The cost of living is on most people's minds at the moment and there have been some heart-breaking stories both locally and nationally recently as families struggle to make ends meet. As households search out bargains, supermarkets have been keen to promote their budget ranges.
This week, the entirety of Asda’s Essentials range launched and it’s gone viral. Social media sites such as Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram have been saturated with scores of people showing off shopping trolley hauls captioned with: “I can’t believe how much I got for £20!”
And it's no wonder shoppers are searching out the best deals. A recent study showed that shoppers have seen an 11.6% surge in grocery prices for the past month, the highest level since 2008. According to research firm Kantar, this equates to a £533 annual increase in the average household’s grocery bill.
READ MORE: Home Bargains selling luxury £60 shower gel for just 99p
With this is mind, one woman decided to put the supermarkets to the test and find out if the so called budget lines of high street retailers could compete with the likes of Aldi and Lidl. Rebecca Astill, a reporter at Birmingham Live said: "The budget line is not a new phenomenon," adding "I do worry there is something being overlooked with the hysteria surrounding Asda’s Essentials range, and that is that whole budget supermarkets actually already exist."
Rebecca picked out 20 items to make a comparison between Asda's Essentials range and Aldi. Her aim was to discover which basket would actually be cheaper.
How the cost compared - Ada’s new Essentials range v Aldi
Rebecca said: "I stand corrected. It has blown my mind that an Asda Essentials shop of 20 items can be £5 cheaper than what is widely regarded as the cheapest supermarket out there.
"Although lots of items have clearly been price matched by the team behind Asda Essentials, there are a few products which cost much less, allowing Asda to run away with this one. "
According the figures above, fish fingers, beef lasagne and wheat bisks provided three of the biggest differences, each costing more than a pound less than their equivalent.
The reported add: "That said, a few items are still cheaper in Aldi in case you have the time on your hands to visit two supermarkets. Yoghurts and bread are both still cheaper at Aldi.
"It’s fair to say Asda Essentials has knocked it out of the park with this one, and with 293 products in the budget line, including fresh meat, fish and poultry, bakery, frozen, cupboard staples and household products, it couldn’t have come at a better time with the cost of living crisis."
READ NEXT:
