The weekly shop is a staple of British life, with UK families spending over 85/week on food alone. There are, however, some easy steps that we can all take that reduce the stress on family budgeting while picking up healthy and tasty dinners for everyone.

Create a meal plan

For some people the idea of planning your meals for a week comes as second nature; others think it is a lot of hassle. In reality, it will save you a lot of money and a lot of wasted food. After some serious planning you can work out specifics even down to exactly how many potatoes you’ll need. Ultimately, you can save time in the long run as you can keep using the same meal plans and shopping lists on a rotating system. If you manage to create a frugal meal plan then it is important to stick to your shopping list and not get seduced by extra items.

Time your shop perfectly

We all know the dangers of shopping when hungry and how our instincts will cause us to pack more into our trolley. Be sensible and don’t attempt the weekly shop on an empty stomach. It is also worth doing the shop without your children or partner. The more people that come along, the more things will end up in your trolley. It is also worth sussing out when there are discounts. If you go at the end of the day will you be more likely to pick up special offers? Late night on a Sunday is the best time to pick up supermarket bargains and it tends to be quieter then too.

Break up the food shop

Most of us want to get the food shop done as quickly as possible, however this isn’t always the cheapest way. You might be better off picking up vegetables from the market on the weekend, or splitting your shop in two and using different supermarkets, or a combination of supermarket and a discount online shop like clickmarketplace.co.uk, if you spot a great deal on there (more to come on deals later!). Some places are better for specific items. Ask around, see where your friends and family shop, have a mooch around the local supermarkets and you’ll soon have established a strategy that will help you to save a substantial amount of money each month.

Go wholesale

Buying wholesale is a great way to save money through websites like https://helloabound.com/. This isn’t always an option unless you have a trade account. If you know someone who has access to wholesale produce you could take advantage of their trade account. Buying wholesale is much cheaper, especially if a group of you split large items or you buy items that will last for a long time.

Bulk buy and freeze

Filling your freezer with homemade meals is a great way to save you time as well as money. Bulk buy items when they are on offer, make the meal that you intended and freeze anything that was left over. Buying frozen ready meals is much more expensive than making your own meals from scratch and is often far less nutritious.

Try some own brands

With the lure of advertising and glossy packaging making us believe that certain products are far superior, we are less likely to reach for the supermarket’s own brand when we are in the aisles. However, in many cases the same factories produce both products. Why not try a cheaper alternative rather than your usual brand? Start off with a small version of it and see if your family notice the difference.

Find the best deals

It is not too difficult to find deals and bargains whilst you are out shopping, you just have to think savvy and don’t pick up the first thing you see. Another thing that is great to utilize would be coupons, which you can find online from companies like Raise, this can help to save lots of cash in the long run and allows you not to waste all your money on one product. You’ll find that your money can stretch much further than you previously thought using these methods.

Stay focused during top-up shops

Once you have mastered the trick of creating a meal plan and sticking to it, you still need to allow a little flexibility. There will be times when you need more milk or other small top-up items. Nipping to the shop for an extra bottle of milk can soon become a mini shop. We’re often tempted by treats, snacks and special offers. Remind yourself that a special offer may be great value but you’ll spend even less if you don’t buy it. Buying petrol is another area to watch for many people as it can be tempting to add additional items to the bill. Keeping track of your food bill and sticking to your meal plan is the best way to save money in the long term.

Rethinking how you go about your weekly food shop may need a little more thought to start with, but in no time it will become second nature and you may even be surprised how much money you save.

This article has been brought to you by Uncle Buck Finance LLP.