How to shop smarter and save money in UK supermarkets
Food is one thing that we all have to buy and it’s just getting increasingly more expensive! No matter what supermarket you choose to shop at, prices are rising and the consumer has no choice but to pay it.
I’m going to delve deep into the 4 main UK supermarkets, which are Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons, and let you in on everything you can do to shop smarter and save money.
Loyalty cards
Tesco
This wouldn’t be a money saving blog without talking about loyalty cards and membership schemes. Tesco has the well known Clubcard, which launched in 1995, making it the first nationwide loyalty scheme in the UK. Like any well-devised loyalty scheme, the Clubcard programme generates data that helps Tesco better understand its customers, while also providing them with added value incentives and member perks. How it works is you collect points every time you shop with Tesco, and this includes their food, fashion and fuel. These points turn into vouchers which you can spend to get money off your next Tesco shop. They also have reward partners such as Pizza Express, Legoland, and even Butlins… meaning you can also spend your points with any of these companies. Check out their website to see all of their reward partners. Having a Clubcard also means you get ‘clubcard prices’ on hundreds of products. This is basically just a discount you get for being a member of their loyalty scheme.
Asda
Moving on to Asda, they only rolled out their loyalty scheme in 2022! Asda Rewards works slightly differently, allowing customers to build a Cashpot by purchasing certain star products or by completing missions. Asda has approximately 400 Star Products available, consisting of both their own-brand and branded items. Purchasing any of these products and adding them to your basket will lead to a 10 per cent Cashpot return. These products are prominently featured throughout the store, making them easily noticeable and you can find them on the app. The scheme also includes in-app 'missions' that are themed by product types and earn you cashback once you hit a particular milestone. These usually involve shopping and spending certain amounts in different departments, such as fruit & veg or George clothing. New 'missions' are added to the app regularly. The funds accumulated in your Cashpot can be redeemed by generating a voucher directly within the app. You can redeem a voucher in store after scanning your shopping by presenting it to staff or by scanning it yourself at a self-checkout. Redeeming online is even easier, as once you’ve created a voucher in the app, it will be activated automatically when you next check out on Asda.com.
Sainsburys
Let’s talk about Sainsburys and their Nectar points. You can earn: 1 Nectar point for every £1 qualifying spend in store and online. 1 Nectar point for every litre of fuel purchased in Sainsbury's fuel stations. Nectar points are calculated on your transaction total, that's after any discounts. You simply scan your card every time you shop and your points will be added, it’s literally that easy. The good thing with Nectar points is it’s not just for Sainsburys, it works for a number of different retailers such as Cafe Nero, eBay, Argos and British Airways. There are a number of terms and conditions on the Nectar website on how to spend these points, but the bottom line is you collect points when you buy from these companies, and you can then convert the points into vouchers, which will give you money off next time you shop with any of the companies. Nectar also very recently introduced Nectar prices in Sainsburys, which work in the same way as Clubcard prices… you get a discount on a variety of products just for being a member of their loyalty scheme.
Morrisons
Moving on to our last shop which is Morrisons. They recently introduced the Morrisons More scheme. You can earn More Points on selected products in store, online and on every litre of fuel. Look out for the latest More Points offers via the app, website and in store. Once you reach 5000 points you can choose either to keep saving your points on your app or convert into Fivers to use in store or online. If you don’t have the app your Fiver will be printed in store. They also offer More Rewards, where you can enjoy regular personalised offers and money off coupons on the things you buy the most when you scan your card or app. And they also offer ‘More Card exclusive’ savings on selected products... Again the same as Clubcard prices and Nectar prices… it’s just a discount on certain products for being a member. The final thing they offer is the basket bonus, when you scan your card or app, you can be in with a chance of bagging a Basket Bonus. It could be anything from money off your next shop to free treats they think you’ll love!
I’d highly recommend getting the app for everywhere you shop, it really can’t hurt and you do get some good discounts.
What are some other ways to shop smarter and save money?
Supermarket value ranges
They all do them. There’s usually a few levels in the supermarkets for every product, for example you might get the branded version at the top being the most expensive, then let’s say the supermarkets own luxury range, then the supermarkets normal range, then the value range which is often the same price or even cheaper than the budget stores like Aldi or Lidl. Depending on your own personal budget, there’s different options available to choose from… and honestly the value ranges can have some really nice products.
Scan & Go
Do you use the scan and go in store? If not, why?! It makes checking out so much easier because you’ve scanned everything already. It also means you can keep track of your spending as you go, making it easier to stick to your budget, and you can take anything off if you change your mind before you get to the checkout.
Price per weight
Check the price per weight because bigger is often better. Certain items such as tea bags or pasta, which you probably use all the time, are always better value for money when you buy the biggest packet. Check the price per weight on the shelf label and see for yourself. When you buy the bigger pack less often, you’re actually spending less money than buying the smaller pack which you will have to repurchase more often.
Bulk buy
Bulk buy and multi buy deals are only a good use of your money if it’s something you genuinely use all the time. If there’s a multi buy deal on toilet roll, yes it’s definitely worth it because you would need to buy more anyway, if there's a multi buy deal on Ben & Jerrys ice cream, then you probably don’t need it, you weren’t going to buy it anyway, and therefore you’re not actually saving money. Think about multi buy deals on things that you actually need and use regularly.
Write a list
My last tip is to always write a list, I know this sounds obvious, but if you go to the shop without a list you are at risk of impulse buying everything that looks good, instead of buying what you actually need. So write a list and stick to that list every single time! And bonus tip, don’t ever step foot in a supermarket when you are hungry… This is when you impulse buy the most. Always eat first before you go food shopping to stop yourself from buying out of hunger.
