We share our must-know tips that will help you cut the cost of your supermarket shop without compromising on quality or quantity!
With the 'credit crunch' in full swing and rising food costs hitting our wallets it's a pretty stressful time to be having a baby. However, with your maternity leave fast approaching, the easiest place to start saving is in the supermarket. To help you save on your weekly shop we share our top tips for beating the supermarket tricks that get you spending - they're worth putting into practice and could save you £100's every year! 1. Never shop hungry
This is the oldest trick in the book but nonetheless it's still a must and will stop you running straight to the chocolate/ice cream/crisp aisle as soon as you get to the store. Having a healthy snack before you shop will mean that you're less driven by what you want to buy and more by what you should be buying, often meaning that you'll spend a lot less on junk food in favour of more nutritionally balanced ingredients that are better for you and baby.
2. Say no to your nose
Ever wondered why supermarkets always smell of fresh bread even though the bakery is by the back of the store? Well, rumour has it that to get our taste buds going they actually pump this smell forward to the front of the shop to create that same tummy rumbling 'must have carbs' effect that shopping hungry has. So, next time you do your weekly shop, enjoy the smell but avoid falling into their cunning trap!
3. Make a shopping list
Again, another oldie but it's a classic money saving tip for a good reason. When you plan your meals for the week in advance, check what you already have in your cupboards and write down the list of ingredients you need before you even leave the house you're onto a winner for two reasons. Firstly, you're far more likely to only buy the things you need (so you won't end up with 7 bags of pasta and 12 tins of tuna in the cupboard) and avoid expensive and unnecessary impulse buys that will see you throwing away good food that is past its best - this is very easily done with fruit and veg. Secondly, as supermarkets spread the staples of your weekly shop throughout the store so that you have to stroll along all the aisles past all of their special offers to make your way from the milk to the tinned tomatoes, by making a list you'll be able to keep focused and avoid coming out with more than you'd budgeted for.
