I'm back to this newsgroup after a long absence. On one personal finance blog it's suggested that you'd get best prices on many everyday necessities if you avoid the big 4 supermarkets. Lidl, Aldi and Netto were suggested as some cheap retailers. But besides the problem that they're not too common in this country, are they really that much cheaper? Sainsburys and Morrisons economy-brand soap, for example, goes for about 17p per pack of 4 (fairly thick) bars. The rest of the economy-brand stuff of the big 4 are similarly cheap, and might even be sold at or below cost. Do you get ripped off on other stuff like the fresh food (which I don't really buy at the supermarket, but at veg stalls/local butcher)?
Seb