Is online or in-store shopping cheaper?

Online removes impulse buys but adds delivery fees and substitutions. If impulse spending is your issue, online with a fixed list usually wins.

Are multibuy offers worth it?

Only if you will use it all before it spoils and the price per unit is genuinely lower. Check the small print on the shelf label.

How to save money on food shopping in the UK

5 min read

Grocery spending is one of the few large household costs you can change this week. These tactics are ordered by how much they typically shift the weekly total.

Change the shop, not the shopping list

Moving your main shop to a cheaper supermarket usually beats every in-basket tactic combined. If a full switch feels like too much, do the bulk staples at the cheaper shop and top up elsewhere.

Drop one brand tier

Most supermarkets run premium, own-brand and value ranges of the same product. Dropping one tier on staples — tinned goods, pasta, rice, cleaning products, frozen veg — is rarely noticeable and compounds across a whole trolley.

Read the price per unit, not the shelf price

UK shelf labels show price per kilo, litre or 100g in small print. Multibuys and 'bigger pack' offers are not always cheaper per unit. This one habit quietly protects you from most fake deals.

Use loyalty pricing deliberately

Several UK supermarkets now run member-only pricing. If you shop there regularly, not having the card is effectively a surcharge. If you do not want the tracking, factor that into which supermarket you choose.

Attack waste, which is pure loss

Food thrown away is money already spent. Plan around what needs using first, freeze bread and portions of cooked food, and understand that 'best before' is about quality while 'use by' is about safety.

Shop with a list built from a rough week of meals, not from an empty fridge.
Never shop hungry — it reliably inflates the basket.
Check reduced sections near closing time and freeze what you buy.

See this applied to your own money

Ai Money Saver checks your income and outgoings — typed in, from a bank statement, or talked through — and shows where you're likely overpaying before you pay anything.

Start assessment Use a bank statement

Frequently asked questions

Is online or in-store shopping cheaper?: Online removes impulse buys but adds delivery fees and substitutions. If impulse spending is your issue, online with a fixed list usually wins.
Are multibuy offers worth it?: Only if you will use it all before it spoils and the price per unit is genuinely lower. Check the small print on the shelf label.