A COUPLE who gave up supermarkets for a year have pledged to keep shopping at independent stores after saving £895.23.

Ian and Rebekah Pugh said the challenge had seen them cut out “extra” items, slashing their bill.

The once “committed” Sainsbury’s shoppers also stopped odd trips to Waitrose and Aldi to save cash while Mrs Pugh was on maternity leave.

The couple, parents to 18-month-old Lizzie, set a £50-a-week budget on November 5 last year.

And their 52 visits to shops in Faringdon and county markets cut the average £80 to £100 weekly bill to £34, she said.

Now the couple are looking for a foodie destination to holiday in with the cash they saved.

Mrs Pugh, 29, from Faringdon, said: “We have changed our whole lifestyle, we think about what we buy.

“Supermarkets are engineered to make you buy – the bread and milk is at the back.

“We would pop into shops to buy milk and spend £30 on extras.

“We have cut our food waste by not buying the offers from supermarkets — we are buying what we need.”

She added: “I am surprised at how easy it’s been. We are healthier, we lost weight.”

Faringon’s butchers, deli, bakers and markets in places like Abingdon, Oxford and Witney kept the Pughs stocked up.

Items like milk, from newsagents, were dearer but goods like potatoes and baked beans proved cheaper, she said.

She said: “People say shopping at independents is for the rich but we have shown that’s not the case.”

She said the spending – documented online – has “never been a campaign against supermarkets”.

Mr Pugh, an academic administrator at St Cross College in Oxford, said: “I was reasonably sure we would spent a lot more money and have a lot less choice.

“We would never continue in a supermarket. The quality and choice is better locally.”

Read more about the couple’s story at ayearwithoutsupermarkets.com

TOP TIPS

  • Check the date – food can be frozen up to 24 hours before the use-by date
  • Plan meals – write a list, take it to the shops and stick to it
  • Store food correctly – apples in the fridge and bread and potatoes in a cool dry place
  • Watch your portions – are you preparing too much?
  • Think leftovers – visit the website for recipes from last night’s meal

Food waste tips from lovefoodhatewaste.com