A shopper jumped on a plane, flew to Turkey, bought groceries and came home again for £20 less than the same shop would have cost him in the UK. Jordon Cox, known as the Coupon Kid, says he flew 2,000 miles to Turkey and back, bought shopping and was still £20 better off.
Jordon booked a cheap same-day return trip to Antalya, Turkey, to test whether it was cheaper to shop abroad than at his local Tesco. After factoring in flights, transport and shopping costs, he not only proved it was possible, but even managed to relax and catch the sunset by the sea before flying home.
The shopping basket covered everyday branded food, toiletries, household items and essentials, many of them identical to those sold in UK Supermarkets, but at lower prices.
Across the full basket, the same shop at Tesco would have cost £89.38 without a Clubcard and £86.18 with one. And even despite the expenses of flights (£33.01), a return tram (£1.44) and shopping in Turkey (£34.34), a large saving was still made:
Cost of shop at Tesco: £89.38 (£86.18 with Clubcard)
Flights to Turkey, tram + shopping costs: £68.79
Total saving = £20.59 (with Clubcard: £17.39)
Jordon said: “This just shows how expensive supermarket shopping has become - because honestly, this shouldn’t be possible. We all know the feeling of popping in for a few items, and suddenly you’ve spent £100. Consumers are feeling the pinch, and even loyalty card savings are making little difference.”
Food and non-alcoholic drink prices rose 37% between Jan 2020 to July 2025 - and despite annual grocery inflation figures falling to 4% this January, Jordon believes the government can do more to bring down the cost: “If flying to a different continent can save you money, it screams that there’s a deeper issue, and something should be done. With prices higher and buying power reduced, the government needs to act to reduce this burden - before we are all taking flights to buy a pack of Coco Pops!”
Jordon added: "Supermarkets are happy to offer 5p veg as ‘loss leaders’ when it’s in their best interests. But throughout the rest of the year, consumers could really do with support. Expanding ‘value’ ranges, increasing savings and benefits from loyalty cards, and being even more transparent over which in-store deals are the best value, would all go a long way to help.”
Jordon said flying for shopping is not environmentally friendly but notes that many of these so-called “extreme day trips” make use of otherwise empty seats on scheduled flights. Carbon offsetting the journey could still leave some travellers financially better off, underscoring the difficult trade-offs consumers face.
He also points out that for people already travelling, the idea becomes even more relevant. Picking up toiletries or packaged goods from foreign supermarkets while on holiday could reduce future shopping trips back home, effectively making the holiday itself cheaper.
“I could only fit so much into my backpack - but if you are travelling abroad on holiday and pay for a check-in bag, load it up! It could save you a fortune on your shopping when you get back home!”
Despite only being on Turkish soil for 6 hours, Jordon thinks it was definitely worth the trip. “Even though I wasn’t there long - I loved this little trip! Not only did I visit a country I’d never been to before - I managed to save money on things I’d have bought anyway!”
The story taps into the UK’s cost-of-living crisis, extreme money-saving hacks, supermarket pricing disparities, and the serious question: are loyalty cards going far enough to save you on your shopping bill, and could the government be doing more to reduce the cost of living?
