Looking to cut down on your grocery bills? Here’s how to get jaw-droppingly low priced food

IF YOU’RE one of the many who is desperate to cut down on your family’s food bill, it could be time to head online.

Several little-known sites offer the chance to grab grocery bargains – as long as you know how to plan properly.

specialises in offering grub which is either surplus or short-dated. That means the best before date has either just passed or is in the very near future.

Contrary to what many people think, best before dates don’t have another to do with food safety. They are actually a sign of quality, so you can eat food after the figure printed – it just might not be as tasty.

Most of the food is just ahead of its best before date, meaning it’s cheaper to buy but still safe to eat.

So, what kind of prices can you expect? As with anything it’s dependent on when you visit the site.

Sometimes the bargains will be better than others, plus you can’t guarantee what you need will be available.

Key examples at the moment are four cans of Coca-Cola Zero for £1, or you can buy singular ones for 29p

Normally the drinks will set you back 68p a can.

There is also a case of peparami hot grab, containing 24 of the sausage snacks, for £2. Normally that amount would retail for £16.80.

If you chose to use the site make sure your read the information about what you’re buying properly.

Each listing clearly states when the best before date of the product is.

For example, the perarami deal is so good because its best before is today – March 13 2017.

The Coca-Cola Zero has a best before of March 31 2017.

It’s also worth checking grocery comparison website MySupermarket.com to see how the price compares before you buy an item.

Another point to be aware of is the shipping cost. While stores like Tesco and Sainsbury’s offer deals depending on how much you buy, Approved Foods doesn’t. Delivery is £5.99 for a box weighing 25kg – if your order runs into two boxes you’ll pay £8.50.

The site is far from the only one offering these kinds of deals.

also offers deal on excess stock, taking in everything from groceries to pet supplies and toiletries. Again, everything is either very near its best before date or just passed it.

At the moment there is Ready Brek porridge being sold for £0.59 – full price is £1.49.

Kellogg’s Corn Flake are on the site for £0.29 for 375g, rather than the £1.99 usually seen in stores.

While these sites offer bargains, it’s important to think carefully about how much you’ll really save before putting in an order.

There is no point in bulk buying food which has passed it’s best before date if you aren’t going to be able to eat it quickly.

That means planning meals could be key to getting value for money.

You also won’t be able to get everything you need in one place as stock changes constantly, so working out how to pick up low-cost food in supermarkets is another good tip.