Visiting the supermarket can seem like a daunting task with the cost of food rising across the UK – so doing what you can to keep outgoings low can make such a difference.
The team at PayPlan, one of the UK’s largest free debt advice providers, has now shared some tips with us to keep food prices down – and delved into exactly what’s causing the rise…
Over the past five years, food prices have climbed by an average of 37%, with some staples seeing even sharper increases, according to reports at the time.
Many households are being stretched already by rising energy prices and other costs which are increasing pressure on household budgets.
What’s causing the rise?
- Global raw material price increases.
- Increases in National Insurance contributions and the minimum wage rise have impacted what food retailers are charging for food to cover their costs.
- Increased production and transportation costs.
- Currency fluctuations.
How to save money on your food shopping
Whilst inflation is out of your control, there are some practical steps you can take to reduce your food shopping bill.
- Plan your meals for the week and shop with a list to help avoid impulse buys.
- Buy in bulk if there’s a particularly good deal on a product you’ll use. Check dates as some offers have short shelf lives.
- Use supermarket own brand products – they can often be significantly cheaper.
- Make the most out of loyalty schemes for supermarkets and cashback apps to earn rewards on your weekly shop.
- Try BudgetSmart, Payplan’s free tool, to help find savings and improve your financial confidence.
Reduce food waste to save having to rebuy
- Store your food shopping correctly to extend shelf life.
- Make the most of leftovers – you can create soups, casseroles and stirfries which can be great ways to use up left over bits of food.
- Organise your cupboards by use by date order to avoid wastage.
What you can do next
If you’re struggling with the rising cost of your food shopping or debts, you’re not alone. You can call PayPlan on 0800 072 1206. It’s open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.
Alternatively, you can visit www.payplan.com/the-fire-fighters-charity to speak to the team via live chat or for more information.
Support available through Fire Fighters Charity
We have online courses available for you to try, ranging from shorter Bitesize courses, to longer, in-depth six-week ones. You can explore those here.
Our Welfare Team are also available to help offer advice, guidance, signposting and support. If you feel you’d benefit from our help, you can call our Support Line on 0800 3898820.