I’m a shopping expert – three things to always buy at Sainsbury’s and what to avoid
SAINSBURY'S is one of the biggest supermarket chains in the UK, and there's plenty of bargains to be had.
But not everything is worth your cash, and with grocery prices going up it's important to know which items are the best value for money.
That means paying attention to what you're putting in your trolley.
We spoke to shopping and money expert Andy Barr about the items you should always buy in Sainsbury's and the ones that are better to buy elsewhere.
Andy has worked in the money-saving industry for nearly 30 years and is also the co-founder of online price-tracking website alertr.co.uk.
The site helps shoppers to save by tracking products across online retailers so they can compare prices.
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Using his experience, Andy explained the things you should always buy in Sainsbury's and those to leave on the shelf.
Nectar products
The introduction of the Sainsbury's Nectar Prices was a move to rival the popular Clubcard Prices offered by Tesco.
First hitting shelves back in April, the supermarket giant offers instant discounts on 900 branded items to all Nectar cardholders when they shop in store and online.
Most recently, Sainsbury's brought in discounted prices on food-to-go items, fruit and veg, and ready meals too.
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Nectar price products are among Andy's items to always buy.
He said: “My top recommendation is to take full advantage of the Nectar card.
"It allows customers to get up to 60% off certain items. If there’s a product on your shopping list that you usually buy elsewhere but is discounted through the scheme, I’d certainly consider buying it at Sainsbury’s while on offer."
An example of how shoppers can benefit is that if you're armed with a handy card, you can now bag own-brand strawberries for £1.75 instead of £2.25.
Plus, you can get a six-pack of J2Os for £6 instead of £9, and Sanctuary Spa body scrub for £4.50 instead of £7.
Under the Nectar Card loyalty scheme, customers can also collect points on qualifying purchases in-store and online, with £1 equalling one point.
You also get one point for every £1 spent on fuel bought at Sainsbury's petrol stations and can pick up points at hundreds of partners as well, including Esso and eBay.
You just have to register on the app, which is free, and scan it every time you shop and the points are added to your account.
Your points can then be used to get money off future Sainsbury's shops or at one of its partners.
Each point is effectively worth 0.5p, meaning you need 500 points to get £2.50 off.
Imperfectly Tasty range
“I’d also recommend buying the products from the Imperfectly Tasty range of fruits and vegetables," Andy said.
This is Sainsbury's own version of other supermarket's wonky veg offer.
Andy explained: "Sainsbury’s stocks a fantastic range of affordable produce, discounted purely because of how it looks, not how it tastes."
The consumer expert uses the supermarket's Imperfectly Tasty gala apples as an example for how much you can save.
A pack of six costs just 99p compared to their regular pack which is £1.70.
You can also pick up a pack of five oranges for just 95p, while a regular pack would set you back £1.50.
If you made the switch to the Imperfectly Tasty range every week for all of your meals you could save a tidy sum across your fruit and veg shop.
Meat produce
Another of Andy's items to always buy in Sainsbury's is meat.
It can be a pretty pricey grocery staple and if you eat it regularly cost can add up.
But, if you're shopping in Sainsbury's it may not set you back so much, according to Andy.
He explained that his online-price tracking tool tracks the cost of 42 everyday items from the shopping basket on the Office for National Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, across the six largest online supermarkets in the UK.
He said: "In our latest price report, we found that beef mince, sausages and salmon were all cheapest at Sainsbury’s last week when compared to Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose and Ocado."
Meat isn't the only item with a low price tag on offer.
"Another aisle with some great savings is soft drinks; we found that Coca-Cola, squash and fruit juice were all the most affordable at Sainsbury’s," Andy revealed.
Of course prices do vary day to day so Sainsbury's might not always be the cheapest option for meat products.
You can always compare prices yourself every week to make sure you're getting the most for your money.
Things to avoid
When it comes to saving money on your shop Andy says you might want to avoid the Taste the Difference range.
He said: “If saving money is your priority, I would recommend avoiding the Taste the Difference range.
"While the products taste fantastic, it’s hard to justify their costly price when compared to lower-range alternatives."
Instead he suggests maybe downgrading what you're looking for, that way you can save cash with a lower price tag.
Andy explained: "One great way to save money, no matter the supermarket, is to try buying all of your groceries from one range lower – so if you’re buying a Taste the Difference product, consider purchasing a Sainsbury’s own-brand option.
"If you don’t mind the taste, stick with the cheaper item. It’s called the downshift challenge and can help households make decent savings on a weekly, monthly and annual basis."
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Another of range to maybe give a miss if money saving is your goal is the bakery section when looking for good value for money.
He said: “While the quality of baked goods is great, it’s just not worth the price when there are more affordable options, with a greater selection of products, at other stores such as Lidl or Aldi.”
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