Saving money while grocery shopping is a top priority for many – though many of us don’t have the time in our busy lives to be constantly seeking out the cheapest deals. With rising food prices, it’s important to stretch every pound and optimise every minute spent at the supermarket.
In today’s post, I share eight invaluable tips to help you navigate the aisles of Lidl and Tesco efficiently, saving both time and money along the way.
1. Use Their Apps
Grocery apps are valuable tools that can help you find the best deals at supermarkets. Lidl’s app, Lidl Plus, pairs with their free Plus membership. To start saving, simply scan the app’s code at checkout to prove you’re a member. Lidl Plus offers personalised discounts, scratchcards with prizes, and a digital receipt for your purchases, making it easier to track your spending.
The Tesco Grocery and Clubcard app stores your Clubcard information, making it easy to earn points and access discounts. With the app, you can also create shopping lists, find the nearest Tesco store, and use Clubcard prices for additional savings on selected items.
Both apps can send you notifications about discounts and available coupons, ensuring you never miss a chance to save. By using these apps, you can maximise your savings and make your shopping experience more convenient and efficient.
2. Go With a Plan
With any grocery store, the best way to save money and time is to know exactly what you want to buy before you go in. By making a detailed shopping list, you can avoid wandering around the store hoping for meal inspiration or forgetting items, which can lead to unnecessary return trips. This strategy helps you stick to your budget by preventing impulse buys and ensuring you only purchase what you need for your meals that day or week. As a result, you reduce food waste, save money, and make your shopping experience more efficient.
Planning your meals and shopping list in advance allows you to take advantage of sales and discounts, further maximising your savings. By being organised and prepared, you can streamline your grocery shopping and ensure you get everything you need in one trip.
3. Know Where to Go
Get to know the layout of your grocery store and only go to the aisles that you need to get things on your list. Skip other aisles all together to avoid
“Lidl’s famous ‘middle aisle’ of home goods can be both a time and money black hole. You can avoid it in stores since all of those products are on their website, so you can browse in your own time for things you actually need.
Additionally, some stores tuck away their promotional or last-chance items. Ask a worker where they have the promotions section and shop there first to check anything off your list for a cheaper price.
4. Timing is Everything
The time of day and the time of year you shop can affect how much you’re spending at the checkout counter.
Although it varies depending on location, Tesco often puts out discount yellow stickers from 7pm to 9pm. This especially happens on same day items such as sandwiches or baked goods. You can get yourself breakfast or lunch for the next day and save a lot of money over time.
In terms of time of year, come to the stores right after a big holiday, as Lidl and Tesco often put seasonal food and novelties on a large promotion.
For savings year-round, shop for produce that’s in-season, as it tends to be cheaper that out-of-season fruit and veg. For the upcoming summer season, berries, cherries and rhubarb will be cheaper, more abundant, and better tasting.
5. Become a Member
Both Tesco and Lidl offer free memberships that come with perks. For Tesco, it’s called a Clubcard, for Lidl it’s called Lidl Plus. You may see a promotional price on certain items in the grocery store, and then later realise it wasn’t used at check-out. That’s because some of those prices are only offered to members.
6. Know Regular Deals
Familiarise yourself with the everyday sales and promotions that are used country-wide at these two chains. For example, each week Lidl promotes multiple “Pick of the Week”. These are items that will only be on sale for that week. Find out what they are at the beginning of the week, and use those items to plan your weekly meals around. Not only will you save money, it’s a nice trick to get a variety of meals in.
7. Pick Up Groceries
Tesco offers a Click and Collect service, which usually costs up to £2, but can be as little as 25 pence, depending on the time slot you choose. Don’t let this small surcharge discourage you! Often, shoppers save money using this service because they are only getting what they need and not picking up additional items they might see while browsing in-store.
Additionally, Click and Collect saves valuable time, as your groceries are ready for you to pick up at your convenience, eliminating the need to walk through the store and wait in line. This service is a great way to streamline your shopping experience, stay on budget, and make efficient use of your time.
Currently, Lidl does not offer this service.
8. Talk to Workers
The best experts of your local Lidl and Tesco are going to be the people that are there every day. Ask them what time they tend to stock certain items and what the best deals are at the moment. Also see if they know of any upcoming sales. Every store can vary in this way.
Simply by implementing these strategies, shoppers can navigate the grocery store with confidence while saving money, and make the most of their shopping experience, without having to invest additional time into cutting costs.
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