Five ways to save money on your food bills

How close is your relationship with your local Dominos delivery driver? Is there food left going off in the bottom of your fridge at the end of the week? Are Ben and Jerry your favourite companions on a Saturday night?

With the average yearly food bill now hitting more than £5000, cutting just 10% of your spend on food could be an extra £500 in your back pocket – enough to book that extra holiday you’ve been thinking about! We’ve got some top tips to get you on your way:

1) Plan ahead and work out a menu for the week before you hit the supermarket then write a list and stick to it. You can still choose which day to eat each meal on, but you won’t buy more than you need.

2) Make the most of your freezer. If something is getting close to its use by date, check out the best way to freeze it and bung it in there. The same goes for leftovers – if it’s not going to be eaten, freeze it for an instant ready meal next time you’re too tired to cook. 

3) We all know that junk food isn’t good for us, but the chances are that your pizza addiction isn’t good for your wallet either. Takeaway pizza can be up to three or four times the cost of even a posh supermarket one, so why not keep one in the freezer for when temptation strikes?

4) Speaking of posh, try downgrading your groceries. Vegetables, tinned tomatoes and dried goods from a supermarket’s value range can often be just as tasty as the brand name equivalents. Try it for a week, and if you don’t like it, swap back. If you do, you’ll probably save a few quid!

5) Try out a comparison website like MySupermarket.co.uk to see what your basket would cost at each of the major supermarkets. If there’s a big difference in price, it might be worth swapping where you shop.

What’s your best money saving tip for cutting the cost of your grocery bill?