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The Irish Sun
28-07-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
I slashed the cost of my food shop using free app – Aldi & Lidl were NOT always cheapest on key products
KEEPING on top of food shopping prices is no easy feat with ever-changing promotions and special loyalty prices to confuse you too. But I've found a new way to get the cheapest price - and it's super easy. 2 Can AI tell me where to get these items for the cheapest price? Credit: Jamie Harris / The Sun 2 It's all thanks to a brainy AI app. While there are concerns about AI taking jobs - or worse still, causing an apocalypse - some of the more immediate uses can help save you money. Before you dismiss the idea, it doesn't even require any typing, just your phone and your voice. I've been testing Google's Gemini AI platform, which will serve as an extra pair of all-knowing eyes and ears as you shop (for the most part). All you have to do is show the app an item, and it'll find you cheaper alternatives. No scanning of barcodes, just let Gemini see the item, and it will go on the bargain hunt for you. If you are one to shop around for the best deal, this could be one to try out, as the app is completely free. I'm quite fortunate in that I have a Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Lidl, Iceland, B&M and Savers all close by, which makes hopping between different stores that little bit easier. So how did I get on with Google Gemini for my food shop? While it's not absolutely perfect, the tech certainly helped me save some money. For reference, I stopped by all the shops mentioned to check whether the prices were correct on July 24. Google's Gemini AI app lets you chat out loud with shockingly humanlike virtual helper Diet Coke Of course, there are own-brand alternatives around, but this is one item we refuse to compromise on. At the time, Morrisons had an offer on, two for £3. But Google Gemini informed me that the price can be beaten in a number of places. Interestingly, it knows Clubcard and Nectar Card prices too. Tesco had two for £2.75 with a Clubcard, which works out at £1.37 a bottle. It failed to note that Lidl currently has the same offer. However, It did correctly inform me of the prices in other supermarkets. In the end, I decided to get the Tesco deal, two for £2.75, saving me 25p. Wholemeal bread When buying bread, I tend to go for Hovis wholemeal medium (800g). At Morrisons it's £1.39 at the moment - and Gemini informs me it's the same everywhere else. I'm not fussed about brand on this item though, and will sometimes buy own brand. Gemini says Tesco and Sainsbury's options are "around 80p" - which is technically correct, though the exact price after checking is 75p at both. But it also recommends Aldi for "around 59p" and Lidl for "about 75p". Aldi is the cheapest, but it got the price slightly wrong; it's actually 55p. As I'm in Morrisons, I ask it to provide me with the price for the supermarket's own brand, which it tells me is 75p too. So, I go to Aldi and get theirs, saving me 20p. Spaghetti Spaghetti is another one where brand doesn't really matter to me. Morrison's own is 28p for a 500g pack. Gemini tells me that Tesco's and Sainsbury's own are priced the same. However, it takes a bit more probing to get Gemini to find the value range. After a while, it figures out that Hearty Food Co. Spaghetti from Tesco and Asda's Essentials Spaghetti are both 28p as well. So, everyone is pretty equal on this one and I can stick with Morrisons. Cadbury chocolate Back to brands, and Cadbury chocolate is another I refuse to trade for budget dupes. So let's take my favourite, the Cadbury Dairy Milk bar - and an 180g size. It's £2.50 here in Morrisons. I ask Gemini how much it is elsewhere, and it claims that Tesco's is cheapest for £2.45 with a Clubcard. This is correct. I did ask if it works out cheaper per gram to buy a different size bar and Gemini got a bit confused, so I'll stick to my 180g bar from Tesco for a little saving of 5p. Magnum ice cream It's the time of year for Magnum ice cream, which you can find in packs of