Food prices tipped to soar - how can you keep costs down?

Rising fuel prices are set to make food in the shops more expensive, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has warned.

The Middle East conflict has sent petrol and diesel costs soaring in recent months, which in turn is driving up inflation in the UK.

But while the headline figure rose to 3.5% in the year to September, food price inflation stayed at 1.3%.

On the one hand, that’s a win for hard-pressed shoppers.

But on the other, the FDF believes an increase in food prices is still inevitable.

Shoppers will start paying more next year

“There’s no doubt that the cost of producing food in the UK is rising,” said Liliana Danila, chief economist at FDF.

“Packaging and ingredient costs are also rising.

“We expect that these increases will start to appear in consumer prices into next year.”

Average petrol prices rose by 8.2p a litre between August and September, while diesel went up by 10.7p to 192.5p a litre.

How to beat rising prices in the shops

While the price of food and drink in the shops might be beyond our control, there are some practical steps you can take to keep your grocery bill down.

Stick to a shopping list

Go to the supermarket with a plan of exactly what you want to eat over the coming week and what ingredients you’ll need.

You’ll then be far less likely to buy items on impulse or pick up those bits and pieces you don’t really need.

Set a budget

If you’re struggling to balance food costs with other expenses like rent and bills, work out how much money you’ve got coming in and where it’s all going.

You can then prioritise essential expenses and calculate exactly how much you can afford to spend in the supermarket each week.

Check our guide to how to create a budget to get started.

Base meals around cheap staples

With the right ingredients, you can make all sorts of tasty, filling and healthy meals, without having to worry about breaking the bank.

So instead of buying expensive ready meals or branded products, fill your trolley with cheap, long-lasting staples like pasta, rice and tinned tomatoes.

These are some of the most affordable and versatile ingredients you can buy, and can form the basis of everything from spaghetti bolognese and chilli to curry and risotto.

We’ve put together a list of 12 essential ingredients you should have in your kitchen.

Take advantage of supermarket loyalty schemes

If you shop at supermarkets with a loyalty scheme, like Tesco and Sainsbury’s, sign up for it so you can benefit from discounts, vouchers and other perks.

The savings will soon add up if you shop their regularly, especially if you’re after some of your favourite branded items.

Compare prices

If you’re in the habit of shopping at the same supermarket each week, cast your net a bit wider to see if other shops are offering better deals.

Make packed lunches

When you’re at work and it gets to lunchtime, it’s so easy to just nip to the nearest sandwich shop or grab a meal deal. 

But while this is convenient, it’s expensive, so it’s well worth spending a bit of time making some quick, healthy and filling packed lunches.

You’ll soon see how it easy it is and realise what difference it’s making to your wallet.

We’ve put together a few recipes and ways to liven up your lunches here.

Use what you’ve got in

It’s easy to spend more in the supermarket because you’ve thrown away perfectly good food at home.

For example, many of us will chuck items away when the date written on the packaging rolls around.

But food doesn’t suddenly become inedible on this date - and it’s possibly not indicating what you think it’s saying.

So make sure you know what use-by, best before and sell-by dates really mean before throwing anything out.

And if you’ve got some veg that’s about to go off, just add it to some soup or curry, or even put it in the freezer, instead of chucking it in the bin and buying more.

Learn to batch cook

When you’re cooking, make a bigger portion than you need and divide the extra food into single portions.

Once they’ve cooled down, put them in the freezer, so you’ve got extra meals on hand whenever you need them.

Meals like chilli and bolognese sauce freeze really well, and cooking up a bigger portion takes no extra effort.

Follow our regular money saving tips

Check back here regularly for our round-ups of standout deals and low-cost recipes that can save you money in the supermarket.