With food price inflation at a record high and grocery bills set to rise by £271 a year, many of us are looking at where we can make a saving.
Major supermarkets have upped their prices amid the cost-of-living crisis. In Iceland an average item costs 31p more than it did a year ago - a rise of 11 percent, while Aldi prices have risen by 19p on average - an increase of 9.6 percent.
In April, grocery prices were 5.9 percent higher than the previous year, while retail prices rose in February at their fastest rate in over a decade.
The weekly shop is an essential part of your family budget, and saving a few extra pennies could make a huge difference for some.
Want to get the latest money news direct to your inbox? Sign up for our Money newsletter HERE
Thankfully the Money Saving Expert has revealed some top shopping tips to help you tackle the soaring food costs.
So how can you cut down on your grocery spending?
Introductory discount vouchers for new customers
The best supermarket discount codes come from first-time online orders, with new customer offers such as 40 percent off or £5 to £20 off.
There are currently six nationwide supermarket codes, including:
Sainsbury’s - £15 off a £60 shop using code SPPC22MAY15 for deliveries by May 31
Iceland - £5 off a £45 shop using code ICEFIVEOFF for first online spend
Ocado - £20 off your first £60 spend and free delivery using the promo code VOU3144132 until September 9
Morrisons - £20 off your first £60 spend at Morrisons on Amazon order using the code SPRINGMOR20 until 11.59pm on May 31
Co-op - £15 off your first £50 spend at Co-op on Amazon using the code HELLOCOOP15 until June 30
Bother - £15 off £40 using MSE Blagged code MSE15 until August 9
Top bargains hidden in different food aisles
You can often buy the same item in the same supermarket for less, for example cotton buds can be 20 percent cheaper in the baby aisle, while herbs and spices are under half the price in the world foods aisle.
Many products such as tinned tomatoes and coconut oil can be found cheaper gram for gram than the same product in different packaging.
For example Natco garam masala is £2.60 for 400g, equivalent to 6.5p for 10g in Sainsbury’s world foods aisle, while in a different aisle, Sainsbury’s own is 85p for 38g, equivalent to 22p for 10g.
The spice discovered in the world foods aisle is 70 percent cheaper per gram.
Cheaper alternatives can also be found on the bottom shelf, while more expensive items are placed at eye-level, hoping we’ll grab and go.
Across three major supermarkets, better value products were consistently tucked away on the bottom shelf.
Have you got any money saving tips? Let us know in the comments
Online or app-based coupons
Money Saving Expert has compiled a list of more than 40 supermarket coupons to help you cut down on your grocery spending.
The regularly updated list of coupons and cashback deals includes £2.50 off Garden Gourmet plant-based burgers, £1.10 off Primula cheese, and £1 off Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire puddings.
Storing food correctly to prolong lifespan
You can save money by storing foods in the correct place to keep them fresh for as long as possible
Eggs kept in their box, oranges, and most fruit and vegetables should be kept in the fridge.
However, some foods last longer when not kept in the fridge, for example potatoes, pineapples and bread should be stored in a cool, dry place.
Other foods including bananas and onions should also be stored in a dry place and kept in their original packaging to prolong their lifespan.
Martin’s Downshift Challenge
Try dropping one brand level on your groceries, if you can’t tell the difference then stick with the cheaper option.
Downshifting typically cuts grocery bills by 30 percent, even if you swapped half the items, that’s still a 15 percent saving.
The point of the system isn’t to force you to eat less tasty foods, but to stop you spending money for no reason.
Free food at Iceland
Iceland is giving away food on the last day of its shelf life to customers who shop online, to help cut down on food waste.
As part of the Free on Last Day initiative, shoppers will get food for free on the last day of its best before date.
When you order online, before the delivery they will let you know you’ll be getting the item for free.
The rule under the free food scheme will apply for all chilled, fresh, cakes, bread and morning goods.
Free food from Tesco, bakeries, neighbours and more
Instead of binning surplus food, people have started signing up to Olio and offering up their grub to the local community.
Major supermarkets and retailers such as Tesco and Pret a Manger and independent cafes and bakeries have been offering up any leftovers at the end of the day.
Too Good To Go is another free app that allows you to purchase unsold food at the end of their service at a discounted rate to prevent it from being thrown away.
Businesses sell ‘magic bags’ of their unsold food, which is usually priced around a third of the original value, with the contents being a surprise until you pick it up.
You pay in advance and have to pick up your food during a certain time frame.
Making the most of larder leftovers
Before your next shop, see how long you can go using what you already have stored in your cupboard.
You can use special sites that suggest recipes for the items left over in your fridge or cupboard, such as SuperCook or BigOven .
Yellow-sticker discounts
Yellow sticker discounts are when items have been reduced to clear, and they can help you slash your grocery bill in half.
The first yellow stickers tend to appear mid-morning, while silly-price reductions begin early evening , when stores cut prices by 75 percent or more.
In Asda the final reductions often start around 7pm - and most bargains have been snapped up by 9pm, while you usually have to wait until 8pm for 75 percent discounts in Co-op.
Reductions in Morrisons tend to start late morning or lunchtime, while Sainsbury’s discounts kick-in around 7pm.
Tesco and Lidl reduce food as early as 8am, while big discounts materialise early evening.
Half-price stickers start appearing from 8pm in Aldi, while final reduction stickers can be seen 30 minutes to an hour before closing in M&S.
Timing your shopping trips correctly can help you bag the best bargains.
Buy beyond-best-before items at huge discounts
Avoid throwing away best-before-date items, these are just the manufacturer's view of when they're at optimum quality.
Foods that are past their best-before date are still edible but may have lost their flavour and texture.
This is usually longer-lasting foods such as frozen meals, tins, sugar, pasta and cereals.
However, ‘use-by’ dates mean you should chuck food away after this date, as otherwise it's a health risk.
Typical foods to watch include dairy, milk, fish and eggs.
Buy frozen fruit and veg instead of fresh
Buying frozen food can be 50 percent cheaper than their fresh counterparts, and maintain their quality for longer too.
You can stretch out your shopping trips with frozen food as they last far longer than fresh produce.
Since they can be stored for months without spoiling, you can cut down on waste and the cost of having to toss fresh items that have gone bad before you have had the chance to consume them.
Frozen vegetables are also a great alternative to canned ones, which are usually packed with salt to preserve them.
Grab free fast-food through apps and clubs
Fast food chains are offering new and existing customers discounts and freebies via their apps and membership ‘clubs’.
Here are some freebies that are currently up for grabs:
KFC - Customers can receive a free side when signing up to the app. Three free loyalty stamps will be awarded after downloading the app, which is enough to redeem a free side. No purchase is required.
Krispy Kreme - New sign-ups will receive a free original glazed doughnut. Sign up to Krispy Kreme’s newsletter to get the reward.
Greggs - Customers can get a free hot drink when they sign up to the app. They have previously offered free slices of pizza, sausage rolls, doughnuts and more.
These freebies can help you save money on your grocery shop.
Adjust your meal plan
Meal planning is a great way to keep your supermarket spending down.
If you stumble across a great bargain in the yellow sticker section, remember to adjust your meal plan to avoid any food waste.
You could always save your cheap food for next week to bring the cost down then instead.
