Beat the cost of food inflation

by Rosie Murray-West - 21/04/2010

"Holdiaymakers are not the only ones to be stuck at airports across the globe this week. The volcanic ash cloud has also grounded many of our fruity treats and vegetable favourites, forcing us to turn to more prosaic fare"

Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy said that it was attempting to keep supermarket shelves stocked by flying beans from Kenya to Spain and then shipping them to the UK, but the Flight Transport Association warned that it would be weeks before stocks sugar snap peas, runner beans, green beans and mangetout are back to normal levels.

According to the Food and Drink Federation, less than 1pc of our food is airfreighted, but that 1pc comprises many of the more expensive items in your shopping basket. "None of this food is what we would call a staple item," a spokesman said.

According to economic figures that were also released this week, the rising price of fruit and vegetables is one of the main contributors to current rising inflation. Over the next decade this is likely to get worse, engineering experts have warned, as water shortages further push up the cost of food.

Despite these doomy messages, many cash-strapped households can save money on the weekly food shop by taking a few simple steps, including putting into practice those lessons learnt from this week's fruit and vegetable shortage.

A first step towards saving money is to plan your meals around local and seasonal produce. With most items being available in the supermarkets all the year round, it can be difficult to know what to choose, but there are websites that can help you.

Try www.eattheseasons.co.uk for a selection of food that is in season now, and should be cheaper. Carrots, cauliflower, leeks and potatoes should all be good choices right now, while from further afield bananas and oranges are a good bet to buy. If you're not sure how to cook these local favourites, www.eatseasonably.co.uk has suggestions. This month it has a suggestion for a lighter cauliflower cheese.

To take this plan one step further, you could consider buying your fruit and veg at a local market. While supermarkets reject many farmers' efforts at fruit and vegetables because they do not reach a required standard in terms of look and size, your local market or greengrocer is probably less choosy.

Many items are sold by the bowlful, and you may end up with more than you need, but many vegetables can be partially cooked and then frozen, while fruit can also be frozen to use later. For help with freezer guidelines, the Government's Food Standards Agency has a consumer website at www.eatwell.gov.uk This explains how to freeze many types of food.

For many shoppers the supermarket itself is a major danger zone, because it offers so many temptations. You can avoid these by shopping online, although the delivery charge may cancel out any savings you make.

If you have a choice of many supermarkets that deliver in your area, the website www.mysupermarket.co.uk is a handy tool. It will compare the cost of your weekly shop with Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and Ocado (the online shopping company that delivers for Waitrose in many areas).

Once you've decided which supermarket to use, it can send your shopping list directly, so that you don't have to type the whole thing in again. It also has a selection of voucher codes you can use for each company to help you to get even more money off.

Currently it is showing vouchers for both Tesco and Ocado offering up to 15pc off your shopping, although these codes may not work for everyone.

If you are able to have your shopping delivered at an unpopular time, for example if you are in during normal working hours or prepared for a late evening delivery, you will be often be able to save money on the delivery charge.

For example, Ocado will deliver your shopping in South East London for free between 10pm and 11pm on next Tuesday, as opposed to charging £5 between 4.30pm and 5.30pm.

If you do decide to visit the supermarket, be aware of the steps that shops take in order to persuade you to spend more money. Supermarkets will place their most expensive products at eye level so that you are tempted to buy them.

If you look higher up or lower down in the same section then you will often find similar items at a cheaper price. It also pays to look carefully at deals and discounts. These may look attractive but will often be an attempt to make you buy more food than you meant to (fine if you plan to store it wisely, but a poor idea if you will just throw it away).

Sometimes the discount will be only pennies, and cheaper products will be available elsewhere in the store. Similarly, check you are not paying inflated prices for items such as nuts, which are pre-packed in expensive bags in the snack aisle, and cheaper bigger packs in the home baking section.

Perhaps the biggest dent you can make in your shopping bill comes with careful planning and waste avoidance.

According to waste management group WRAP, food waste costs the average family with children £680 a year. Plan in advance what you are going to eat for the week so that you do not end up throwing out the food you meant to cook at the end of it.

WRAP advises that you can often eat food after its "best before" date, except for eggs, while you should never eat food if it has past the "use by" date, which is a label used for chilled meats and dairy products and other short life items.

For tips on food planning, the website www.lovefoodhatewaste.com, can provide sample menus as well as tips on how to use leftovers to create new meals.

More Details: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/7610978/Beat-the-cost-of-food-inflation.html