How to save money and feed your family for less

Food prices are rising, with many everyday items such as meat, eggs, butter and cereals more expensive than this time last year. On average, food prices are 3.3% more expensive than a year ago, but some items – for example olive oil and lamb – are up by as much as 16-17% from last year.

With other bills also rising, including energy, water and council tax, many of us are yet again struggling to make ends meet. A few years ago the term “Just About Managing” started to be used, to describe the many households just about managing to live from month to month, and there sometimes seems no end to this. No sooner do your finances start getting back on track than more price increases come along to kibosh them again.

So in this article we focus on how to save money on food shopping, and share a few ideas on how to feed your family for less this spring.

Set a food budget

The first way to save money on food is to set yourself a food budget. And the best way to do this is to work out what you are currently spending on food and whether this is a realistic budget for you to stick to or whether you need to try and cut it down. So take time to record what you currently spend, and where the money is going.

When setting your food budget, you need to consider what is going to work for you and your family. There isn’t an “ideal” monthly amount to aim for. According to the Office for National Statistics, an average family of four will spend at least £225 a month on food. Other estimates are that an average UK household now spends £3,700 a year on groceries (i.e. around £300 per month), and in reality the amount may be considerably higher.

So it may take time for you to find the right level of budget that works for you, but it is worth putting in the effort so that you know what you are aiming for, and how much you are able to spend on each individual food shop. The more you do this, the better you will become at keeping track of what you’re spending and how much things cost, which can help you to cut costs further if you need to.

Plan your food shopping

One way to help you stick to your budget is to make a detailed shopping list before you either go to the supermarket or shop online. The more organised you are, the less likely you are to forget items, which in turn will help you save money by not having to go back to the shops again and risk unnecessary impulse purchases.

If you find it difficult to plan your food shopping, one way to do it is to have a list of favourite meals that you and your family enjoy. If you have 10-15 recipes on your list you can just rotate through them every 2-3 weeks, adding in others if you start to get bored.

It can also help you to save money if you check what you already have before going shopping so that you only buy what you really need. There are websites that can help you to plan meals based on an existing list of ingredients, for example Love Food Hate Waste.

Find the best offers

When going food shopping, it can also save money if you are prepared to shop around for the best offers. It’s very easy to get into the routine of going to the same store every week, but it’s also worth keeping an eye on special deals at other supermarkets to see what deals they have on offer. 

And if you do start shopping at different stores, make sure that you have a loyalty card for each of them. These can unlock special prices and also enable you to collect points which over time can be put towards shopping or exchange for gifts.

Buy in bulk

If you have plenty of storage space in your home it can also work out cheaper to buy certain foods in bulk. For example, you could sign up to a warehouse club such as CostCo, or just make use of supermarket offers such as “3 for 2” or “BOGOF” (buy-one-get-one-free).

Bulk buying can be a good way to save money on items such as frozen, dried and tinned foods, as well as household items such as cleaning products, toiletries, toilet and kitchen rolls.

When buying in bulk the two key things are firstly to check that the unit price is significantly cheaper than buying the items individually, and secondly to make sure you will definitely use the items. You will not save money if they just sit in storage and end up being thrown away. 

Another option is to team up with a family member or friend who has similar shopping needs. You can bulk buy a range of items to share, and split the cost between you.

Batch cook

Batch cooking is a great way to save money on food and feed your family for less, and is becoming very popular in the UK. Channel 4 has a new series called Batch from Scratch: Cooking for Less, featuring Joe Swash and Suzanne Mulholland – also known as The Batch Lady. Both the series and The Batch Lady website and books explain how batch cooking can help you to save money and time by preparing larger quantities of a meal and freezing some of it.

A wide range of meals can be batch cooked, including tray bakes, curries, stews, pasta, and many kinds of dessert. It usually doesn’t cost that much more to make two meals than one, and will ensure that you will gradually have a freezer stocked with nutritious family meals. 

Batch cooking is also another way that you could team up with family or friends, swapping your second meal with them for a bit of variety.

Use better value ingredients

Whether you are batch cooking or just making one meal, it’s usually possible to use better value ingredients and achieve a meal of the same quality and taste as more expensive ingredients. 

One way to do this is to use less meat. This doesn’t have to mean giving up meat altogether, but either using it less often, or using smaller quantities in meals. Alternatives or supplements to meat in a dish include beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas; all of which are filling ingredients at a budget price. Also see whether a strong flavoured cheese, such as feta, could add extra taste and filler to a meal.

When using vegetables for cooking, frozen vegetables are usually much more cost effective, and can be just as nutritious as fresh. And they can be used in so many ways, including soups, stews, sauces, stir-fries, or on their own either steamed or roasted.

Use all leftovers

Using up leftovers is another valuable way to save money on food. Never throw anything away if it could be used in some way.

For example, if you have a pasta meal for dinner one evening, and there’s not enough left for another family meal, that smaller portion could make an excellent lunch for someone the next day, and would mean you don’t have to spend money on buying anything else for lunch.

Or if you do a Sunday roast and there are leftover vegetables, these could be used in a stir fry or pasta dish the next day. 

Almost any leftovers can be used, either in their original state or repurposed. For ideas, take a look at websites such as BBC Good Food, or just start experimenting yourself.

We hope that the ideas in this article help you to find ways to save money on your food bills and feed your family for less this spring. And if your family has other financial needs at this time, and you are considering a personal loan, always remember that Loans2Go is here to help.

During the rest of 2025, we will be covering lots more ways to save money on day to day living, so remember to check back here soon with us at Loans 2 Go.