Like most other things these days, the cost of the weekly shop is a lot higher than it once was. However, it’s still really important to make sure you’re buying a good selection of healthy, nourishing foods.
Luckily, most supermarkets make this slighly easier by stocking budget version of many household staples. From things like bread and yoghurt to other essentials like laundry detergent and soap, you can save a lot of cash when switching from premium to budget range. But according to new information from the consumer experts at Which?, this may not always be the case.
Shops like Asda, Aldi, Tesco and Sainsbury’s all have own-label groceries, and most of them have three different levels of quality. There’s the standard, then a budget version and usually a more premium one too.
According to market analysts Worldpanel by Numerator, own-label items account for more than half of overall grocery spending in the UK.
But it’s important to remember that just because something is “budget” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s cheaper.
If you really want to cut down on the amount you spend on food, you’ll want to take extra care when browsing the aisles, as there’s something which catches many people out.
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The experts noted: “It’s worth remembering that the very cheapest groceries may not even officially be in own-label budget ranges at all.
“Price-matching schemes and loyalty discounts may actually mean the cheapest groceries are from other own-label ranges or even, sometimes, big brands.”
So before you automatically reach for the cheapest-looking bag of pasta, loaf of bread or jar of sauce from the shelf, have a quick scan around your other options – as it might not be the most affordable after all.
And another thing that all shoppers should be aware of is not to be tempted by impressive-looking loyalty card discounts. Sometimes a deal looks pretty good when you’ve got a Nectar or Clubcard account, but the experts say these can sometimes be beaten by normal discounts at other supermarkets.
It’s not always possible to devote that much time to shopping around, but it’s something that can really help you to save those pounds on the weekly grocery run.