Expenses: £68.79
Flights: £33.01
Return tram to city centre: £1.44
BIM Supermarket shopping: £19.23
Duty Free Smirnoff: £15.11
Prices inclusive of exchange/transaction fees
UK Supermarket Comparisons Oral B Toothpaste x 3:Turkey Costs:
Each: 99 Lira (£1.71)
Total: 297 Lira (£5.13)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Cheapest: £3 at Sainsburys with Nectar (£5 without)
Most expensive: £6 at Waitrose
UK Supermarket Prices (Total):
Cheapest: £9 at Sainsburys with Nectar (£15 without)
Most expensive: £18 at Waitrose
Coco Pops Jumbos/Megapops (multipack - 1.4kg total) x 1:Turkey Costs:
Total: 130 Lira - (£2.24)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each - 365g):
Cheapest: £2.50 at Tesco with Clubcard (£3.30 without)
Most expensive: £3.50 at Waitrose
UK Supermarket Prices (Total - 1.46kg):
Cheapest: £10 at Tesco with Clubcard (£13.20 without)
Most expensive: £14 at Waitrose
Haribo Chamallows x 2:Turkey Costs:
Each: 28.50 Lira - (49p)
Total: 57 Lira - (98p)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Morrisons: £1.25
UK Supermarket Prices (Total):
Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Morrisons: £2.50
Haribo Starmix x 2:Turkey Costs:
Each: 28.50 Lira - (49p)
Total: 57 Lira - (98p)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Cheapest: £1.24 at Asda
Most expensive: £1.25 at Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Morrisons
UK Supermarket Prices (Total):
Cheapest: £2.48 at Asda
Most expensive: £2.50 at Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Morrisons
Doritos Tangy Cheese x 2:Turkey Costs:
Each: 49 Lira - (84p)
Total: 98 Lira - (£1.68)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Cheapest: £1.75 at Asda
Most expensive: £2.50 at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons & Waitrose
UK Supermarket Prices (Total):
Cheapest: £3.50 at Asda
Most expensive: £5 at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons & Waitrose
Twix Multipack (150g) x2Turkey Costs:
Each: 79 Lira - (£1.36)
Total: 158 Lira - (£2.72)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Cheapest: £1.99 at Tesco
Most expensive: £2.60 at Waitrose
UK Supermarket Prices (Total):
Cheapest: £3.98 at Tesco
Most expensive: £5.20 at Waitrose
Garner BB Cream x 1:Turkey Costs:
Total: 85 Lira - (£1.46)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Cheapest: £7.50 at Sainsbury’s (with Nectar)
Most expensive: £10 at Tesco & Asda
50 pack wet wipes x 2:Turkey Costs:
Each: 10.50 Lira - (18p)
Total: 21 Lira - (36p)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Cheapest: 43p at Sainsbury’s
Most expensive: £1.25 at Waitrose
UK Supermarket Prices (Total):
Cheapest: 86p at Sainsbury’s
Most expensive: £2.50 at Waitrose
3 Pack of Socks x 1:Turkey Costs:
Total: 49.50 Lira - (85p)
UK Supermarket Prices (Total for a 3 pack mens):
Cheapest: £4.50 at Sainsbury’s
Most expensive: £8 at Waitrose
10 pack of pocket tissues x 2:Turkey Costs:
Each: 23.50 Lira - (40p)
Total: 47 Lira - (80p)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Asda: £1 (per 8 pack)
Sainsbury’s: £1.25 (10 pack)
Tesco: £1.30 (per 8 pack)
Morrisons: 95p (per 6 pack)
Waitrose: £1.50 (10 pack)
UK Supermarket Prices (Total/equivalent):
Cheapest: £2.50 at Asda & Sainsbury’s
Most expensive: £3.25 at Tesco
20 pack Newborn baby Nappies x 2Turkey Costs:
Each: 46.50 Lira - (80p)
Total: 93 Lira - (£1.60)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Cheapest: 75p at Morrisons & Asda
Most expensive: £1.20 at Tesco
UK Supermarket Prices (Total):
Cheapest: £1.50 at Morrisons & Asda
Most expensive: £2.40 at Tesco
Smirnoff Red Label 1L (at Duty Free) x 1Turkey Costs:
Total: €16.90 - (£15.11)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Cheapest: £22.75 at Tesco
Most expensive: £24.75 at Sainsbury’s
Plastic supermarket bags x 2Turkey Costs:
Each: 1 Lira - (2p)
Total: 2 Lira - (4p)
UK Supermarket Prices (Each):
Cheapest: 40p at Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Morrisons
Most expensive: 50p at Waitrose
UK Supermarket Prices (Total):
Cheapest: 80p at Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Morrisons
Most expensive: £1 at Waitrose
Grand Totals:Tesco (Without Clubcard): £89.38 (Saving: £20.59)
Tesco (With Clubcard): £86.18 (Saving: £17.39)
Sainsbury’s (Without Nectar): £87.53 (Saving: £18.74)
Sainsbury’s (With Nectar): £79.03 (Saving: £10.24)
*Tesco & Sainsbury’s were the only supermarkets stocking all items for a like-for-like comparison
**Item prices & exchange rates correct on date of shopping
