SHOPPERS easily miss a simple trick that can slash their supermarket costs.
At a time when food prices are a huge concern for many households, it’s important to learn how to cut costs.
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Food prices have risen by a record 16.7% over the last twelve months, according to Kantar.
And this dramatic rise in prices is estimated to add a potential £788 to the annual shopping bills of the average household.
But there are ways to keep costs down according to Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which – and this involves comparing different versions of the items you commonly buy.
Sue said: “At a time when food prices are a huge concern, unit pricing can be a useful tool for shoppers to compare and choose the cheapest groceries.
“Supermarket shelves are often full of different-sized versions of the same groceries ranging dramatically in price but if you know the price per 100g or 100ml, you can easily compare to find which is the cheapest straight away.
Unit prices are meant to make it easier for shoppers to compare similar items of different sizes.
So it is always advisable to look at the unit price on products when shopping for the best deal.
Stores are obligated to show unit pricing, under legislation known as the Price Marking Order 2004.
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It lays out that a unit price should be “unambiguous, easily identifiable and clearly legible”.
For example at Tesco the price of fizzy drinks varied from 10p per 100ml to 50p per 100ml, depending on which size bottle shoppers chose.
Customers who buy a 1.25litre bottle of Coca-Cola at Tesco would pay £1.60, compared with £4.10 for four 250ml glass bottles of the drink (a total volume of 1 litre).
And with this in mind paying close attention to the unit prices of the staples in your shopping trolly could save you a fortune in the long term.
But it’s important to recognise that there are pitfalls when it comes to comparing unit prices and it can be difficult.
Under the Price Marking Order, there’s no specific rule around consistently using the same units across similar items.
And it’s common for unit prices not to be marked down with the price of whole items when items are marked down in sales.
In response to this issue and after receiving multiple complaints from campaign groups and experts including Which?, the competition regulator has announced that it has launched a review into grocery unit pricing.
George Lusty, senior director for consumer protection at the CMA said: “We know that the increased cost of living has hit the pound in people’s pockets.
“That’s why we’re pressing on with this important grocery unit pricing work to ensure shoppers can more easily compare prices and make choices that are right for them.”
How else can I cut my grocery costs?
Research what you need before you go. Prices always vary by supermarket and it can pay to change up your shop.
One shopper ditched going to supermarkets altogether in favour of their local wholesaler, that way they could stock up in bulk, at lower prices.
You can also cash in on reduced foods like yellow sticker bargains – these will be items reduced because they’re about to meet their best-before date.
They’ll still be safe to eat or freeze to make them last longer, but it means you can pick up the same products at an even cheaper price.
Sometimes even timing your shop to stock up just as items are discounted on the shelves can help you get the best bargains – lots of shoppers have said this is in the evening typically.
But being smart about how you shop isn’t the only way to slash spending.
Especially as prices continue to rise, there are schemes in place to help the most hard-up buy essentials.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
