How to save money on food at the cheapest UK supermarkets

Food prices are rising, and many of us are feeling the pinch. So, we’ve rounded up the best ways to save money on food bills at every UK supermarket. Whether you’re hoping to shave pennies off the weekly family shop or to make your student loan stretch further, here’s how to shop smart at the cheapest UK supermarkets. 

Which is the cheapest UK supermarket?

According to NimbleFins analysis of data from the Office of National Statistics, the typical UK household (2.3 people) spends around £103 per week on the food shop, an increase of 18% from the same time last year. This means the weekly average food bill for a family of 4 in the UK in 2024 is £167.

It’s no wonder that parents, students, and everyone in between are now taking a closer look at whether their local store is offering the best value for money.

Fortunately, the money-saving experts at Which? have compared hundreds of grocery prices across the UK to reveal the cheapest supermarkets that could save you money on your food shop.

While ALDI and LIDL are engaged in a constant battle for the top spot, ALDI appears to have the edge over its rival when it comes to offering the best value for money overall. However, Asda was rated as the best supermarket to save money on a big trolley shop, so it’s far from a two-horse race.

How to save money on food, by supermarket

ALDI: cheapest supermarket in the UK

It’s all too easy to walk into this low-cost supermarket for a few bits and come out with a pressure washer, heated airer or any of the ALDI Specialbuy products that offer excellent value for money. But this budget supermarket offers more ways to save money on food shopping other than rock bottom prices.

ALDI Special 6

Every week, ALDI drops its prices on six seasonal fruit and veg lines — there’s no cheaper way to get your five a day. What’s more, they manage to do this with no extra cost to their farmers.

ALDI Super Weekly Offers

Choose items from the Super Weekly Offers range to get your fill of quality meats and responsibly sourced fish. So, whether you’re looking for mince, a turkey joint or even venison steaks, you can treat yourself to meat without breaking the bank.

Explore our amazing ALDI special offers this week and cut your costs even more. Spend just £25 to qualify for a free £5 gift card!

LIDL

With regular Special Offers on everything from LIDL tools to sandwich platters, you’re guaranteed unbeatable prices from this contender for the cheapest supermarket in the UK. Make sure you take advantage of these key saving features from LIDL that could help you save money on food bills.

LIDL Pick of the Week

Cut the cost of feeding the family with these 12 deals for your weekly meals. From seasonal vegetables to Britsh beef and chicken, you’ll find everything you need to whip up a balanced meal along with a discounted ‘Wine of the Weekend’ to wash it all down.

LIDL Plus

Want to save money on your food shop, every time? There’s an app for that. Download the Lidl Plus app to access a whole bunch of exclusive coupons (10% off when you spend £250 per month) and enjoy instant rewards for your loyalty. All you have to do is activate your coupons of choice and scan your app at the checkout.

Don’t forget to take a peek at our Lidl offers this week, just in case you spot a discount you can’t do without.

Asda

Did you know that Asda was voted the UK’s cheapest major supermarket for the 25th year in a row? Trade guru The Grocer found that Asda consistently beat rivals in price and launched initiatives such as a £90m investment to freeze prices on 100 popular products for the rest of the year. Just what we all need to help weather the storm of the cost of living crisis. Here are a few other ways to save at Asda.

Just Essentials by Asda

Launched in 2022 to help thrifty shoppers deal with rising supermarket prices, this value range is made up of around 300 low-cost products. From tinned food and cereal to beef mince and garlic bread, you’ll save big on your food shop with this cut-price range.

Asda Rewards

Download the Asda Rewards app to make some excellent savings. Boost your virtual Cashpot by purchasing Star Products and completing Missions, such as stocking up on a number of products from a specific department. Asda operates a ‘pounds not points’ policy, so you can convert your Cashpot into vouchers at any time.

From vegan products to beer deals, scroll through our Asda special offers for the latest low-cost treats. If your shop reaches £55, you'll score an exclusive £5 gift card to put towards another shop.

Tesco

The minds behind the UK’s biggest supermarket have been battling to charm customers away from cheaper rivals. Its main tactic? The excellent Tesco app and its exclusive, money-saving offers. It’s guaranteed to cut your food bill down to size.

Plus, take a peek at the Special Offers for seasonal deals and Clubcard steals.

Tesco Clubcard

Download the Tesco Clubcard app to track your points on food, fuel, fashion and more. Once you’ve clocked up 150 points, you can claim £1.50 worth of vouchers and spend your cash on your next food shop, days out and more. But the best saving feature for the Tesco Clubcard holder is access to heaps of exclusive Clubcard member prices. You’ll spend far less at the checkout than you would without one.

Tesco Clubcard Christmas Savers

The Tesco Clubcard Chrismas Savers is a smart initiative that helps customers save vouchers and cash throughout the year to spread the cost of their festive shopping. Tesco keeps your savings pot safe and sends it all through in November, just in time for the biggest shop of the year.

Scan as you Shop

Keep a tight rein on overspending by using a handset to scan each item as you shop. You can pop every product directly into your bag to save time as well as money while ensuring you stick to your budget.

From unbeatable wine offers to cheap Tesco home delivery, explore our latest Tesco vouchers to shave even more pennies off your shop. Every little helps!

Morrisons

Morrisons supermarket makes it easy for shoppers to save online by gathering all multi-buy special offers and price-hold items under easy-to-navigate tabs. You can also cut back on the cost of branded items by using the nifty ‘Compare and Save’ tool and swapping pricier items for products from the revamped M Savers value range. Not enough for you? Here are a couple more ways to save, exclusive to Morrisons.

Wonky Veg

Morrisons makes it easy to filter and search for ‘wonky veg’ online so that you can meet those five-a-day guidelines at a discounted rate. Wonky veg often has an unusual shape or small imperfections like missing stems. However, they still taste great and are just as nutritious as regular veg!

With millions of tonnes of food getting thrown away every year, it’s much better to put these wonky specimens to use. So, you’ll be doing your bit for the environment as well as saving your cash!

My Morrisons

We love the My Morrisons loyalty program because it rewards shoppers with personalised coupons based on their shopping habits. All you need to do is activate your voucher of choice in the app or online before using your card at the checkout. Plus, My Morrisons members enjoy automatic access to clubs like Baby Club with tailored discounts and treats.

Get smart and save on your Morrisons groceries with our collection of excellent deals, like a £10 gift card with your grocery shop!

Sainsbury’s

It may not be the cheapest compared to its rivals, but with one of the biggest, best and longest-running loyalty schemes in the UK, we had to include Sainsbury’s on this list. We also highly rate the quality of Sainsbury’s wines and the rest of its own-brand product line too.

Nectar Card

The best thing about the inspired Sainsbury’s Nectar Card is that you can redeem points for vouchers from a range of retail giants, such as eBay, ASOS and Dulux. This flexibility enables you to enjoy money off your next food shop, secondhand shopping or doing up the house. You can even score money off items like plane tickets from Expedia or Vue cinema tickets.

Plus, you’ll enjoy exclusive prices at Sainsbury’s, of course.

Scroll through our regularly updated Sainsbury’s discounts and you could save an exclusive £15 off your first order.

Whether you’re filling your basket at ALDI or getting stuck into a Tesco online food shop, you’ll find all the best supermarket discounts right here at vouchercloud. Why not sign up to receive exclusive food and drink savings direct to your inbox? You’ll never pay full price on the weekly food shop again!