Yesterday I popped into my local B&M Bargains (which happens to be 2 mins down the road). I initially went in to look for baskets and storage for the boys bedroom but ended up doing a mini grocery shop – typical.
As I was walking around I was spotting things I needed so thought I might as well grab it while I could. The things I needed were mainly branded stuff, which got me thinking. I wonder how much I’ll save by buying branded products in B&M rather than somewhere like Tesco?
As I was shopping I could roughly work out if the items I was buying were cheaper, things that I buy regularly I know the prices of, but it wasn’t until I got home and compared prices that I really knew how much I had saved.
So how did I compare prices?
Simple. I often shop online with Tesco, so I searched for the items I had purchased in B&M and wrote down the price that Tesco sell at. If I couldn’t find the exact item, I found an equivalent. There were a couple of items that I couldn’t compare, so I have deducted these from the total I paid in B&M and won’t compare them.
What did I buy?
- Toilet Roll /9 Pack – B&M = £1.99 Tesco £2
- DR Pepper 2 ltr – B&M £1.99 (50% extra so I got 3 ltr) Tesco (2 ltr) £1.85
- Dishwasher Rinse Aid 500ml (non branded) – B&M £0.99 Tesco 400ml £1.25
- Comfort Pure 750ml – B&M £1.29 Tesco £2
- Purina Adult Cat Food 800g – B&M £3.49 Tesco £5
- Felix Cat Food 12x 100g – B&M £3.29 Tesco £4.50
- Nescafe Azera 60g – B&M £1.99 Tesco £3.25
- Kinder Surprise Egg – B&M £0.79 Tesco £0.80
- Brownie Mix 284g – B&M £0.99 Tesco £1.10
- Minions Biscuit Mix – B&M £0.79 Tesco (Minion Cupcake Mix) £1.99
- Floor Wipes 30’s (non branded) – B&M £0.99 Tesco 15’s (own brand) £1 (2 packets = £2)
- Corsodyl Mouthwash Mint 300ml – B&M £3.49 Tesco £5.19
- HP Sauce 425g – B&M £1.00 Tesco £1.70
- Fruit Shoot 4x 200ml – B&M £0.99 Tesco £1.89
- John West Tuna 4x 145g – B&M £2.50 Tesco £5
- Heinz Ketchup 570g – B&M £1.25 Tesco £2
- Persil Non Bio Liquid 25 washes – B&M £3.99 Tesco £7
- Whole Milk 1 ltr – B&M £0.69 Tesco £0.75
- Semi-Skimmed Milk 1 ltr – B&M £0.69 Tesco £0.75
- Warburtons Wholemeal Bread 800g – B&M £1.25 Tesco £1.00
B&M TOTAL = £34.44
Tesco TOTAL = £51.02
Total Saved = £16.58
I was blown away by how much money I saved by buying groceries in B&M Bargains. There are a handful of branded items that I always buy and managed to find in B&M yesterday. These are Purina Cat Food (I have a diva for a cat who only wants the best), Corsodyl Mouthwash for the hubby who suffers with gum disease and Nescafe Azera coffee. With these 3 items alone I saved £4.47 by shopping in B&M!
Why don’t you challenge yourself and do your shopping in B&M? There’s also Home Bargains which is very similar. Obviously you can’t buy everything you need, but if you’re saving the amount I did it’s worth the trip isn’t it?
Ax
This is fab, and surprising it’s that much. We have a local Home Bargains so will have to go and try that this week, especially to try and find the Azera coffee, it’s so expensive in the ‘normal’ supermarkets and always tend to stock up when it’s on offer. (Can you count this post as entry to the competitions as well please – although I would have posted anyway! Thanks x)
I think I may have to pop in and have a look! I’ve not had a visit in a few months 🙂
Wow what a great saving. Our closest B&M is lakeside which is quite far for us just for a little shop. But I do love B&M some really great bargains. Can’t believe how much you have saved. I will have to have a look once I am around lakeside next. X
This is very interesting indeed, I always wonder how big the comparison is, the Persil is an amazing bargain, for you living so close it is well worth it too, even for just the cat food, mouthwash and Persil.
I think it I certainly would stock up on things that make a massive saving and go once a month xx
Thanks for sharing this lovely. I often go into B&M for things around the house but walk past the groceries. I think I’ll have to give them a go. That’s a great savings, especially if it’s every week x
I love B and M for buying children’s party presents but I have never done a grocery shop there: I will have to. x
Wow that’s a huge saving! It really does pay to shop around. It is convenient to do an Internet order though isn’t it xx
Loved B&M until I watched the news and it was detailing how B&M were selling fake shampoo (Head and Shoulders) http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/fake-head-and-shoulders-shampoo-containing-sexchange-chemical-sold-across-northern-ireland-stores-30798645.html which contained high levels of sex change chemicals!!!! The shampoo burn a child’s scalp.
Then this Christmas it was on the news that they sold fake Pie Face toys.
Now I am dubious on whether any of their items are fake or real?
Wow, that’s a big saving. I always pick up bargains when I pop in there but I’ve never really thought of doing a proper shop.
I found this post really interesting. I think we have a B+M locally but I’ve never been in there. I thought they were like The Range. I didn’t know they did food. I will definitely check it out.
That’s fab. I’d love to do a shop in B&M or Home Bargains but I would end up going back to Tesco buying things that I couldn’t get in B&M which woul make me spend more but those shops are fantastic for bargains!
Oh wow, good job on the bargain hunting and money saving! I just hit whichever shop is handiest rather than thinking too much about expense. x
That is a serious saving! I shop around at Lidl, Pound Land and other stores as well as Tesco, it is amazing how the prices do differ from store to store. Kaz x
Wow, that is an incredible saving.
We have Home Bargains near us and it’s where I tend to buy cleaning products etc. as they’re so much cheaper in there than in the supermarket.
I never just buy what I went in for there – far too many bargains to be had! 😉
xx
Wow! That’s such a big saving I better get down to b and m for our next weekly shop. Thanks for the comparison. I would never have realised how much could be saved xx
I have never heard of B&M, I’m gonna have to find one, that’s a massive saving!
There is a rumor that when our B&Q closes down it’s turning into a B&M….I can’t wait! We don’t have one locally at the moment but have heard good things about it.
Those savings are fantastic x