three or six. I'm on the lookout for a three-pack, and £2.75 from Morrisons seems a bit steep. So I asked Gemini to find a cheaper alternative, and it found me a whopping offer. Iceland is selling them for £1.75 at the moment, so that's £1 off. Other items I checked with Gemini 6 pack of eggs Gemini wrongly told me I could get them for 75p from Lidl - but they didn't seem to stock any of the sort at my local Lidl. The cheapest turned out to be Aldi, for 99p. Cheddar cheese (400g) All the main supermarkets offering a basic 400g cheddar cheese had the same price, £2.79. Iceberg lettuce Gemini correctly told me that Tesco was cheapest at 69p with a Clubcard, compared to 89p virtually everywhere else, so I saved 20p here. Fairy Liquid (320ml) Gemini can help with non-food items too and looks in shops other than supermarkets. It correctly told me that Savers was cheapest for Fairy Liquid (320ml) at 89p, saving me 11p compared to Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsburys where it's £1. How much did I save in total? On these nine items alone, I saved £2.91 by going for swaps instead of sticking to one supermarket (Morrisons) and trading one branded item for an own-brand. The majority of these were highlighted to me by Gemini. This may not sound like a huge saving, but remember it's just based on a small basket shop. It's not to say any supermarket is cheaper or more expensive than the other, merely that it does pay to shop around - and that using Gemini could be helpful in that mission. Tips for using Gemini for shopping Gemini is still learning so it will make mistakes - but it is a useful aid if used right. I found I had to really emphasis about what I wanted sometimes. So, asking "where is the cheapest place I can buy X" wasn't necessarily enough. At times, it worked better when listing all the supermarkets I wanted to compare the price to. It also sometimes missed out value ranges unless you made it clear that's what you are after. Gemini struggled more so with prices for Aldi and Lidl, I suspect this is because there is less information on their pricing online compared to other stores who have online shopping sites. Overall, it seemed to work best on branded items that you don't want to find an alternative for, such as Magnums were I saved £1.
Scottish Sun
28-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
I slashed the cost of my food shop using free app – Aldi & Lidl were NOT always cheapest on key products
The Sun's tech editor, Jamie Harris, was shocked by how much he saved on a summertime favourite - and it's not just food you can save money on APP-SURD! I slashed the cost of my food shop using free app – Aldi & Lidl were NOT always cheapest on key products Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) KEEPING on top of food shopping prices is no easy feat with ever-changing promotions and special loyalty prices to confuse you too. But I've found a new way to get the cheapest price - and it's super easy. 2 Can AI tell me where to get these items for the cheapest price? Credit: Jamie Harris / The Sun 2 It's all thanks to a brainy AI app. While there are concerns about AI taking jobs - or worse still, causing an apocalypse - some of the more immediate uses can help save you money. Before you dismiss the idea, it doesn't even require any typing, just your phone and your voice. I've been testing Google's Gemini AI platform, which will serve as an extra pair of all-knowing eyes and ears as you shop (for the most part). All you have to do is show the app an item, and it'll find you cheaper alternatives. No scanning of barcodes, just let Gemini see the item, and it will go on the bargain hunt for you. If you are one to shop around for the best deal, this could be one to try out, as the app is completely free. I'm quite fortunate in that I have a Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Lidl, Iceland, B&M and Savers all close by, which makes hopping between different stores that little bit easier. So how did I get on with Google Gemini for my food shop? While it's not absolutely perfect, the tech certainly helped me save some money. For