What supermarket favourites have seen the biggest price increases?

Whenever you go to the supermarket, you can’t fail to spot how everything seems more expensive than it was last week. But how to prices compare with those five years ago?

Well, AJ Bell has looked at what products have seen the biggest price increases since the cost-of-living crisis began in 2021.

Olive oil came top of the list, with prices going up by 116.3% in the last five years, followed by:

• edible offal - 75.8%
• beef and veal - 61.3%
• eggs - 56.7%
• pasta products and couscous - 54.9%
• chocolate - 51.2%
• whole milk - 45.8%
• cheese - 42.2%
• fast food and takeaway food services - 38.1%
• bread - 30.2%
• beer - 23.3%

Prices ‘dramatically higher’ today

Commenting on the figures, Laura Suter of AJ Bell said: “It’s been a rollercoaster ride for prices since the cost-of-living crunch began five years ago.

“In August 2021, we saw inflation begin to tick up and the cost at the checkout, pumps and even at the vets has risen from there.”

Ms Suter acknowledged there have been “small reprieves” during this period where prices dropped back.

However, she added that “there’s no denying that many costs are still dramatically higher than they were before the crisis began”.

Inflation rose from 2.6% to 2.9% in the year to July.

That the biggest increase since March and slightly higher than the Bank of England's target of 2%.

But it's well below the peak of 11% we saw back in October 2022.

How can I save money on groceries?

While prices in the shops are beyond our control, there are a few steps you can take to reduce your supermarket bill.

Shop around

Aldi was recently named as the cheapest supermarket overall by consumer group Which?, followed by Lidl and Asda.

So if you’re in the habit of going to the same supermarket every week, spend some time comparing which ones offer the best prices and the best deals.

With a little bit of planning, you can avoid paying over the odds at the checkout.

Budget for your food shop

It’s not just rising food and drink prices that are putting households under pressure, as households are also facing higher gas, electricity and water bills, and much more besides.

So it’s really important to get on top of your household budget.

If you know exactly how much money is coming in and going out, you can calculate exactly what you can afford to spend when you do your grocery shop.

Check our guide to how to create a budget to get started.

Write a list and stick to it

We’ve all done it. 

Had our head turned by a multibuy offer. Picked up a packet of biscuits temptingly displayed near the tills. Or come home realising you’ve not got enough to make a meal with.

But, ultimately, that means you can end up paying more than you planned, needing to make multiple trips to the supermarket, and buying items you don’t need and possibly won’t even use.

So plan what meals you want to eat over the next week and write down what you need to make them.

Then take this list to the supermarket and stick to it.

Getting into this habit could save you huge amounts of time and money over time.

Check our regular money saving tips

Keep checking these pages regularly for our round-ups of standout deals that can save you money in the supermarket.

We’re also sharing tips on how to make your money go further in the shops, such as:

• 12 ingredients you need in your kitchen
• 5 ways to use up stale bread
• why you don’t need to throw out veg that’s about to go off
• what do use-by, best before and sell-by dates really mean?
• why you don’t need to buy those expensive jars of pasta sauce
• how frozen fruit and veg can help you eat well for less

You can also find great low-cost recipes every week that you can help you feed the family for less.

For more money-saving tips, check out our other ideas on keep the cost of your food shop down.