The biggest grocery savings come from a few simple habits: compare the price per kilo or litre rather than the headline price, switch to own-brand where it makes no difference, lean on frozen and tinned, choose the right pack size, and shop the markdowns. None of it means eating worse - most of it just means buying the same food more cleverly.
This guide focuses on the shop itself - the value tactics that complement the cooking habits in our pillar guide, how to cook on a budget.
Read the price per kilo, not the price tag
The single most useful number in the supermarket is the small unit price - the cost per kilo, litre or 100g - printed on the shelf edge. It lets you compare like with like, regardless of pack size or branding. The bigger box isn’t always cheaper, and the offer isn’t always a saving. Get into the habit of glancing at the unit price and you’ll spot the genuine value instantly.
Switch to own-brand where it doesn’t matter
For storecupboard basics - flour, tinned tomatoes, pasta, rice, pulses, oil - own-brand and value ranges are very often identical in quality to the branded version, sometimes from the same factory. Switching these saves a surprising amount over a year with no difference on the plate. Keep your money for the few things where quality genuinely shows.
Pay for brands where you can taste the difference. For everything else, the value range is doing the same job for less.
Look low and high on the shelf
Supermarkets place the most profitable products at eye level. The cheaper equivalents are often on the top and bottom shelves. A quick scan up and down frequently turns up the same thing for noticeably less.
Lean on frozen and tinned
Frozen vegetables, fruit and fish are cheaper than fresh, last for months and create no waste - and because they’re frozen at their peak, the quality is excellent. Tinned pulses, tomatoes and fish are equally good value and storecupboard-stable. Building part of your shop around frozen and tinned lowers both cost and waste at once.
Choose the right pack size
Bigger is usually cheaper per unit - but only if you use it. A large bag of rice or a multipack of tins is great value for staples you’ll get through. For perishables, buy the size you’ll actually finish, or freeze the surplus, so the “saving” doesn’t end up in the bin. Buying loose, where you can, lets you take exactly the amount you need.
Shop the markdowns
Most shops reduce fresh food as it nears its sell-by date, often at fairly predictable times of day. Meat, fish, bread and bakery items at a steep discount are excellent value - cook them that day or freeze them straight away. It’s one of the easiest ways to eat better cuts for less.
Don’t shop hungry - and lean on your cupboard
Shopping hungry is the enemy of a low bill; everything looks tempting and the trolley fills with extras. Eat first, and go in with a sense of what you need. A well-stocked cupboard helps here too - when the basics are already in, each shop is smaller and more focused. See our guide to budget storecupboard staples.
A note on loyalty schemes
Supermarket loyalty prices and apps can offer genuine savings on things you already buy - but only if they don’t nudge you into buying more than you need. Use them for staples on your list, and ignore the offers that don’t connect to anything you were going to cook anyway.
In summary
Cutting your grocery bill isn’t about eating worse - it’s about buying the same good food more cleverly. Read the unit price, switch to own-brand where it doesn’t matter, lean on frozen and tinned, pick the right pack size and shop the markdowns. Combine these with the cooking habits in cooking well for less and the savings add up week after week.
Frequently asked questions
Start by comparing the unit price (cost per kilo or litre) on the shelf edge and switching storecupboard basics to own-brand. These two habits alone save a noticeable amount with no change to what you eat.
For most storecupboard staples - tinned tomatoes, pasta, flour, pulses, oil - own-brand is very often identical in quality to branded versions. Save your money for the few items where you can genuinely taste the difference.
Most reduce fresh items as they approach their sell-by date, often at fairly consistent times of day that vary by shop. Reduced meat, fish and bread are great value - cook them that day or freeze them immediately.
