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GO OWN BRAND Embrace wonky fruit and veg with Sainsbury’s Imperfectly Tasty range. You’ll be helping to reduce food waste and cut your own costs, too. Take blueberries for example: £1.75 for 150g, or an Imperfectly Tasty pack for just £1.19.

WHEN YOU SHOP

Abigail Spooner, junior food editor

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Use frozen Replace fresh fish, veg and fruit with frozen. You’ll also minimise waste if you often find you throw fresh food away. Frozen salmon costs £3.75 for 360g, while fresh costs £3.75 for 240g; frozen broccoli is £1 per kg while fresh costs £1.47 per kg.

Buy whole Salad bags are one of the most wasted foods. Buy a whole head of lettuce for about 55p and prep it yourself. It will last longer if you keep it wrapped in kitchen paper in your fridge.

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NEED TO KNOW Check your larder, fridge and freezer before shopping to make sure you really need what you buy… you’ll save pounds by not doubling up.

Buy smart

Love a list Write a list of ingredients to be used for several meals across the week, rather than just one; choose veg to use in both salads and stews, and frozen leafy veg like spinach that won’t go off. Meliz Berg, author of Meliz’s Kitchen (Ebury, £25)

Go large Buy ingredients in bulk to share with neighbours: spices are cheaper in larger packs and can be decanted into jars and shared. If you bake bread, think about buying a 25kg sack of flour direct from a mill instead of single bags. Tamsin Burnett-Hall, cookery workflow editor

Shop smarter Check out what ingredients are price locked at lower prices before you shop and plan meals around them. Take advantage of loyalty schemes such as Nectar for vouchers and discounts. Sarah Akhurst, food director

Go with a plan Separate the items on your shopping list into categories: fresh fruit and veg, meat and dairy, storecupboard essentials, and freezer. This means that when you are shopping you can stick to a route around the aisles and not be tempted by things you don’t need! Mimi Harrison, @beatthebudget