Household Budget Battles Knock Rice Off The Menu

3 months ago 09th Jul 15:03

As inflation soars out of control and the cost of everyday life rockets, three quarters of Brits (76%) are trying to save money by cooking more basic meals, according to new research released today.

Commissioned by the Potato Council, the study looks at food and shopping habits of today and yesteryear and reveals that average weekly shopping bills today have rocketed by nearly 350 percent from the average bill our parents received.

The study of 2,000 UK households also found that consumers are now looking for ways to reduce their food bill, with many turning to their parents and grandparents for advice based on their own experiences in managing household budgets when times were tough.

Over half of the households quizzed (69%) today do a weekly ‘big shop’ for groceries, heading to a supermarket for their family’s food in one go, whereas the previous generation made on average four trips to local stores for groceries, buying what they needed when they needed it, reducing food and financial waste.

Jasmine Birtles, independent financial expert at moneymagpie.com explains, “Shoppers should take a few tips from the thrifty way granny shopped and cooked. If you shop for your fruit and veg at local markets rather than the supermarket you should save about 30% on your food bill. Shopping locally will also save you a packet on petrol. Cook from scratch and shun expensive convenience foods so that you have less waste and save more money.”

The study also highlighted how consumers are starting to adapt their menus in an effort to watch their wallets. 76% of British households are now going ‘back to basics’ with their cooking and as the prices of pasta and rice rise, they are turning to other ‘store cupboard staples’, such as locally-grown potatoes, which are experiencing steady pricing and an increase in sales.

When asked about their parents’ experiences with household budgets and feeding a family, nearly half of those quizzed (47%) admitted to turning to them for advice on groceries and meal ideas when it comes to managing their household budgets, again driving the revival of British staples such as potatoes which contain only 100 calories per medium potato and absolutely no fat.

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