Shopping – Top Tips
- Set aside 10 minutes a week to plan the week's meals. Check
your fridge, freezer and store cupboard and write a list,
so you don't end up buying things you've already got.
- Cook meals from scratch where possible, rather than buying
ready meals. It's cheaper and better for you.
- Stock up on the basics such as pasta, washing powder and
tins at your local Aldi or Lidl
- Visit pound shops
- Buy supermarket meats
- Never go shopping when hungry
- Reduce your time in the shop by making a list in
advance and sticking to it – or do the same on line
- Supermarkets always put the most expensive version of a product
at eye level, so take a look at the shelves above sand below
for cheaper alternatives
- Compare items by their price per kilogram. This way you’re not
fooled by any of the offers the supermarkets are trying to
push, and won’t end up with three things you don’t want just
because one of them was free.
- Try different versions of your customary items – some bottom of
the range products could be to your taste. You don’t know unless
you have tried them.
- Visit Iceland and buy frozen meats in bulk, then split
them up into meal size portions for your freezer
- Supermarkets discount fresh produce at the end of the day. Find
out where their discount shelves are and what time they start
to cut prices
- Fruit and vegetables at market stalls and ethnic food
shops are often a lot cheaper than those in supermarkets.
- Use your left overs. Sites like http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/
contain clever ideas for making all sorts of left overs into tasty
meals.
- When you cook make a big batch so you can eat half and
freeze half.
Below are the maximum times you can safely
freeze for;
- Beef and lamb – 12 months
- Chicken and pork – 6 months
- Vegetables – 6 months
- Seafood – 3 months
Frozen vegetables have the same amount of
nutrients as fresh ones and sometimes more.