THE cheapest supermarket on a basket of 70 items has been revealed and it’s not Aldi.
The latest analysis from consumer champion Which? has crowned Lidl as the cheapest grocer in October.
A basket of 70 grocery items cost £120.46 on average across the month at the German discounter.
Shoppers signed up to its free Lidl Plus app would have saved an extra 8p in the month, with their total coming to £120.38.
Aldi, which was voted the cheapest supermarket 22 times in the last 24 months, was 54p more expensive than its rival.
The same list of items cost £121 on average at the bargain grocery store.
The chain came in second place to Lidl.
The list of 70 items included both branded and own-brand items, such as Birds Eye Peas, Hovis bread, milk and butter.
Grocer Asda took the spot as the third cheapest place to shop in October with 70 of the same items here costing £132.69.
Tesco shoppers with a loyalty card would have paid £133.38 for the same amount of items.
Meanwhile, those without a loyalty card would pay £134.89.
For those using a Sainsbury’s Nectar card, October’s shopping list of items averaged £136.79. Without a Nectar card, the same items at Sainsbury’s cost £139.68.
Posh grocery chain Waitrose remained the most expensive retailer to do a shop. A customer who picked up the same 70 items here would have paid £163.04.
But it is worth noting that prices at supermarkets fluctuate regularly and are subject to change.
Over the same month, Asda retained its place as one of the UK’s cheapest supermarkets for a longer list of 186 items.
Here, a large grocery shop costs £469.11 in October.
This was followed by Tesco, with loyalty prices taking the total to £476.11. Without a Clubcard the same shop would cost £510.80.
Waitrose took the spot as the most expensive grocer with the total of a large shop at the supermarket coming to £541.55.
How to save on your supermarket shop
Today’s analysis comes as many shoppers are continuing to battle higher prices at the till.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures published last month revealed the price of food and non-alcoholic drinks is up 4.5% compared to last year.
Meanwhile, new figures from Barclays show that one in four households now spend over £100 each week on groceries.
Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, said high food prices are still a “growing concern for many households, especially as we approach Christmas“.
The expert said their analysis shows that shopping around and choosing one supermarket over another could save you 26%.
Knowing what shelf to pull items from, could also aid in shaving down the cost of your weekly shop.
A recent investigation by The Sun found shopping on the bottom shelf at the supermarket could help you save over £500 a year.
Deepak Tailor, founder of LatestFreeStuff.co.uk, previously told The Sun “real bargains” are usually tucked away at the very top or bottom of the shelves, where people rarely glance.
“Supermarket know most shoppers only look at eye level, so that’s exactly where the premium and branded products go — and brands often pay extra to be there.”
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes – plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury’s also sells £2 “Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me” fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps – food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains – yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains – sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they’ve found on the cheap, including food finds.
“Downshift” – you will almost always save money going for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as “downshifting” and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.
