With financial situations changing for thousands of people, budgeting has become more important. Evaluating essential shopping is often a way many people attempt to rein in their expenditure. And several shoppers have taken to social media to reveal how they were able to cut corners and be more economical.

READ MORE

• Universal Credit: How to apply during coronavirus crisis

A thread on Reddit from a few years ago demonstrated how many Britons look to tighten their belts, and how they managed to achieve their shopping successes.

It appears for many people, the secret to shopping more efficiently was opting out of supermarkets and turning towards wholesalers. 

Several discussed the popular US warehouse brand, Costco, which has appeared in many UK locations.

While membership is at a cost, shoppers have recounted the savings they have made as a result of switching.

One user wrote: “Costco is worth it. I go on a big monthly shop and I spend around £90-£100. 

“But buy enough food to make two-three meat meals a day – two breaded chicken burgers and rice; two salmon burgers and rice, one regular chicken breast and pasta. This lasts me a month.”

Another wrote: “Costco is Waitrose quality at Aldi prices. Their meat is excellent, as are their fruit and vegetables. Trays of chicken thighs, massive Braeburn apples, houmous and mince – big fan.”

A third said: “Yes yes yes! I just got my executive membership. 18 inch pizza for £8 which is covered in toppings. Cheaper meat, buy chocolate in bulk, their ice cream is the best ever. 

“You do have to remember though that you may spend hundreds of pounds in one shop but you expect that to last a while. I’m yet to buy anything expensive.”

And food shopping is not the only area where Britons could stand to make savings by shopping at Costco, one customer revealed.

They wrote: “They use a $1:£1 exchange rate ratio! Already a sure sign that Costco is very fair to UK customers.

“The biggest saving for me is that the petrol is often around 5p to 10p cheaper per litre than other garages. Other savings are to be found in the non-food items, such as batteries, alcohol and wet wipes.

DON’T MISS
Full list of May benefit and state pension payment dates [INSIGHT]
Universal Credit advance: How to apply for early payment [EXPLAINER]
Martin Lewis – ‘Best’ bill struggling Britons should pay less of first [INSIGHT]

READ MORE

• Aldi & Lidl shoppers reveal savvy savings to be made with simple swaps

“The food is cost effective if you’re comparing name brands, but even so you have to buy in large quantities. It’s a major investment and you have to be disciplined to ration these and control your portions to normal use.

“The optimal routine is to go to Costco to stock up every two or three months. Then that will free up needing to buy those expensive things on a weekly basis, so when you go to the supermarket, you’ll only need meat, vegetables and fruit.

“That way it’s easy to keep your shopping bill under £50 a week for a whole family after the Costco trip.”

Several shoppers also advised combining a shopping location switch with meal plans to shop in the most efficient way. 

Planning menus for the month, they state, can help people to avoid wastage and only buy essential items. 

Buying in bulk is often considered an optimal way to make significant savings.

However, some have opted for a simple switch to a budget supermarket such as Lidl or Aldi to cut back.

Consumer website MoneyAware advises Britons to thoroughly plan before each shopping trip in order to shop efficiently.

Source: Read Full Article