FOOD prices are on the rise – but shopping expert Jordon Cox reveals how to NEVER pay full price on your groceries and save hundreds a year.
Manufacturing giants like McVities and Heinz have already warned families that staples like biscuits and beans will go up in price this year.
And supermarkets including Morrisons and Tesco have warned prices could soar as a cost of living crisis grips the nation.
It means you'll be paying more for your groceries – but there are ways to beat the price hikes, Jordon said.
Dubbed as "Britain's Coupon Kid" and known for his bargain-hunting skills, he told The Sun that you can save hundreds of pounds on your food bill just by changing your shopping habits.
He explains five top tips for never paying full price on your grub.
Using his top tips could save you up to £75 a month – adding up to a tidy £900 saving over a year.
Get app savvy – save £25 a month
A good way to slash the cost of your groceries and even get cash back on certain items is to download money saving apps, Jordon said.
He recommends Shopmium, Checkout Smart, and Green Jinn, which all work in a similar way.
These apps list offers on products you can pick up at big supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury's.
You can get cash back when you buy items on offer – sometimes, you can even get all of your money back on what you've bought.
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"Go into the supermarket, buy the item under offer, take a picture of your receipt, upload it to the app and you can get your cash back," Jordon said.
"It's all done digitally and is pretty easy to do. The money is returned into your account once after you've uploaded the receipt in your app."
Download all the apps, and you may find you can get the same deal multiple times.
"For example, two different apps might have the same deal on Walker's crisps.
"You can use the deal twice and get double the cashback by stacking the deals – it doesn't happen often, but it's a great way to save money."
Jordon said you could save £25 a month on your shopping using these apps.
Send letters to brands – save up to £20
Email your favourite brands telling them how much you like their products and you might score some freebies and coupons, Jordon said.
"Get your kids to draw a picture for them, or get creative and make a song to send in," he said.
"Brands love stuff like that – they can use it for the own promotion on social media.
"I've been known to write love poems about how much I love products – I sent Innocent Smoothie a poem once and got sent £20 in coupons."
Jordon reckons you can save £20 a month by doing this.
Don't be afraid to complain
It's always disappointing to discover packet of crisps in a multipack has burst open and gone stale, or that your biscuits are soggy because the packaging wasn't sealed properly.
But instead of just throwing it – and your money – away, make sure you complain to your local supermarket or the manufacturer.
"Send an email or a Twitter message – they will usually come back to you," Jordon said.
"You often get free coupons – or your money back – if you complain.
"I once got a Celebration's tub for Christmas, and to my horror, discovered there were no Malteaser's chocolates in there but tons of Bountys.
"I complained to Mars and got £6 worth of free coupons for chocolate."
Sign up to loyalty schemes – save up to £15
Most UK supermarkets have loyalty schemes so customers can build up points and save money when they shop.
It's worth signing up to all of them to make the most of all the incentives on offer when you shop at different stores, Jordon said.
"Supermarkets, like Tesco, will send out coupons in the post where you can get money off your shopping.
"Or some schemes work where you can scan your card to collect points, which add up over time – then you can use them to get money taken off your shop."
When it revamped its Nectar loyalty scheme last year, Sainsbury's said the average shopper would now save around £200 a year.
Jordon estimates you can usually save £10-15 a month by making the most of loyalty schemes.
Look for yellow sticker food – save up to £15
Supermarkets often reduce the price of food nearing its use by date to shift stock and avoid food wastage.
These items are usually tagged with yellow stickers, showing how much the item has been reduced by.
You can often save up to 75% off these items, so it's worth incorporating yellow sticker food hunts into your shopping trips if you’re on a budget.
You'll probably save around £10 to £15 on your shopping bill per month, Jordon said.
"It’s only really good to pick it up if you know you’ll eat it, plus the selection might not be huge.
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"Look at the end of the day for reduced items in supermarkets," he said.
"Shops will usually start discounting food at around 6pm until closing time."
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