Please note that this is written from a personal view and is not meant to be
a formal guide. All information can be subject to change and should be
verified. The information provided is based on my own experience.
The Malaysian Student's Guide to the UK
PART 1: Shopping
Groceries
There are many grocery stores in the UK, ranging from
low-cost to
premium, and the selection of stores usually depends
on your region in the UK. Within the vicinity of the University of Birmingham,
the main retailers you'll find are
ALDI, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Iceland and Marks and Spencer. There's
definitely no lack of choice when it comes to getting your daily groceries
around here. In terms of prices, ALDI is generally more affordable, followed by
the mid-tier Tesco and Sainsbury’s and the more premium Marks and Spencer. There
are a few more stores available for those staying in the Vale, but as I have
stayed in Selly Oak throughout my university life I will be writing more about
those in particular.
When entering a store, you have the option of getting either a trolley
which you will need a £1 coin to use (this is not paid and can be returned
once your return the trolley) or a basket.
If it's your first time
in a UK grocery store, you'll notice that
groceries are actually pretty cheap! This is why
it's a lot cheaper to cook for yourself than to eat out. Certain products are actually cheaper even after currency conversion than
in Malaysia such as milk and other dairy products. There's also wider variety;
you have the option of fresh or UHT milk and a wide selection of different
creams from single cream to crème fraiche. Milk is sold in pints and a 2 pint
bottle of fresh milk will put you back about 90p at the time of writing. Oh,
and milk in the UK is divided into skimmed, semi-skimmed and full milk which
vary in fat content although all are usually priced the same and it is up to
your personal preference.
Milk Varieties in the UK (source)
Potatoes are incredibly cheap and you have a wider variety than your
typical Malaysian supermarket. You’ll also find that seasonal fruits such as
berries and avocados are a lot cheaper while tropical fruits common in
Malaysia cost a lot more. In the vegetable section, you'll find some packs of
vegetables that are washed and ready to eat like baby spinach and iceberg
lettuce. If you're lazy to wash up your vegetables before cooking or to save
time, these are ideal for you!
At the checkout counter, you'll find automatic conveyer belts where you will
load your goods for scanning. There will be 'Next Customer' signs placed
beside the conveyer belts for you to separate your items from other people's.
Be courteous and place one both before and after your items if possible! It
lets the next person know where to put their items behind yours.
ALDI's Next Customer sign
Bring your own bag!
This applies not
only to grocery stores but also to retail stores . I would say that the BYOB
system in the UK is well established and most people bring their own bags to
pack their items. You can buy reusable bags at the till for about 5p to 10p,
depending on the quality of the bag. The cashier will usually ask you if you
need a bag at checkout. Most retailers have a free replacement policy if your
bag is used until it is damaged. I would say put a bag in each of your
backpacks or handbags if you tend to forget to take a bag when you go out. Not
all places charge for bags though, from my last experience Primark provides
free bags although in support of the environmental movement, I would will
recommend you bring your own bag.
Be prepared to pack your own bags.
At payment counters, the cashier usually only scans your items
and places them at the end of the counter where it is up to you to pack your
items into your bags. Collect your scanned items in your basket/trolley first
and pay before packing your items at the provided packing area instead.
Use contactless payments. Once
you’ve got yourself a debit card, you’ll unlock the wonderful world of
contactless payments. It’s similar to the payWave system and e-wallet
contactless payments in Malaysia, but much more well established. You can use
contactless payments with your bank card or with your phone if you’ve enabled
it for payments under £30. It’s extremely convenient and you can definitely
survive without carrying around cash all the time. You can refer to the
Finance section for more information!
Join customer loyalty programs! Most grocery retailers have loyalty programs such as the Clubcard
program by Tesco and the Nectar program by Sainsbury’s which get you more bang
for your buck. They usually offer points collection and can help you save on
your groceries! For example, Sainsbury’s Nectar card is not only used for
Sainsbury’s but is also used in a few other retailers. On the Nectar app, you
get a selection of bonus items every week which, if purchased, will give you a
substantial amount of bonus points that can later be redeemed as vouchers on
sites such as eBay.
