Household Bills
Supermarket sweep: The grocery deals and discounts to cut your food bill
Guest Author:
Emma LunnAfter months of rampant inflation and rising food prices, most of the major supermarkets have taken steps to make food more affordable. Here’s a round up of what’s on offer.
Some supermarkets have re-vamped their loyalty schemes or reduced the price of essential food products, while others have introduced cheap restaurant deals for families.
Here are all the latest changes that could reduce the cost of your supermarket shop.
Aldi
Aldi, which is routinely named as the UK’s cheapest supermarket by Which?, cut the price of milk last month.
The budget supermarket lowered a four-pint bottle of milk by 10p, from £1.55 to £1.45. Its two-pint bottles also reduced from £1.25 to £1.20 and it’s six-pint bottles from £2.30 to £2.15.
Aldi has also cut the price of food and veg.
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Asda
Last month Asda announced it had “locked” the price of more than 500 branded and own-label lines to give shoppers more control and certainty over their shopping budgets. Asda customers looking to save money should look out for the supermarket’s ‘Just Essentials’ food range.
Its ‘Kids Eat for £1’ café meal deals will also continue until the end of the summer holidays.
Iceland
Iceland’s ‘£1 or less range offers fresh, frozen and cupboard items for a maximum of £1.
Products in the range include instant noodles for 45p, six Warburtons crumpets for 90p, and sweet and sour chicken with rice for £1.
Shoppers at Iceland can get cheaper prices on some products if they sign up for a Bonus card. Over 60s with a Bonus card can get 10% on everything in Iceland stores on Tuesdays. To get the deal you’ll need a bus pass, railcard or driver’s license to prove your age. The offer excludes alcohol in Scotland.
Lidl
Lidl cut the cost of breakfast staples in May. Lidl Dairy Manor salted and unsalted butter is now priced at £1.89. The budget chain also lowered its Selected Rowan Hill Bakery bread to 75p, in line with its rivals.
M&S
M&S reduced the cost of more than 200 food products in June. The price drops included 70 ‘family staples’ such as beef mince, salmon, avocados, and Ciabatta rolls, while its existing price lock on 150 items was extended again until autumn.
Reduced items include a 500g pack of beef mince which has been cut from £3.50 to £3.30, a 500g pot of Greek-style yoghurt down from £1.25 to £1.10, and antibacterial handwash which is now 80p, down from £1.
M&S also sells a ‘Remarksable Value’ range of own-brand items which was launched in 2019.
Morrisons
Earlier this week Morrisons announced that it would be stocking budget lines in its convenience stores that it took over from McColls. Up to 40 ‘Savers’ items will be available in about 500 Morrisons Daily stores.
Morrisons is also cutting the price of 18 high-volume products in its Morrisons Daily stores including both two- and four-pint milk, bread and tomatoes.
Morrisons relaunched its loyalty scheme Morrisons More in May, with a loyalty card and cheaper prices for shoppers who sign up.
Your child can eat for free at Morrisons restaurants when you purchase an adult meal with a value of £4.49 or over.
Ocado
Ocado introduced a new price promise in March. The scheme matches the cost of 10,000 items against rival supermarket Tesco.
If you buy items from Ocado which are included in the price promise and they are cheaper at Tesco, the supermarket will send you a voucher for the difference in price The voucher is capped at £10 and valid for 21 days.
Ocado announced price cuts on milk and other “everyday essentials” last month. The online supermarket dropped the price of four pints of its own-brand milk by 10p to £1.45 and two pints by 5p to £1.20.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s cut the cost of bread in May, reducing the price of its 800g soft white medium, wholemeal medium, wholemeal thick and toastie white loaves, to 75p each. This was a reduction of 11% on the previous price. The supermarket also slashed 5% off the price of its own-brand butter (250g) to £1.89.
Sainsbury’s has also introduced Nectar Prices which offer discounts to Nectar card holders. Reductions include Sainsbury’s So Organic lamb mince (usually £5.25, Nectar Price £3.50), Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference cod fillets (usually £5.50, Nectar Price £4.95) and by Sainsbury’s southern fried chicken breast steaks (usually £3.55, Nectar Price £2.75).
Kids can eat for £1 in Sainsbury’s cafes – as long as an adult with them buys a main meal.
Tesco
Tesco reduced the price on more than 500 household goods at the beginning of July.
A 145g tin of tuna was reduced by 10p to 80p, while the price of a 400g block of cheddar cheese was cut by 20p to £3.20.
Red grapes are now 20p cheaper at £1.80 per bunch, and frozen blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and mango have been reduced by 25p to £2.25.
Tesco is also bringing back its Kids Eat Free scheme in the school holidays.
Tesco also offers reduced prices on many products to Clubcard users, but many customers complain that rather than these prices being cheaper than normal, non-Clubcard prices are unreasonably expensive.
Andy Barr, co-founder of online price-tracking website www.alertr.co.uk, said: “I think it’s a fair criticism to make, that Tesco’s non-Clubcard prices are considerably higher than the discounted costs. That being said, it’s easier than ever to sign up for and use a Clubcard as you can now access your account through their mobile app.”
Waitrose
Waitrose reduced the price on 200 items last month. Half of the supermarket’s own brand price reductions were at least 10% including Waitrose shortbread fingers, 200g, Essential Vanilla Soft Scoop ice cream, two litres, and Essential smooth/crunchy peanut butter.