A Lidl mum was baffled to discover her £25 food shop went a lot less further than it had a few months ago.
Lauren Davidson's shopping trolley included 55p white bread, £1.79 cheese and £3.69 chicken breasts for her and her two-year-old daughter in February.
But after going through the checkout last week, Lauren realised that she was getting a lot less for her money.
White bread came in at 72p, cheese rose by almost £1 to £2.75, and the chicken came in at £4.29.
While her staple frozen vegetables had more than doubled from 69p to £1.65 at the store in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
"Back in February, I did a food shop for me and my toddler daughter for £25 at Lidl on Cromwell Road," she wrote in the Grimsby Live.
"Although it wasn't my finest week where cooking was concerned, I managed to gather lots of ingredients and rustle up some decent enough meals for the pair of us.
"But when I returned last week to the same supermarket and priced up the same items, I couldn't believe that the same food shop cost £7 more - over £32 in total."
Lauren said she is seeing firsthand how many are left unable to cope with the rising price of food as well as gas and electricity bills.
Shocked to see just how much food prices had risen, the mum was curious to see whether she could do another £25 food shop which would last her and her daughter for the week.
But unsurprisingly, she did not manage the feat with many basic ingredients having to be left off the list.
"Realistically, I could rustle up a few dinners with those ingredients, admittedly very basic ones such as fish fingers, chips and peas, pizza and chips and seabass, boiled potatoes and veg," she said.
"For lunches, I could make beans on toast, cheese sandwiches and jacket potatoes but that's about it.
"And breakfast each morning would either be toast or a bowl of cornflakes.
"So yes, I probably could make it last me and my daughter for the week somehow but I certainly wouldn't want to."
Lauren's February shop included Spicy chorizo & red pepper quiche, garlic bread, pasta and tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables including blueberries, courgettes, peppers, lettuce and cucumber.
But these items were all left off her list last week to ensure she stuck to the same £25.
"As you can see, the difference is unbelievable and it was difficult enough do the same challenge with those products," she added.
"It's scary how much prices have risen in the space of just eight months and it really is no surprise that so many people are struggling with day-to-day living costs.
"Doing this challenge has only made me feel for other families who are in much worse-off situations than me - and I dread to think how the situation will be another few months from now."
Lauren's £25 weekly shop in February:
- White bread - 55p
- Spicy chorizo & red pepper quiche - £1.53
- Cheese & tomato pizza - 99p
- Penne pasta (600g) - 29p
- White rice - 45p
- Tuna chunks x 2 - £1.50
- Mild cheddar cheese - £1.79
- Ham slices - 79p
- Spaghetti loops - 13p
- Salad dressing - 55p
- Stir fry sauce - 35p
- Sweetcorn - 37p
- Closed cup mushrooms - 69p
- 2 x courgettes - £1.07
- Mixed peppers - £1.29
- Cucumber - 43p
- Iceberg lettuce - 43p
- Potatoes - 62p
- Chicken breast fillet (650g) - £3.69
- Pork loin steaks (480g) - £1.95
- Frozen mixed vegetables - 69p
- Frozen chicken steak x 4 - £1.35
- Frozen fish pie - 75p
- Frozen potato waffles - 85p
- Garlic bread baguettes x 2 - 64p
- Blueberries - £1.39
- Kids fromage frais - 65p
Lauren's £25 weekly shop in November:
- Chicken breast fillets x4 - £4.29
- Seabass fillets x2 - £3.49
- Coloured cheddar cheese - £2.75
- Heinz baked beans x4 - £1.99
- Frozen pizza x2 - £2.18
- Semi skimmed milk - £1.65
- Frozen vegetables - £1.65
- Frozen peas - 79p
- Frozen fish fingers x10 - £1.59
- Blackcurrant cordial - £1.29
- Potatoes (2.5kg) - £1.19
- Brown onions x3 - 89p
- White bread - 72p
- Cornflakes cereal - 59p
