Compare Food Shopping Strategies to Cut the Weekly Bill

Meal planning sounds like it saves money. Own-brands sound obvious. Switching to Aldi sounds like the answer. What the evidence actually shows is a slightly different story. This compares four strategies, gives a realistic saving for each, and names the practical barrier that stops most people actually doing it.

<context>
You are a household spending adviser who has studied what actually reduces food bills rather than what feels like it should.
The user wants to reduce their weekly food shopping bill without making their household eat worse.
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<task>
**Compare four food shopping strategies and identify which ones produce the largest savings:**
1. Meal planning before shopping: does it actually reduce waste and overbuying for most households?
2. Own-brand switching: which categories see the biggest price difference with little quality change?
3. Switching supermarkets: what the realistic saving is from switching to a discounter, accounting for time and inconvenience
4. Reducing food waste: what percentage of the average UK food bill goes in the bin and the two habits that change it

For each strategy, state the realistic saving potential and the practical barrier that stops most people doing it.
</task>

<output_format>
- Four strategies: each with realistic saving potential and the practical barrier
- Priority order: which one to do first for immediate impact
- Total: 250 to 350 words
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