Save money at the supermarket

Try these top tips and reduce that shopping bill.

One thing my husband says drives him to distraction is my ability to browse -- particularly when shopping. In fact, he regularly explains how much quicker he thinks the weekly supermarket shop would be if only I stayed at home.

But apart from the fact a diet made up from beer and cup-a-soups isn't considered ideal for a family with a toddler, there are other reasons I like to be involved in the weekly shop. Like a lot of people, I shop with a core list, and supplement this with offers that are on in store. I'm also very particular about picking my own fruit and vegetables, and scrutinise sell by dates (yes, I'm the one that will happily delve to the back of a shelf to maximise the shelf life of her tomatoes).

So what can working families like mine do, to spend less at the supermarket? Well here a few of my (and our reader's) favourite tips.

1. Shop online more cleverly

One obvious solution to my supermarket woes would be to do an online shop. However, while it's a great idea in principle, in reality I've found shopping online takes ages, websites are often very slow and I'm never too sure if the tiny picture of spaghetti displayed is the size I normally buy.

Plus, checking for special offers is typically a nightmare, as they're listed on a completely different page. By the time I've found everything I need I've either lost my delivery slot (or the will to live).

However, there may be a solution. Check out mySupermarket.co.uk -- it's a fantastic site that promises to save you money on your online supermarket shop.

You simply fill your online trolley at Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's or Waitrose/Ocado, through the mySupermarket site -- however, when you're finished, it tells you how much those same items would cost if bought at any of the other three supermarkets (and from doing a few tests I've found the costs can easily differ by £10+).

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You can then choose the retailer you'd like to buy through and mySupermarket directs you to the chosen retailer's site, where you'll find your trolley already loaded and ready to check out.

But that's not all that mySupermarket has to offer. If you're the type of person who shops at, say, Sainsbury's come what may, mySupermarket can still help you. Fill your trolley with your normal shop and the site will tell you how you could save even more money by taking advantage of offers at Sainsbury's.

So if you'd, say, picked up a 500g packet of pasta for £1, mySupermarket would let you know that by choosing a "Buy One Get One Free" offer on the 250g packs at 59p you would save 41p. And it all adds up -- I found that I could save over £8 on my normal shop by picking the offers it had highlighted.

What's more, not only has the site grouped items under sensible headings (Bakery, Dairy, Meat, Fish and Poultry etc) they've gone to the trouble of providing clear, quickly loaded photos of each item, so you can easily see if the item you've picked is the one your normally buy.

But if you're the type who just doesn't fancy online shopping, here are four more tips........

2. Don't shop when you're hungry

An obvious one, but if your tummy's rumbling you're far more likely to buy unnecessary (and probably unhealthy) items -- like a packet of doughnuts they've craftily freshly baked. If you have kids, a few healthy snacks in your bag should help fend off any whinges for sweets and chocolate.

3. Use your coupons

As a mum I'm astounded at the number of coupons I seem to receive in the post for discounts off baby-related items. And of course, manufacturers rarely send them out for the items you regularly buy. But on occasions, you will get sent something useful, so don't forget to use your coupons if you can!

Of course, if you shop online, it's also worth looking out for voucher codes which are similar to coupons but will cut a certain amount off your total bill! Take a look at websites such as HotUKDeals, vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk and don't forget to check out our weekly Frugal Food blog for the latest deals.

And while I'm at it, if you shop at Sainsbury's or Tesco, consider getting a reward card - a Sainsbury's Nectar card or Tesco Clubcard. Although it does mean your retailer can snoop on your shopping habits, you are paying a small mark up to cover the cost of the scheme on everything you buy anyway, and there are some great rewards to be had from cashing in those points.

4. Try a supermarket brand

Advertisers do a great job of convincing us that we have to buy brand name items. They're simply better, apparently.

In actual fact, supermarket own brands often do better in blind tests and as you don't have to pay the advertisers surcharge, they're usually a fair bit cheaper, too. We did our own taste test here at lovemoney.com! Find out the results in The easiest way to slash your food bill.

So try replacing the odd brand name item you buy with a cheaper brand each time you shop -- you may be surprised.

5. Complain, complain, complain

One thing we're not very good at in the UK is complaining. Most of us will put up with inferior products to have a quiet life. But why should we? After all, if an item we've bought hasn't "done what it said on the tin" why should we have to pay?

Take five minutes the next time you're unhappy to tell whoever is responsible -- be it the supermarket, retailer or manufacturer. I once phoned a well known disposable nappy manufacturer to complain about the fact the nappies I'd bought had leaked horrendously. Not only was the lady very sympathetic, she sent me shopping vouchers worth twice as much as the nappies cost, plus an extra voucher for some washing powder too!

So there you have it, a few tips to hopefully save you some money at the supermarket. Good luck!

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