BRITAIN’S cheapest supermarket has now become its most expensive as prices continue to soar.
Millions of homes are currently feeling the pinch as the cost of living crisis continues and people struggle to make ends meet.
Morrisons was the cheapest supermarket in the test six weeks ago but is now the most expensive
A price comparison test, carried out by the MEN went to the UK’s six main supermarkets to check the prices for its eight most common items.
It found that the cost of a two-pint bottle of milk, a loaf of bread, coffee, teabags, butter, beans, chicken breasts and mince have reached double figures in every store for the first time.
It then compared what the cost was in the same shops in May.
Morrisons, the supermarket that was cheapest just six weeks ago, is now the most expensive – as prices continue to soar.
The bundle of goods cost £9.78 then but is now priced at £11.15, representing a rise of 14 per cent.
Its Savers coffee, has risen from 70p for a 100g pack to 85p, along with its Savers beans, up from 21p to 25p.
Similarly, the price of its chicken, which has been at £2.49 for a 300g pack for the past few weeks, and its mince at £2.19 for 500g, have been the most expensive of the lots.
Sainsbury’s chicken has risen by 10p to £2.50, putting the two on a par for that particular product.
Aldi and Lidl remain the cheapest for chicken at £2.09 a pack while Asda’s new Just Essentials mince is still the lowest at a budget £1.69.
Overall, Lidl remains the cheapest store of them all though, with a total bill of £10.01, Asda is just a penny more at £10.02 while Tesco is third at £10.32.
A 20p hike on the price of Aldi teabags has seen it slip into fourth position, followed by Sainsbury’s at £10.54, which is 61p cheaper than Morrisons.
There is a slight difference in the sizes when comparing the baked beans, which ranges from 400g in Sainsbury’s, while Asda and Morrisons sell 410g tins and Aldi, Lidl and Tesco have 420g in their products.
Where Asda’s pack of chicken is larger, we’ve worked out the equivalent price for a fairer comparison.
A Morrisons spokesperson said: “We know that this is a very tough time for customers and so one of the recent changes we have made is to improve our My Morrisons loyalty scheme.
“Customers who are part of it will be rewarded with instant offers when they shop to help them save money “
Morrisons came out the most expensive in the comparison test
Lidl
Loaf of white bread 800g – 36p
Milk 2 pints – £1.05
Coffee 200g – £1.69
Teabags 160 – £99p
Salted butter 250g – £1.72
Beans 420g tin – 22p
Chicken 300g – £2.09
Mince 500g 20% fat – £1.89
Total £10.01
Asda
Loaf of white bread 800g (Just Essentials) – 39p
Milk 2 pints – £1.05
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g Just Essentials) – £1.50
Teabags 160 (4 x 40-pack Smart Price) – £1.12
Salted butter 250g – £1.75
Beans 410g tin (Smart Price) – 25p
Chicken (bigger 350g pack for £2.65) – equates to £2.27
Mince 500g 20% fat – £1.69
Total £10.02
Tesco
Loaf of white bread 800g – 36p
Milk 2 pints – £1.05
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) – £1.70
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack) – £1.10
Salted butter 250g – £1.75
Beans 420g tin – 22p
Chicken 300g – £2.25
Mince 500g 20% fat – £1.89
Total £10.32
Aldi
Loaf of white bread 800g – 36p
Milk 2 pints – £1.05
Coffee 200g – £1.69
Teabags 160 – £1.29 (up from £1.09)
Salted butter 250g – £1.75
Beans 420g tin – 22p
Chicken 300g – £2.09
Mince 500g 20% fat – £1.89
Total £10.34 (up from £10.14)
Sainsbury’s
Loaf of white bread 800g – 36p
Milk 2 pints – £1.05
Coffee 200g £1.69
Teabags 160 – £1.09
Salted butter 250g – £1.75
Beans 400g tin – 21p
Chicken 300g – £2.50 (up from £2.40)
Mince 500g 20% fat – £1.89
Total £10.54 (up from 10.44)
Morrisons
Loaf of white bread 800g – 54p
Milk 2 pints – £1.05
Coffee (2 x 100g) – £1.70 (up from £1.40)
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack Savers) – £1.18
Salted butter 250g – £1.75
Beans 410g tin – 25p (up from 21p)
Chicken 300g – £2.49
Mince 500g 20% fat – £2.19
Total £11.15 (up from £10.81)
However, in another comparison test carried out for a big shop, rather than a few essentials, a different supermarket was the winner.
Aldi has come out on top of the monthly Cheapest Supermarket price comparison carried out by consumer site Which?
Each month, Which? compares how much the UK’s biggest supermarkets charge for a trolley of groceries.
It analysed a basket of 52 items, which could include anything from Andrex toilet paper and Lurpak butter, at eight supermarkets.
In the latest analysis, a basket of shopping at Aldi came in at a total cost of £75.61 – more than £25 cheaper than the most expensive store.
But its rival budget supermarket, Lidl, was not far behind – the same trolley there cost £76.99 – a difference of just £1.38.
The same shopping cost £11.63 more at Sainsbury’s, and £15.42 more at Morrisons where the trolley of goods cost £87.24 and £91.03 respectively.
Which? found that Waitrose and Ocado were the two most expensive supermarkets, where the same trolley cost £101.14 and £97.50 respectively.
How to cut the cost of your supermarket shop
Yellow stickers
Look out for a yellow sticker on items nearing their expiry date and you could bag a bargain as well as prevent food waste.
Don’t worry if food items are about to go off- many products will be same to freeze and use at a later date.
Different stores put out their discounts at different times so make sure you check out when’s the best time to visit to grab yellow sticker bargains.
For example, Morrisons tends to reduce items first thing in the morning, while M&S tends to reduce products at night, according to staff members.
Bulk Buy
Buying in bulk can be a great way to save, especially if you have lots of mouths to feed – and the room to store your items.
Look out for the price per unit on each product’s ticket, and compare supermarket promotions.
It can seem more expensive to buy in bigger quantities, but it often works out cheaper – but you shouldn’t leave yourself out of pocket by buying too much at once.
Compare deals
There are some great supermarket comparison tools out there, which helps you spot the best deal before you head to the store.
You can compare prices manually online, but websites like Trolley.co.uk can do some of the hard work for you.
Just enter the product you’re looking for, and it will display the latest prices and deals across various stores.
Shoppers scan the shelves at a Morrisons store in Bath
