Food costs are putting pressure on shoppers like never before. With prices escalating, families are struggling to make ends meet and donations to food banks are down because fewer people are in a position to help out.
Only this week we reported how inflation has risen to a new 40-year high of 9.1 per cent and there's no sign of things slowing down. And products aren't just increasing by a few pence either.
As part of our ongoing shopping comparisons to see exactly how much prices are rising, I repeated my Tesco big shop from six months ago and was shocked by the results. More than two thirds of my shopping trolley had gone up in price, with some items rising by as much as 50%.
Read more : Supermarket goes from cheapest to most expensive in just three weeks
Basics like bread, eggs and milk have all gone up during that time - a pack of 15 eggs from £2 to £2.15, a Hovis loaf from 99p to £1.20 and a 4 pint of milk from £1.15 to £1.35, that's a 56p increase on those three items alone.
But the biggest increases were on corn on the cob, up from 95p to £1.29; a 400g block of cheese, up from £2 to £2.50; cheese and chive dip, up from 79p to £1.20; and wheat biscuits - Tesco's version of Weetabix - up from 97p to £1.50, that's a staggering 54% rise.
Of the 63 products I bought in total, 44 cost more than they did on December 15, 2021; 18 cost the same and only one cost less. Some items cost less last time because they were under offer with Tesco's Clubcard.
Yet even some of the Clubcard prices have risen too - like the 650g pack of diced chicken breast, which cost £3.50 with Clubcard in December, but now costs £4.35. And even though a number of prices are matched with budget retailer Aldi, they've gone up as well - because as we all know, prices are rising across the board.
A kilogram of carrots for instance, is now price matched with Aldi at 40p, but previously it was just 29p with Clubcard. A pack of eight plain tortilla wraps is now 85p and matched with Aldi, where last year it was just 69p.
Many offers that families had come to rely on are also few and far between - like Heinz Spaghetti & Sausages, which used to be available as three for £3, but now cost £1.40 each. Overall my shopping bill rose from £93.65 to £105.22 - that's a difference of £11.57, which equates to 12.3%.
Tesco says the number of products available on its Clubcard prices changes from week to week, and with those, along with Aldi Price Match and its Low Everyday Prices, it has 'significantly increased the number of value lines' it sells.
A spokesperson said: "With household budgets under increasing pressure we are absolutely committed to helping our customers, by keeping a laser focus on the cost of the weekly shop.
"We have significantly increased the number of value lines we offer and whether it’s price matching basics to Aldi prices, promising Low Everyday Prices on household staples, or offering exclusive deals and rewards through thousands of Clubcard prices – we’re more committed than ever to providing our customers with great value.”
Shopping bills Dec 15, 2021 / June 22, 2022 (APM indicates Aldi Price Match)
Up in price
- Broccoli Loose was 49p / now 52p
- Eastmans Wafer Thin Cooked Ham 400G was £1.59 / now £1.69 APM
- Growers Harvest Orange Juice Smooth 1L was 69p (£1.38 for 2) / now 79p (£1.58 for 2) APM
- Growers Harvest Pure Apple Juice 1 Litre was 69p (£1.38 for 2) / now 79p (£1.58 for 2) APM
- Tesco British Diced Chicken Breast 650G was £4 (£3.50 Clubcard) / now £4.85 (£4.35 Clubcard)
- Tesco Corn On The Cob Twinpack was 95p / now £1.29 APM
- Tesco 30% Reduced Fat Mature Cheese 400G was £2 / now £2.50
