Five supermarket tips to save money as inflation jumps to 10-month high

If your grocery shop has been feeling more expensive than usual, you’re not imagining things. UK inflation jumped to the highest its been in 10 months in January, largely driven by rising food prices, as well as more expensive air fares and an increase in private school fees.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the cost of buying groceries rose by 3.3% during the same period, up from 2% in December 2024.

Of the 11 food and non-alcoholic beverage classes the ONS keeps track of, seven contributed to the upward change in the annual rate of inflation.

This includes:

• Meat

• Bread and cereals

• Fish

• Milk, cheese and eggs

• Sugar, jam, honey, syrups, chocolate, and confectionery

• Coffee, tea and cocoa

• Mineral water, soft drinks and juices

And while the rate of inflation for some foods have eased, prices remain high. Olive oil prices, for example, eased from 22.3% in December to 16.6%, but have risen exponentially since 2022.

As a result, shoppers are becoming more savvy with their grocery spending. Here are five ways to save money while doing the weekly shop - every little bit saved can add up to a lot.

Look for yellow sticker deals

Supermarkets often put heavy discounts on certain items that are close to their sell-by date, marking them with yellow stickers. According to money-saving expert Richard Price from Britsuperstore, these stickers usually start appearing around mid-morning, "with prices increasingly dropping into the early evening". Price reductions can range from 10-25% in the earlier part of the day, to a whopping 90% in the evening.

However, these times vary by store and depending on opening hours, so it’s a good idea to get to know your local supermarket to figure out when the best discounts are. Some people have said they can save over £300 on a monthly food shop by buying yellow sticker products.

Word to the wise: Price warns shoppers to "keep an eye out for damaged or soon-to-expire items as these can be reduced in price, although they will need to be consumed quickly".

Try Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go is a popular app that aims to reduce food waste by working with supermarkets, restaurants and cafes to sell surplus food at a reduced price.

More than 160,000 businesses participate in the Too Good To Go scheme, including supermarkets like Aldi, Morrisons, Asda, Marks & Spencer, and Sainsbury’s. The app allows shoppers to buy a "surprise bag" or "magic bag" of surplus groceries nearing their sell-by dates.

For example, Aldi’s "magic bag" costs £3.30 but gives customers at least £10 worth of groceries. Asda’s "surprise bag" is available for £3.30, with a minimum of £9 worth of goods.

However, the downside to Too Good To Go bags is that you never know what you’re going to get, so the results can be hit or miss. Some supermarkets have helpful guides on how to cook creatively with items commonly found in the bags, such as Morrison’s recipe inspiration.

Take the Downshift Challenge

It’s no secret that buying branded items can really add pounds to your grocery bill. But even amongst supermarket own brand items, there are cost tiers that you could be saving on.

According to MoneySavingExpert, consumers could save 30% a year on their weekly shop by taking the Downshift Challenge. In order to understand what the challenge is, it’s important to know that supermarkets categorise their products four ways:

• Premium: Items named with words like 'finest' or 'luxury'.

• Branded: Products from big name brands like McVities, Cadbury, Filippo Berio, and Kellogg’s.

• Own brand: Items presented in a similar way to manufacturers’ brands but with the supermarket’s own take on it.

• Value: Items named with words like 'basic' or 'savers'.

The Downshift Challenge involves dropping one brand level on everything you buy to see if you can tell the difference, and if you can’t, stick with the cheaper product.

MoneySuperMarket says that the point of the challenge is to "ensure you’re not spending money for no reason. If you can’t tell the difference with the lower brand level goods, then why pay more for it?"

Make full use of loyalty pricing and coupons

If you haven’t already got a loyalty card at your local supermarket, it’s time to get one. Loyalty pricing has ramped up in recent years as supermarkets battle to keep consumers coming back, so you can take full advantage of them to keep costs down.

It’s also worth getting loyalty cards at multiple supermarkets if you tend to shop around for the best deals. Many people are already doing this - according to the Competition and Markets Authority, 97% of shoppers are a member of at least one supermarket loyalty scheme, and, on average, shoppers are members of three supermarket loyalty schemes.

If you collect points on your loyalty card, make sure to check how many points you have accumulated and plan your spending accordingly.

Another way to get a better deal at checkout is to use supermarket coupons, which can offer money off items or cashback. MoneySavingExpert has an updated list of top supermarket coupons and discounts that’s worth checking frequently.

Swap supermarkets to find better prices

Something as simple as swapping supermarkets can help you save a significant amount of money on groceries.

Supermarkets price their products competitively to draw customers in, but retailers like Aldi, Lidl and Asda are known for their lower prices.

Which? named Aldi the UK's cheapest supermarket in 2024. Its analysis found that Waitrose was £29.54 more expensive than Aldi in December, and remains the most expensive supermarket for both smaller and bigger monthly shops.

Harry Rose, editor of Which? magazine, said: "Our analysis shows that by switching supermarkets, shoppers can make significant savings, highlighting the advantages of shopping around where possible."

Read more about family finances:

• 12 ways to escape the pay day cycle as inflation jumps to 3% (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)

• Frugal mum shares savvy tips for slashing bills during cost of living crisis (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)

• "We Overpaid For Years": Frugal People Are Sharing Their Best Money-Saving Habits (BuzzFeed, 9-min read)