best way to shop?? get all the deal in one place or go to several??

Buy what you usually have but stock up when its on sale.

For me, I work in an Asda once a week, live near Tesco and pass a Lidl every day so I have a pricebook of items I buy and now have a list of items I buy in Asda, items in Tesco etc. There can be a massive difference when you add it up but I wouldnt go to all those places if it meant I had to make a special journey to get there.

For example Asda recently had smart price butter at 47p so I bought loads of that because most other places it was 84p. Same for everything really. Its not hard to do because you can look up prices on Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys websites anyway.

Another idea is to check the dates that any special offers run until.

I shop around, but in tesco these tend to be listed as dd/mm/yy under the special offer price, i find this makes it easier to make quick judgements on whether you want something right now (if the special offer runs out in 1/2 days, and I can't get back to the shops) or if it is a new offer (5-7 days remaining) in which case I tend to wait and shop around as it means I have plenty of time, so I make a quick note of the price, along with any other details like it has 50% free or a certain weight in g.

Also if you see offers for non-perishables buy in bulk if you believe the offer if of benefit to you - even if you are in a supermarket. Loo Rolls, Washing detergent and pet food seem to have fluxuating prices, and if you have the space to store them then it saves you money in the long run.

And keep an eye out for when your local supermarkets discount items (yellow stickers/oops) and try and shop when there are more available. Remember to check the packaging to see how they can be cooked after - whether they need defrosting for a few hours (kinda annoying at times) or can just be oven cooked/microwaved from frozen.

You said in your original post that you made the mistake of buying loads of cheap/value products in the past and then not liking them, so instead just buy one of a new product not lots of them, if it is new, and get the whole family/friends to test it - sometimes a blind taste test if best if you have problem people who are brand lovvies. That said even after tasting other ketchup I still prefer heinz, so don't feel defeated as even if you swap a few items/products its worth it, as in other aspects i've cut back by switching brands, and think the store's own weetabix tastes way better than the real ones.

If possible ask your family/friends about any product swaps that they have found they like/don't like, as this might save you the time of trying something that isnt worth it, and is an easy way to dicover something new!

Personally we also tend to do a wikinsons/savers shop for cheap toiletries and other bits once a month rather than getting them from the supermarket or boots/superdrug, this cuts costs too!

Hope that helps. good luck with your shopping

A lot depends on how much time you have available as to whether you are able to dart around lots of different places. My supermarket of choice is Sainsbury's. I tried to economise by analysing certain groups of items and dealing with them separately.
For example
A mobile veg man with a van parks on our estate 2 mornings a week. He is phenomenally cheap and quality is very good. So fruit and veg shopping is sorted in a quick 10 mins over the road.
Cat food and litter, buy a large sack from the cash and carry when OH goes for business.
Cleaning, reduced number of products I buy in a big way. Stardrops/ Sainsbury's Basics washing powder +loo roll + conditioner +bleach.
Toiletries, working my way through all my existing gift sets etc, haven't bought any since Christmas! Once a month trip to Wilko's etc to stock up and also buy items on offer like teabags/ sugar I've read about on here..
For the rest, I'm happy to use Sainsbury's. If I feel something is too expensive, I won't buy it/ find a substitute. This also means,I can miss certain aisles out completely in the supermarket, which saves a lot of time!
If I have the time/opportunity to pass anywhere else, I'll certainly grab any offers.
The problem with keeping price books is that offers and deals are changing so radically and quickly atm. Really it boils down to how much time and effort you are able or willing to expend.
I feel I've got a compromise that suits me, at the end of the day, that's what's important.