Picture the scene – you’re in the supermarket, trying to do your weekly grocery shop. You want to get everything you need but you want to spend as little as you can. Your eyes may be drawn to one of the many supermarket deals on display. But do you know which would be a good deal – and which aren’t?
We asked 2,000 people to take our quiz, and only 1 in 50 (2%) managed to pick out the best deal in all four cases.
Do you reckon you can fare any better?
Supermarket deal quiz
Can you spot the best supermarket deal?
Finding the best deal at the supermarket can be tricky. But do you know how to cut through the maze and find the gems?
Of the following options for milk, which represents the best deal?
Six pints of milk for £1.80
Four pints of milk for £1.40
Two six-pint cartons of milk on offer for £3.50
Two four-pint cartons of milk on offer for £2
Of the following options for buying 500g of lemons, which represents the best deal?
One 500g pack of lemons costing £1.20
500g of loose lemons at £2.50 per kilo
Buy two get the third free deal on 200g packs of lemons costing 70p each
Buy one get one half-price deal on 250g packs of lemons costing 70p each
Of the following options for buying tomato ketchup, which represents the best deal?
One 460g bottle on offer at £1.50
One 910g bottle costing £2.49
Buy one get one half-price deal on 700g bottles costing £2.29 each
One 1.35kg bottle costing £3.50
Of the following options for buying eggs, which represents the best deal?
Six medium eggs for £1.10
Ten medium eggs on offer for £1.50
Fifteen medium eggs for £2.10
Two packs of six medium eggs on offer for £2.00
Buy one get one free offer on packs of ten medium eggs priced at £2.20
Deal dizzy
Are supermarket deals confusing you? You're not the only one. Try looking at the price per unit (so either by weight or volume) to work out the best deals. Download our
guide for smarter shopping for more ideas.
Deal savvy
Well done - you really know your deals. Deciphering deals is just one part of being supermarket savvy though. Download
our guide for smarter shopping to find out more.
How to make your supermarket shop cheaper
Don’t forget supermarket vouchers, special offers and cashback deals often make you spend more, not less. Always consider whether something is really a good deal, and never buy something you don’t need just because it’s on offer.
Shopping around is also a great idea. The grocery comparison site mySupermarket says you can cut an average of 30% from your weekly bill by shopping around.
If you find you’re overspending on your supermarket shop, it could be worth working out your budget. Our Budget Planner helps you add up your household spend.
How confident are you with numbers?
Negotiating supermarket deals can be tricky. Number skills can help with this - and other aspects of managing your finances, including budgeting and saving. If you want to brush up on your numbers, take the National Numeracy challenge.
I do think supermarket pricing is confusing and the quiz is a good example though in fairness think the shops give a bit more info to allow you to work out but to do this, good literacy skills are required. I tend to look at prices but more importantly if I can use the products within time - hate the waste that this can encourage - not a deal if you through it in the bin!
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I shop at Sainsburys and it is pretty obvious which is the best deal. They also compare their prices to Asda. I'm happy shopping there and don't want to spend all day seeing if things are cheaper elsewhere. I struggle to see what all the fuss is about.
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Quiz very good, though as stated elsewhere, it depends on how much you are going to use before use by date
Also to be fair more information is given by supermarkets as to price per 100g etc, though as Aldi they don't calculate if they have put 20 % extra free
I think more people are conscious about waste as well, Supermarkets don't tend to cater if you're buying for one
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Had no problem with the maths and do this kind of deal shopping all the time. It drives my husband mad so I now shop online. The only thing I would say when I looked at the milk question I looked at it from my point of view that I could not use the meal before it went off and therefore would waste it but looking at it from a pure maths point of view yes it makes total sense for items that have a long shelf life.
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I can normally calculate the best deal; but had problems when LIDL had an offer giving "two extra slices per pack". I was informed the price per 100g. did not reflect the extra slices so I would have had to count the slices in the pack, subtract two, work out the actual price and then compare it to alternatives. I just guessed.
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The Quiz is a very good ideaXX
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Supermarket Deal Quiz - the maths required to work out the offers could not be done without pen and paper and at least a GCE O Level in Mathematics ! Most people today can`t be bothered unless they really need to count every penny and then I don`t think they have the numeracy skills required to do the calculations !
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This is why shoppers are now moving around due to the big four trying to deceive shoppers with their poor value for money deals hh
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Great help
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Great help
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The ketchup problem is the hardest
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Ok If I Ned Help,You Can Help?
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ADMIN: Hi Rudi, you can contact our helpline on 0300 500 5000 for free, impartial advice
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I was really pleased that I got 3 out of 4 on the savvy shopping. I get confused though when shops use different weight measurements. I think it is there way to confuse us and get us to spend more.
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Makes you think! I am not great with numbers; supermarkets make it harder by using different measurements for things i.e. fabric conditioner one says £2 per 100ml another says £4 a litre, grams etc. I shop online so I get time to work it out! I do try and be savvy but get sucked in by packaging and "deals" as much as the next person. Thanks for this.
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Easy to get right if unit price is your criterion. But get "the best deal" you have spend nearly twice as much and probably ending up wasting ketchup! And much more to carry.
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