Weekly shops can cost a fortune, especially if you're buying for a full hungry household with treats included. Prices on everything have sky rocketed from fresh fruit to bread thanks to the cost of living crisis.
Most people have found themselves looking at switching their supermarket habits, including where they shop in favour of places which are perceived as cheaper - like Aldi and Lidl.
Rumours have been swirling online that Marks and Spencer can actually end up being a cheaper than the budget supermarkets, and one mum backs the theory. She decided to document her M&S haul which only cost her £59 and included lamb shanks and Colin the Caterpillars.
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Taking to TikTok, user @amejay_xo posted a video of her full household shop after she was shocked at how cheap it ended up being. Amelia Jayde said: "I literally cannot get over what I got for my money in Marks and Spencer."
The 26-year-old picked up some sauces and seasoning to stock up the cupboard, as well as some own brand cans of baked beans. M&S is commonly considered one of the more upmarket and therefore more expensive supermarkets, so those on a budget might not think to shop there for deals.
She then moved on to show the mini Colin The Caterpillar cakes, chocolate biscuits, custard creams, donuts and pancake mix shakers - which she pointed out were only £1. Dinosaur crumpets, popcorn, yoghurt and cupcakes rounded out her snack section.
Amelia, who is from Milton Keynes, points out her fabric conditioner bottle which was £3.50 and lasts 50 washes, which she says "smells absolutely insane". Surface wipes and stain remover were just £1 per pack, while the box of 23 nappies came in at £3.
Star of the video was a pack of two lamb shanks that had been reduced, originally costing £12.16 but were now down to an unbelievable £4.86. Amelia also bought chicken legs for £1.20, chicken wings for £1.20 and mince for £2.
Rounding out her shop were heaps of vegetables, microwave rice and some juice before the mum revealed her total of £59.06.
"Honestly I am shocked!!!! Not even £60," read the caption and other shoppers shared their experience in the comments. One said: "With inflation, M&S is better value than anywhere else!"
"I always tell people to shop there !!!" added another M&S fan, while a third said: "When we think M&S we think 'posh rich folk' but M&S is the reason the rich stay rich it’s almost always cheaper than Aldi and Lidl."
Someone else agreed with the 'posh rich folk' theory, writing: "I'm noticing that [price difference] between the posher shops compared to the pauper shops but not telling anyone cause more demand = hikes."
While this time the mum found her shop was cheaper at M&S, consumer watchdog Which? named Aldi the cheapest supermarket in the UK for a typical shop in January 2023.
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