AIBU to not be able to exclusively shop at Aldi?? If you manage it please tell me how!

[mustsavemoney2014]

I have been shopping at Aldi since January this year in an attempt to save money, which I have, about 50 per cent of my food bill so I am very happy.

However, after going to Aldi I always have to 'top up' at Tesco, which is not convenient as I have to take a 4 year old, a 2 year old and a 6 month old with me, so two supermarkets is a bit much for them! I would love to buy everything from Aldi as the top up shop also costs a lot for one bag at the checkout.

The trouble I am having is getting everything I need from Aldi, especially fresh and dried herbs. Do I just need to change my recipes so I only cook things that they stock? This might not work though as they are always changing stock and running out of things? They ran out of tomato puree last week so if I didn't top up at Tesco I would not have been able to make spag bol, lasagne or pizza. I did try last month doing a Tesco shop for the first shop of the month and then Aldi for the other shops but my Tesco bill was nearly £200!!!!!!! It was a disaster. I also tried going to Aldi one day in the week and Tesco another which did not work as I needed some bits from Tesco ahead of the day I went there. And I had to plan a whole month of meals which took me hours.

Where am I going wrong? Anyone who manages to just use Aldi please tell me how!!

[126sticks]

That was part of the reason I stopped shopping at Lidl. Some weeks were ok, but some not.

[SirChenjin]

Watching with interest - I do a good 80/90% of my shop there, but still have to nip into Sainsburys to get the things I can't buy in Aldi.

[Pixel]

I have to go to two places as well. For a start my fussy cat won't eat Aldi food! There are always a few bits I prefer from other shops and sometimes we just fancy something different for a change. Our Aldi is quite small and doesn't have a massive range so it can get a bit boring week in week out.
Sorry not very helpful, except to say you are not alone!

[SirChenjin]

Have to say though - I'm happy to do the top-up shop, given the amount I'm saving at Aldi

[Pixel]

If fresh herbs are a problem have you tried getting those potted ones that you keep on your windowsill?

[uselessidiot]

I have to meal plan and adapt according to what I can get. It's Lidl we have rather than Aldi but same principle.

[KirstyJC]

We buy most things at Aldi but do end up needing to top up occasionally at Tesco. We have managed to work around it to some extent - eg if we are planning a curry, we will just buy whatever veg is available and on offer and use that, so tonight we had sweet potato, corgette and broccoli curry. If they had different veg we would have used that. Can you be flexible with some recipes in that way?

Also if we see things that we know we use a lot in stock at Aldi, we often buy them even if they aren't on that week's list - so things like tomato puree, meat or fishcakes on offer (freeze it) etc.

Either that or just buy shitloads of croissants and biscuits and eat them for every meal all week.

[RiojaHaze]

I can't ever get a whole shop in lidl so I congratulate myself on saving money on most of it in there by buying the extra bits in waitrose....

But if I do a whole shop somewhere else, I still go to lidl to get nappies anyway as they're so good!

[greenfolder]

there are things that i wont get from aldi- weetabix, tomato ketchup,bath stuff etc. One thing I do is do a bulk buy shop each month on payday. So will buy 12 tins of toms, washing powder etc so we do not run out when they have.

i have also been known to maximise online delivery vouchers so wait til i get a 20% off Ocado and then stock up on brands

[cardibach]

I never buy tomato purée and make all the dishes you list. I just reduce them a bit more. I buy the occasional thing in Tesco but mist weeks manage in Aldi. Adapt recipes.

[mrscog]

Tomato purée is not an essential for the dishes you listed. Tinned toms yes but not the purée! I think people overestimate what's needed for a delish dish (thanks to TV chefs), I made an amazing beef stew this week which was just - beef blade, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic and beef stock.

[christinarossetti]

I just can't shop there either, partly because they don't have everything that I want and partly because some of their stuff is a bit crap eg fishfingers.

I alternate Aldi/Tesco online with a good dose of topping up in the local Turkish supermarket.

