In a bid to combat rising living costs, one determined shopper has proven that significant savings on your weekly food shop are not only possible but can be achieved without sacrificing taste. By conducting a series of meticulous taste tests throughout the year, she managed to cut a substantial £14.35 from her weekly grocery bill by finding cheaper alternatives for five staple items.
The Taste Test Challenge: Brand Names vs. Own-Brand
The experiment focused on everyday essentials: bread, tea bags, cheese, butter, and orange juice. The goal was straightforward: could supermarket own-brand products from discounters like Aldi and Lidl genuinely rival—or even surpass—the taste of well-known, often pricier, branded favourites? The results, based on prices correct at the time of the original reviews in early 2026, were both surprising and financially rewarding.
Breaking Down the Weekly Savings
The savings were calculated by comparing the cost of her usual branded picks with the top-rated budget alternatives she discovered.
Tea Bags: A switch from Tetley (costing £3.15 for a standard box) to Aldi's Red Label tea saved a massive £3.14 per 160-bag box. The reviewer found the Aldi brew just as enjoyable.
Orange Juice: Moving away from Tropicana (30p per 100ml) to Lidl's Deluxe Orange Juice led to a saving of £1.75. She praised the Lidl juice for its fresh, holiday-like taste.
Butter: While Lurpak remained a favourite, Aldi's Nordpak Spreadable butter was less than half the price. Choosing the 500g Aldi tub over Lurpak's 400g pack resulted in a £2.57 saving per tub.
Bread: As a household fan of Hovis Seed Sensations (24p per 100g), switching to Lidl's wholemeal seeded loaf at just under 14p per 100g meant saving 86p per 800g loaf. Based on buying two loaves a week, this equates to a £1.72 weekly saving.
Cheddar Cheese: The most shocking revelation was that Cathedral City was not her top choice. Aldi's Mature Cheddar, at just £4.88 for 900g, was crowned the winner, being £5.17 cheaper per kilo than the branded option.
The Overall Verdict and Long-Term Impact
The clear conclusion from this year-long investigation is that shopping at discount supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl for own-brand staples can lead to dramatic reductions in your food expenditure. The cumulative weekly saving of over £14 might seem modest at first glance, but over the course of a year, it adds up to a staggering more than £745.
This approach requires a slight shift in shopping habits and a willingness to experiment, but as the taste tests proved, flavour does not have to be compromised for the sake of frugality. For anyone looking to tighten their budget, especially at the start of the year, these simple swaps offer a practical and effective strategy for keeping more money in your pocket.
