To think that Aldi/Lidl are just not that cheap?

[Pyjamaramadrama]

I'm always hearing people rave about how cheap these supermarkets are.

I've given them a try over the last couple of weeks, and yes some things are cheaper, and some things were just really nice but a bit more expensive.

I did an online shop and then when directly to Aldi/Lidl to price compare and there was nothing that was a lot cheaper, some of their stuff was a complete rip off. I only buy a lot of things such as cheese and beans when they're on offer anyway.

Are people just kidding themselves? I'd go again as I say some of their items were just really good quality but I wouldn't go out of my way as the few pence I save would be swallowed in petrol.

The spinach and ricotta pizza is lovely.

We save loads- our main buys are meat, fish, fruit, veg and toiletries. Meat is far cheaper in Aldi!

I think

I switched to aldi last year and i can buy a whole trolley full for £50-70. I find there is less processed stuff so i dint get sucked into the meal deals and other stuff. I think it has helped us eat better. There nappies and wipes are good value and pull up night time pants half the price.

I still go to sainsburys for a few bits, sterilising tablets, washing powder and dish washer stuff, i find aldi stuff is pants. I always end up buying more than i intended and pull the cats bum face when two bags of stuff comes out at £30!

Whilst it has taken me a while to get used to the speed of the processing of groceries at the check out (aka thrown over the till at you!) i now get frustrated with the speed they do things elsewhere. Less choice means less time. Their dairy products are esp good value.

Never going back to the big four.

Cardibach I spend £60 for 3 people in Tesco/Asda including toiletries and cleaning products and I buy whatever I want. I do use offers though.

I changed to Lidl about 7 months ago from Sainsbury's. I have saved around £20 a week there.....over the course of 7 months that comes to £560! I'd say that's pretty good! That's the price of a mini break at the coast or a week's rental on a holiday cottage!

I never shop offers. I need what I need, what I've planned and budgeted for. Keeping up with whatever lame offer the big supermarkets are offering week after week is exhausting and not good when you want to stick to a consistent budget.

Spottyteacakes - is there no Asda on the comparison?

Asking, because I think Asda is cheaper than Aldi (well it is where I live in the north west)

Loaf of brown bread 40p

Multipack of 12 packets of crisps 66p

4 yogurts - 33p

All from Asda's smartprice range, and tasty.

I go for Asda also because they deliver, and it saves me trogging around Aldi and trying to pack quickly (always the slowest with a big queue behind me. Also would pick up unecessary chocs etc,,,

Asda is a no-brainer here

Seems a lot of people are comparing to Sainsburys which is a complete rip off anyway so you would be saving there.

I shop at Tesco, Asda or Morrisons.

I did a shop in Lidl yesterday on the way home from work- DH needed stuff for work lunches, wanted a chicken for dinner tonight, etc.

Kiwi fruit were 12p each.
Pack of 3 individual blackcurrant chessecakes- 99p vs £1.30 in Tesco

12p.

I've never seen them at that price in the major supermarkets.

Proves nothing Pyjama! I said mine was high! You would have to compare what we actually buy, and a comparable shop for me in Tesco, using store products but not finest, comes to £90-£110. That's a fact. Why are you trying to prove I don't know what my shopping costs?

Some stuff is cheaper. I think things like washing up liquid, laundry liquid , baby wipes etc are really good value.
I normally shop at Sainsburys (not through choice, just because it's within walking distance) and find the basic range pretty good value. My kids prefer Sainsburys basic things to most of the things I've tried from Aldis, but that's probably just because they're used to those things. Just personal preference really. I also find Icelands good value at the moment for some things (frozen veg mainly).

I think it is cheaper but then I don't only go there.

One week Aldi
Next week Asda
Occasionally sainsbos
So I know what I like from each store and stock up in those
I like Aldi fruit veg. It's much cheaper but they don't have the large choices.

Last time I went to sainsbos the fruit was awful. Rotting in the shelves! I was disgusted.

These threads seem to pop up regularly these days. Strange.

