I saved £20 on my Tesco shop by following one little-known rule

Supermarkets are experts at making us part with our cash, but there is one simple rule that shoppers can follow to make sure they don't overspend - and it's all down to the bottom shelf

Many shoppers are currently doing their utmost to keep costs down, which includes economising at the supermarket. However, many seem to be missing a simple trick for finding the lowest prices - looking on the bottom shelf.

This tip was previously highlighted by food budget expert Lorna Cooper, who noted that often, shoppers are too focused on what's displayed at eye level or part of a promotion, and they overlook the cheapest products located lower down. .

Cooper mentioned that followers of her Facebook page 'Feed your family for about £20 a week' frequently ask where she has found such inexpensive items - and it's because they're not looking in the right places. I decided to apply the 'down low' rule during a big shop at Tesco this week, to see how much could be saved compared with big brand products at eye level.

I was taken aback by just how many shelves were arranged in this manner and for many people, particularly those in a hurry or shopping with children and getting distracted, it would be easy to miss the cheaper items. Of course, there is a quality difference between some of the products - and not everyone is as willing to buy the own brand or budget goods - but with the cost of living crisis still biting hard, many shoppers are having to make different choices, or are at least open to trying cheaper products.

The price differences between products can be quite significant. For instance, a 1kg pack of Tesco's long grain rice is priced at £1.25, while its more affordable Grower's Harvest brand costs just 52p for the same size pack, reports the Manchester Evening News.

A litre of Tesco orange or apple juice from the shelf is £1.25, whereas the Grower's Harvest brand, located on the bottom shelf, is only 85p. The big brand curry sauces are priced over £2, or £1.50 with the Clubcard offer that is prominently displayed at eye level, yet its cheaper alternatives are on the bottom shelf for just 99p - and they're really tasty too.

This was also the case with soup, with Heinz tins costing £2 each, or 3 for £4, but Tesco's own brand, on the bottom shelf, costing £1.10. While the 'low shelf, low price' rule seemed to apply mostly to tins and cupboard items, it was also the case in some of the fridges too.

A pack of eight Richmond sausages for £2.60 at eye level, with the Tesco £1.79 version lower down; mature cheddar for £3 for 400g, with the cheaper £2.49 Creamfields blocks on the bottom shelf; and its cheaper Willow Farms chicken breasts, £6.49 a kg and price matched to Aldi, on the bottom shelf too. However, it's still worth keeping an eye out elsewhere though, as the top shelf had a Clubcard offer on chicken breasts, working out even cheaper, at £5.79 a kg.

Whilst the effectiveness of the 'low down' rule seemed mixed with loaves, it proved successful with other items in the bakery section. Shoppers could opt for Tesco's own eight-pack of tortilla wraps priced at £1.20, as opposed to the branded six-pack of Mission Deli wraps costing £1.60.

The same went for chocolate brioche rolls—Tesco's eight-pack sat on the bottom shelf for £1.60, while the Pitch six-pack was higher up, priced at £1.75. The trend was clear in the egg aisle where the bottom shelf, housing the budget-friendly 15-pack of mixed weight eggs at £1.99, was entirely bare.

Turning to the freezers, the strategy seemed different with branded and store-brand products displayed side by side. A Clubcard deal might catch your eye, like McCain Skin on Fries at £3 for an 800g bag, but nearby sat a larger, 900g bag of Tesco's own fries for just £2.50.

Additionally, a Clubcard offer advertised Birds Eye chicken dippers at £4 for a 38-pack (containing 50% chicken), while Tesco's comparable product offered 44 dippers (53% chicken) for £3.45.

Making these swaps netted a saving of over £20—not an insignificant amount. Budgeting expert Lorna stressed the importance of supermarket psychology: "I know I have mentioned supermarket psychology before but I wanted to mention it again. Often when I put the prices of items I buy on here people immediately say 'where do you buy that so cheap? We don't get".

A local shopper highlighted the placement of cheaper ranges at their Tesco saying: "This is a my local Tesco which is fairly small but the cheaper ranges are still available. But they are out of eye level. Hidden low down on the shelf out the way where, unless you are specifically looking for them, you are unlikely to notice them. Check the whole shelf! " In response to queries about product placement, a Tesco spokesperson noted: "We offer a wide range of products in our stores, with a variety of branded and own-brand products to suit customers' needs, and thanks to our combination of Aldi Price Match, Low Everyday Prices and Clubcard Prices, shoppers can be sure they will get great value at Tesco, however they decide to shop."