The cost of living crisis is hitting families hard and leaving many with tough choices to make.
With energy bills soaring, council tax rising and no let-up at the petrol pumps, shoppers are trying to cut back wherever they can.
For many that means changing shopping habits and paying a lot more attention to what's being spent at the supermarket.
While some people may turn their noses up at budget ranges, there's a reason why the likes of Asda Smart Price and Morrisons Savers have become so popular and that's because they offer decent products at great value for money. Same goes for the likes of budget retailers Aldi and Lidl.
READ MORE: We compared supermarket prices and there are some big changes in just a week
Admittedly some of it is not to everyone's taste - and you can't get the lowest fat versions of meat and cheese for example - but when needs must, the priority is putting food on the table and doing it the cheapest and healthiest way you can.
And it's easy to overlook the essentials you buy week-in week-out, which if you bought these basic Smart Price versions, would make little difference to the overall taste of your meals - but a massive difference to your bank balance.
I'm talking about the 1kg of rice for 45p, 15 eggs for £1.18, 500g pack of pasta for 29p and tuna for 59p a tin.
That's not to mention the whopping bags of potatoes, 2.5kg for 91p, and carrots, 1.5kg for 45p, from its budget fruit, veg and meat range. Those prices are pretty much on a par with Aldi's Everyday Essentials wonky veg and we all know how much people rave about those.
You can save on meat too, with chicken breasts costing around £3.38 for a large 620g pack and bacon £1.25 for 300g.
There was no 39p Smart Price bread in stock, but Asda's own comes in at a very reasonable 59p for an 800g loaf and is one thing that is worth spending those extra pennies on.
But there are plenty more products where savings can be made, if you're willing to sacrifice your fancy labels.
Do you really care that much about your brand of loo roll or cleaner to splash out on something that's quite literally going down the toilet?
My haul of products from Asda's budget ranges cost me just over £25 and I'll be honest, it made me feel a bit of a fool.
A fool for poo-pooing these budget brands for so many years without considering which items I could so easily swap into my weekly shop without sacrificing quality or taste.
From now on, it'll be the 30p toilet cleaner going down the pan and not my hard earned cash. It's all about playing it Smart.
Are you a fan of any of the budget supermarket ranges? Have you noticed your shopping bills increasing? Let us know in the comments here.
Here's the full list of products in my Asda budget shop
- Smart Price Dishwasher Tablets 30pk £1.50
- ASDA Farm Stores Round Lettuce 42p
- Smart Price Eggs 15pk £1.18
- Smart Price Toilet Cleaner Pine 750ml 30p
- Smart Price Rimblock Pine each 20p
- Smart Price Toilet Roll 6 Double Rolls £1.93
- Smart Price Long Grain Rice 1kg 45p
- Smart Price All Purpose Cleaning Cloths 10pk 35p
- Beef Stock Cubes 12x10g 55p
- Smart Price Lemonade 2l 23p
- Smart Price Pasta Shapes 500g 29p
- Smart Price Lightly Salted Sharing Tortilla Chips 180g 43p
- Smart Price Refuse Sacks 75 Litres 45pk £1.07
- Smart Price Sponge Scourers 8pk 40p
- Smart Price Peach Slices in Light Syrup 411g 31p
- Smart Price Tuna Chunks in Brine 145g 59p
- Farm Stores White Potatoes 2.5kg 91p
- Smart Price Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice 400g x 2 56p
- Smart Price Ready Salted Multipack Crisps 12x18g 93p
- Smart Price Cling Film 60x300 60p
- Smart Price No Added Sugar Double Strength Orange Squash 750ml 41p
- Smart Price Garlic Bread Baguette 170g 32p
- Smart Price Salted Butter 250g £1.45
- Farm Stores Carrots 1.5kg 45p
- Smart Price Coleslaw 300g 37p
- Smart Price Wafer Thin Cooked Ham Slices 400g £1.59
- Farm Stores Chicken Breast Fillet Portions 0.56kg £1.89
- Smart Price Mature White Cheddar 825g £3.65
- Farm Stores Unsmoked Back Bacon 300g £1.25
- Square Cut Medium White Bread 800g 59p
Total £25.17
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