Up next
Author

SWAPPING your favourite brands for own-label products is the perfect way to swerve price hikes.

The cost of food has reached a 40-year high, with the average annual grocery bill up by £571 from £4,610 to £5,181 a year, says analyst Kantar.

'Downshifting' to cheaper products does not have to mean lowering standards

31

‘Downshifting’ to cheaper products does not have to mean lowering standardsCredit: David Dyson

Switching from premium branded items to your supermarket’s own range could slash your costs by up to 30 per cent – saving you £1,554 a year.

And “downshifting” to cheaper products does not have to mean lowering your standards.

The Sun’s Squeeze team has put everyday products from all the major supermarkets to the test, to find out which are the closest in quality to the branded versions, and the best value for money.

Here we help you sort the best dupes from the duds, marking all items out of 20.

Money-saving mum shares the exact dates to buy bargain toys for Christmas & save
Over 40% of consumers thinking about future savings when buying products

Our smart swaps could slash almost £24 a week from your weekly supermarket bill – or £1,248 a year – without you noticing a difference.

Teabags

  • Big brand: PG Tips, 80 bags, £2.30, Tesco: – 8/20
  • Winner: M&S Everyday teabags, 80 bags, £1.20 – 20/20
PG Tips teabags cost £2.30 at Tesco

31

PG Tips teabags cost £2.30 at TescoCredit: Darren Fletcher
M&S sell a superior product for just £1.20

31

M&S sell a superior product for just £1.20Credit: Darren Fletcher

WE found the M&S teabags even better than PG Tips although less than half the price.

They make a strong and rich brew.

SAVING: £1.10

Most read in The Sun

Sausages

  • Big brand: Richmond, eight sausages, £2.25, Asda: – 7/20
  • Winner: Eight sausages, Lidl, £1.49 – 18/20
Richmond sausages cost £2.25 at Asda

31

Richmond sausages cost £2.25 at AsdaCredit:
Lidl's own brand sausages will go down a treat and save you money

31

Lidl’s own brand sausages will go down a treat and save you moneyCredit: Ian Whittaker – News Group Newspapers Ltd

SAUSAGES are a dinner favourite in many homes and we found Lidl’s own-brand bangers meaty and nicely seasoned.

SAVING: 76p

Butter

  • Big brand: Lurpak, 250g, £2.50, Iceland – 12/20
  • Winner: Tesco Unsalted Butter, 250g, £1.99 – 20/20
The cost of Lurpak has risen over the past few months

31

The cost of Lurpak has risen over the past few monthsCredit: Oliver Dixon
Tesco's butter is delicious and 51p cheaper than Lurpak

31

Tesco’s butter is delicious and 51p cheaper than LurpakCredit: Oliver Dixon

THE cost of butter is soaring, so save by going own-brand.

Tesco’s was delicious on toast. Plus, it’s great for scrambled eggs.

SAVING: 51p

Cola

  • Big brand: Coca Cola, 2l, £2.25, Asda – 17/20
  • Winner: Lidl Freeway Cola, 2l, 47p – 19/20
Coca-cola has an iconic taste at a cost of £2.25 for 2 litres

31

Coca-cola has an iconic taste at a cost of £2.25 for 2 litresCredit:
Lidl's imitation tastes similar and costs just 47p

31

Lidl’s imitation tastes similar and costs just 47pCredit: Darren Fletcher

THIS cola is the closest to the real thing we found and fizzes in just the same way. Less than a third of the price of Coca Cola.

SAVING: £1.78

Fishfingers

  • Big brand: Bird’s Eye, box of 10, £2.50, Sainsbury’s – 10/20
  • Winner: Sainsbury’s, Cod Fillet, box of 10, £2.25 – 20/20
Bird's Eye fishfingers cost £2.50 for a box of 10

31

Bird’s Eye fishfingers cost £2.50 for a box of 10Credit: Gary Stone
Sainsbury's own brand fishfingers cost 25p cheaper

31

Sainsbury’s own brand fishfingers cost 25p cheaperCredit: Gary Stone

DESPITE Bird’s Eye’s dominance, we felt Sainsbury’s own brand contained more fish, and the bread-crumbs were perfect.

SAVING: 25p

Washing powder

  • Big brand: Fairy Non-Bio, 40 washes, £8.25, Morrisons – 7/20
  • Winner: Almat Non-Bio, 40 washes, £3.19, Aldi – 19/20
Fairy washing powder costs £8.25 at Morrison's

31

Fairy washing powder costs £8.25 at Morrison’sCredit: Darren Fletcher
Aldi's alternative will save you more than £5

31

Aldi’s alternative will save you more than £5Credit: Darren Fletcher

FAIRY left clothes looking slightly faded, while Aldi’s powder was the best at removing stains and kept whites bright.

SAVING: £5.06

Chopped tomatoes

  • Big brand: Napolina Chopped Tomatoes, 400g, £1, Iceland – 8/20
  • Winner: Hubbard’s Chopped Tomatoes, 400g, 28p, Sainsbury’s – 20/20
Iceland's chopped tomatoes cost £1 per tin

31

Iceland’s chopped tomatoes cost £1 per tinCredit: David Dyson
Sainsbury's own brand tomatoes cost only 28p

31

Sainsbury’s own brand tomatoes cost only 28pCredit: David Dyson

ALTHOUGH cheaper, Sainsbury’s own-label toms were not watery – and unlike the Napolina, they did not leave an acidic taste.

