How to Save Money on Groceries

How to Have All of Your Favorite Foods at a Fraction of the Price

It’s that time of the week. The cupboards are bare and it’s time to go food shopping to replenish your stocks. You’ve already prepared a budget and have carefully planned your shopping list so it doesn’t break the bank. However, in the cash strapped times we all face at the moment, you’re wishing there was a way to save even more money on your shopping; a way where you don’t have to compromise on buying the brands that you love. If that sounds anything like you then the good news is there is a solution…

It’s All To Do with Dates

The answer to cheaper food is one that is slowly emerging from secrecy to provide considerable savings to households everywhere, and it has everything to do with those things we call ‘best before dates’. Every supermarket throws away food when it is approaching its best before date.

The best before date, however, does not mean that the food cannot be consumed after this time. It is merely a guide that is used to ensure quality control. Around one third of all the food produced is wasted because it is not purchased before the best before date. This food is still perfectly fine to consume, and companies have been busily selling food that’s passed its best before date to happy consumers everywhere.

How do I know it’s safe to eat?

Well, the great thing is you don’t have to take my word for it. Instead, you have confirmation from the horse’s mouth…also known as the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The guidelines set by the FSA state that it is perfectly fine to consume food after the best before date. In many cases, this foods tastes exactly as it would before the best before date, with only a minority of foods losing some of their original texture or flavour.

The only food product that needs to be consumed on or prior to the best before date are eggs. Every other food is completely safe to eat all the way until its ‘use by’ date. It is only the use by date that you should pay close attention to, and it is after that date only that food should be thrown away.

So, how can I save money?

The fact that food is still fine to eat after its best before date means that it is still fine for companies to sell this food. Because of this, businesses have formed that are buying food approaching the best before date at a reduced rate. They are then passing these savings on to you in the form of cheap food items, keeping that bank balance happy.

Many of the foods can be found with up to 75% off of their original retail price. So, if you’re usually spending around £100 per week on your food shopping, then you can realistically still buy all of the same foods and only spend around £25 – £30. Don’t be one to let the best before dates faze you and join the thousands of others who are making considerable weekly savings on their food bills.

Stuart Withers is a copywriter and money saving pro. He’s been actively consuming food after its best before date for a long while now and is happily reaping the rewards of a satisfied wallet. If you want to see how you can reap the rewards too, then he recommends heading over to Food Bargains, where you’ll find a whole range of quality, branded foods at a fraction of their original price. If you want food for less, then check them out today!