Our weekly food shops have been getting more expensive for some time now and, if you live with diabetes, you might want to know ways you can shop for a healthy, balanced diet while staying on budget.
Here are a few tips for making your money go further and getting more from your weekly food shop.
1. Make a plan and keep track
Check the fridge and cupboards before heading out and write a list of what you need – and stick to it.
Try not to be drawn into Buy One Get One Free or 3 for 2 offers unless you know you’ll get through and need all the items. Steer clear of offers on products you wouldn’t usually buy.
Use a basket or a small trolley in the supermarket if you are only doing a few days or the week’s shopping, so that you can’t overfill it and buy more than you intended.
Some stores offer you a ‘scan as you shop’ service. This lets you scan what you buy before you get to the checkout. It adds up what you’ve bought, so you can keep track of what you’re spending.
If you change your mind about a product or you’ve gone over your budget, you can simply delete the items and put them back – good news for impulsive shoppers. If you store doesn’t offer this, take a calculator with you or use the one on your phone.
2. Shop around
Many people save money by going to several different shops or markets to get what they need. Use comparison websites to help you compare prices before you even leave the house. Make sure to take fuel costs into account if you’re travelling between shops by car.
Investigate whether using cashback sites might help you save money – some sites give you cash back for your shopping.
Buying in bulk isn’t always the cheapest option, so get label savvy and compare prices per 1kg/100g as well as between brands – this way you won’t get caught out.
If you can time your shopping trip to just before the stores close, you can often get reduced goods nearly their sell-by date. Often these items can be frozen, so you can use them when it suits you.
3. Go coupon crazy
Look out for coupons from supermarket flyers – if there’s an offer for an item you need, great. But don’t fall into the trap of simply buying something just because it’s on offer.
By signing up to loyalty schemes, supermarkets can track your spending and target which coupons to send you which can help you save money. Keep an eye out for coupons in the newspaper or online, too.
Check out the manufacturers of your favourite products to see if they have any deals you can sign up for, but make sure you don’t get bombarded with unwanted junk mail or contacted by other parties.
Be sure to make the most of coupons and cashback receipts given to you by stores at the end of a shop.
Scan the internet for vouchers – if you shop online look out for money-off vouchers – often you can get £10 or more off your first shop. Spread this over several supermarkets, and you can save a substantial amount of money.
4. Include meat free days during the week
Using beans, lentils, chickpeas or other pulses as a main source of protein can really help save the pennies and are a healthy option.
For health reasons, it’s recommended adults try not to eat more than 70g of red and processed meat a day (that’s 2 slices of roast meat, 3 grilled sausages or 3 rashers of bacon). If you can, try to limit processed meat, such as ham, as much as possible.
5. Bake your own bread
With most loaves costing well over £1, baking your own can save you hundreds of pounds a year, depending on the brand of ingredients you buy. It’s also a good way to try something new at home. You don’t even need a bread maker. Try this easy soda bread recipe to get you started.
6. Try a money-saving meal planner
Want to save money on your meals? Check out our seven-day budget meal plan. It’s also been calorie-counted and nutritionally analysed for your convenience, so you’ll get at least five portions of fruit and veg a day.
7. Spot supermarket strategies
If you want to navigate the supermarket with your budget and healthy eating intact, knowing some of the most common ‘tricks’ is key:
- Cheaper products are often harder to reach and out of the natural eye line.
- ‘Wobbling’ hanging signs in the aisles act like flags and red stickers, designed to attract our attention and suggest items are on offer – even if they aren’t.
- Differences in unit pricing (where products are priced by gram or litre) can make it more difficult to compare products by size or weight.
- Store layout plays a key role in encouraging you to spend money. The entrance area is designed to slow your pace to ‘shopping speed’ and the order in which you encounter different types of products is no accident. Shiny, fresh choices such as fruit, meat, and fish are early on in your journey, while essentials, such as bread and milk, are usually at the rear so you have to walk through the entire supermarket to reach them.
- Almost every end-of-aisle section houses the special offers designed to encourage you to impulse buy.
8. Gain supermarket skills
If you’ve given in to impulse buys while doing your weekly shop, you’re not alone. Impulse buys can lead to you spending money you don’t need to and contribute to the millions of tons of food that are wasted every year.
Follow our savvy tips to keep your next food shop on track, on budget and ensure you’re buying products for a healthy, balanced diet:
- Plan meals so you know what you need for the week. This can help combat the natural reaction to make unnecessary purchases.
- Write a shopping list for meals and snacks. You’re less likely to be tempted to impulse buy.
- Don’t shop when you’re hungry – it can really make a difference. You’re more likely to buy more if you’re hungry.
- Reward yourself. It’s easy to be tempted to by checkout ‘treats’, but instead of opting for chocolate or crisps, why not buy a magazine?
9. Try budget-friendly recipes
Struggling to think of inventive meals that won’t break the bank? We’ve selected a range of our favourites which either use affordable ingredients, feed a crowd, or can be easily frozen and reheated.
Try these recipes:
10. Surviving the supermarket sweep
Keep healthy eating and good blood sugar management at the forefront of your mind next time you enter a shop to find yourself confronted with an array of attractive, tempting products.
Now you’re clued up on some of the most common supermarket sales trappings, feel empowered to tackle that weekly shop and leave with that rare combination – a trolley full of essentials and a healthier bank balance.
