things that you don’t really need into your basket since they’re not there in front of you. You can go back and change your basket before the delivery or collection date if you order in advance, giving you a chance to really think about whether you actually need everything in your basket or whether some items are worth removing to save money. Plus, shopping online makes it easy for you to look in your fridge and cupboards as you fill your basket up with groceries to avoid buying anything you already have. 

Consider Outdated Food Goods:

Expired date
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Contrary to popular belief, most food can be safely eaten after the sell-by date. This date is more of a legal requirement for supermarkets that are not allowed to sell items after the date has passed. But when it comes to consumption, it’s usually perfectly safe to eat. Of course, this is except for fresh foods like meat and fish, which often spoil quite quickly after the sell-by date, although this is not always the case, and it’s best to use discretion. 

Shop in a Pound Shop Online:

Try using a UK pound shop to find cheaper deals on the food that you’d usually purchase. Sites like the one linked offer a range of long-life foodstuffs that are close to their sell-by date but still perfectly safe to consume. You can find items like chocolate, crisps, cereals, and even pet food at much lower prices than you would expect to pay at the supermarket, allowing you to save a great deal on the products you would normally buy. Check out the online pound shop section for a range of products that you can pick up at the bargain price of just one pound. 

Shop Local:

In many cases, you can get a great deal by shopping around and going local for a wide range of foodstuffs. For example, instead of getting fresh meat from the supermarket, you can often find much better deals – and fresher, tastier products – from local butchers. Not only is this a great way to support local businesses in your area, but you can also save a great deal of money at the same time. Many local butchers offer family packs of meat that are much cheaper than you’d expect to pay for the equivalent from a supermarket, which you can freeze and make into a variety of meals throughout the week. 

Make Your Own:

Make Your Own
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If you enjoy making food, it’s definitely worth considering whether it will pay to get creative and make your own versions of several staple products. For example, if your family eats a lot of bread, then investing in a bread maker could be a wise decision that pays for itself over time. Not only is it often cheaper to make homemade versions of your favorite food products, but they are also typically much healthier options as you are in complete control of what goes into them. This is a great way to enjoy fresh homemade bread and cut your food bills.

Plan Your Meals:

Meal planning is a great way to ensure that you are not spending any more than you need when it comes to your food shopping bills. Each time you write a grocery list, consider the items you have already in your fridge, freezer, or cupboards, and then think about the meals they could incorporate into. This allows you to base your meals on what you already have and save money, as you will not need to purchase as many new ingredients. Meal planning allows you to figure out exactly how much of each food item you are going to need throughout the week, enabling you to avoid buying products that you might not really need. 

Grow Your Own:

Grow your own food to cut your food bills
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If you have a suitable garden space, then growing your own vegetables can be a lot of fun and cut your food bills. Carrots and potatoes, for example, are food staples for the majority of families. They can easily be grown in a suitable outdoor space. Suppose there’s an option in your local area. In that case, an allotment can help you take your food growing hobby to the next level and really help you save money on your grocery bill, along with providing you with constant access to healthy, organic vegetables that you would normally pay a premium for. 

Time Your Shops Right:

Finally, the time and day you go to the supermarket can make a huge difference in the number of bargains you can get. For example, shopping later in the day on a Sunday often means that you’ll be able to grab more yellow sticker items, as this is the end of the week. Since supermarkets close earlier, they need to quickly get rid of any stock that they will not be able to display when they reopen. 

Food prices have increased a lot in the past few years, but the good news is that there are several savvy ways to beat price hikes and keep your food bill down. Follow these tips to cut your food bills dramatically.

Featured Image by dawnfu from Pixabay