[SignoraStronza]

I do Aldi then head to Waitrose for dh's obscure herb/spice requests and proper fabric conditioner and my free coffee.

[Polarn]

I'd like to know too!... I've given up as I am tescos perfect customer... Stuck in a rut and buy the same things. I struggle in aldi to want to buy stuff!.... When I do manage a deceht shop in aldi I still need to go get nice shampoo/baby stuff... Im ob mat leave atm so have been going in to town to boots so managing to avoid tesco but it'll all go to pot once I'm back in work!

[Ilovehamabeads]

I've tried and failed this year to shop exclusively in Aldi. It worked for a few weeks, but the range is so limited in our small store, we all got bored to death of the same few meals. I go there first, and top up in morrisons. The saving I make on the main bulk of the shop is worth the extra hassle of having to go out twice.

[jonicomelately]

I don't buy much in the way of ready meals and I manage to get most things from Aldi. For example, tonight we had steak with a HFW recipe white bean salad. It consists of baby leaf salad, Parmesan, artichokes (in oil). I managed to get everything from Aldi. I also use JO's 15 minute meals book too and I am usually able to get most ingredients from Aldi. There's the odd exception. I had to go to Sainsbury's a few weeks ago for Chinese 5 Spice.

[LucilleBluth]

Aldi is good in theory, bit IMO the meat and veg is shit, and they are the bulk of my shopping.....maybe it's just our local branch...and DH doesn't like the wine.

I have been meal planning around Sainsbury's 3 for £10 meat selection, good quality and cheap enough.

[puntasticusername]

YANBU. Our Aldi does not appear to stock suet. I proper fancied dumplings for dinner yesterday, too

[ILikeToClean]

I do a shop at Sainsburys on payday and buy as much as I need for the month of stuff I know I can't get at Aldi. That way I only go there once a month which saves the popping in for one thing and spending £££! Costs about £70 (but £25 of that is the posh cat food that my cat insists upon)! Then top up at Aldi every week - £30-40. I used to spend around £100 a week in Sainsburys so it's a big monthly saving. I know now what our Aldi stocks and what I can't get there. Could you do this but online to save dragging DCs out? I love the fact that Aldi is so much quicker than big supermarkets too so even small DCs can cope with it!

[gordyslovesheep]

I have to go to the pet shop for guinea pig stuff and the co-op for pepsi but apart from that I am managing - weekly shop for m and 3 kids is between £50-£60 which is brilliant

[Parsnipcake]

I make my meal plan and shopping list and go to aldi, and anything I can't get I buy from the local Asian supermarket or Ocado. I just top up with toilet roll and cat food to make a minimum order.

[mustsavemoney2014]

puntasticusername I have found a way around the dumplings; Jamie Oliver recipe makes them with hard grated butter from the fridge, and it works!

Recipe for dumplings if you fancy them:
250g self raising flour, 125g of really cold butter. put flour in a bowl, add grated hard butter, and rub until it becomes breadcrumbs, add a splash of water to bind. Add to stew etc. I was well pleased when I found this recipe :)

Pixel I wish I could use herb pots but the green fly attack our kitchen in a crazy way when we do :(

[mustsavemoney2014]

Also another problem I have is I like to buy loose veg to avoid waste so I either buy from aldi and then try and convince my children to have carrot sticks for every snack time hehe or I have to go to Tesco to buy the one carrot I need (along with the other bits I couldn't get, not just for the one carrot hehe). Is there a way round this? I cannot freeze veg as I live in an apartment with a tiny kitchen with a fridge and integral freezer. It is annoying as I cannot batch cook either :( but no space for a stand alone freezer.

[bobot]

The only thing I can't get in aldi is quorn, but manage to get that cheaply at farm foods next door. The real down side is no delivery and having to take kids with me on the bus and lug it all back. But family of 5 fed for 45-50 a week = worth it.

[mustsavemoney2014]

Does anyone substitute fresh herbs in a recipe for dried herbs? If that works it could mean I could buy herbs less often.