- Onken Biopot Fat Free Mango & Yogurt 450G was £1.50 / now £1.60
- Tesco Finest Pizza 405G and Finest Garlic and Finest Garlic Flatbread meal deal was £5 / now £5.50
- Tesco Skimmed Milk 2.272L/4 Pints was £1.15 / now £1.35 APM
- Tesco Garlic Flatbread 255G was £2 (£1 Clubcard) / now £2.30
- Tesco Tomato And Mascarpone Sauce 350G was £1.45 / now £1.60
- Tesco Cheese & Chive Dip 200G was 79p / now £1.20
- Magnum White Ice Cream 4 X 110Ml was £3 (£2.50 Clubcard) / now £3.25
- Birds Eye 2 Crispy Chicken 170G was £1.65 (£1 Clubcard) / now £1.80
- Mccain Crispy French Fries 900G was £2.50 / now £3
- Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza Pollo 355G was £2.50 / now £2.75
- Heinz Spaghetti & Sausages 400G Can was £1.10 or 3 for £3 / now £1.40 each (so £4.20 for 3)
- Tesco Tomato & Herb Pizza Sauce 200G was £1 / now £1.10
- Tesco Pineapple was 75p / now 85p APM
- Tesco Maris Piper Potatoes 2.5Kg was £1.15 / now £1.39
- Tesco Carrots 1Kg was 40p (29p Clubcard) / now 43p APM
- Tesco Salt & Vinegar Crisps 6X25g was 77p / now 85p
- Jammie Dodgers 140 G was 70p (50p Clubcard) / now 70p (60p Clubcard)
- Clay Oven Bakery 2 Garlic & Coriander Naan was £1.50 / now £1.60
- I Heart Prosecco 75Cl was £8.50 (£7.50 Clubcard) / now £8.50
- Highland Spring Sparkling Water 8X500ml was £2.50 / now £2.75
- Lowthers 4 Pack Chorley Cake was £1.30 / now £1.65
- Loyd Grossman Tikka Masala Sauce 350G was £1.85 (£1.50 Clubcard) / now £2
- Tesco Bramley Apple Pies 6 Pack was 75p / now 79p APM
- Rosedene Farms Small Apple 6 Pack was 79p / now 89p APM
- Cadbury Dairy Milk Orange Giant Buttons was £1 / now £1.25
- Tesco Ripe Bananas 5 Pack was 69p / now 71p APM
- Tesco Cherry Bakewell Tarts 6 Pack was 75p / now 79p APM
- Tesco Angel Layer Cake was £1.25 / now £1.45
- Tesco Mixed Sized Free Range Eggs 15 Pack was £2 / now £2.15
- H.W Nevills 8 Plain Tortilla Wraps was 69p / now 85p APM
- Large White Bap 4 Pack was 70p / now 80p
- Tesco Wheat Biscuits Cereal 24 Pack was 97p / now £1.50
- Cadbury Mini Rolls Milk Chocolate 10 Pack was £2.90 (£1.45 Clubcard) / now £3
- Hovis Soft White Thick Bread 800G was 99p / now £1.20 APM
- Colgate Triple Action Toothpaste 100Ml was 90p / now 98p APM
- Tesco Spirali Pasta 500G was 70p / now 80p
Price has stayed the same
- Woodside Farms Unsmoked Back Bacon 300G was £1.25 / now £1.25 APM
- Tesco Baby Corn 130G was £1.20 / now £1.20
- Tesco Finest 4 British Beef Steak Burgers 454G was £3.50 (£3 Clubcard) / now £3.50 (£3 Clubcard)
- Hearty Food Co. Cheese Pizza 300G was 99p / now 99p APM
- Heinz Cream Of Tomato Soup Mug Size 300G was 85p each (£1.70 for 2) / now 85p each (£1.70 for 2)
- Rowntrees Randoms Pouch 150G was 89p / now 89p APM
- Cadbury Wispa Gold Chocolate 4 Pack was 98p / now 98p
- Quality Street Carton 232G was £3 (£2 Clubcard) / now £3 (£2 Clubcard)
- Tesco White Chocolate Cookies 5 Pack was £1 / now £1
- Tesco Paracetamol Tablets 500Mg 16 Pack was 29p / now 29p APM
- Tesco Ibuprofen 200Mg 16 Tablets was 39p / now 39p
- Natural Confectionery Co Jelly Snakes 160G was £1 / now £1
- Tesco Distilled Vinegar 568Ml was 29p / now 29p APM
- Tesco Apple Cider 4X440ml Can was £2.20 / now £2.20
- Maynards Bassetts Jelly Babies 400G was £2 / now £2
- Cadbury Caramilk Chocolate Bar 90G was 98p / now 98p
- Old El Paso Crispy Chicken Fajita Spice Mix 85G was £1 / now £1
- Grower's Harvest Chopped Tomatoes 400G was 28p each (£1.12 for 4) / now 28p each (£1.12 for 4)
Down in price
- Peperami Original 5 Pack 5X22.5G was £2.30 / now £2.30 (£2 Clubcard)
Total
was £93.65 / now £105.22 - a 12.3% increase
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