Tips on living on a budget

The cost of living crisis, rising energy bills and inflation are hurting all of our pockets right now. But where you shop still matters even if you have less to spend. Mo looks after lots of things with ShopAppy but she is also full of ideas on how to live better for you, for your bank and for the planet - here are her top tips  and tricks to living on a budget when you are shopping

Here are 6 ways to help you budget better for your weekly shop:

Check your cupboards before you go shopping

Always do an audit of your store cupboard and fridge before leaving which will prevent you from buying items you already have. 

Plan in advance

Plan your menu for the week so you do not buy items you will not eat. Make sure the menu incorporates the items you have in the fridge and store cupboard so only buy the food you actually need.

Don't worry about best before dates (in most cases...)

Most canned and jars of food are good well after the best before date, if you have any make sure they feature in meals during the next couple of weeks. Use by dates are ones which are important to take notice.

Go to the local shops or supermarkets at specific times of the day

Visit your local shops or the supermarket towards the end of the day or in the evening to pick up the bargains. Check out the reduced counter as they often reduce items that are near their sell-by date then. You can often freeze items, particularly bread, whilst it is nice to have fresh bread the loaf for 20p in the freezer will taste just as good and the money saved will help you have a treat at the end of the month.. #

Shop locally for the freshest produce 

The local greengrocer is often cheaper and definitely better for the environment than the supermarket as they do not have the amount of plastic waste, their items are usually bought loose and you can pick the ones you want. Check if your Greengrocer has a table of reduced goods they often bag up tomatoes, mushrooms and other vegetables which are a few days old so you can grab a bargain. 

Think more when buying meat

You can buy cheaper cuts of meat which can be as tasty as the more expensive cuts. The local butcher will be able to advise you.

Some suggestions :

Ham or Gammon Hock 
Liver and Bacon
Chicken Thighs
Stewing Steak
Sausages
Mince
Belly Pork strips
Breast of Lamb
Chicken

We hope these top tips have given you some ideas of ways you can save some money and live on a budget.  Visit ShopAppy.com to discover and shop with your local shops to save time too.