Here are eight ways to save money on your food shop.

The average family in Ireland spends approximately €7,500 on their annual food shop. This equates to nearly 20%  of the average family wage. If you implement a few key changes, you are sure to find a few spare pounds by the end of the month.

How to save money on your food shop:

  1. Always keep a lookout for sale prices for weekly family food buys.

    All supermarkets have special offers with at least 50% off on different items every week. Incorporate these offers into your weekly meal plan to find significant savings. If they are perishable items, consider buying in bulk and freezing. It is safe to freeze meat, bread, herbs, milk, cheese, yoghurt, vegetables.

  2. Know your prices.

    Write down the prices of the items that you buy regularly. Some stores that can be perceived as cheap, may be charging more for certain products. Try to only buy products at their cheapest.

  3. Buy in bulk.

    When you find a product with a large discount, buy enough to get you through to the next time there is an offer. This will probably be approximately 8 weeks. Always lookout for offers on nappies and expensive items such as this. If it is half price, buy enough to get you through (that might mean buying 14 packets of nappies) however you could be saving approximately 80 euro – not bad! Expensive items such as toothpaste are often on offer with savings of up to 3 euro. Why not buy enough for a year - you could save 40 euro!

  4. Consider having meat-free days at home.

    While this will encourage all of the family to eat more vegetables. Will introduce variety into your diet. It will also save you significant money on an annual basis. Think about pasta dishes, vegetable lasagne, risottos, vegetable stirfrys etc.

  5. Use your shop vouchers.

    This is a very simple way of saving money. Some stores allow you to use every brand in their store. 

  6. Look at the top and bottom shelves for items.

    Be aware that the most expensive items are usually at eye level. Make sure you look at the top and bottom shelves for items.

  7. Pay attention to the weight of an item.

    If you are picking up something that is marked ‘sale’, check out the weights and check them out against other brands as it may not mean savings for you.

  8. Buy own-brand items.

    Always consider own-brand items – even for food. Check out the ingredients as often they are just as good as their branded counterparts. 

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