Aldi vs Tesco: How much can you really save at Aldi?
We often see Aldi claiming that they are over 30% cheaper than Tesco. But is it really that much cheaper to do our grocery shop at Aldi compared to Tesco or the other big supermarkets?
Why I’ve decided to shop at Aldi
Since I live close to Tesco, I used to do my grocery shopping from Tesco all the time. I would spend about £130 per week on our main grocery shop including a top up shop, for my daughter Yasmin and myself. I never thought about shopping at Aldi at that time, because it meant I would have to drive to another town, which is a 17 minutes longer drive to get to. About 6 months ago, after seeing an Aldi TV advert claiming that they are a lot cheaper than Tesco, I decided to give Aldi a go. I was curious whether I could actually save a significant amount of money on my weekly food shop.
The price comparison:
I have listed some, not all of the things I buy weekly, when doing my main food shop and compared the prices between the two supermarkets. You can then see how much of a price difference there is on some of the products I often buy.
| Aldi vs Tesco | ||
| Aldi | Tesco | |
| Apple Juice (Not from concentrate) | £1 | £1.20 |
| Sweetcorn (frozen) | £0.69 | £0.77 |
| Balsam Tissue Box | £0.89 | £1.20 |
| Rump Steak | £2.39 | £3.55 |
| Yoghurt tubes | £0.85 (9 in pack) | £1.00 (6 in pack) |
| Spicy veg burgers | £1.15 | £1.75 |
| 6 M Free Range Eggs | £0.75 | £0.89 |
| Korma sauce (with powder in lid) | £0.79 | £1.10 |
| Strawberries | £0.91 | £1.39 |
| Halloumi fries | £2.29 | £3.00 |
| Tuna in Spring Water 4 pack | £2.65 | £2.83 |
| Scottish Salmon Fillets | £3.69 | £4.50 |
| Lactose Free Milk | £0.85 | £1.20 |
| Total cost | £18.90 | £24.38 |
As you can see there is a bit of a price difference between the 2 supermarkets for the same items. In this example the £5.48 difference is a 22% saving. Not over 30%, but is still a significant saving! I’ve done a massive food shop at Aldi and spent £88.01 for a week. I was curious how much it would cost me in Tesco, so I’ve done a pretend Tesco online shop and put all the items in the basket that I have bought from Aldi. I was shocked to see that my Aldi shopping would have cost me £148.54 at Tesco! That’s a whooping £60.53 in savings right there! I have worked out that this amount in percentage would be 41%! Lets say I save on average £50 on my food shop every week, which is £200 a month.
What would you spend the money on if you saved this much?
So is Aldi’s claim correct? Yes!
Lets have a look at the pros and cons of Aldi
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| A lot cheaper than big supermarkets | No loyalty scheme |
| Queue at the till is not as long and staff scans items a lot quicker than in big supermarkets | Doesn’t offer grocery delivery |
| They have amazing weekly special buys at bargain prices | Not as much choice when it comes to brands |
| No coupons |
Will I stick to doing my main weekly shop from Aldi?
I’ve been doing my main shop at Aldi the past 6 months and love how much I save on a monthly basis! The thing I love about shopping in Aldi is the fact I have a lot more freedom there. What I mean by freedom is, I can just buy whatever I want without having to worry about the price tag. Since it costs a lot more in Tesco, I would have to look at the price tag and worry about how much it would cost me when I get to the till. My weekly shopping has been below £90 compared to my previous usual of £130 at Tesco. My weekly shop does include treats like a bottle of champagne especially when I have guest like family or friends coming to visit. Lately since I don’t have visitors as frequently as pre-corona pandemic my regular shopping has now dropped to an average of £65 per week at Aldi.
Would I still do some food shopping at Tesco?
Aldi does reduce some foods when the best before date is very close, however you wont see as many items reduced as the big supermarkets. When Tesco is on my way to somewhere I am going, I occasionally have a quick browse and see whether there is anything nice in the reduced sections. Some things such as fresh fish or meat, can be frozen.I do this because doing this can help you save even more money on your weekly shop as well as reduce food waste.
Things Aldi could improve
I wish Aldi did a loyalty scheme and offer the occasional coupon like Tesco or Sainsbury’s. But even without the loyalty scheme and coupons, Aldi still beats the big supermarkets in the price war. Another thing that would be nice, is if they did offer a delivery service. They do deliver big items from their special buy but not food.
Now that you see how much I save on my food shopping, are you considering to switch your supermarket?
If you are interested in saving even more money on groceries, check out how you could get some free groceries using cashback apps here.
