With a few careful tweaks to your shopping and cooking habits, you can definitely cut the cost of feeding the family.

From planning to going shopping on your own, try these tips to help.

Always plan out the meals you want before writing out your shopping list and don’t just think about ingredients for one meal. If you’re going to have to buy a bag of potatoes this week to make mash for your Sunday dinner, how about throwing a few into a curry as well?

Consider what’s in the cupboards and keep them well organised so it’s easy to see what you’ve already got. Aim not to waste a single item – consider everything you throw away as money going into the dustbin.

You may find this Stocktaking Sheet handy to help you know what food you have before you go shopping. And download a free Meal Planning Sheet here.

When you’ve mapped out your meals for the week it’s vital that you write a list and stick to this in the shop.

If you want to be a super-saver then don’t put any luxuries on it. Instead, set a target spend, buy everything off the list and then if you’re under that figure allow yourself a treat.

I used to shop without a list but once I started sticking to a list, the food spend definitely went down.

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Don’t get sucked into ‘too good to be true’ offers – it’s only a bargain if you really need it and are going to use it.

Equally, if something you buy weekly goes on offer then stock up and save for future weeks.

Use store loyalty points and coupons wisely.

The best way to know if you’re getting a good price is to read the unit price on the shelf ticket label, to ensure you are really getting the best offer. Sometimes what looks like a bargain is actually more expensive.

Compare prices between brands, some may be on offer and worth taking this week to save money.

Alternatively, before you head out to shop, check supermarkets to see who is offering the best deal on the things you buy regularly.

Try dropping down a price bracket from the brand you currently buy or go with store own brand.

If you can’t tell the difference in quality, stick to the cheaper item and enjoy the ongoing savings.

You’ll save time and money by cooking meals in advance and storing them up.

You can make enough for several sittings in one go – making a more cost effective use of ingredients. Things like bolognese sauce, stews, casseroles, soups all double or triple up easily.

Buying meat for a family can be expensive. For at least one meal a week try replacing meat with vegetables. Here are some meat-free recipes to try.

Consider investing in a slow cooker – as well as saving you time in your busy day, it will also save you money as you can buy cheaper cuts of meat. Here are Slow Cooker Recipes the family will love.

Avoid eating out or ordering takeaways unless it’s a special occasion – consider how much more a restaurant meal is than what you can rustle up at home.

Try some new recipes out for tasty cost-conscious special meal ideas so that you don’t feel you’re missing out. Why not get the kids involved in cooking dinner for the family too?

Go shopping on your own to remain fully focussed. It’s nice to have help but having more members of your family along for the ride will increase the chance that one of them will stray from the script and pile cost onto the bill.

Your children will prefer not to be dragged around the shop anyway. Go after you’ve eaten too. Those tummy rumbles will only encourage you to spend more.

The freezer is your friend. Use it wisely to ensure you get more from your meals and ingredients, and to store up that batch cooking. It also helps you avoid food waste so pop any leftovers into the freezer for a future meal.

Label everything and rotate containers regularly to make sure you don’t forget what you have in there.