reference, I stopped by all the shops mentioned to check whether the prices were correct on July 24. Google's Gemini AI app lets you chat out loud with shockingly humanlike virtual helper Diet Coke Diet Coke is a favourite in my household, so we tend to get a 2-litre bottle. Of course, there are own-brand alternatives around, but this is one item we refuse to compromise on. At the time, Morrisons had an offer on, two for £3. But Google Gemini informed me that the price can be beaten in a number of places. Interestingly, it knows Clubcard and Nectar Card prices too. Tesco had two for £2.75 with a Clubcard, which works out at £1.37 a bottle. It failed to note that Lidl currently has the same offer. However, It did correctly inform me of the prices in other supermarkets. In the end, I decided to get the Tesco deal, two for £2.75, saving me 25p. Wholemeal bread When buying bread, I tend to go for Hovis wholemeal medium (800g). At Morrisons it's £1.39 at the moment - and Gemini informs me it's the same everywhere else. I'm not fussed about brand on this item though, and will sometimes buy own brand. Gemini says Tesco and Sainsbury's options are "around 80p" - which is technically correct, though the exact price after checking is 75p at both. But it also recommends Aldi for "around 59p" and Lidl for "about 75p". Aldi is the cheapest, but it got the price slightly wrong; it's actually 55p. As I'm in Morrisons, I ask it to provide me with the price for the supermarket's own brand, which it tells me is 75p too. So, I go to Aldi and get theirs, saving me 20p. Spaghetti Spaghetti is another one where brand doesn't really matter to me. Morrison's own is 28p for a 500g pack. Gemini tells me that Tesco's and Sainsbury's own are priced the same. However, it takes a bit more probing to get Gemini to find the value range. After a while, it figures out that Hearty Food Co. Spaghetti from Tesco and Asda's Essentials Spaghetti are both 28p as well. So, everyone is pretty equal on this one and I can stick with Morrisons. Cadbury chocolate Back to brands, and Cadbury chocolate is another I refuse to trade for budget dupes. So let's take my favourite, the Cadbury Dairy Milk bar - and an 180g size. It's £2.50 here in Morrisons. I ask Gemini how much it is elsewhere, and it claims that Tesco's is cheapest for £2.45 with a Clubcard. This is correct. I did ask if it works out cheaper per gram to buy a different size bar and Gemini got a bit confused, so I'll stick to my 180g bar from Tesco for a little saving of 5p. Magnum ice cream It's the time of year for Magnum ice cream, which you can find in packs of three or six. I'm on the lookout for a three-pack, and £2.75 from Morrisons seems a bit steep. So I asked Gemini to find a cheaper alternative, and it found me a whopping offer. Iceland is selling them for £1.75 at the moment, so that's £1 off. Other items I checked with Gemini 6 pack of eggs Gemini wrongly told me I could get them for 75p from Lidl - but they didn't seem to stock any of the sort at my local Lidl. The cheapest turned out to be Aldi, for 99p. Cheddar cheese (400g) All the main supermarkets offering a basic 400g cheddar cheese had the same price, £2.79. Iceberg lettuce Gemini correctly told me that Tesco was cheapest at 69p with a Clubcard, compared to 89p virtually everywhere else, so I saved 20p here. Fairy Liquid (320ml) Gemini can help with non-food items too and looks in shops other than supermarkets. It correctly told me that Savers was cheapest for Fairy Liquid (320ml) at 89p, saving me 11p compared to Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsburys where it's £1. How much did I save in total? On these nine items alone, I saved £2.91 by going for swaps instead of sticking to one supermarket (Morrisons) and trading one branded item for an own-brand. The majority of these were highlighted to me by Gemini. This may not sound like a huge saving, but remember it's just based on a small basket shop. It's not to say any supermarket is cheaper or more expensive than the other, merely that it does pay to shop around - and that using Gemini could be helpful in that mission.
