'I compared M&S food essentials to items from Aldi and was shocked'
Does it make a difference where you pick up your groceries from?
While some opt to get their essentials from high-end supermarkets like M&S, others hope to save a bit of cash by going to more budget-friendly places like Aldi.
So to see if this actually makes any difference, an influencer called Jen made a TikTok video to find out. She said: “Come with me to my local M&S and Aldi where I’m gonna do a direct price comparison on some of their basic essentials. I’m on a weight loss journey so anywhere I can save some money I’m going to."
READ MORE: Mary Berry's sticky toffee pudding is 'surprisingly easy' but quick to prepare
READ MORE: Disgusted foodies vow to 'never eat bacon again' after watching how it's made
While Jen tends to do her weekly shop at Aldi, Marks and Spencer feels more like a "treat" for "special meals". But she wanted to see what the price difference was actually like – and was shocked after checking the shelves.
Jen started off with milk. She found a four-pint carton of milk for £1.45 in M&S. There wasn’t any milk in Aldi when she went to the store for her video but she could see from the price label that the milk there is also £1.45 for four pints.
She continued: “Carrots: A kilo of carrots in M&S are 70p. For a kilo of carrots in Aldi 69p. You’re only saving a penny. I’m really shocked.
“Now this is interesting: You can buy onions singularly in M&S for 25p each but you can’t buy them by themselves in Aldi. You have to buy them in threes and they are 95p meaning it’s 20p more expensive in Aldi for the onions.
“A whole cucumber in M&S is 90p. For a whole cucumber in Aldi it’s 89p, only a penny saving again, very comparable.
“Okay, two kilos of white potatoes in M&S are £1.50. The two kilos of white potatoes in Aldi, let’s have a look, they’re £1.35 so Aldi wins at 15p cheaper here.
“An M&S white loaf of bread is 75p and at Aldi a white loaf is 74p, again just saving a penny in Aldi. M&S’ Cream of Tomato Soup which is divine is 65p. The Aldi version (is) 62p, again you’re only saving 3p and the M&S one is so tasty.
“Okay so six mixed size eggs in M&S are £1.30. For six medium eggs in Aldi 9p more expensive, who would have thought?
“Green beans in M&S are 80p. Green beans at Aldi 85p, 5p more expensive. Tin of baked beans M&S 50p. Aldi are slightly cheaper, they’re 41p so a 9p saving there.”
The results were clear – when you're picking grocery staples, the prices don't tend to differ that much. With that being said, you should always consider doing a price comparison on your list before heading out.
Jen captioned her TikTok post: “I usually do my weekly shop at Aldi but like everywhere, I’ve noticed the prices creeping up. I’ve always loved M&S food more of a treat or for special meals.
“So, I decided to compare the two - and I was shocked! For basic items, they’re surprisingly similar in price and sometimes Aldi came in a tiny bit more expensive, which I didn’t expect!
“The biggest difference? The cost of meat at M&S - it’s so much higher and I believe overall my weekly shop is still cheaper at Aldi. However I found this such an interesting comparison!”
