I compared supermarket budget food ranges – and the cheapest was a HUGE surprise | The Sun
SUPERMARKET own brand items are popular with shoppers looking to slash their food bill – but which shop has the cheapest range?
Shopping whizz Kathryn Leech did some digging to find out which supermarket had the cheapest budget range.
In a viral TikTok video, the 26-year-old from Manchester shopped for essentials at both Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's.
She started her video by showing the difference between a bag of rice which costs £2.50 per kilo from Sainsbury's but only £1.85 per kilo from Marks and Spencer.
This is the same price as 1kg of rice in both Tesco and Asda.
The clip also shows a two-pint carton of milk priced 20p cheaper in the luxury food retailer compared to Sainsbury's, where it was £1.35.
Whilst essentials including a loaf of bread, carton of six eggs and 500gs of penne pasta were all priced 10p cheaper at Marks and Spencer.
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Kathryn was stunned by the price difference in items – with M&S surprisingly proving to be the most cost-effective choice, despite being known for its high-end prices.
The clip racked up over 1.4 million views and 98,500 likes, with viewers equally shocked.
One user commented: “Never thought I’d see the day.”
Another user wrote: “My weekly M&S food shop as a couple of foodies is £50 the same stuff cost me £70 in Tesco.”
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“This one shocked me but I think it's because we always told M&S expensive but they actually affordable and better quality,” commented another.
“I absolutely love M&S food and shop there most of the time.
"I genuinely find things to be cheaper than elsewhere (sometimes even Aldi)", another viewer said.
How can I find the best deals in the supermarket?
Get a loyalty card
Signing up for a supermarket loyalty card can often help you to get cheaper prices on essentials.
If you have a loyalty card, you may find you can get extra points or discounts, particularly if you buy petrol from the same supermarket.
The Sun recently compared the best supermarket loyalty cards in this handy guide.
Asda is the latest supermarket to promise shoppers extra perks, bringing it in line with Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco.
But it's worth comparing loyalty schemes – and remember you don't have to stay loyal, despite the name.
Known when to shop
Heading to the shops when products are marked down and bright yellow discount stickers are applied can save you serious dough.
If you shop in the evening, you are more likely to find goods that have been marked marked down.
But each branch of a supermarket will have their biggest discounts at slightly different times of day.
We put together a handy guide to what time supermarkets including Aldi, Asda, Tesco and Lidl reduce their prices.
Make a list
One of the most common mistakes shoppers make is going out underprepared.
Making a list will help to stay focused on getting the items that you really need, rather than being drawn into impulse purchases.
Another tip is to choose a smaller trolley – or a basket, if possible – to shop with.
A bigger trolley will look emptier even after you've finished trawling the aisles, and can encourage you to pick up more items.
Swap to own brand
Ditching items with labels like "finest" in favour of "own" or "value" can be worthwhile.
The Sun regularly tests supermarket own brand products to see if they can beat the big brands.
Lidl's own brand Freeway Cola costing 47p beat other supermarket's own brands to be crowned the best by The Sun.
While the budget supermarket's own brand orange juice was also found to be the best alternative to Tropicana.
The brand's Smooth Orange Juice costs £2.75 compared to Lidl's Simply Orange Juice, which is just 55p.
You can also try checking frozen alternatives to fresh fruit and vegetables, and looking on the lower shelves where customers are known to find better deals.
Meanwhile, we found out from a supermarket expert how you can get your weekly shop cheaper in every aisle.
We also revealed the cheapest supermarket in the country – and it's not what you expect.
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