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KEEPING grocery bills down can be tricky as prices soar.

We revealed this month how supermarket costs have risen by more than 25 per cent in the past two years.

Trying out tinned food could cut your shopping costs in half

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Trying out tinned food could cut your shopping costs in halfCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun

Yet there is value to be found in canned food, where staples such as fish, veg and fruit cost just a fraction of their fresh equivalents.

Tinned food also requires little to no cooking, which cuts down on overall energy costs.

Eager to see just how much I could save on my weekly shop, I stocked up on canned products.

While the food was, for the most part, less tasty than what we are used to, I found a bit of seasoning made a big difference.

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By the end of the week I’d slashed shopping costs to less than half the UK average for two people, at just £38.64.

Here’s how you can too . . .

MONDAY

These strawberries tasted great and there was more than enough to have another day

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These strawberries tasted great and there was more than enough to have another dayCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
Chicken and vegetable soup is a good lunch option

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Chicken and vegetable soup is a good lunch optionCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
And beef ravioli in tomato sauce is another classic that takes no time at all to heat up in the microwave

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And beef ravioli in tomato sauce is another classic that takes no time at all to heat up in the microwaveCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun

ONE of the best swaps, when it comes to cans, is fruit.

I had strawberries for breakfast and added a bit of yoghurt.

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When I saw the strawberries in the bowl, I wasn’t overly impressed.

Rather than the usual red it looked very grey.

However, it tasted great and there was more than enough to have for another day.

I had chicken and vegetable soup for lunch and beef ravioli in tomato sauce for dinner, both classics that took no time at all to heat up in the microwave.

Breakfast: Princes Strawberries in Light Syrup, 410g, £1.60.

Lunch: Tesco Chicken & Veg Soup, 400g, £1.10.

Dinner: Tesco Beef Ravioli, 400g, £1

TUESDAY

Lunch was easy, delicious and filling with these tinned beans

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Lunch was easy, delicious and filling with these tinned beansCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
Salmon from a tin was also very tasty for dinner

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Salmon from a tin was also very tasty for dinnerCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
But these potatoes were bland enough that ketchup was needed

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But these potatoes were bland enough that ketchup was neededCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
The peas from a can were also very nice

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The peas from a can were also very niceCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun

MY guilty pleasure is baked beans and sausages in a tin, so lunch was easy today, as well as delicious and filling.

Dinner was slightly different though, as I had salmon, potatoes and peas, all from a can.

The salmon and peas were tasty, but the potatoes were extremely bland, so I had to add ketchup.

However, fresh salmon is usually upwards of £4 for the same amount as there was in the tin and requires a more effort when it comes to cooking, so it’s a win-win.

Lunch: Branstons Beans with Sausage, 400, £1.50

Dinner: Princes Red Salmon 213g, £3.70

Dinner: Waitrose Small Potatoes 265g, 85p

Dinner: by Amazon Garden Peas 290g, 50p

WEDNESDAY

Canned summer fruits make for a lovely breakfast

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Canned summer fruits make for a lovely breakfastCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
This chunky soup was a delicious lunch option

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This chunky soup was a delicious lunch optionCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
A veggie curry made for a yummy dinner - it was packed full of flavour

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A veggie curry made for a yummy dinner – it was packed full of flavourCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun

I HAD fruit and yoghurt again for breakfast, this time choosing summer fruits.

It was much tastier – lovely and sharp – and much cheaper than if I had bought a pack of fresh raspberries for at least £2.

For lunch, it was a delicious chunky bean soup, and I opted for a veggie curry for dinner.

I was surprised at how it was packed full of flavour, and there was enough for two people.

I added microwave rice and it was done – miles quicker and cheaper than cooking it from scratch.

Breakfast: Waitrose Summer Fruits, 290g, £1.40

Lunch: Tesco Tuscan Inspired Bean Soup, 400g, £1.10

Dinner: Princes Plant Based Veg Curry, 392g, £1.60

THURSDAY

You can't really go wrong with sardines on toast at 65p a tin

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You can’t really go wrong with sardines on toast at 65p a tinCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
This chilli is delicious - and you could easily get three portions out of one can

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This chilli is delicious – and you could easily get three portions out of one canCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun

I SKIPPED breakfast but on the menu for lunch was sardines on toast.

For fish you really can’t go wrong when it’s 65p a tin with enough for two people.

Dinner was chilli with rice, and it was delicious. I easily could have gotten three portions out of this one can.

There was also no need for standing over a hob to cook it as it was microwaveable, which is an added bonus for not only does it save you the effort but it also saves on energy usage.

Breakfast: Skipped it!

Lunch: Waitrose Sardines in Tomato Sauce, 120g, 65p

Dinner: Amazon Chilli Con Carne, 392g, £2

FRIDAY

Canned peaches taste so great - and they last so much longer than buying the fruit fresh

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Canned peaches taste so great – and they last so much longer than buying the fruit freshCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
Tesco's tomato soup is just as good as Heinz

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Tesco’s tomato soup is just as good as HeinzCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
And this curry from a can was just as good as a takeaway

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And this curry from a can was just as good as a takeawayCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun

THE last time I had peach slices from a can, I was a child – but it’s just as good as I remember, especially when it’s much cheaper than buying fresh, which go off really quickly.

For lunch it was a classic tomato soup.

There was no way I was going with Heinz if I was trying to save money, but Tesco was just as good.

For dinner, I had a curry out of a can.

There was about enough in there for three and it saved us forking out on a takeaway.

Breakfast: Tesco Peach Slices in Juice, 410g, £1.10

Lunch: Tesco Cream of Tomato Soup, 400g, 75p

Dinner: Asda Chicken Tikka Masala, 392g, £2.25

SATURDAY

Pair pineapple with yoghurt for a great breakfast

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Pair pineapple with yoghurt for a great breakfastCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
Spaghetti rings are always a fun option

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Spaghetti rings are always a fun optionCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
But this Tesco korma was just absolutely delicious

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But this Tesco korma was just absolutely deliciousCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun

BREAKFAST consisted of pineapple chunks paired with yoghurt, followed by spaghetti rings and sausages for lunch.

But the best meal of the day was definitely my chicken korma for dinner.

I really didn’t expect it to taste so good, so I was pleasantly surprised.

It was far better value than a ready meal and way less hassle than cooking it from scratch.

Overall, it was a delicious dinner and I recommend it.

Breakfast: Princes Pineapple Chunks, 227g, £1.30

Lunch: Tesco Spaghetti & Sausages, 410g, 95p

Dinner: Tesco Chicken Korma, 392g, £2.40

SUNDAY

Corned beef sandwiches are always a good lunch option

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Corned beef sandwiches are always a good lunch optionCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
The fish at dinner was delicious

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The fish at dinner was deliciousCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
Sadly, the spinach was rather unappealing

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Sadly, the spinach was rather unappealingCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun
The potatoes also have their issues

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The potatoes also have their issuesCredit: Stewart Williams – Commissioned by The Sun

I HAD the leftover peach slices for breakfast and it still tasted fresh.

For lunch it was a corned beef sandwich.

While it looked pretty grim, the meat was quite tasty – although I did add some sauces to spice it up a bit.

Dinner was mackerel, spinach and potatoes. While the fish and sauce were delicious, the spinach was soggy and very unappealing.

However, it is more efficient than shelling out for a fresh bag, which can often go in one meal when cooked.

Lunch: Asda Corned Beef 340g, £2.30

Dinner: Princes Mackerel Fillets 125g, £1.25

Dinner: Asda Spinach Leaves 380g, 85p

Dinner: Waitrose Small Potatoes 265g, 85p

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk

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