10 Ways To Slash Your Grocery Bill by 50%

Groceries were always the one thing I had never penny-pinched on. If I went to the supermarket I would fill my trolley with anything that caught my eye. However, recently in hope to save for a mortgage deposit I've been on a mission to seriously reduce our grocery spending each week and have managed to cut our costs by 50%. Last year I was spending on average £80 a week on the food shop which is quite a lot for 1 adult and two little ones but over the past few months I have been spending just over £40 which is a huge difference each month saving me around £150. I've learnt some tips and tricks along the way and had to change our lifestyle so I thought I would share my top tips with you so you can slash your grocery bill by 50% too!

1. Do a price comparison shop 

There are many websites which allow you to compare the price of your grocery shop and food prices. I use MySupermarket each week before doing my online shop with Tesco, but I do like to see if there are any products I could pick up cheaper from ASDA as I often pop in there seeing as its just around the corner from me.

2. Meal plan

I always try and plan out my meals for the week before doing my food shop. In the past I've been really bad at this but since I've started meal planning again I've noticed how much money it's saving me! I then know how items I need to buy so I don't over buy and food doesn't get wasted. I'm pretty flexible as to what dish we eat each day, but at least that way I know which items I need to add to my shopping list.

3. Buy in bulk

If you have plenty of storage space and you see something on offer that you reguarly buy then take up on the offers and stock up! I wouldn't do this for stuff I don't usually buy as I'm just buying them for the sake of it then but it will save you money over time by buying in bulk when you see great offers. 

4. Do your food shop online 

If you're an impulsive buyer like myself then doing your food shop online instead of going into the store can often be the most effective option. When I used to do my food shop in store, no matter if I took a list with me I would still come out with about £30 worth of crap which I don't really need. I'm a sucker for a pretty mug or some home ware and often get carried away in the junk food isle! Instead, I started doing all of my food shopping online as I can then control what I am putting in my basket without getting carried away. I often go back onto it the day before it's due to be delivered and ask myself "do I really need that" and will remove anything I don't need to keep my total down.

5. Never shop on an empty stomach

One thing I'll never do again is shop on an empty stomach, this also includes ordering online. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach and I'm more likely to end up impulse buying than when I do my food shopping on a full stomach.

6. Buy yellow labels

The majority of supermarkets will try to get rid of any products that are close to their sell-by dates and sell them really cheap. This may not be for everyone but if you're on a really small budget it can be extremely useful. Go the shops before closing time or in the evenings and see if you can pick up any bargains which you can eat on that day or freeze for a later date.

7. Cook from scratch

Cooking from scratch can be time consuming but it can be much healthier and save you a lot of money. I've started cooking for more meals from scratch each week instead of ordering takeouts or eating ready meals and I've noticed a huge difference. You can also save money cooking by scratch by bulking up your meals with more vegetable and using less meat. 

8. Ditch the meat

Meat is often the most expensive item on the grocery bill. Spending less on meat can mean adding a few vegetarian meals to the menu. How about having two meatless meals a week and see how you get on. You can save around £10 a week by simply cutting back on meat and eating vegetarian meals instead. Vegetarian meals don't have to boring there are so many fantastic recipes to choose from so it's worth looking on Pinterest or getting out your cookbooks!

9. Downgrade to store own items

Over the last year or so I have saved a lot of money by downgrading to store own brands. I now buy Tesco's own pasta, rice, biscuits, cooking sauces as well as some other products, and to be honest they taste exactly the same as branded ones and no one else notices any difference. There are some items that I won't give up buying such as John West tuna or Hellmann's mayonnaise but I'm always up for trying cheaper alternatives especially when there's no difference in taste. 

10. Stock take 

Spend a few minutes once a week or month to see what you already have in your cupboards, fridge and freezer. You'll most likely have items which you had completely forgotten about so this is a good way to see what you have so you don't over buy as well as what meals you can make from your existing supplies. I like using My Fridge Food to get some recipe ideas for what I have in the house already and it also saves me money as I'm not doing a big shop that week.

Do you have any tips to share for saving money on your food shop?

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