Reduce the cost of the Christmas food shop

The cost of Christmas can be high enough at the best of times, with households forking out for things like gifts and going out. However, the cost of food also adds to the financial burden over the festive season, and for bigger families in particular the amount being spent on food can quickly spiral out of control. With the cost of food having increased the situation will be even worse this year, and many families can ill afford to spend the amount that they will end up paying for food for Christmas.

There are some ways, however, in which consumers can try and reduce the amount that they spend on Christmas food, and in the current climate every bit helps, so it is worth making the effort now to reduce the cost of food shopping. One thing to remember is that a lot of the food people tend to buy for the festive season is not short life stuff – much of it can be frozen, such as party foods and buffet items, turkeys, ready made roasters, and frozen vegetables.

With this in mind it is a good idea to start looking out for special offers on the food items that you will need for Christmas now rather than leaving it until the last minute. By taking advantage of special deals as you see them, such as half price deals or two for one deals, you could dramatically reduce the amount that you spend on food overall for the festive season. It also means that you won’t have to worry about finding the money all at once to buy your Christmas food because you can buy it gradually between now and Christmas.

Another thing to consider is where you buy your food, as this can make a big difference to the amount that you spend. Many discount supermarkets that have sprung up over the past couple of years offer some good deals on many food items, and although most do not have the same special deals such as two for one deals on items the initial cost of the products is often considerably cheaper. When it comes to veggies for Christmas consider going to a market rather than buying from supermarkets if you want fresh vegetables, as this can often be cheaper as well as fresher.

Finally, resist the temptation to buy too much food for the Christmas period. Many people tend to forget that shops and supermarkets are only shut for one day, and they start stocking up for no reason with food that often ends up going to waste. Just buy what you need for the big day, and you can then determine whether you need to do another shop afterwards depending on what you have left.

Tags: The cost, short life stuff, frozen vegetables, food can, discount supermarkets, cost, last minute

Consumers more satisfied with discount retailers than major supermarkets

Over the past couple of years discount supermarkets have become increasingly popular amongst consumers, and this is due to the financial problems that many households have faced, which has forced them to seek out ways in which they can save money on their monthly outgoings such as their shopping bills.

Many have started to use discount supermarkets in addition to or instead of the major supermarket giants, and a recent poll has shown that customers seem to be more satisfied with these discount stores compared to the supermarket giants.

A recent report has shown that when it comes to the affections of customers, discount stores such as Lidl and Aldi have rated higher than the big name supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda. The measure of customer satisfaction showed that the discount retailers managed to score an impressive 61 percent in terms of customer satisfaction. The big name supermarkets, on the other hand, did not do as well.

Asda and Tesco both scored less than 50 percent in the customer satisfaction polls, and the most popular of the supermarket chains, Sainsbury’s, only scored 58 percent which was still less than the discount supermarkets.

Waitrose fared better than the discount stores, scoring an impressive 79 percent when it came to customer satisfaction levels. The study was carried out by consumer campaign group Which? and involved looking at areas such as staff attitudes, prices, and choice.

A spokesperson for Which? stated: ‘The success of some budget supermarkets in our survey proves that savvy shoppers can make the most of their money without compromising on quality. UK shoppers want the whole package – great value for money, a wide range of quality products and a pleasant shopping environment. It’s not rocket science, but those supermarkets that consistently get it wrong should beware – shoppers will vote with their feet and take their business elsewhere.’

Tags: supermarket, tesco, sainsburys, supermarket chains, Aldi, business, Wal-Mart, Waitrose