The cost of your grocery shopping can really add up.
A lot of us are guilty of overspending on food and many families end up with a huge waste at the end of the week.
Food shops are one of the biggest things we spend money on every month, so it's important to be mindful.
We've put together some tips meaning you can make the most out of your budget and save some money too.
1. Plan your meals
Planning your meals is vital before you go food shopping. Decide what you want to make and then write a list of ingredients.
This will save you money as it will stop you from buying what you don't need.
2. Check what you have in the cupboards
You will be surprised by the amount of staple food products you already have.
Check for things like pasta, rice or tinned foods and then only buy the things you need while shopping to add to the ingredients for a nice meal.
Checking what you have in stock means you won't over buy or get items you don't need.
3. Cook everything from scratch
It's cheaper to make meals yourself, rather than getting ready meals or takeways that can be expensive.
Try cooking from scratch and making large amounts of each meal as you can freeze the extras and eat at another time.
4. Buy in bulk
Buying products in bulk like dried and tinned items will save you money.
Good offers don't last long so if you seem some, make use of them.
5. Try and stay away from big brands
So many of a supermarket's own versions of food and drink taste the exact same as branded ones.
These alternatives will help you save a lot of money each month, as they are usually much cheaper.
6. Try a meat free day
Meat is expensive and there are a lot of alternatives such as potatoes or lentils that will help you save money.
Try this one day a week to see how you get on.
7. Use the reduced section
You will be surprised what you will find in the reduced section. You can freeze meat or fish that you find as soon as you get home.
Don't go crazy though, only buy foods you know you will use.
8. Don't shop while you are hungry
If you do your shopping while hungry, you will end up buying more.
You will pick items that are unnecessary and may be tempted by higher calorie items, and foods that are full of sugar.
9. Freeze everything you can
Freezing items such as meats can help you reduce waste. This means you don't have to worry about dates and not eating items on time.
Start by trying a couple of these ideas and see the big difference they can make!
