Save Money. It's Easy When You Know How!

If you use your credit card for payment of your supermarket bill, you will need to be very careful here. Set a pre-determined target in your mind, and try not to exceed it. This is so easy when temptation is all around you. Cut out unnecessary luxuries. If your situation is really serious take a small calculator with you and click the price as you put each item in your trolley.

A Shopping List will help keep you focused and you will be less likely to spend money unnecessarily on ‘spur of the moment’ items.

Also keep your Shopping List in a convenient place at home where you can easily add to it when you notice you are running short of any particular item. This simple idea will cut down on the number of shopping trips you have to make to the shops.

1. As well as your shopping list take several bags for life. If you shop at Tesco they give bonus points for every one of your own bags that you use. This mounts up when you receive your quarterly Reward points bonus.

2. Always look in the ‘Reduced to Clear’ section when you are shopping and take advantage of any meat or fish that is available. Take a look at the recipes which should help you here.

3. Again on the ‘Reduced to Clear’ section you will often find fish that can either be frozen for a future date or used the day of buying. Take advantage of any of these cheaper items that you may see, mentally doing a quick revision of your planned menu for that day or week, if necessary.

4. If you are an imaginative cook, take a look at the list of ingredients on any M & S ready meals. You should find it relatively easy to work out just how they achieve their high-class results. Set a new standard and variety in your own kitchen.

5. Take a look at the Value Lines (own brand) being offered by the major supermarkets. In some instances these are really good and are made by the top manufacturers to the supermarkets’ specification. Many vary only very slightly to the manufacturers own top of the range product. The supermarkets are able to negotiate a high discount with the manufacturers because of the large orders they are able to place, therefore getting a good deal.

6. Several food manufacturers prepare large batches of a specific food, i.e., duck a l’orange and this same recipe and batch is used to fulfill orders for Tesco, Waitrose, Asda etc. The only difference is in the outer packaging and the pricing. The contents are the same in all three cases. Watch prices.

7. This also applied to vegetables when they are being packed. The vegetables are all the same, coming off the same production/packing line. The only difference is the bags are changed from Asda, Tesco, Waitrose and the prices

8. Some of the minor supermarkets (Aldi, Netto and Lidl) operate to a small percentage mark-up, 3 or 4%. This is much less than the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury etc., where the mark-up can be as high at 10%. Consequently, these smaller supermarkets, that additionally do not run high advertising campaigns and consequently price wars, are able to offer very low prices for some remarkably high quality products. A monthly stock-up is recommended for staple items. (Waitrose really is the most expensive supermarket).

7. Buy English vegetables when in season not expensive imported beans, etc., flown in from far away places. Ask yourself how long ago these beans etc., were picked and whether there is any vitamin C still remaining.

6. Bottled water costs 500% more than tap water. Just refill the bottle from the kitchen tap instead of wasting your money.

Needs must when the devil (or the bank manager) drives!

Make a point of checking out the site to the right to make sure you get the best prices.

Plan your meals for the week ahead then you will know exactly what you need to buy. Again - you will save time and money the easy way.

Make sure you don’t shop on an empty stomach – pangs of hunger will lead you to buy food that you ‘instantly’ fancy and you will no longer save money and your credit card account will also be feeling 'hungry'.

Also, perish the thought, this is the way to put on unwanted weight.

If you can leave the children at home, this is also a good idea. It is easier for you to concentrate and not to have them constantly pestering for the latest-as-seen-on-TV-junk-food.

If they should be with you – remember you hold the purse strings. Learn a two-lettered word - ‘No’. You may well be doing them a double favour - less sugar to damage their teeth and less fat and salt to ruin their young figures. Obesity in children is on the increase, so watch their figures as well as yours!

Soooo...... When you are on a shopping expedition - be firm - the budget is at stake. Think of the state of your bank balance!

You will need to concentrate and read all our tips on how to save money. It's easy when you know how!

As you walk around the store with your Shopping List to hand take the easy way - imagine you are wearing a pair of blinkers so that you do not deviate from the list. The only deviation you should allow yourself is the 'Reduced to Clear' shelf. This is where the bargains can be found.

If you are familiar with the layout of the store and you are able to write your list out in the order of items that you will pass, this will also help you. You will be less tempted to look around at the other items. These tips should help lessen your weekly spend and help with the constant task of eating well and keeping out of debt.

It is possible to save time by ordering goods on line, but the downside is that some shoppers reckon that some fresh goods ordered from a supermarket in this way are less than fresh when they are delivered. It may be a case of experimentation.

If you do order goods on line from Tesco and order goods to be delivered during the week, you can save up to £1.75 on weekend charges.

One of our readers suggests that the very best way to save money where shopping is concerned is to become a member of www.freecycle.org and swap your items. You must donate an article first before requesting something that you need. Chrissie of Chelmsford says she has donated many items and in return has equipped her house with numerous items including: a wide-screen, TV, rugs, books, stools, chairs, tables. so maybe it is worth following her example, stopping goods being dumped in the local amenity tip and putting them to good use instead. One man's junk is another man's treasure! Many thanks Chrissie, and well done.

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