How To Beat Rising Food Prices

When I visit the supermarket it feels like every single item has become more expensive. Even if that's not true across the board, once you get to the till those extra pennies here and there are really adding up.

- Andy Webb

And some staples have jumped up significantly. A recent study by the Office of National Statistics tracked prices of essentials over a year. Pasta increased by almost 50%, bread by 16%, and rice by 15%.

So how do you combat the creeping cost of your groceries? Well, there are some simple tricks you can try that’ll reduce what you spend and help you get the best value from your shopping on top.

1. Plan what you need to buy

There are a few advantages of thinking ahead before you get to the supermarket. First up, meal planning is a great way to ensure you have enough food in for the whole household for every meal, preventing last-minute dashes to the more expensive corner shop for extras.

While planning, check what you already have so you can use these up and cut out food waste (if you forget, a quick trick is to take a photo of your fridge and cupboards before you go to the shops!).

Then your plan can turn into a shopping list. This is a great tool as, if you stick to the list, you’ll avoid the “special” offers and treats that tempt you to spend more than you originally planned.

And you can take this a step further by shopping online instead of in-store, removing you completely from an environment that’s engineered to make you buy extras or certain brands.

2. Change what you buy