Supermarket shoppers who buy frozen food rather than fresh could save £7.80 on their weekly grocery bill, according to new research.
According to the report, items such as salmon, broccoli and sausages were all cheaper to buy frozen rather than fresh – so, if households were to switch to frozen produce entirely they could save an estimated £405.60 a year.
A basket of frozen family groceries costs just £15.45 compared to the same items bought fresh at £23.25, according to the research compiled by Sheffield Hallam University on behalf of frozen food website TheNewIceAge.com.
Deep freeze: If money is tight then families could buy cheaper frozen produce rather than fresh - saving over £400 a year.The cost of food rose 1.4 per cent between November and December, according to the Consumer Price Index, following a supermarket price war in early October.
The results from Asda's regular 'income tracker' last week showed wages had grown just 1.9 per cent in a year, while gas and electricity bills had rocketed 19.8 and 14.1 per cent respectively over the year to December.
More... Households spending less on food and energy to keep a roof over their heads Opening up the loft could lower your overheads as renting out spare space or taking in a lodger boosts household incomesThe pressure is firmly on households to start making cost cutting measures.
Charlotte Harden, nutrition and science consultant at the university, said: 'We compared items from four of the top supermarkets and found that frozen food comes in at much better value per 100g.
'Many families are feeling the pinch at this time of year and will be looking for cost savings so they can clear post-Christmas debts.'
How to cut your food costsThe big food shops keep promising to cut their prices, but families' finances are still being stretched. However, as Tara Evans explains, there are a few things you can do to cut back:
1. Try non-brand products – It sounds simple but they’re cheaper than branded products and often of a similar quality.
2. For basics, go basic – For certain foods you don’t need to buy something fancy, such as flour, sugar, rice , salt and so on. While it may seem like a couple of pence at the time, these pennies do add up.
3. Try a cheaper supermarket – If you’re really serious about cutting back then why not try Lidl or Aldi.
4. Beware of bogus BOGOFs – Supermarkets often tempt customers into spending more with buy-one-get-one-free or 2 for 1 offers. These often mean you spend more than you usually would and sometimes these offers can be more expensive than buying the item separately. Remember a discount isn’t a discount, unless you were already going to buy the item.
5.Keep your eyes peeled for real discounts – check websites like Hotukdeals and vouchers.co.uk for offers on items that you would usually buy.