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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nCarrot batons, celery sticks, pre-grated cheese, prepared fruit, ready diced meat… they’re all more convenient, but this comes at a hefty price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, 350g of pre-cut celery sticks are \u00a31.10 compared with 70p for 470g (over 350g when cleaned); loose carrots at Sainsbury’s are 80p per kg versus its carrot batons, which are a whopping \u00a32.50 per kg (and they’re pretty flavourless)! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aldi’s Ashfields British Chicken Breast Fillets 1kg<\/a> are \u00a35.99 per kilo, the exact same brand’s diced version is \u00a37.48 per kilo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ready-meals are a lot more expensive than making the dish yourself. I spotted an M&S Carbonara (for one), which was a staggering \u00a34.75! That’s more than it costs me to make a Carbonara for five of us. Recipe here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shop around (literally) <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLoyalty doesn\u2019t always pay so mix up your shops. Chopping and changing where you do your supermarket shop often results in the ‘neglected’ supermarket sending you money off vouchers to entice you back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’re trying to save, it’s tempting to only visit the budget supermarkets. However, if you shop at a variety you can access lots more deals, receive far more money off coupons and can also gauge which ones have the best prices on particular products. Also, many of the traditionally more expensive supermarkets now price match the likes of Aldi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check your marketing emails <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe more supermarkets you’re signed up with, the more marketing emails tailored to your buying habits you’ll receive. I also get inbox notifications each week from Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencers about my new vouchers, which are linked to my loyalty card. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I recently received a promotional code straight into my inbox for \u00a310 off my first three shops on Amazon’s same day delivery service of Morrisons groceries. The minimum spend is just \u00a340. You can receive the same by visiting here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Freezer fodder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you see a good multi-buy or just a good deal for something that can be frozen, stock up whilst it’s on offer. Yellow stickered items can be so cheap, but that’s often because they have to be eaten that day. If however, they’re freezable you’re onto a winner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fill up on frozen veg. It’s a common misconception that frozen veg is far inferior to fresh. In the case of something like peas, they are frozen within a couple of hours of being picked so very few nutrients are lost. The frozen varieties of things like sweetcorn, broccoli and peas are not only cheaper but also save on waste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Switching brands and making substitutions <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nChopped tomatoes is a classic example of where a brand substitution makes a huge difference; just look at the price per 1kg variations above! There’ll probably be differences in quality, but for making a basic tomato sauce\/base of a casserole you don’t need the finest. The same applies to tinned beans and lentils. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My kids go bonkers with cheese on their pasta so I often substitute Parmesan for Grana Padana; the former is \u00a315.50 per kg and the latter \u00a310.23 per kg at Tesco. They’re both Italian hard cheeses made from unpasteurised cow’s milk and for the purposes of grating they can’t tell the difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, I was making a quiche<\/a> that called for Gruyere cheese. It was an eye-watering \u00a326.30 a kg so I opted for Swiss Fior Delle Alpi instead for \u00a321.77 a kg. Again no one noticed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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