Money-saving pro Gemma Bird, who is known as the Money mum on social media, took to Instagram to share the results of her experiment – and they may surprise you
A thrifty mum has put Marks and Spencer and Lidl to the test, revealing that the price gap for household staples is surprisingly narrow.
Gemma Bird, known on social media as Money Mum, recently conducted a cost comparison between the two supermarket heavyweights to check out the financial difference.
On Instagram, Gemma showed off the findings of her little experiment with a video captioned: “So I went into M&S and Lidl and thought I’ll pick 4 random items we all use.
“What I was thinking was cost getting to a store if you don’t have a Lidl near you and M&S is on the doorstep for a couple of bits by the time you pay petrol, would we save that much? I based this on the cheapest item I could find. So the most basic line in both stores so it would be fair.”
Kicking things off, Gemma highlighted the minor difference in the price of cucumbers – 89p at Lidl and a mere one penny dearer at M&S, where they sell for 90p.
Moving on to baked beans, she noted Lidl’s own brand costs just 28p, with M&S charging a bit steeper at 45p. She then noted: “Now the beans are a big saving, but I have to say the beans are a lot nicer in M&S.”
When it came to cheddar cheese, the savvy shopper found Lidl’s offering at £6.73 per kg, while M&S presented a slightly higher price of £7.27 per kg – not even a full pound’s difference.
For the final item, butter spreads, she found Lidl priced theirs at 95p, with M&S’s only a little pricier at £1.
Gemma’s fans didn’t hold back in the comments section of her video, with many chiming in on the price comparison. One follower remarked: “I’m finding M&S are similar in price to most supermarkets now including Aldi, Asda and Tesco.”
Another added their two cents, saying: “I honestly thought the difference would be huge but this goes to show.”
Yet, some savvy shoppers noted that a trip to M&S often results in spending more due to the temptation of extra treats. While Lidl might have the same lure, the price gap is more noticeable.
One commenter joked: “It’s not the essentials that have a massive price difference, more so when you go in for milk and come out with £20 of snacks and picky bits.”
