Despite being a Sainsbury’s regular, the price of one particular item has left me shopping at Aldi more often than not
I’m a frequent shopper at my local Sainsbury’s, but lately I’ve been visiting Aldi more regularly because of the cost of one specific product. I use both Aldi and Sainsbury’s, although I must admit that, despite Aldi being the more affordable choice, I tend to call into Sainsbury’s most days as it’s slightly nearer and significantly less busy.
I’ve also reached the view that Sainsbury’s fresh produce is superior in quality to Aldi’s, and as we consume a substantial amount of fruit and vegetables in my home, we regularly pop to Sainsbury’s, knowing the produce will stay fresher for longer and often has better flavour.
Lately, though, I’ve been making the trip to Aldi for a completely different product because of the price gap: salmon. I consume salmon most days each week with rice, noodles or another side. The oily fish is rich in omega-3s, vitamin D and antioxidants, which can shield cells from oxidative stress, decrease inflammation, enhance skin elasticity and support both cognitive and cardiovascular health.
Not only is it exceptionally beneficial for you, but it’s also tasty, especially when prepared with soy sauce.
That being said, salmon isn’t inexpensive and can cost you £4 for a pair of reasonably-sized fillets.
Recently, while purchasing some salmon in Sainsbury’s, I was stunned by the cost. I typically purchase whichever fillets are on offer. Sainsbury’s provides numerous Nectar prices in-store and personalised Nectar offers through the Nectar app, yet even with these reductions, some packs cost just shy of £5 or as much as £6.50 for two fillets.
Salmon has traditionally commanded a premium price, though it seems to have become even pricier recently, especially with soaring energy costs and the cost-of-living squeeze putting pressure on family finances.
Sainsbury’s does sell a two-fillet salmon pack for £3.59 (Stamford Street Co. ASC Salmon Fillets), matching Aldi’s pricing, but despite being labelled as ‘boneless’, finding the odd rogue bone isn’t exactly rare.
Instead, heading to Aldi for The Fishmonger Boneless Salmon Fillets 2 Pack has become my go-to choice – the quality is exceptional, and it typically has fewer bones.
There are additional products I’ll now only purchase from Aldi: Their bakery selection.
In the past, grabbing the occasional croissant or pain au chocolat from Sainsbury’s at weekends was a lovely treat. Yet unless you got there early enough, they often proved underwhelming – dry, past their best and remarkably tasteless, especially given what they cost.
I approached my first Aldi croissant with doubt, assuming a cheaper price automatically meant poor quality.
Yet after trying most of Aldi’s bakery offerings over the past few months, it’s fair to say I’ve completely abandoned Sainsbury’s bakery section.
Comparing the prices of certain items between different supermarkets continues to be one of the best ways to keep to a budget. If that’s not practical, though, many UK supermarkets run loyalty programmes, including Tesco (Clubcard), Sainsbury’s (Nectar), Asda (Rewards), Lidl (Plus), Morrisons (More), Co-op, Waitrose (myWaitrose), and M&S (Sparks), which allow members to access exclusive deals, vouchers and collect rewards.