Scottish Sun
22-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Baileys launches new ‘epic' flavour in UK with a twist – but it's only available at 600 supermarkets
We reveal what other retailers are selling it below and whether they're stocking it cheaper FANCY A TIPPLE Baileys launches new 'epic' flavour in UK with a twist – but it's only available at 600 supermarkets Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BAILEYS has launched a new "epic" flavour in the UK - but it's only available at one supermarket. Diageo, which makes the tipple, has brought Cinnamon Swirl to the market and it's on sale exclusively in Sainsbury's stores. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Bailey's has launched a new Cinnamon Swirl flavour and it's available at Sainsbury's Credit: Facebook / Food Finds UK Official The beverage was unveiled on shelves earlier this month, with a 700ml bottle costing £20. You won't find it on the Sainsbury's website though. Shoppers have just started spotting the new flavour in shops, including one who posted a picture of the bottle from their local store on the Food Finds UK Facebook page. Commenting on the post, one fellow shopper said: "I might have to give this a go it will taste like Christmas." Another chipped in: "Need to buy this love cinnamon." Meanwhile, a third simply said: "Oooh that sounds epic!!!" Shoppers keen to buy the new Cinnamon Swirl flavour will have to be quick as it's only on sale for a limited time, Diageo said. The 700ml bottle comes with 2,191 calories inside, or 156 per 50ml serving. Shoppers who don't have a Sainsbury's near them can buy bottles of the new Baileys flavour at other lesser-known retailers online. The Whisky World is selling a 500ml bottle for £18.90 while The Drink Supermarket is selling the same size for £17.99. That makes Sainsbury's the cheapest option as its 700ml bottle is £2.80 per 100ml, instead of £3.60 per 100ml or more at the two above retailers. Shoppers not so keen on the new Cinnamon Swirl flavour can get a classic 700ml bottle of Baileys cheapest at B&M for £14. Remember, you can compare the prices of thousands of supermarket products through the website. Or, you can flick through online prices by using the Google Shopping/Product tab. OTHER SAINSBURY'S NEWS Sainsbury's shoppers earlier this month slammed a new Nectar Card rule saying it makes it harder to get discounts. Loyalty card customers can now unlock personalised "Your Nectar Prices" offers based on their shopping habits at tills. However, shoppers will need to "unlock" the deals by selecting them on the Nectar website or app before they go to the supermarket. The quirk has left shoppers fuming over having to do "homework" before the weekly grocery trip. Meanwhile, NatWest issued an update on the transfer of Sainsbury's Bank customers after taking on its loans and bank account portfolio. History of Baileys Baileys, first released in 1974, combines Irish whiskey, and chocolate and vanilla flavours. Each year, around 200million litres of fresh milk are needed to produce enough Baileys to meet demand - around 3.3billion milkshakes. Diageo is produced by R&A Bailey & Co, owned by Diageo, and currently sells a range of different flavours including Birthday Cake, Salted Caramel and even Toffee Popcorn. The tipple in all its formats is currently sold in more than 160 countries across the world. The bank has confirmed the 1.8million customers on its systems will start being transferred from October, with all moved by December. The supermarket chain is set to roll out On-the-Go food hubs across its stores from autumn too. It comes after the retailer closed all remaining patisserie, hot food and pizza counters in its larger stores and 61 in-store cafes in April. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Scottish Sun
21-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Lidl shopper shares hack on how to get £50 off popular holiday by using loyalty app
We reveal two others retailers offering customers holiday discounts through their loyalty schemes below SAVVY SHOPPER Lidl shopper shares hack on how to get £50 off popular holiday by using loyalty app A LIDL shopper has shared a hack revealing how holidaymakers can get £50 off with a popular holiday company. The discounter's Lidl Plus loyalty scheme is offering customers the chance to win cash off a trip away with Parkdean Resorts. Advertisement 1 Lidl Plus customers can get money off Parkdean Resorts holidays Credit: Alamy Posting on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group, a customer shared details of the deal. "Check the Lidl app, they have partner offers. I just got £50 off a Parkdean Holiday. "Open the app and scroll down to partner offers." Commenting on the post, shoppers have piped up saying they didn't realise the offer was live. Advertisement One posted saying it was a "bargain" while another said: "great tip, thanks". Lidl said the up to £50 discount applies to all Lidl Plus customers, so if you've got the loyalty app on your phone, you should give it a check. Click on the "More" tab, then "Partner Offers" and scroll down to find the deal. Once you've redeemed the offer you'll be given a code that needs to be inputted into the Parkdean website. Advertisement You need to enter the code at the checkout and the discount will be applied. The offer is live until July 31 and on two to 14 night holidays booked between May 1, 2025, and December 31, 2026. Five simple ways to save cash at Lidl If the stay lands on a school holiday or bank holiday, you will only get £20 off. The stay must also be worth a minimum of £99 for breaks of six nights or less and £179 for breaks of seven nights or more. Advertisement The offer can be redeemed to get money off holiday homes, lodges, touring and camping and glamping accommodation. The full terms and conditions can be found on the Lidl Plus app. Lidl is also offering Lidl Plus customers £65 off holidays booked through Jet2Holidays between now and September 9. Of course, with both these offers, make sure the deal you're getting is actually the best one, even with a discount. Advertisement You can use comparison websites like Kayak, Trivago and TravelSupermarket to compare prices. What other supermarkets offer shoppers money off holidays? Sainsbury's Nectar customers can use their points with British Airways to get Avios points and get money off with British Airways. Every 400 Nectar points is worth 250 Avios and are they transferred instantly. You can also use Nectar points to get money off Eurostar journeys and at Nectar Hotels. Advertisement Tesco Clubcard customers can use their hard-earned points to get money off with Virgin Atlantic (£1.50 in vouchers is worth 300 Virgin Points), easyJet holidays (50p in vouchers is worth £1) and more. You can download a Nectar Card or Clubcard for free onto your smartphone via Google Play or the Apple App Store. In other news, we revealed how you can get hidden freebies via the Lidl Plus app, including doughnuts, fresh fruit and pasta. What is Lidl Plus? Lidl Plus is Lidl's loyalty scheme and has 100million users across the world, according to the supermarket. The rewards scheme gives shoppers a host of offers including multi-buy deals and exclusive discounts on certain products. Customers can also earn freebies if they spend a certain amount in shops each week. For example, anyone spending £10 can get a free bakery item. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Advertisement Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
The Sun
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Sainsbury's shoppers slam ‘unfair' new Nectar rule change that makes it harder to use discounts
SAINSBURY'S shoppers have slammed a new Nectar card rule saying it "makes it harder to use discounts". At the moment, Nectar customers get ten personalised deals per week based on items they usually buy when shopping on the app, website or when using the SmartShop app or handset in-store. 1 This week it announced customers will be able to access these so-called " Your Nectar Prices" at tills from Friday. But shoppers will need to "unlock" offers by selecting them on the Nectar website or app before they go to the supermarket. Your Nectar Prices are in addition to Sainsbury's Nectar Prices, which are discounts for Nectar customers on hundreds of products. These are similar to Clubcard Prices or Boots Advantage Card offers, where you only get a discount if you have a loyalty card. This change to Your Prices has not been popular with some customers, who say they don't want to do "homework" before their shopping. One said on "What I can't abide us having to do homework before I shop." Another added: "I… feel shopping is already a chore without having to log into another app to manually 'unlock' Nectar savings as well!? "No explanation. Feeling devalued as a long term customer." A third said: "Why something else to remember. Time to shop elsewhere." And a fourth fumed: "Hey this new rule is terrible… why can't it just be automatic." Meanwhile, another shopped explained: "Ridiculous new rules to get nectar prices. "How many busy housewives and mums have time to faff about and remember this very week. "What a rip off and a disservice to us all. Angry shopper here!" A Nectar spokesperson said: "This small step gives customers a clearer view of the savings available to them each week, helping them plan their shop and make the most of their personalised offers. "It also helps us better understand which offers matter most, so we can keep tailoring Your Nectar Prices to offer customers great value on products they know, love and buy most often." The supermarket has generated over 17billion personalised discounts through the Your Nectar Prices scheme. It's estimated shoppers can save over £150 a year. Over one million customers are already using Your Nectar Prices