Five ways to save on your food shopping | Tenant news

From energy bills to grocery prices, we’re already seeing the impact of cost of living rises, and its effect on weekly food shopping costs.

According to the BBC, the average annual grocery bill is on track to rise by £180, so, what should we do?

Here are five ways for you to enjoy the everyday foods and treats that you love without breaking the bank.

1. Food rescue apps

You might think you've downloaded all the food apps you need, but there are some that could save you a lot of cash:

• Too Good to Go connects you to food from restaurants and stores that would otherwise go to waste. You can choose a restaurant, order a "magic bag" of surplus food at a significantly reduced price, and then collect it from the store during a pre-set collection window (usually this is late afternoon or evening).

 

• OLIO connects you with neighbours and local businesses so surplus food can be shared and not thrown away. To access items, simply browse the listings available near you, request whatever takes your fancy and arrange a pick-up via private messaging.

 

• Having rescued more than 4 million meals already, Karma allows you to save food from cafes, bakeries and restaurants with just a tap on your phone. Similar to the Too Good to Go app, once registered for free you can browse local eateries and purchase anything from pizzas to rye breads and cheeses. 

 

If you’re looking to switch up your spending habits, all these apps offer handy and easy ways to help reduce food waste and save you hundreds of pounds on groceries per year.

2. Community Fridges

 Community fridges give away excess surplus food for free to prevent it from becoming waste.

Over 250 community fridges are already operating across the UK, providing free meals to around 460,000 people.

People struggling to pay for groceries are welcome to visit their community fridge and help themselves to the products for free.

If you'd like support setting up a community fridge or want help finding one, please get in touch with the team at Hubbub who coordinate the project: www.hubbub.org.uk/the-community-fridge.

3. Shop at Markets

If you shop at street markets, you'd be amazed how much fruit and veg you'd be able to get for just £10.

Vendors at a market don’t apply the same grading system on their fruit and veg as the supermarkets, so even where their prices are comparable per item, you get more for your money.

Not only is it cheaper to shop for fruit and veg at a market, but they are fun, community-driven social gathering places; you could even bag a bargain on a new outfit while you’re there.

4. Supermarket loyalty cards 

If you've recently ventured into a Tesco or Aldi, you might have realised that loyalty cardholders such as Tesco’s Clubcard receive a significant discount on many products.

Loyalty cards from some supermarkets can help you build up points to spend at a later time, and sometimes give better prices on your weekly shop. These loyalty programmes can reportedly save holders more than £400 a year on their shopping. 

It might be a good idea to sign-up for your local supermarket’s scheme to get a discount on loads of products. Different stores have different ways of applying for their loyalty cards, but they're usually quick and straightforward.

It’s a good idea to research all the benefits of a loyalty card before you choose the one that’s right for you, and bear in mind that different stores charge different prices on everyday items.

5. Try a Food Bank

If the tips above don’t solve the problem, food banks are community organisations that can help with groceries. You'll usually need to get a referral to a food bank before using it.

Getting a referral:

You can get a referral by contacting your nearest Citizen Advice or your council. The adviser will ask you some questions about your income and needs. They can check if you should be getting any benefits you're not currently claiming and tell you about other local help you could get. The adviser can also give you budgeting and debt advice.

After receiving your vouchers you can go to your nearest food bank and begin receiving parcels.

If you live in a rural area and can't afford to travel, your nearest foodbank might be able to deliver. Call or email them to check.

Find the nearest food bank to you: https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/

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If you’re struggling to pay your energy bills, find out more about the support available to you: https://www.habinteg.org.uk/tenant-news/energy-bills-are-increasing-but-there-are-ways-to-reduce-your-outgoings-1834

 

Image credits: Getty Images/iStock