How do I get more for my money at the supermarket?

Supermarkets are designed to increase basket size, and most of the techniques are well documented. Knowing them is not cynical — it is what lets you buy what you intended rather than what the layout suggested.

What you'll need

• A list
• A calculator or the shelf label (optional)

Step by step

1. Compare by unit price, not pack price.The price per kilo or per litre is on the shelf label. Larger packs are usually cheaper per unit but not always, and multibuys are sometimes worse value.
2. Try own-brand versions of things you buy regularly.Frequently made in the same factories as branded equivalents. Trying one or two a week costs little and some replacements are permanent.
3. Look at the top and bottom shelves.Eye level is prime retail space sold to brands. Cheaper equivalents are frequently above or below it.
4. Shop from a list, after eating.Both effects are well documented. A list built from a meal plan and not shopping hungry accounts for a large share of unplanned spending.
5. Check the reduced section, but only for things you will use.Excellent value if you eat or freeze it that day. A reduced item that gets thrown away costs more than it saved.
6. Be sceptical of multibuys and offers.Check the unit price. Some offers are genuinely good and some are on inflated reference prices or on more than you can use.
7. Buy loose where possible.You buy the quantity you need rather than the pack size, which reduces waste. It is often cheaper per unit as well.
8. Consider online shopping to reduce impulse buying.A saved regular order removes both the trip and most of the unplanned purchases, at the cost of not seeing what looks good.

Tips

• Loyalty schemes and app-only prices are increasingly where the discounts are. If you shop somewhere regularly it is worth using theirs.
• The cheapest tier of own-brand is often noticeably worse; the mid-tier is frequently indistinguishable from branded. Try the mid-tier first.
• Shopping less often but planning better usually reduces both spending and waste more than any individual purchasing decision.

Common mistakes

• Comparing pack prices rather than unit prices — The larger pack is not always cheaper per unit, and multibuy offers are sometimes worse value than the single item.
• Buying reduced items you will not use — A reduced item thrown away costs more than it saved. It is only good value if you eat or freeze it promptly.
• Shopping hungry without a list — Both increase unplanned spending measurably. Eating first and shopping from a list is the simplest saving available.

Questions people ask