Many of us are feeling the pinch of higher living costs, with inflation biting into how far our money goes each week, fortnight and month.

One place it’s particularly noticeable is the grocery store. Lots of different items are more expensive than they were previously and it can be challenging to stay within a budget.

READ NEXT: Five things to know about inflation

Here are five tips to save on that next trip to the supermarket.

       1. Shop the sales

Major supermarkets like ALDI, Coles and Woolworths have discounts on certain items each week. You can usually find what’s on sale online or via the supermarket’s app. Having a look at what’s going cheaper and then planning meals around that may help to save.

       2. Grow at home

Setting up a kitchen garden, where you can grow veggies or herbs, is one way to cut down on spending at the shops. You also get the benefit of eating the freshest food.

      3. Buy in bulk

Often, items are cheaper if you buy more at once. Think toilet paper, laundry detergent and canned good that don’t tend to go off. Supermarkets tend to show you the price per individual item, so you can look at that to do the maths on whether you’d save by buying in bulk.

         4. Drop the brands

Shoppers tend to pay a premium for items with fancy packaging or brand names. If you choose generic or home brand items instead, you may pay a little bit less.

       5. Stick to the list

It can be tempting to impulse buy at the supermarket, particularly if you go in hungry. By making a list and sticking to it, you may be able to cut down on how much you spend at the checkout.

Like every article on TomorrowMoney, this is not personal financial advice.