The supermarket hacks to save you hundreds - and the aisle you always need to shop in

Savvy shoppers has shared a tip that could save hundreds over the course of a year by targeting specific supermarket aisles. Consumer experts at Which? advise there are specific tips and tricks that could lead to significant savings when it comes to your grocery shop.

With many across the UK feeling the pinch due to the soaring cost of living, any opportunity to slash the shopping bill is welcome – saving extra cash can help towards bills, festive expenses, or even a well-deserved holiday. The top tip?

Don't overlook the world food aisle.

Often overlooked, this section in supermarkets can provide cheaper options without compromising on a healthy and nutritious diet. Which?

points out that "knowing how supermarkets operate can help you save hundreds of pounds over the course of a year".

They further explained: "Spices, lentils, rice and coconut milk are just a few of the items that tend to be cheaper in supermarkets' world foods aisles. When we checked, the cheapest paprika in Morrisons' spices aisle was an own-label jar costing £1 for 45g (£2.23 per 100g). But you could buy more than double that amount for the same price in the world foods aisle - a 100g bag for just 99p."

Consumer experts have highlighted that savvy shoppers who can afford to buy in bulk could pocket "substantial savings". They pointed out, for instance, that a 1kg bag of Tilda Basmati rice is priced at £4.40 in Asda's rice aisle, but a larger 5kg bag is only £12 in the world food section, effectively costing just £2.40 per kilogram.

Which? also suggests comparing the cost of loose and pre-packaged items. For example, they found that while three mixed bell peppers are sold for £2.10 at a Tesco Express, a single loose pepper costs 65p.

Another tip from the consumer champions is to scan beyond eye level when shopping, as supermarkets tend to place cheaper brands on the lower shelves.

For those looking to save even more, Which? recommends using the app Too Good to Go to snap up "surprise" grocery bags. They shared that their local Asda was offering a bag valued at £9 for just £3.30, available for collection between 9.30pm and 10pm, while a nearby Morrisons had a similar bag worth £10 for £3.29, ready for pick-up between 7pm and 9.40pm.

These bags contain items nearing their sell-by date, so they may need to be consumed quickly, and the contents are random. Lastly, they advise keeping an eye out for bargain fruit and veg deals.

In a similar vein, various supermarkets offer boxes aimed at reducing waste. Lidl provides 'Waste Not' boxes filled with fruit and vegetables nearing their sell-by date.

On the other hand, Sainsbury's sells £2 'Taste Me, Don't Waste Me' boxes in selected stores. The Lidl boxes are typically available early in the morning, while the Sainsbury's options are best sought in the late evening.

Another tip involves deciphering the codes on pre-packaged fruit and veg. Which? stated: "The big supermarket chains have removed 'best before' dates from many of their pre-packaged fresh fruit and vegetables to try to reduce food waste - so if you're after a pack of tomatoes or a punnet of grapes with a long shelf life, you may need to decipher the code on the packaging."

When shopping at Asda and Tesco, customers should look for a letter followed by a number. The letter 'A' represents January and so forth, with the subsequent number indicating the actual day. For instance, a code that reads 'D22' signifies April 22.

Sainsbury's, on the other hand, begins and ends codes with 'J' and 'S', referring to the company's full name and its founder John James Sainsbury. These codes simply contain the date in the middle, so 'J2405S' translates to May 24.

At Morrisons, the first letter and day of the month is used, so ' A17' means August 17. Which? advised: "Bear in mind that food is usually perfectly edible after its best-before or sell-by date - it should be fine to eat if it looks and smells OK. However, food with a use-by date, such as pre-cut fruit, must be eaten by midnight of its expiry date or it could be unsafe."

The consumer watchdog also suggested staying savvy with offers, noting that Clubcard and Nectar card deals can be appealing but it's wise to only purchase items you actually need. They pointed out that Tesco Clubcard prices' end dates are often written in reverse on the shelf label, so '240606' would mean the offer ends on June 6.

Which? further mentioned: "Even if an offer is ending soon, Which? research has found that a lot of products regularly go back on offer again and again, so it's best to only buy the item if you were already planning to do so. Loyalty prices are often the same as items' regular selling prices at other stores, too."