CHANGE YOUR EATING HABITS & SAVE A FORTUNE

Did you know the average Briton spends 17% of their income on food? Start spending smarter and you could save a packet...

EATING OUT

Do it Yourself

Enjoy your takeaway coffees? Spending £2 a day on that costs you over £500 a year! Similarly if you spend £5 a day on lunch, it adds up to £1,200 over 12 months! Try making extra food at dinnertime and use the leftovers for lunch, or invest in a kettle and some teabags at work. To put it differently - the savings would buy you a 5* all-inclusive 7 day holiday to Barbados, with spending money to spare!

Book in Advance Online

Websites such as toptable.co.uk, 5pm.co.uk and lastminute.com have thousands of restaurant deals on offer – from 50% off your food bill, to a free bottle of wine with your meal. Most of these sites also offer loyalty points everytime you book – which can then be used in turn to buy meals all over again!

EATING IN

Time your Grocery Shopping

MoneySavingExpert.com has found that the “50% off” stickers on goods near their sell-by date appeared at 4pm in Tesco and 5pm in other chains. The “75% off” stickers started going out at 7pm in Co-op and Morrisons, 8pm in Tesco and Sainsbury’s, and 9pm in Asda. However try to avoid shopping when you’re hungry!

Downgrade your Shopping

Try trading down from your favourite brand to a cheaper version. If no one notice the difference, then you will have just saved yourself some serious money over the course of the year. MoneySavingExpert.com have found that downgrading all your brands can save you up to 33% on your shopping over a year.

Shop Online

With the grocery price comparison site mysupermarket.co.uk allowing you check you’re getting the best deal, shopping online can save you a significant amount, easily outweighing any delivery costs. Not only can you get special offers (10% off your basket), it means you’ll avoid all those impulse buys.

Take Advantage of those Loyalty Cards

Tesco Clubcard cuts 1p off every pound you spend – so make sure you sign up to it, along with the other major supermarket Loyalty Cards.

Stop Wasting Food

On average each British household wastes £610 a year by throwing out perfectly good food. Make sure you note the difference between ‘Use By’ and ‘Best Before’: ‘Use By’ food should be avoided once it’s past its date, but ‘Best Before’ is still perfectly safe to eat – just use your common sense when examining it.

Make Your Own

Hummus costs on average £1.05, however takes a few seconds, and a fraction of the cost to make in a food processor at home. Similarly don’t buy ready-made pasta sauces – they cost a fortune, and be made in only a few minutes at home with an onion, tinned tomatoes and some herbs! Similarly try making your own salad dressings, and buy a whole lettuce rather than pre-packaged salads.