Use the self-checkout counters. Most major supermarkets have self-checkout counters equipped with
touch screens. They work by checking for the weight of the item you have
scanned being placed on the packing area, so put down your item before you
scan the next one. Don’t panic if you encounter any problems, there’s usually
staff ready to assist. Also, all the counters are well-equipped for both card
and cash payments, including returning change in cash! So have fun scanning
your own items.
Try grocery delivery. If you stay too far from a grocery store and don't want to walk
that far, major grocery stores have online delivery services for a small
delivery fee. Spending a minimum amount usually gets you free delivery so try
to share with your friends! Some stores require you to have an ongoing
membership while some have one-off delivery options. You get to do your
shopping online which also helps you stick to your budget as you won't get
distracted by other products on shelves! Quick tip: If you shop in-store and
aren't sure about the price of a product, just do a quick search online as the
prices online and offline are usually the same. This applies to discounts too!
If your product is on sale online it usually is in-store as well.
Bring your ID. Some
stores may ask for your ID when buying medicine like paracetamol or alcoholic
drinks. Be prepared with your ID card, usually your BRP as some stored don't
accept student IDs.
SHOPPPING AT ALDI
If you're planning to minimise spending on groceries, you'll most likely get
most of your shopping done at ALDI as it is the most affordable compared to
other grocery stores nearby. Here are a few tips about shopping at ALDI to
make your trip a bit smoother.
ALDI's prices are indeed cheap and
is ideal for buying vegetables, meat and other common items. However, ALDI
stocks their own private label and other smaller brands and you won't find
mainstream big brands in their aisles. This isn't a drawback as I have found
their in-house brand to be of decent quality, but if you're looking for a
specific brand of item like Ben and Jerry's or Walker's, you won't find it in
an ALDI. Occasionally though, they do carry branded items so have a look
around all the aisles!
Specifically at ALDI, beware the
ALDI Packing Panic
(APP)! Unlike other stores, ALDI cashiers scan your items extremely quick
thanks to the efficient barcode placement on ALDI items. The tills also don't
have much space for you to pack your items in time and this might lead to you
panicking to pack your milk and eggs without crushing your loaf of bread and
sacred potato crisps. To avoid this, as the cashier scans your items, place
them back into your basket/trolley first and finish paying. After you're done,
move your items to the packing area provided
and do your packing there.
Getting reusable bags at ALDI is different. Rather than reaching the cashier
and them asking if you need a bag, ALDI stocks their reusable bags below the
conveyer belt where you should take as many as you need and place them among
your items to purchase.
A typical ALDI checking out counter with bags for purchase
underneath.
The queues at ALDI can get quite long especially during peak hours.
Don't worry however, they usually open more tills when it gets crowded and
thanks to their checkout speed the lines usually move quite fast.
ALDI doesn't have a loyalty program, but you can still get some cashback
on your shopping through other apps such as Receipt Hog where you scan your
receipts and gain points!
PRICE TAGS
If you're looking for the cheapest variation of an item, like the cheapest
pack of spaghetti, one of my favourite things about UK grocery stores is
that they provide price per weightage on the price tag of every item. This
mean you get to find the actual cheapest item for what you're getting,
rather than just the lowest price for a smaller portion. I used to have to
use the calculator on my phone to do this in Malaysia, so it's an
incredible convenience that you should put to figure out how to best save
your money!
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I've compiled a small comparison between the grocery stores around Selly
Oak to help you understand what's available!
SELLY OAK GROCERY STORE COMPARISON
|
|
ALDI
|
Tesco Express
|
Sainsbury’s Local
|
Sainsbury’s Selly Oak Shopping Park
|
The Food Warehouse by Iceland
|
|
Prices
|
£
|
£££
|
£££
|
£££
|
££
|
|
Self-Checkout
|
Ï
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Ï
|
|
Loyalty Program
|
Ï
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
|
Brand Variety
|
ê
|
êêê
|
êêê
|
êêê
|
êêê
|
|
Product Variety
|
êê
|
ê
|
ê
|
êêê
|
êê
|
|
Fresh Food Counters
|
Ï
|
Ï
|
Ï
|
P
|
Ï
|
|
Distance
|
êêê
|
êêê
|
êêê
|
ê
|
ê
|
|
Delivery Service
|
Ï
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
