Poundland Weekly Essentials Challenge

Poundland is one of my favourite shops.  Not only is it the first (and therefore last) shop I see when I walk into town, but I can rarely resist the siren call of a bargain.  Poundland have just launched over 100 new grocery lines, and they sent me a £15 voucher to find out for myself just how much can be saved by switching your weekly shop to Poundland.  Never one to back down from a challenge, here's what I bought.

Breakfast Essentials

Kelloggs Corn Flakes.  The same 250g packet in the supermarket costs £1.39, so a saving of 39p
Shreddies. Squeaky's favourite cereal. Price marked pack £2.29, a saving of £1.29
Bacon (I've got a few days off work, it's allowed!) Supermarket value brand costs £1.64, a saving of 64p
6 Free Range Eggs I could have had a bigger pack if I didn't want free range, too.  Supermarket cost £1.48, a saving of 48p
Coffee I need my coffee in the morning.  And the afternoon, and early evening.  Supermarket own brand roughly equivalent costs £1.50, so a saving of 50p.  I know there's the supermarket value coffee, but have you ever tried it?
Canderel Price marked packs £1.29 each, but I got 3 for £2, so a saving of £1.87

Tomato Soup!

An absolute must in our house, one of the few vegetable-based foods I can get Squeaky to eat.  One big can for us all to share, and two little cans for when there's only 1 adult in the house.  Both the large & small cans are different sizes to the ones in the supermarket though, so it's calculator time.  The big can is 800g, and the little ones are 300g, and 2 for £1.  The supermarket can is 400g for 89p.

Big can 800g for £1, supermarket works out to £1.78 for the same amount, a saving of 78p

Small cans 2 x 300g for £1, supermarket works out to £1.34 for the same quantity, a saving of 34p

Lunchtime Essentials

Ye Olde Oak Ham Normally £1.99 in the supermarket, though it's on offer this week. A saving of 99p
Mattessons smoked pork sausage I only discovered Squeaky likes this last week, but it's firmly on our shopping list now.  Supermarket price £2.49, a saving of £1.49
Heinz Tomato Ketchup Without this, there would be no mealtimes in our house!  Supermarket price £1.85 for the same size (though different shape bottle), a saving of 85p
Spaghetti. Price marked at £1 for 3 cans, but I can't find even a supermarket own brand that matches that!  Supermarket own brand priced 40p a can, so that would be £1.20 for 3, a saving of 20p

Essential Treats!

Vimto for Daddy, who is stuck in the 1970's.  I can't stand the stuff, but thinks I'm wonderful if I buy him some.  £2.69 for 6 in the supermarket, which is £1.35 for 3.  I paid £1 for 3, a saving of 35p
Jaffa Cakes These are for me & Squeaky to share.  Maybe.  If she's good.  Price marked pack at £2.59, a saving of £1.59.

So, I got loads for my £15, more than I thought.  If I'd bought all of that at the supermarket, Id've spent a whopping £26.76!  By switching my essentials (and a couple of little treats) to Poundland, I've saved an amazing £11.76.  I was expecting a couple of pounds difference, but not that much.  I'm really surprised.  I've shopped at Poundland for quite a while, but didn't realise it could make this much difference to my weekly shop.

There was another upside to this challenge.  I needed an onion as well as these items, so because I'd been to Poundland rather than the supermarket for the rest of my shopping, I popped into the local greengrocer for the onion instead.  I supported a local business, and saved another 6p, based on the average price on the supermarket website!