Over the past couple of years, rising food prices have slowly crept into everyday life. A weekly shop that once felt manageable now leaves us wondering how we spend so much on so little. Even picking up necessities like toilet paper can feel expensive.
For young people trying to cover rent and bills on entry-level salaries or student budgets, rising food costs leave even less money to spend elsewhere. Grocery price inflation reached 2.5 per cent in the four weeks to 4 October, adding to the pressure on already stretched budgets.
Student finances show just how tight things can get. Save the Student’s 2026 survey found that students spend an average of £1,146 a month, while the average maintenance loan is £679, leaving a £467 gap to cover. The latest English Housing Survey also found that private renters aged 16 to 34 spent an average of 36 per cent of their income on rent in 2024–25. That’s a lot of money gone before food shopping even comes into it.
It’s no wonder some are getting fed up. I’ve seen people on TikTok discussing a planned supermarket boycott on 28 October in response to rising prices. The We’re Not Buying It campaign is calling on people to avoid major supermarkets for 24 hours on the day of the Budget and shop at independent businesses instead. I’ve also seen young people sharing their weekly food shops and how much they spend.
When young shoppers are considering avoiding major supermarkets just to make a point about the cost of food, it says a lot about how frustrated people have become.
I’ve found my own way of making my money go further: loyalty cards. I’m at the point where I wouldn’t go to the supermarket without one, much like I wouldn’t leave the house without a reusable bag to avoid paying 50p for one.
My Apple Wallet is full of supermarket loyalty cards, and I get genuinely excited about collecting points. When I see the price of my food shop in Sainsbury’s come down by even £3 after swiping my Nectar card, it feels like a small win. I leave feeling a little less guilty about spending money, as though I’ve managed to outsmart the rising cost of living.
The most I’ve saved was last Christmas, when my Boots Advantage card gave me £100 towards gifts for friends and family. I’d been using their recycling scheme over the year, taking back five Boots-bought items each shop, to get £5 back in advantage points for every £10 spent.
Through my Uber rides, I collect Avios points and turn them into Nectar points to save on my grocery shop. I’m always looking for ways to save money and follow financial influencers on TikTok, where I’ve picked up tips like this for getting more out of the money I’m already spending. These points even helped pay for a flight to Portugal after my A-levels.
I’ve seen friends go through the hassle of splitting their shopping into smaller purchases so they can use different vouchers and discounts that can’t always be used together. They use loyalty schemes too, from Clubcard discounts on their food shops to collecting stamps at Costa and Caffè Nero for a free coffee. It feels less like a trend and more like a normal part of how we spend money.
Research by the Competition and Markets Authority found that loyalty pricing offered genuine savings on the grocery products it examined. Across five supermarkets, the average saving on loyalty-priced products ranged from 17 per cent to 25 per cent. The problem is when they encourage us to spend more than we planned. I’m a loyal Sainsbury’s customer, but I’ve also fallen into the trap of buying specific items to unlock rewards elsewhere. M&S’s Sparks card, for example, has encouraged me to buy particular items, such as pyjamas, to get £5 cashback. It feels like a discount, but you have to spend your own money first to get anything back.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 64 per cent of 16- to 29-year-olds reported being worried about the rising cost of living in May. When you’re a student or just starting out in your career, finding ways to save money and enjoy little perks without overspending matters. Free coffee becomes something to look forward to.
But none of these small wins makes the wider cost of living disappear. Saving £3 on groceries doesn’t make rent cheaper or guarantee there’s money left at the end of the month. Loyalty points can take the edge off spending, but they can’t solve the pressure of trying to make a limited income cover increasingly expensive necessities.
If young people are finding increasingly creative ways to stretch their money, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re getting ahead. Sometimes it just means we’re getting better at coping with how expensive everything has become.
Loyalty cards can help us save money, but they can also make rising prices easier to accept. And when everyday necessities already take up so much of our income, a few points on an app shouldn’t have to feel like a financial win.