Aldi converts

[MsMiaWallace]

Is anyone recently converted to Aldi?

I am loving the products & seem to be saving money. However I hate the checkout experience! Especially with baby in tow. It's a pain in the arse! If Aldi did delivery or click & collect it would be perfect!

I use Aldi and Lidl. It doesn't have to be stressful. It's just a matter of getting organised. I load heavy items (milk etc) onto the conveyor and have bags ready and open in the trolley. The heavy stuff goes straight in the bags then everything else chucked on top which I sort out at the counter or my car boot if it's not raining.
It also helps if you can go at quieter times of day.

Heavy items onto the conveyor first I meant.

I love it! Recent convert and I think I'm saving about £70 a week (family of 5) since going. Initially there was a few moans from the teens but they've got used to it and actually prefer many of the products now. Eating a lot more fish as it's reasonable so can be a midweek supper.

I do still have to go to Tescos for Iams and 'cat soup' for the fur baby in the house.....

Not offering services like click and collect and having a fast-paced checkout is among the ways they keep their costs low. If you want leisurely service, you pay Waitrose prices, unfortunately. If I have more than a few items, I throw everything back into my trolley as it’s scanned, pay, and then move to the packing area to bag it all.

I won’t say I’m a convert necessarily, I like some of their products but find others rubbish. The checkout has never been one of the elements I’ve struggled with though.

They whole reason that they are cheap is because they don't offer that click and collect stuff.

I'd like them to have a scan it yourself app.

I've not been able to go since lockdown started as my local one was very cramped. Right now it's shut for refurbishment but looked so spacious inside now - I'm looking forward to going back. I used to view the checkout as a personal challenge but I will be seriously out of practice now.

I load straight back into trolley and pack at the car (which also means you can strap child in first). This was a game changer. I hate trying to do it in the shop because either you're at the checkout and rushing, or at the side and having to pack the bags and then pack those back into the trolley.

I have big bags in the boot to pack into so it's very quick.

Honestly, I went once with a friend - it was like shopping in a jumble sale - never been back.

Take a crate or Ikea bag so you can pack quickly and load into the car easily.

I LOVE Aldi!

Starting shopping there about 5 years ago and never looked back! Wished I'd shopped there before instead of being 'stuck up' about it, thinking it was low cost, low quality rubbish - I find the stuff really good and we definitely save money compared to shopping at Tesco et al.

The checkouts don't bother me at all, the efficiency is part of the reason I like it. I'm in & out within 20 minutes. They don't have offers, BOGOF, loads of brands to choose from etc so it's easier & quicker to make decisions knowing the prices are always low.
And I just get organised in the queue- I take 2 Ikea bags, put them opened in the trolley and throw everything in. Leave heavy or bulky stuff at the end so it doesn't full your trolley. I guess the more you go, to the more you'll find your rhythm!

@Fedupwithpeople You big softy you 😺

Stick with it and in a few months you’ll find yourself in Sainsbury’s thinking, ‘oh for goodness sake get one with it!’ As the cashier scans everything sloooooowly through the till!

I like a lot of products from Aldi but as someone who doesn’t drive I rely on online deliveries. It would great if they could offer this service, I would definitely use them.

Love Aldi! don’t understand why people are snobs about it? I find the fresh produce much better quality and it lasts longer. They don’t have brand names but a lot of their stuff is exactly the same or sometimes better.

Love their middle aisles, always a good bargain there!

Hope they never do online delivery, I like being able to do my whole food shop for £50-60.

Found the checkouts intimidating at first, but just put it all in your trolley and move to the counters and pack there.

Aldi is fab! glad you're a convert! I found the checkouts stressful at first as compared them to Tesco but once you get into the mindset that it is quick then you'll be grand. Just shove it all in the trolley and pack on the counter :) I love their sourdough pizzas, they are soooo good.

Not a huge fan of the food, but the toiletries are amazing.

Love it, and Lidl. I use a Lidl with a self-checkout, which is a total game-changer.

Love Aldi.

You get used to the checkout experience! As long as you do it “correctly” it’s pretty low stress. Either chuck it all into big bags and sort in the car or chuck it all in the trolley and sort at the packing shelves.

Stick with it and in a few months you’ll find yourself in Sainsbury’s thinking, ‘oh for goodness sake get one with it!’ As the cashier scans everything sloooooowly through the till

I'm like this in Waitrose. In all the other supermarkets I use the do it yourself till, but you can only use them in the Waitrose I go to (directly opposite Aldi, as it happens, so I often go to both on the same day) if you have a basket so I have to queue up for the glacially slow checkout experience, which is so frustrating when you're used to Aldi efficiency.

I use the scanning apps on my phone for Sainsbury's and Waitrose so they are even quicker than Aldi.

I've had multiple people try to convince me otherwise, but whenever I buy fruit and veg from Aldi it always goes off in a heartbeat. Every time.

Everything else I think is great and I love rummaging through their special aisle stuff, and their alcohol range is fab for unusual flavours. Oooo and also their Christmas stuff like mince pies.

I've got in the habit of putting bits in bags at my car.
I do love the baby products too!

I shop at ALDI, Ocado and Waitrose. I am extremely sad as I have set up a spreadsheet on a product by product basis working out which one we like best, which is best value etc. ALDI is winning a lot of them.... Currently doing a mix of ALDI and Ocado with the odd top up from Waitrose.

Just done my first full weekly Lidl shop. Aldi is a bit out of the way for me. Previously done a little bit here and there as well as getting nappies there. Had wanted to switch sooner but with lockdown I couldn’t face dragging my baby around busy places so limited myself to click and collect. I did pack at the car but any other tips for a recent convert?

timekeepspassing take a list! The things aren't necessarily where you'd expect and by the time you've been right round it's good to check you did actually find (or come across randomly!) everything you need!