So inflation is down by nought point one percent? Well I can’t say I’ve noticed. But I have noticed all those phoney half price offers in supermarkets, including a block of cheddar, half price at £3.75! Who do they think they’re kidding? When did you last pay £7.50 for a piece of cheddar?

Chains including Sainsbury’s and Tesco are accused of taking advantage of shoppers by selling products at a higher price out of season so they can claim to offer a saving at peak times.

Customers who bought a Cadbury’s Giant Creme Egg last February in Sainsbury’s were charged £3 more than if they bought the same item closer to Easter.

And Marks & Spencer was found to position full-price fruit near a ‘Two for £4’ sign, meaning shoppers were likely to pick up more expensive packs, thinking they were on special offer.

Meanwhile several supermarkets have been criticised for putting £1 price stickers on products that always cost £1.

Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said: ‘With consumers struggling to cope with rising food prices, supermarkets and manufacturers need to make it easier for people to spot the best deal.’

Marks & Spencer said: ‘Our pricing is simple and transparent, and our customers have told us they are happy with our approach. All our products have a shelf edge label next to them that states the price and any promotional details.’

Sainsbury’s said: ‘Sainsbury’s is built on the trust and goodwill of its customers. Of course we would never intentionally mislead them, and we don’t believe we have done so in any of the examples provided by Which?’

Tesco said: ‘We’re the only supermarket to compare prices on branded goods, own-brand and fresh produce bought in-store or online, and automatically issue a voucher for the difference if a customer’s basket would have been cheaper elsewhere.’

Asda said: ‘We would never deliberately mislead customers on price.’

I think we would all benefit from taking a little more time over our shopping – from dodgy half price offers to BOGOF offers that are not all they are cracked up to be, and “bargain” jumbo packs that actually work out more expensive than buying the same quantity in smaller packs – these are all pretty easy to spot with a bit of care. Trouble is most people are too busy and don’t have time to analyse prices, they have to trust whatever’s put in front of them. Let’s be careful out there with our purchases!

Anyhow if you need cheese you’re in the right place now, and I’ll be back with more tomorrow!