A Tesco shopper claims she has managed to reduce her weekly food shop by £13 after taking on Martin Lewis' Downshift Challenge. The financial expert recently encouraged shoppers to try the challenge which has only one caveats: buy basic or own-brand products only.
Now for fussy eaters this sounds like a step too far but according to MyLondon reporter Alexandra Bullard it really could be worth it. Alexandra herself admits to being a lover of Heinz and Kellogg's but was determined to dispel claims that paying more for branded goods meant better quality in taste.
For her experiment she headed to Tesco which separates its products into different categories, such as Tesco's Finest. They also boast own brands such as Hearty Food Co. and The Grower's Harvest which are presented in a similar way to manufacturers' brands.
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The MyLondon reporter claimed she managed to pay less than £15 for "a lot of supplies". She said: "Armed with my food list, I made my way around the supermarket to grab some essentials - without being tempted by big name brands. In the end I managed to avoid the brand giants, and paid less than £15 for a lot of supplies."
Her haul included:
- Stockwell & Co 24 Wheat Biscuits 432G (74p)
- Tesco 6 Crumpets (25p)
- The Growers Harvest Long Grain Rice 1KG (45p)
- Tesco Oat Drink 1L (£1)
- Tesco Squeezy Honey 340G (£1.80)
- Tesco Coconut Milk 400ml (90p)
- Tesco Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce 420G (35p)
- Tesco Clementine Or Sweet Easy Peeler Pack 600G (£1.35)
- Tesco Vegetable Soup 400G (50p)
- Growers Harvest Pure Apple Juice 1 Litre (69p)
- Hearty Food Co. Tomato & Herb Pasta Sauce 440G (39p)
- Tesco Tuna Chunks In Brine 3X80g (£2)
- Hearty Food Co. Spaghetti Pasta 500G (20p)
- Tesco Smoked Salmon 120 G (£3 Clubcard price)
Alexandra added: "As I eat mostly fresh vegetables and pulses, these are some of the cheapest items on offer. Tins of tuna and coconut milk cost between 90p and £1.50 depending on the quality, and there's virtually no difference in taste when compared to branded, more expensive, alternatives.
"For breakfast items, I always make sure I have my cupboard stocked with cereal such as Weetabix. The Stockwell & Co version looked very depressing in appearance, with their biscuit sizes tiny in comparison. However, they tasted exactly the same as Weetabix. I couldn't believe I had been paying more for years."
The reporter said she was "apprehensive" about trying the Tesco own version crumpets due to being a "huge fan of Warburtons" but once again was left in "shock". Alexandra says she couldn't tell the difference and saved 70p in the process.
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