SHOPPERS make easy mistakes when it comes to tough decisions on the supermarket islands, says a bargain hunter.
Tom Church, 31, hunts for the best deals from various stores until he can find the lowest price for an item.
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Shoppers across the UK are facing price increases for basic foodstuffs of up to 60 per cent more for groceries as the cost of living crisis hits.
Over the past year, prices for daily groceries, including fish, fruit, pasta and bread, have soared.
Research group Kantar revealed this month that the cost of a single supermarket shop has risen 5.9 per cent since April last year, or £271 more per year for the average family.
Here are some tips to help you make smarter choices:
Use price comparison tools
The father of one says comparing prices only takes seconds when writing your shopping list, the Mirror reports.
He explains, “I use the free supermarket price comparison tool in the Latest Deals app.”
“I just look for ‘Fairy Liquid’ or ‘Heinz Baked Beans’ and see which supermarket has the cheapest.
“Then I group the items under each supermarket and zoom around to get the best prices.”
Stick to a fixed amount
It’s easy to go over budget and pick up more items than intended once you stroll through the store.
Be sure to factor in the rising prices of items – this will affect how much you get.
He said, “I tend to stick to a fixed amount every time I shop, and I found myself getting less and less for my money.”
Tom shared the following five comparisons he found using the LatestDeals app.
Take the time to find the best deals
Tom shared some examples of products and revealed how varied the prices can be.
At Tesco, Anchor Salted Butter cost £2, but at Iceland it cost £2.45.
John West Tun cost £3 at Asda, while it was £5 at Ocado; and TRESemme ProPure Airlight Volume Shampoo came in at £3 at Sainsbury’s, but was a whopping £4.50 elsewhere.
‘shift down’
A popular technique for lowering prices could save shoppers about 30 percent.
‘Downshifting’ is instead swapping well-known food and drink brands for items of value in the supermarket
Tom’s cunning ploy to find the best prizes is similar to the actions of a mother who lost her job.
Safina Kassu, 44, goes to multiple supermarkets to look for the best bargains… even if they save her just 5 cents.
She used to be a high-flying event organizer, but now she has to hunt for the best deals to put food on the table.
Safina currently lives on universal credit, but hopes to return to the events industry when it becomes more stable.
At the grocery store, she says every little prize counts — and she knows which deals to close and which she thinks she can beat elsewhere.
She says, “Five pounds for ground beef? That’s ridiculous. No, I’ll have to look elsewhere. This mozzarella costs £2. In Home Bargains it’s £1. That’s a huge, huge difference.
“The vegetable oil is five liters for £7 – I think this is the best deal yet. So this is coming home – yay! I might not have to buy oil for two months.”