As the winter months draw closer and our bills begin to increase, the cost-of-living crisis is going to hit harder for thousands of households across the country. Almost 90 percent of adults in the UK reported an increase in their living costs in July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
A recent study from Flora found almost a quarter of Brits say they are having to skip meals because they cannot afford to buy food. To make matters worse, research firm Kantar reported the average annual grocery bill across the country is forecast to rise by almost £650, meaning shoppers could end up paying on average £12 more every week for their food and groceries.
With this in mind, several TikTok users have shared a number of simple money-saving hacks to help you cut costs in your weekly shop.
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Shop later in the day for price reductions
Venturing out for your weekly shop later in the day can be an easy way of cutting costs at the tills, as many supermarkets reduce prices on items nearing their sell-by date near the end of the day.
According to users on MoneySavingExpert.com, Asda and Sainsbury’s begin reducing their prices around 7pm, with Aldi and Co-op reducing theirs around 8pm. Those of us shopping at Marks & Spencer will want to head out between 5pm and 7pm for potential price reductions, with Tesco shoppers wanting to go nearer to closing time.
Pre-packed food is more expensive
Unnecessary packaging can be frustrating, with excess materials having a negative impact on the environment, not to mention increased costs for shoppers. One TikTok user recommends checking the weight of loose items compared to pre-packed, as he found himself cutting costs by 50 per cent when he opted for three loose onions rather than a pre-packed set of three onions.
Bottom shelf bargains
While in the supermarket, our eyes are naturally drawn to items in our eye-line, but you may be surprised how much you could save simply by keeping an eye on the lower shelves. For the best bargains, it is worth comparing items on the higher shelves to those lower down, as many items on the bottom shelves are cheaper than those above.
DIY cleaning products
Keeping hold of used packaging can be a handy way of saving money, as well as doing your bit for the planet by reducing plastic. TikTok user geo.cleans has shared an easy way of making his own toilet cleaner using an empty bleach bottle, washing up liquid and citric acid – which can be bought on Amazon for as little as £3.
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