As I said earlier. I shop at the local Tesco for convenience, so I wonder if my regular order of 4 individual packaged garlic roll's at 32p each, instead of purchasing a 2x same type twin packaged garlic roll's at a dearer price, make me a good financial and wise risk on the database :O)

Regarding Lidl, Aldi etc

Yes, these shops are cheaper, and a couple of years ago when times where tight for me personally I started to shop a Lidl instead of Asda.

What I found was that yes I could walk to Lidl and buy stuff, but I couldn't buy everything I needed, and often they would be out of stock of the most basic items. So I would also have to go to a few other shops, and often I'd have to get in the car to drive to Asda anyway as I could get something I really needed.

So I started to collect up all my receipts, work out fuel and time spent and realised that after all it was cheaper to shop at Asda. Yes the basics may be fractionally dearer, but the whole shop will usually be cheaper.

I've also checked the supermarket price check promotions and Asda's seems to be the best and most honest.

Half the time the Tesco check fails to recognise my receipt details, and the Sainsbury scheme only compares certain products

All the major supermarket price comparison schemes work in much the same way - they have to, in order that the stores remain competitive. It means that you can pay the same price for a specific none own-branded item at more or less any supermarket in the country at any given moment.

That's why it makes little difference which chain you use, provided you're only buying items on the price comparison list, and why the stores are constantly trying to come up with new tweaks on the same scheme.

The gains and losses are to be made when you move away from pre-packaged items into the realms of say, fish or meat, or items on the deli counter.

We are currently shopping at a huge new Morrisons store about two miles from where we live, despite having all of the 'big three' national chains much closer. We make savings on fruit, vegetables, meat and fish etc., and the difference can be quite marked. The problem with making these comparisons is always one of comparing quality - a cheaper pork chop isn't necessarily as good as a more expensive one, although sometimes it might be.

Overall, provided you buy precisely the same branded items you will end up paying almost the same for a given basket wherever you shop, with the possible exception of Lidl, where you may pay slightly less. The best price check deal for many people will be at Sainsbury because you get your price check voucher there and then, at the till. That's a big puller for many people, particularly the elderly.