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.

starting shopping in Lidl in the early 00s and was so cheap, not much difference now imo

"2lts of milk for 88p", all the supermarkets around me sell 4pts of milk for 1pound at the most - which is either identical or cheaper than 2lts for 88p?

Coming back from a national trust property with dh i offered him asda, tesco, morrisons or lidl (same road) and he choose lidl as he said more interesting....

I really do not understand why people rave about Aldi and Lidl either, op.

However, I do wonder whether it depends on the location of your nearest store and what sort of products they stock because I really would not buy anything apart from basic fruit and veg from our local Aldi.

In the past, we've tried cheese, cold meats, bacon etc and they have been inedible -- and I don't say that lightly. There are hardly any branded food products in our local Aldi or Lidl at all, and the products with brands I do recognise seem a bit off ... as though it is grey-market produce.

My DH once bought some "balsamic vinegar" from Aldi because it seemed so reasonable; when he got it home and I looked at the label, it was actually a sugar syrup with soy flavouring -- and it was revolting.

I can only think that people live near larger Aldi and Lidl stores with far better stock.

That said, Tesco is pretty poor these days and Sainsburys has always been pricey. When it comes to food where I am, Morrisons really is the best in terms of price, quality and range.

Wirks. I love german food and demand good quality food. Hubby refuses to eat tesco food due to quality issues. Seriously the cheese in lidl is really good. Hubby is a cheese snob so i know. He refuses the consider the cheese in asda or morrisons. Morrison has also good bread. Anyone tried their cheese and onion rolls.....

We used to spend around £25 per week on two adults in morrisons shopping own brand, very little fresh food and cheap fatty cuts of meat. We swapped to lidl and would spend £35 a week but that's cooking eeverything from fresh, making our own soups etc. And the quality of meat we got was alot better. Our morrisons budget never stretched to lunches for work either but our lidl one Did. Even though morrisons is ay the end of our street and lidl is a short drive away we'd never swap back now.

Works not wilks....dam you lidl wine,..

We swapped from tesco to lidl at the begining of this year, we dont like their meat so this is now bought at morrisons. Overall we went from £150.00 per week, including during the week milk and bread shops, to £90.00 per week inclusive. We have also found that the time saved in the shop is also worth loads in terms of getting our lives back time!

I think lots of people don't like it because they don't recognise the packaging. Blind taste tests have shown this in lots of things, I think.

I used My supermarket the other day using sainsburys as I buy a lot of thier basics. Only dos some items for a comparison and sainsburya was £23 and aldi was £29!!!!
I never find it much cheaper and it never has everything I want! I cook from scratch and don't buy branded food.
Aldi is 20 miles away so unless I am there anyway I donly shop there

We buy most of our fruit and veg from Lidl along with some cooked meats, sliced cheese and yoghurt. The rest of our shopping comes from Waitrose and we are quite happy with that.

Perhaps it is the lck of the draw. We cook from scratch too. Generally it is the spices we have to get from elsewhere.

Yes definitely luck. ours used to be good and shopping as much of a pleasure as it could be for shopping.

then stuff stopped lasting so long or looking so nice and the shop was a state and the crates with the fruit and veg were bare.

little by little products we bought were unavailable. bread flour for instance.

It just git more and more depressing and harder and harder to shop there and leave with a full shop.

prices went up and quality went down.

real shame tbh

I'm sure it depends how you shop, I tend to bulk buy brands and offers as we have a pantry for storage, so find Asda cheaper, I buy the premium cheese and coffee when it is on offer so it is probably cheaper at Asda or Waitrose, my two local supermarkets. If I bought just a weeks shopping probably Lidl would be cheaper.

So YANBU

My figures are exactly the same as yours doormouse. I am at bit shocked at all the people doing a weeks shop for £50 or £60 pounds, even at Aldi mine is usually at least £90 ( but I do have three teenage boys to feed), but my tesco bills were hitting £150 regularly. I have to buy coffee beans elsewhere but that is not a major problem.

Our household includes 2teens and myself and my dh. We could cut back more but actually choose not to. I am not sure our weekly shop, with mid week topups could ever be £50.00. On agood week we spend £70 on a less good week we spend £100.00

Aldi is no cheaper than Asda.

I might have to venture to Tesco though, as they have very generously sent me some £10 off £30 vouchers. I haven't ventured to Tesco for a while, they must be missing me

I think people save at Lidl and Aldi because there is less choice and much less stock. If it isn't there to buy, you can't buy it. I was disappointed with the quality of much of the stuff at Lidl, and the three bird roast was absolutely disgusting. I found that things like Nesquick were much more expensive than Sainsburys. I just don't understand why people love them so much.

I think I'm in the minority that like Tesco, I like a lot of their own brand stuff.

I went off my local Sainsburys big time, they were just so expensive and staff were unhelpful.

I like Asda they're cheap but I'm not keen on some of their own brand stuff, plus as a pp said they've a lot of £1 stuff and you can end up spending loads.

I find with the unbranded stuff I like the Waitrose essentials best, I haven't had a bad product yet.

I find the quality of aldi and lidl to be much inferior to other supermarkets.

Believe me I have tried to like it a lot of times!

I mainly buy fruit and veg and dairy. Each time I have been disappointed as fruit/veg never lasts long even on the shelf it looks a bit questionable.
On the other hand the likes of Sainsburys is obviously fresh.
Dairy- butter is on par with sainsburys basics, milk I wouldn't touch due to past experience of not lasting long.
I think it is false economy as the stuff doesn't last that long therefore you have to go back sooner.

Sainsburys also only use British meat (unless label states otherwise), most own brand cosmetic products are not tested on animals, has a good range of Fairtrade foods and usually use free range eggs in their bakery produce.
Probably one of the more ethical shops along with Waitrose.

Price wise if you buy basics and own brand I think it is not dissimilar in price to aldi/lidl but far far better quality. Also much more choice :)

Lidl £57.85
Sainsburys £86.72
Tesco £82.60
Morrisons £82.63
Ocado £92.28
Waitrose £97.82

Is that a brand by brand comparison or a cheapest like item comparison? Something like cheddar: in Tesco, there are multiple options, on any given week, one of them will be cheapest, and likely cheaper than the consistently low Aldi/Lidl price. Ditto things like canned goods, bread. If you arent particulatly loyal to a brand or a specific style/variety, then whatever is on offer among a range of options may well be cheaper, and if time and transport expenses matter too, one shop with no top ups saves there.

Whether you are driving, walking or taking transport matters too. in my case, if I can't save more than busfare on the amount I can physically carry, it's not worth it. And if I can save it, but still have to walk past my nearest grocery to get toiletries at Boots, then it was still a wasted effort.

Aldi is the cheapest
That is all