Budget food shopping in London: Make the most of your money

By Justine Samuels

With prices of supermarket items going up and damaging wallets, weekly shopping can be a stressful experience.

Many shoppers are also pointing their fingers at Brexit for the reason food shopping prices are increasing.

Britain’s most popular chains such as Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons, M&S and Waitrose are fighting to become the most popular supermarket, while competition between the big chains makes for brilliant deals for the customers.

Sainsburys and Asda have announced they are planning to merge, and have offered customers £1 billion in price cuts in advance of their merger, which means food in their shops could be even cheaper. They have also offered to sell between 120 – 150 of their supermarkets to placate the Competition and Market Authorities.

Whatever supermarkets are out there, here are our ways to make the most of your food budget:

• Canny customers are realizing supermarkets often use different packaging to dress up cheaper items of food, then sell them at higher prices. Often, there are no differences in ingredients or nutritional value between the price tiers across a range of items. “I shop at Marks and Spencer’s and I feel great spending more money on quality foods. It is very satisfying that I spend my money on greatness,” said Ashley Hudson, who was filling up her basket at M & S on Holloway Road.
• Shopping in the reduced section help with shopping on a budget and decrease how much people are spending each week, market shopping also helps as they are known for selling cheaper items. “Buying from reduced sections are so convenient it saves so much money for me as I am a single mum and work part time,” said Louisa Barret, who was buying food at the recently opened Aldi in Archway.
• Buying in bulk. It may also mean spending less time in the supermarket, which can result in even more savings, as most of us frequently indulge in spontaneous purchases. Finally, shopping strategically means visiting the store less often, and maybe driving – less saving petrol and even more money.
• “Having a big family results in buying in bulks and this helps with things lasting longer in the household,” said Sharon Carter, who was stocking up on water in Aldi.
• Visit the cheaper supermarkets. “I never use to shop in Aldi but since shopping here the food is much cheaper than Tesco and very good quality,” said Steven Pierson, who was browsing the fruit section in Aldi.
• Pick up a basket instead of a trolley. With less space to carry groceries, there’d seem to be less chances for making bad decisions. But a new study shows that shoppers gathering groceries in baskets are more likely to make unhealthy, wasteful purchases.
• Never shop when you’re hungry. If you shop on an empty stomach, you’re likely to buy far more than you need. The food and smells will get your taste buds tingling and you’ll end up putting too much in your trolley.