Warning to shoppers as grocery bills set to rise by £271 a year – how to keep costs down

FAMILIES are being clobbered at the supermarket as grocery prices soar at their fastest rate for 11 years.

Data from Kantar suggests that the average grocery bill will rocket by £271 this year.

It comes as families are grappling with a cost of living crisis, as inflation has reached a 30-year high of 7%.

Rising petrol prices and soaring energy bills are just some of the outgoings households are struggling to cope with.

This week, Asda promised it would cut prices on 100 essential items to help families.

The pledge covers shopping staples including fruit and veg, cereal, rice and cheese.

But it might not be enough. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the price of some essentials have surged by an eye-watering 37% in the past year.

Pasta and couscous have gone up by 14.9%, and jam, marmalade and honey by 13.6%, it said.

Eggs are also 8% more expensive that a year ago.

Shoppers have seen the price of tomatoes go up as much as 60% due to a lack of supply.

Meanwhile, some stores are rationing purchases of certain products such as cooking oil.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said the average household will see price rises of £271 a year on their supermarket shop after food inflation hit 5.9%. It’s the fastest rise since December 2011.

McKevitt said: “A lot of this is on non-discretionary, everyday essentials, which will prove difficult to cut back on as budgets as squeezed.

“We’re seeing a clear flight to value as shoppers watch their pennies.”

He said more shoppers were using budget grocers Aldi and Lidl in a bid to keep costs down.

How to reduce the cost of your supermarket shop

Cutting your spending at the supermarket can be difficult, but there are some tricks worth trying.

Keep an eye out for yellow-sticker bargains, which can get you up to 75% off products nearing their use-by date.

If you’ve spotted a bargain, you can always buy it and put it in the freezer, says money saving guru Naomi Willis.

Signing up to loyalty schemes will save you money too. Tesco‘s Clubcard is well-known for giving discounts to its members.

But Lidl and other stores also have apps, through which you can get access to exclusive deals.

When trawling the aisles, be sure to look at the lower shelves. This is where shops tend to put the cheapest products – and they put the most profitable ones at eye-level, where you’re more likely to see them.

Charlotte Jessop, of money saving blog said it’s important to check the price per quantity for the best value too.

“Rather than looking at the total cost, I look at how much it costs per 100g say,” Charlotte said. 

“This means that I can compare products more easily to check I am getting the best deal.”

Food waste apps can help you cut food waste and reduce your spending. Too Good To Go lets you pick up food from shops including Morrisons, Greggs and Pret at a big discount.

Elsewhere, we’ve look at the best day of the week to go to the supermarket to make sure you get all the best deals.

Plus, we’ve rounded up the five items you should always buy at Aldi – and the ones you should avoid.