How to Halve Your Shopping Bill

You’ve most likely done this in the past but taking a little longer on site or in store to make sure you are getting the best bulk-buy bargains is a must for cutting your food bill. If the item you want is on half price, you can literally get double the amount for your money. Think frozen goods, tins and perishables and cleaning products; if you’ve got the room to store them then take advantage of the discount. Of course, there’s no use going over board on items you don’t need, don’t just buy them because the deal is attractive. Really think about whether you’ll actually benefit from the purchase – clear those shelves and help yourself cut that annual grocery spend.

Whilst magazine and newspaper couponing is not a thing of the past, technology has caught up and there are now plenty of apps out there that help you earn money when shopping online and in-store. By simply snapping a picture of your grocery receipt you could save hundreds each year with apps like Clicksnap. Check the app for daily, weekly and seasonal updates. You’ll find cashback on everything from staples such as bread and milk; to goodies including beer, chocolate and ready meals.

Big-brand names aren’t everything. Supermarkets own-branded options can be just as good (or definitely close enough) and have much cheaper price tags. Household staples such as paracetamol and cleaning products - where the own brand products are literally the same as their name-brand counterparts, are a great place to start. Why not extend these tips to food items to see how much you could save.

If you don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s an old adage, but still relevant today. It can seem strange but give bartering a try the next time you’re in store, especially if you’re shopping with a big-name chain. With some stores, flexible discounting is actually part of their retail policies. You can extend this to your online shopping too. If the site you are shopping with had a ‘live chat’ function you can often ‘haggle’ with their customer service teams. For example, you may be granted a discount or offered a code for suggesting that you would purchase the multiple items in your basket, but payday is a bit too far away to justify it. Give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised!

On top of any discounts or sales on, there will be a cashback deal on nearly everything you buy online. If you do your grocery shopping through Quidco’s website or app, you can often get 10% or more in cashback from supermarkets as well as 4,500 other retailers.

Remember that £15 bonus for new Quidco members shopping with ASDA? This can come in handy as a kickstart to your cashback earnings and a way to ‘save £15 off your next grocery shop. Simply follow this link, join Quidco and shop with ASDA.

Companies know the power of their customers and love it when those who have enjoyed their products and services champion these to friends, family or even via online forums. Why not try sending a letter to the address of the manufacturer? There’s a chance they’ll send you some freebies back! You could also share via your social media. Mention the retailer by name and what you bought and why you like it. It’s not uncommon for brands to respond with freebies or discounts. This goes the other way too, with brands often giving you something a little extra to win back your loyalty if you’ve not enjoyed the product or have had a negative experience.

Stock needs clearing. The end of the evening can be the ideal time to nip to your local supermarket to see which items have been selected for reduction. You’ll notice a yellow sticker with the saving and new price. With food this can be due to short sell-by dates or could be due to superficial damage or making way for new stock. You will notice savings up to 75% off some items so why not set yourself the challenge of searching out those yellow stickers and saving yourself money on last minute buys.