TikTok is well known for users sharing tips and tricks. And with the current cost of living crisis, there is a growing trend in hacks for shopping bargains in particular.
The hashtag #Groceryshoppinghacks has over 2.5 billion views, highlighting the fact that many are looking for ways to save and make money at the shopping tills when they head out to supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi or Morrisons.
The cost of living crisis is affecting UK shoppers significantly as everyday shopping items have risen noticeably in price. To help people reduce their bills in these areas, TikTok users have shared tips that can help you save money at the checkout.
We have collated a list of 10 TikTok hacks to save money on your supermarket bills. Are you doing all of these?
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1. Download food waste apps
Over the past few years many have been looking for ways to save the planet as well as save money. 6.7 million tonnes of food is wasted per year in the UK. Experts at NerdWallet recommend downloading food apps to help with being able to get perfectly edible food that would otherwise go to waste in cafes, restaurants bakeries, etc. Too good to go, and olio are two of many food waste apps available.
2. Make bite-size chunks of meat
Money expert TikToker Gina Zakaria shared a TikTok of her slicing one piece of chicken into several thin long slices to help the meat last longer throughout the week. This saves you from having to buy larger amounts of meat, as the strips will obviously last much longer than just devouring the whole thing in one go.
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3. Thoroughly check veg before buying
There's nothing worse than buying your groceries and going home only to find out they are actually rotten inside and have to be thrown away. TikToker mommylifesquad shared a TikTok about how you can prevent this with avocados. In the TikTok, she explained that if you pinch off the cap at the top of avocado and it is white underneath the cap, it means that it is rotten. If it is brown, it means it is about to go bad. But if it is green - it’s perfect. This could save you from wasting money on things you won't be able to eat.
4. Look for the yellow stickers
Many TikTokers like krish.kara are talking about ‘yellow sticker hunting’. This phrase describes the process of looking for the stickers supermarkets put on items that are going out of date soon and are therefore reduced at a cost. Targeting your focus on this when shopping, could save you a lot of money.
5. Crouch down while shopping
Krish.karna also shared another valuable tip, in regards to finding the best value items. In his TikTok, he explained that in supermarkets, the best value items are usually found on the bottom shelf. Supermarkets design things this way because most people shop at eye level, picking up the first thing that they see. Those are usually the higher priced goods.
6. Keep your calculator on while shopping
It’s never nice when you go shopping and scan everything at the till only to find out that the overall price for the shopping is way over budget. StephGrasso offers a preventative solution for this. If you keep your calculator with you to keep a tally of the price of each item that you are putting in your shopping basket, you can then decide if the price is worth it.
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7. Bring Your Own Bags (BYOB)
It can be easy to forget your own bags at the supermarket and wind up having to reluctantly buy one at the supermarket to carry your goods. However, savvy Tiktokers have been taking to the social media app to share hacks for this.
This includes keeping spare shopping bags in your car or even by the front door of your house, so that you are reminded when you head out to go shopping. Other tips include writing ‘bags’ at the top of your shopping list or placing a reminder on your front door. 1980sgamer shared a hack of bringing a laundry basket in your car boot, to make it easier to unpack groceries after shopping. It also saves time.
8. Buy loose rather than packaged foods
Purchasing loose fruit, as opposed to pre-packaged is a great way to help the planet as well as your pockets, as they are priced cheaper. Choosing loose fruits and vegetables means you are helping to reduce plastic consumption.
9. Make the switch from premium to supermarket brand
Supermarket brands are generally cheaper in price compared to premium brands. However, understandably, naturally many shoppers tend to go with premium brands they know of.
However, you may be surprised to learn that some supermarket branded items may not have much difference in quality compared to some premium brand items. It may be worth making a switch and giving them a go - you may just be surprised.
10. Shop online
Another grocery shopping hack could be to shop online. As you generally have to search for the specific items on the store website, this can help reduce the temptation shoppers often get to impulse buy when walking around the shop in person. You can also see your basket total as you add things in and then remove anything you don't really need if you see it's getting a bit expensive.
Also, many supermarkets offer free delivery if shoppers have more than a certain amount in their shopping cart. Bulk buying can be a handy tip to get this.
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