How shopping around can save you money in the supermarket

If you’re in the habit of going to the same supermarket each week, you might want to consider shopping around instead.

Consumer group Which? has compared the prices of 87 grocery items at eight major supermarkets, including both branded and non-branded items, to find out which supermarket offered the lowest prices.

Aldi was ranked top of the list, with the shopping basket costing £154.34.

Lidl came in second place, with the same items costing £157.17 with Lidl Plus and £157.21 without.

They were followed by:

• Tesco (with Clubcard) - £181.77
• Sainsbury’s (with Nectar) - £182.90
• Asda - £183.47
• Morrisons - £186.77
• Tesco - £187.31
• Sainsbury’s - £191.56
• Ocado - £202.33
• Waitrose - £215.87

What this means for you

There are two big takeaways from these figures.

Firstly, loyalty cards can make a big difference at supermarkets with a membership scheme.

For example, shoppers at Tesco paid £5.54 more for the same items if they didn’t have a Clubcard, and the bill at Sainsbury’s was £8.66 higher without a Nectar card.

And secondly, it’s clear there’s a considerable gap between the cheapest and most expensive supermarkets - almost 40% in fact.

So if you usually do your shopping at the same place each week, it could be worth looking around to see if you could get a better deal elsewhere.

“With winter setting in and Christmas around the corner, shoppers may be looking to save on their weekly grocery bills to free up cash for festive treats,” said Reena Sewraz of Which?

“At some supermarkets, scanning a loyalty card is essential to avoid paying over the odds.

“Yet with a near 40% price gap separating the cheapest and dearest supermarket, switching to a discounter is the fastest way to save ahead of Christmas.”

What else can I do to keep costs down?

As well as shopping around for the best deals, it’s a good idea to create a budget.

By keeping an eye on how much money you’ve got coming in and going out, you can prioritise your spending and know how much you can afford.

We’ve put together some tips on how to keep the cost of your weekly shop down, which could help your money go further.

And with the festive season fast approaching, check out our tips on how to save money on the Christmas food shop.