TBH I don't know. I do 90% of my shopping in Aldi on a Thursday lunchhour. Top up in Lidl or Morrisons usually. I did a full shop in Asda a few weeks ago and it was about about £20 more expensive and really stressful as I didn't know where anything was and I found the 'choice' just made it harder to get the stuff I needed. It might have been more expensive because I didn't know what to buy but that's the point - I don't go shopping for fun, I do it to buy the things I need as quick as possible.

It's also more or less my corner shop so very convenient,

Sorry Asda was £80.34

One of the things I find makes my Aldi shop cheaper is the smaller range of items. Admittedly this is due to my own lack of control, but there's no temptation to have a look in the clothes dept, or pass a toy or decent homeward section and be pestered into buying anything other than what is on the food shop list.

If I need homeware, clothes or toys, I go out specifically to buy them now whereas in Sainsbury's or Tesco, things would find their way into the trolley!

I love Lidl. They stock fab wine cheaply for starters, but it's their fresh produce that I love. I can buy stacks of veg for almost half the price of the biggies. They stock fresh growing salad and their tomatoes are lovely. I get through stacks of fruit in a week and I really save there.

Husband loves their pies, the kids love the salami, I love the big pots of plain yoghurt for pennies. Their flavoured rice and cousins cousins is lovely and makes a meal carb for four for pennies. And I like their face cream!

Using g comparison websites we usually save between thirty and forty quid a week.

I'm lucky in that we access cleaning stuff and bulk buy tins from a wholesalers.

Oh, and if I did not get a slab of their plain hazelnut chocolate each week I would be a horrid lady.

I wasn't trying to prove anything cardibach, you're taking me totally the wrong way. I'm just saying that's how much I spend.

I'm not trying to prove anything people are getting arsey and defensive for absolutely no reason anyone would think that some people own Aldi or something.

It's just a discussion, the chances are that if people find different places cheaper or more expensive then it's the things they buy/need, the way they shop eg done people have said that they don't shop for offers or that they're comparing to somewhere expensive such as Saibsburys or Waitrose.

I only buy things in tesco I can't get from our market and generally do a shop once a month online with codes/special offers . If I do the same sort if shop in Aldi it comes out pretty much the same. I find their fruit etc expensive compared to our market and it's better quality/local here too.
I used to shop in Aldi about 10-15 years ago and it was cheap then (15p bread ) but now it's so popular it's not so cheap AND heaving!

I wish we had a market, very jealous of that!

Oh also things like crumpets, Aldis were 69p, which is about 10p cheaper, but Tesco/Asda do 2 packs for £1 or the giant packs. They're freezeable. Things like beans, tinned tomatoes, sauce keep for ages so I just stock up when they're on offer.

I don't mind shopping around the offers a bit, I still manage to get what I need and for example if it's not Cathedral City cheese on offer it will be another premium brand, you can always get a 500g of nice cheese for £2.

When I said about people kidding themselves I simply meant that it might be easy to assume Aldi items are cheaper because it's Aldi, and if you haven't done a recent price comparison of elsewhere.

I've always assumed I was wasting money and kept meaning to go to Aldi for ages but was surprised that a lot if it was expensive.

Either way I still quite liked it and did pick up a few things, I've discovered that Lidl and Aldis bread are gorgeous but was just surprised to find some things the same or even more expensive than branded stuff!

I've saved a fortune. Weekly shop on average is £40 went to Asda for a change n left spending £60

Well in sainsburys or tesco I would spend an average of £70 a week.
Doing the same shop in aldi has never yet cost me more than £50.
I hate the shopping experience in Aldi but it definitely saves me money.

Well we are waitrose refugees so it is definitely cheaper for us!

I think you save money in Aldi/Lidl as there simply isn't as much choice so you tend not to impulse buy in the way you can/do in the larger supermarkets. Also, the special offers eg Super 6 on fruit and veg in Aldi can make quite a dent in the bill.
I do the vast majority of my shopping in Aldi and Home Bargains, and my local greengrocer, and spend about £320 per month for a family of 4 and 2 rabbits.