Cost of living tips: Your personalised guide to saving money

By the Visual Journalism and Digital Formats teams 

The UK is being hit by rising costs. Food, energy, transport and housing are all going up rapidly in price. But everyone’s cost of living crisis is affecting them in different ways. 

Food 

It will come as little surprise to you food prices are rising fast. According to research by Which? items including cereals and cheese cost a fifth (20%) more than they did last year. A trip to the supermarket now takes a lot of organisation beforehand, with the charity Love Food Hate Waste recommending planning meals ahead of time and setting a budget before you get to the shops. 

In fact, walking straight past the convenience store onto a larger branch can pay dividends. Which? found that customers can end up spending almost a tenth (9.5%) more each year shopping at a Sainsbury’s Local rather than a regular Sainsbury’s supermarket. 

Once they get there, many shoppers are turning to frozen, canned and dried products; switching from known brands to cheaper own-brand products; and cutting back on non-essentials such as alcohol and more indulgent foods. 

Energy 

What you pay for your gas and electricity has also been rising fast. 

Global events including the pandemic and war in Ukraine have pushed up wholesale prices - what companies pay - and those greater costs have been passed onto you, the consumer. 

Nevertheless, closer to home, there are simple steps you can take to save cash: washing clothes at 30 C, cutting your shower down to four minutes or less, and stopping draughts under your door with an excluder can all help, according to the Energy Savings Trust. 

Transport 

Rising travel costs are also affecting us all, whether we drive or take public transport. The price of oil, used to make petrol and diesel, has gone up due to returning demand after Covid, and Russian supply issues. Also the British pound has weakened against the dollar, and oil is bought in dollars. Almost half of adults asked in a survey said they were cutting back on non-essential journeys in their vehicle because of fuel costs.