each week via SmartShop, and the grocery app, which the company said has resulted in more than £60million customer savings in the last year. Mark Given, of Sainsbury's, said this week: "Over the past few years, we've made significant strides with Nectar, with Nectar Prices being a big part of that success, bringing great value to millions of customers. "But what really sets us apart is that we're leading the way by making loyalty personal, shoppers want to feel recognised and rewarded and while Nectar Prices are for everyone, we know our customers love an offer that is made just for them. "That's exactly what Your Nectar Prices delivers – it's about giving customers those extra savings on the products they love and buy most. "Every week over a million customers are making the most of their personalised discounts and, by rolling this out to our checkouts, we're opening the door for millions more to grab fantastic offers on the items they already purchase and maybe even discover some new favourites." Sainsbury's led the way four years ago by introducing personalised pricing. Shoppers can now combine Your Nectar Prices with regular Nectar discounts for even bigger savings. How does the Nectar scheme work? UNDER the Nectar card scheme, customers collect points when buying certain products or goods, in-store and online. You earn 1 Nectar point for every £1 you spend at Sainsbury's and 1 point for every litre of fuel bought at Sainsbury's petrol stations. You can also collect points with other partners like Esso and eBay. To start, download the Nectar app to register and get an e-Nectar Card. Simply swipe your card whenever you shop to collect points, which can be used to save money on future purchases. Each point is worth 0.5p, so 500 points will give you £2.50 off. As a Nectar member, you also get access to Nectar Prices, offering discounts on selected products when you scan your card at checkout or add it to your online shop. Plus, with Your Nectar Prices, you'll receive personalised discounts on items you regularly buy. Boost your nectar points The Nectar app is an easy way to bag extra money off and boost your points total. And more points means more discounts. Sainsbury's offers Through the app you can also add special Sainsbury's offers to your account. These offers typically give extra bonus points for buying particular items. Or you can multiply points if you spend, for example, £60 online. The offers refresh each week usually on a Friday and you need to manually add or you will lose out. Nectar challenges Sainsbury's offers various challenges through Nectar throughout the year. For example, the fruit and veg challenge gives shoppers the chance to earn extra points when they buy qualifying items. You could expect to earn an extra 1,000 bonus points through the challenges. However, make sure you're only buying items that you were intending to purchase or plan to use, otherwise you'll be wasting cash. Games When logging on to the app, users are occasionally offered the chance to rub the screen to reveal extra points that are added to their account. This can be as little as five points - but every extra point counts. You'll need to opt in each time to win so keep your eyes peeled when logging on to the app. Partner offers You can also get special offers to collect bonus points at Nectar partners through the app. For example, you may be offered an extra 200 points for filling your car at Esso. You will usually need to 'load' these offers to your account or you won't collect the bonus points. Find out more in our ultimate Nectar guide. Supermarket loyalty schemes - which has one? MOST UK supermarkets have loyalty schemes so customers can build up points and save money while they shop. Here we round up what saving programmes you'll find at the big brands. Iceland: Unlike other stores, you don't collect points with the Iceland Bonus Card. Instead, you load it up with money and Iceland will give you £1 for every £20 you save. Lidl Plus: Lidl customers don't collect points when they shop, and are instead rewarded with personalised vouchers that gives them money off at the till. Morrisons: The My Morrisons: Make Good Things Happen replaces the More Card and rewards customers with personalised money off vouchers via the app. Sainsbury's: While Sainsbury's doesn't have a personal scheme, it does own the Nectar card which can also be used in Argos, eBay and other shops. You need 200 Nectar points to save up £1 to spend on your card. You need to spend at least £1 to get one Nectar point. Tesco: Tesco Clubcard has over 17million members in the UK alone. You use it each time you shop and build up points that can be turned into vouchers - 150 points gets you a £1.50 voucher. Here you need to spend £1 in Tesco to get one point. Waitrose: myWaitrose also doesn't allow you to collect points but instead you'll get access to free hot drinks, and discounts off certain brands in store.