SAVING: 72p

Baked beans

  • Big brand: Heinz Baked Beans, 415g, £1.20, Tesco – 12/20
  • Winner: Baked Beans, 410g, 39p, Morrisons – 20/20
Heinz baked beans cost £1.20 per tin

31

Heinz baked beans cost £1.20 per tinCredit: The Sun
Morrisons own brand cost only 39p per tin

31

Morrisons own brand cost only 39p per tinCredit: Gary Stone

AFTER trying Morrisons own-brand beans – perfect with a fry-up, on toast – we felt there was nothing special about Heinz.

SAVING: 81p

Orange juice

  • Big brand: Tropicana Smooth, 900ml, £2.75, Tesco – 19/20
  • Winner: Simply Orange Juice, 1l, 85p, Lidl – 20/20
Tropicana smooth orange juice costs £2.75 per carton

31

Tropicana smooth orange juice costs £2.75 per cartonCredit: Darren Fletcher
Lidl's own brand orange juice is refreshing alternative which costs 85p

31

Lidl’s own brand orange juice is refreshing alternative which costs 85pCredit: Darren Fletcher

LIDL’S Simply Orange Juice is a third of the price of Tropicana.

It was refreshing, smooth and will not squeeze your finances.

SAVING: £1.80

Ketchup

  • Big brand: Heinz Ketchup, 650g, £3, Iceland – 10/20
  • Winner: Bramwells Tomato Ketchup, 650g, 65p, Aldi – 18/20
Heinz tomato ketchup costs £3 per bottle

31

Heinz tomato ketchup costs £3 per bottleCredit: Lucy North – Commissioned By The Sun
Aldi's own brand ketchup costs only 65p

31

Aldi’s own brand ketchup costs only 65pCredit: Lucy North – Commissioned By The Sun

ALDI’S ketchup, a fifth of the price of Heinz, was just as tasty.

Perfect on a burger or a plate of chips, it’s worth making the switch.

SAVING: £2.35

Cheese

  • Big brand: Cathedral Mature Cheddar, 350g, £4, Tesco – 14/20
  • Winner: Mild British Cheddar, 400g, £2.85, Asda – 20/20
Cathedral cheddar cheese costs £4 at Tesco

31

Cathedral cheddar cheese costs £4 at TescoCredit: Gary Stone
Asda's own cheddar cheese tastes great and costs £2.85

31

Asda’s own cheddar cheese tastes great and costs £2.85Credit: Gary Stone

ASDA’S cheddar is challenging Cathedral City on quality and value for money.

It is full of flavour, for around half the price.

SAVING: £1.15

Toilet roll

  • Big brand: Andrex Classic Clean, nine rolls, £5, Sainsbury’s – 13/20
  • Winner: Shades So Soft, 12 rolls, £5.60 Asda – 16/20
Shoppers face paying £5 for nine rolls of Andrex

31

Shoppers face paying £5 for nine rolls of AndrexCredit:
Asda sell a pack of 12 toilet rolls for £5.60 and it is superior

31

Asda sell a pack of 12 toilet rolls for £5.60 and it is superiorCredit:

ANDREX Classic Clean is quality but Asda’s own loo roll felt strong and was thicker and softer.

It costs virtually 9p less per roll.

SAVING: 9p per roll

Washing-up liquid

  • Big brand: Fairy Washing Up Liquid, 383ml, £1, Sainsbury’s – 16/20
  • Winner: Magnum washing-up liquid, 500ml, 49p, Aldi – 17/20
Fairy washing up liquid costs £1 per bottle

31

Fairy washing up liquid costs £1 per bottleCredit: Darren Fletcher
Aldi's own washing up liquid costs 49p

31

Aldi’s own washing up liquid costs 49pCredit:

ALDI’s Magnum washing-up liquid smelt just like Fairy, was a thick liquid and made lots of long-lasting bubbles.

SAVING: 51p

Kitchen roll

  • Big brand: Plenty The Original One, 400 sheets, £8.25, Tesco – 12/20
  • Winner: Saxon Ultra Kitchen Rolls, 200 sheets, £2.29, Aldi – 20/20
Tesco sell 400 sheets of Plenty kitchen roll for £8.25

31

Tesco sell 400 sheets of Plenty kitchen roll for £8.25Credit: David Dyson
Aldi sell 200 sheets for just £2.29 and they are to a high standard

31

Aldi sell 200 sheets for just £2.29 and they are to a high standardCredit: David Dyson

THE Aldi towels were strong and robust. For £1.14 per 100 sheets, compared with £2.06 for Plenty, you do not need to sacrifice quality.

SAVING: £1.12 per 100 sheets

Ruth Jones gives view on Gavin & Stacey comeback rumours once and for all
I’m a mum-of-9 and I’m tired of people asking how many baby daddies I have

Hot chocolate

  • Big brand: Cadbury, 500g, £3, Sainsbury’s – 16/20
  • Winner: Aldi Choceur Instant Hot Chocolate, 400g, £1.09 – 17/20
Cadbury hot chocolate costs £3 at Sainsbury's

31

Cadbury hot chocolate costs £3 at Sainsbury’sCredit: Stewart Williams
Aldi's own brand hot chocolate is on par with Cadbury's at just £1.09

31

Aldi’s own brand hot chocolate is on par with Cadbury’s at just £1.09Credit: Stewart Williams

OUR test revealed Aldi’s hot chocolate was just as good as the Cadbury one and less than half the price. Indulgent and great value.

SAVING: £1.91

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Six steps to sort out your finances in the New Year – and it could save you £13,500

JANUARY is the perfect time to kick-start healthy habits for the year…

Call for buy-to-let stamp duty tax to be abolished

Landlords are being taxed out of the market and rents pushed up…

Overdraft Fees Are Dwindling, Study Finds

Are the days of overdraft fees almost over? The dreaded bank fees…

Fancy a flutter? Americans to bet £13bn on super bowl

American football lovers will splash a record £13billion on bets at this…