1. Write a shopping list

Write up a weekly meal plan with ingredients you already have and then draw up a shopping list of any missing items. This will help you stay on track in the supermarket and avoid buying duplicates you don’t need.

2. Eat leftovers for lunch

A great way to save money and time - and it makes your ingredients go further. Cook extra portions of your dinner, then reheat the next day with a little bit of fresh salad. Leftovers always seem to taste better the next day anyway...

3. Try cheaper brands

Give cheaper brands a chance, you might be surprised! The difference in price may only be small, but it all adds up

4. Eat more plants

Not the ones you grow in a pot, but plant based foods! Vegetables, pulses and grains are super cheap and nourishing. Low in calories and packed with vitamins, fibre, and minerals, they are nutrient power houses. If you’re not 100% convinced, cut down the quantity of meat in your next Bolognese by half and swap in brown lentils. Spoiler alert, it's delicious.

5. Don’t shop when you’re hungry

Shopping whilst you're hungry means you’re likely to spend more money on unnecessary items - especially those which are usually higher in fat and sugar content. Eek.

6. Beware of ‘buy one get one free’ offers

Don’t be tempted by those amazing offers, and ask yourself if you really need this giant Malteser bunny in your basket? Probably not.

7. Shop online

By shopping online, you're able to compare more products, and even check out another supermarket to see if it's cheaper for you. It also gives you the flexibility to shop on your own terms, avoid buying things which catch your eye in the supermarket and track your spending more effectively.

If you aren’t able to shop online, try heading to the supermarket around the time they put out their reductions. You do have to be careful not to buy things you don’t need, but if you’re regularly buying meat and fish products you can make great savings.

8. Use your freezer

Your freezer is your best friend, you just don't know it yet. It's the place for the meals you know you won't eat just yet, meat that's going out of date, and anything else you don't want to waste - and shouldn't. If you've got lots of veggies going soft, roast them, throw into a quick curry and freeze. An easy, cheap meal for emergencies that reduces waste and saves you money.

9. Shop for produce that’s in season

Buying seasonal fruit and veg from the UK has endless benefits. They are often the cheapest products on the shelves, are at their best taste wise (tomatoes are a great example of this - try them in summer and it’s a completely different taste to winter), mean you’re supporting local farmers, and also reduces your impact on the environment by cutting the journey your food has to make to get to you.

Did you know that your fruit and veg starts to lose its nutrition as soon as it’s picked. So if you’re choosing local produce, you can be confident it’s journey to the supermarket was quicker than the pineapple from South America.

Not sure what’s in season at the moment? Have a quick google - there’s some great resources out there to guide your next shopping trip.