Supermarkets can be great places to shop and find bargains but they are in business to make as much money as possible – from customers like you. So make the most of supermarket offers by being careful which ones you choose.
Look out for offers, but don’t buy them for the sake of it. Buy ‘two-for-ones’ on items that keep, like toothpaste, toilet rolls etc, or on items where you can use one and freeze the other. Buy reduced brands if you were going to buy the item anyway. Don’t buy something you don’t need just because it is on offer.
Love a bargain? Try www.fixtureferrets.co.uk which has details of all current supermarket offers. These are sorted into categories, so you can search for things you actually need. The site also shows how much money will be saved on each sale product.
Ask for a voucher to use at a later date. Sometimes when a sale item is out of stock the supermarket will give you a voucher entitling you to the same offer in the future.
Check that you are really getting a bargain. Supermarkets use a variety of techniques to give the impression that certain deals are better than they really are. Some have been known to put up prices just before an offer (so the ‘offer’ price is actually nearer the normal price) or offers may be on perishable food near its ‘sell by’ date. Check the prices of items on offer against similar full price brands to see if they really are cheaper.
Time your shopping to find reduced items. Items are reduced throughout the day if they are not sold. They can be reduced by up to 75%. In most supermarkets the highest reductions will come at 7, 8 or 9pm, with 50% reductions made around 5pm. Work out when your local supermarket makes reductions and time your shopping around this.
Be aware of ‘use by’ dates. When food has a ‘use by’ date on it this is referring to the date that the food will go off. These are used on perishable goods and should not be ignored. If sale items are nearly at their ‘use by’ dates work out if you will be able to eat them in time.
Try online shopping. As a busy medical student you may feel that you do not have time to visit supermarkets and hunt around for bargains. Try
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Home.aspx. You can input your shopping list and it will work out which supermarket, from a few leading chains, will be the cheapest to get it from, as well as suggesting cheaper alternatives to your purchases. You can then order it online to be delivered.
See ‘Food Shopping’ for more food related money saving advice. www.money4medstudents.org/content.asp?id=180 | 
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