Tips to help you save $5000 a year on grocery shopping

They say good food can bring people together - but when the kids want a lunchbox revamp, and the latest treats are just too good to walk past, the grocery bills start piling up.

Now, Aussie consumers can rejoice, because supermarket saviour Joel Gibson is here to help - with his insider guide to downsizing your bills, he’s helping us pocket a little more change at the checkout.

“The average grocery bill is $240, which is $12,000 a year, according to the ABS,” Gibson said.

“That big amount is made up of thousands of little purchasing decisions - and every time you decide to buy something that’s 10 per cent or 20 per cent more than something else, you’re adding $1,000 to $2,000 over the course of the year to your grocery bill.

“So if you get into some really good habits and learn the tricks and have the discipline, you can save thousands of dollars over time. It’s possible.”

Start small

“If you think about that $240 bill, if you can save 10 per cent on every item, then that’s $24 a week - and that’s over $1,000 a year,” Gibson said.

“It’s from little things that big things grow. Every little saving adds up over time when it comes to grocery savings.”

Tips before you shop

“Preparation is really important, so obviously make a list and don’t go into the supermarket blind,” Gibson said.

“Declare a war on waste - on average, we waste $1,000 of food every year per household, so use up as much of that stuff as possible from the back of the cupboard or the fridge.

“Every Wednesday, the specials come out for the big supermarkets - so make that the day you check out the online specials and see where things are cheap that week. Make your list based on that, and shop at the supermarkets that have the best specials.

“It’s also not a bad idea to shop at night - it’s quieter and you often get end-of-day specials, and if you’re going after dinner then you’re not hungry. And you should never shop when you’re hungry.”

Look up, look down

When you’re doing your shopping, avoid falling into the ‘tricks’ that supermarkets use to get you to buy more.

“Every square centimetre of your local supermarket is designed to get you in the door and keep you in there as long as possible,” Gibson said.

“It’s all about the layout - the cheap milk and bread is always at the back of the store, so you have to walk past everything else to get there.

“The more expensive products are right at your eye level - the cheaper ones are above or down low. So always look up and look down.”

Don’t be lazy

“No one supermarket has the cheapest of everything,” Gibson said.

“There is research that shows Aldi is often 10 per cent cheaper on the home brands, so I think shopping at Aldi and at least one other is the minimum.

“If you can shop at a minimum of two supermarkets, then you will win over time and save a lot of money.

“You should be as disloyal as you need to be to get the best deal out of the supermarkets that are working the hardest to get you in that week.”

Watch: Tips to save money

Originally published on 7news