We’ve all been there – you go to buy a few essentials and somehow come home with three bags of crisps, some limited-edition shower gel, and a bottle of wine. With food costs continuing to rise, even the most budget-savvy shoppers are looking for new ways to stretch their money further.
The average UK household now spends around £103 per week on food and non-alcoholic drinks – that’s up around 13% from a year ago. Whether you’re already a master of money-saving or just starting to tighten your budget, here are some strategies worth considering.
What works for some people
Different approaches work for different people:
- Organise your list by shop layout to avoid trekking back past tempting sections for forgotten items
- Set rough spending limits for each section (though this requires mental arithmetic as you go)
- Try a separate bank account just for groceries – sounds over-the-top, but converts swear by it
- Mix online and in-store shopping: bulk items delivered, fresh stuff bought in person
Online shopping stops impulse purchases but you miss bargains and can’t check if produce is actually ripe.
The food waste reality check
The average UK family bins £470 worth of food every year. That’s nearly a week’s groceries just… gone. Here are some ways people tackle this:
- Check what’s in your fridge before planning the week to avoid buying duplicates
- Turn leftovers into new meals: Monday’s roast becomes Tuesday’s curry, Wednesday’s stir-fry
- Hit the reduced section when yellow stickers come out (usually around 7pm)
- Have a plan for bargain items, or they’ll end up like the full-price ones you didn’t eat
Some people have turned leftover transformation into an art form, while others swear by the reduced section pilgrimage.
The technology experiment
The world of supermarket apps is like dating – everyone says they’ve found “the one,” but results vary wildly:
- Cashback apps like Shopmium, CheckoutSmart, and GreenJinn offer money back on specific items
- Supermarket loyalty schemes provide personalised offers based on your shopping history
- Local markets often have better deals later in the day
Cashback enthusiasts will tell you these are game-changers, but the reality is more modest – you might save a few pounds a month if you remember to use them for things you’d buy anyway. The trick is not getting sucked into buying random products just for 50p cashback.
Some bargain hunters split their shopping between different stores, but for most of us, the convenience of one-stop shopping wins out over potential savings.
What to do with your victories
If you come in under budget, you can either let that money disappear into the general spending black hole, or be more intentional. Some people automatically transfer any underspend to savings; others build up a fund for expensive periods like Christmas.
Even a few pounds here and there can build up surprisingly quickly and make a real difference when something unexpected comes up.
When you need additional support
Smart shopping can help stretch your budget, but sometimes unexpected expenses arise or circumstances change in ways that make even careful budgeting insufficient.
At London Mutual, we’re here to help our members manage their finances through practical money-saving ideas or financial support via personal loans with competitive rates and flexible repayment options. We recognise that every household faces different challenges and has different strengths when it comes to managing money.
