DISCOUNT supermarket Aldi is known for its low prices and shoppers aren’t shy about hunting down a bargain.
Savvy saver @everylittlepenny on TikTok has taken bargain-hunting to the extreme by doing a weekly shop for under a tenner.
An Aldi shopper on TikTok managed to make a shop for £7 last for seven days
The TikTokker regularly shares her shopping and money saving tips with her 6,000 followers.
Now she’s sharing her secrets on how she managed to cook three meals a day for a week on a budget of just £7 by shopping at Aldi.
But it’s important to note, she does live alone, and only needed to buy enough food to make meals for herself – so couples and families following her tips should expect to pay more.
Here’s how she did it:
First, she revealed the items which went into her shopping basket:
- Village Bakery both in one medium sliced loaf 800g – 65p
- Four seasons supersweet sweetcorn 1kg – £1.19
- Everyday Essentials Penne 500g – 32p
- Bramwells Light Mayonnaise 504g – 49p
- Everyday Essentials Tuna Chunks in Brine 145g x 2 = £1.18 (59p each)
- Four Seasons Red Kidney Beans in Water 400g (240g drainer) x 2 – 98p (49p each)
- Village Bakery Supersoft Wraps 8 pack – 85p
- Everyday Essentials Wonky Mixed Peppers – £1.16
In total, her shop came to just £6.28.
The shopper combined the food she bought from Aldi with condiments and seasoning which were already in her cupboard to make her meals.
For breakfast, she had two slices of toast with butter and managed to make the 65p loaf last all week.
She told her TikTok followers that it was “incredibly boring”, but worth it for the saving.
Lunch for the social media saver was a wrap with fried red pepper and kidney beans, using salt and pepper she already had in the cupboard to season.
In total, her lunches for the week cost just £3.33.
On the menu for dinner was penne pasta, tuna mayo and sweetcorn, costing just £3.18.
At the end of the week, she told her followers that the pasta had lasted really well.
But it’s important to eat a varied diet, so eating the same meal everyday might not have the best nutritional value.
Reflecting on the week, she said she was left feeling a “little hungry” but she proved it was possible do a weekly shop for under £7.
But for hard-up families with children to feed, it simply isn’t possible to do the weekly shop this cheap.
But consumer expert Martyn James said that while the cost of living crisis can seem “overwhelming”, there are bargains to be found.
He shared his top tips for finding the best deals in the supermarket.
How can I find the best deals in the supermarket?
Get a loyalty card
Signing up for a supermarket loyalty card can often help you to get cheaper prices on essentials.
Martyn said: “If you have a loyalty card, you may find you can get extra points or discounts, particularly if you buy petrol from the same supermarket.”
SE recently compared the best supermarket loyalty cards in this handy guide.
Asda is the latest supermarket to promise shoppers extra perks, bringing it in line with Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
But it’s worth comparing loyalty schemes – and remember you don’t have to stay loyal, despite the name.
Known when to shop
Heading to the shops when products are marked down and bright yellow discount stickers are applied can save you serious dough.
Martyn said if you shop in the evening, you are more likely to find goods that have been marked marked down.
But each branch of a supermarket will have their biggest discounts at slightly different times of day.
We put together a handy guide to what time supermarkets including Aldi, Asda, Tesco and Lidl reduce their prices.
Make a list
One of the most common mistakes shoppers make is going out underprepared.
Making a list will help to stay focused on getting the items that you really need, rather than being drawn into impulse purchases.
Martyn says if there is one tip to remember, it’s this one.
Swap to own brand
Ditching items with labels like “finest” in favour of “own” or “value” can be worthwhile.
SE regularly tests supermarket own brand products to see if they can beat the big brands.
Lidl’s own brand Freeway Cola costing 47p beat other supermarket’s own brands to be crowned the best by SE.
While the budget supermarket’s own brand orange juice was also found to be the best alternative to Tropicana.
The brand’s Smooth Orange Juice costs £2.75 compared to Lidl’s Simply Orange Juice, which is just 55p.
You can also try checking frozen alternatives to fresh fruit and vegetables, and looking on the lower shelves where customers are known to find better deals.
Meanwhile, we found out from a supermarket expert how you can get your weekly shop cheaper in every aisle.
We also revealed the cheapest supermarket in the country – and it’s not what you expect.