Cutting back on grocery bills is one of the first ways many families are relying on to combat the cost of living crisis, and discounters have seen a surge in shoppers trying to save money.
The latest figures from Barclays showed that households made further cutbacks on their weekly grocery bill last month as inflation continued to squeeze budgets to the limit.
The report shows that spending on groceries increased 7.1% in March, which is well below the latest Office of National Statistics food price inflation rate of 18.2%, with 88% of shoppers saying they were worried about the impact of rising food prices 62% trying to find ways to reduce the cost of their weekly shop.
Read more: Sainsbury's mimics rival Tesco with new Nectar Prices deals
“The below-inflation rise in grocery spending shows that Brits are still trying their hardest to shave money off their weekly shop, as energy bills continue to rise,” director at Barclays, Esme Harwood said.
Where you buy your food can have a significant impact on how much you spend, and consumer group Which? found that the difference in price for a basket of groceries can vary by as much as £20 depending on where you shop.
Which? compared 41 popular groceries such as Heinz baked beans, milk, and tea bags at eight retailers for the study. Discounter Aldi came in the cheapest at £72.54, although it was closely followed by arch rival Lidl at £72.79. However shoppers at Waitrose could expect to pay a hefty £92.55 for the same basket - a staggering £20 more.
Supermarket expert Tom Church, co-founder of shopping community LatestDeals.co.uk, has revealed his ultimate guide to saving money at Aldi, and he reckons his 14 tips that could save shoppers up to £200. "By using these tips I save up to £200 on my grocery shopping. If you follow the tips and compare prices, learn what Aldi's cheapest for and what it's not, you can stick to your budget and reduce your supermarket spend," he said. "Giles Hurley, CEO of Aldi, said in September 2022 that the discounter had won 1.5 million new customers in the last 12 weeks. It was a staggering amount. But in the face of rampant grocery inflation it wasn’t surprising. By focusing on simplicity and low prices Aldi is winning customers everywhere. But, shoppers should always keep on their toes looking for extra savings."
Tom's tips are:
1. Get to know Aldi’s unique pricing strategy
Tom says: "A few years ago Aldi changed from being about everyday low prices (EDLP) to a hybrid of high-low pricing. This is when you started to see fancier items come into the store. They did it to attract mid-level income groups to become regular customers. So you can no longer assume everything is the cheapest just because it’s in Aldi. Recently I found 6 eggs were £1.29 at Aldi but just £1 in M&S and chicken wings were £1.99 but £1.45 at M&S. Try to learn what Aldi is cheapest for so you’re constantly saving".
2. Buy Aldi Specialbuys Online Days Before
Tom says: "Read the Specialbuys leaflet online and you'll see you can order items online days before they're available in-store. If something is super popular, it sells out fast online and there's less stock delivered to the shops. So it's always better to look online for them. This is when many of those high-priced items get discounted, and there are weekly deals on homeware, gardening, toys and more."
3. Stick to Aldi’s private-label brands
Tom says: "Aldi keeps costs low by limiting the bulk of its merchandise to its private-label brands. These products offer great quality at a lower price than competitors. While there are some branded products on sale, such as Coca-Cola, I find Aldi’s own versions nearly always just as good and cheaper. One of my favourites is Aldi cheese puffs rather than Wotsits."
4. Shop when new stock arrives
Tom says: "Generally, Aldi restocks regular items on Wednesdays and specialty products are restocked on Sundays. Plan your shopping trips on these days to take advantage of new stock arrivals. Or, shop the evenings before when unsold previous stock may be reduced to clear."
5. Try out Aldi’s dupes
Tom says: "Aldi is known for its cheeky dupes of branded goods, from its take on Jaffa Cakes and Gordon’s Gin to its own version of Mini Cheddars. You can also find dupes for designer perfumes such as Jo Malone and beauty products such as Clinique."
6. Look for red stickers
Tom says: "Keep an eye out for red stickers that indicate extra savings on products. Unlike Tesco and Sainsbury’s that use yellow stickers for reduced-to-clear items, Aldi’s are red. And they’re generally applied in the mornings rather than the evenings (more similar to M&S)."
7. Get the Super 6
Tom says: "Every two weeks Aldi picks six fruits and vegetables and reduces them to a silly low price. Right now it has aubergine 59p each, 6 apples 69p, bag of pears 79p, 1kg potatoes 89p, 100g baby corn 89p, and 5 oranges 99p."
8. Check out the Special Buys section
Tom says: "This section has new deals every week on a variety of products. Keep an eye out for new arrivals and grab a bargain. I particularly enjoy toys for my son (they had Bluey last week), DIY tools, and picking up weird and wonderful condiments for some dodgy cooking experiments."
9. Buy particular products
Tom says: "Some products, like tinned fish, nappies and batteries, are cheaper at Aldi than other supermarkets."
10. Sign up for the Aldi newsletter
Tom says: "Be the first to know about deals by signing up for the Aldi newsletter and following them on social media. They often announce upcoming deals on their Instagram stories, so you can nab them before anyone else. Hot topics are the back to school deals and new beauty dupes."
11. Shop early in the morning or during quiet times
Tom says: "This gives you the best chance of landing reductions on products. I try to go early morning when everyone else is on the school run."
12. Use a Supermarket Comparison Tool
Tom says: "Compare prices at different supermarkets to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Latest Deals has a free supermarket price comparison tool."
13. Dig through baskets in the store
Tom says: "You may find extra bargains due to errors like wrong sizes."
14. Take advantage of Aldi’s bargain booze
Tom says: "Aldi’s Haysmith’s Rhubarb & Ginger Gin, which costs £14.99 and has just been named one of the best gins in the world. It beat out competition from premium brands, including Edinburgh Gin’s Rhubarb & Ginger flavour, which costs around double the price of Aldi’s version."
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