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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask the best way to shop at Aldi?

90 replies

SoMuchPain · 20/02/2017 18:46

My local Aldi is a good 20 minute drive therefore that in itself is effort with a toddler. I did do well for a few weeks making Tues my Aldi day. But I do find my local Sainsbury's so much easier but literally it does cost me twice as much. Please tell me A) to get off my lazy arse and head back to aldi and B) please tell me the best way to shop there - especially how to handle the tills!

OP posts:
EssentialHummus · 20/02/2017 19:56

It seems to depend on the store rosie - no issues at "my" two stores.

Sparklingbrook · 20/02/2017 19:59

Don't buy fruit and veg-it's really manky. Beware that some of the brands they are trying to copy with their own stuff tastes nothing like the real thing.

Rosieposy4 · 20/02/2017 20:00

Quite possibly essential, though i was fuming over the expensive bacon, emailed them with photos of the bar code, they took more than 24 h to reply and told me to take it back to the store ( 15 mins away by car and i had binned it anyway), then when i replied to that i got another totally unsatisfactory response.

BackforGood · 20/02/2017 20:02

Never been my experience shopping at Aldi near me since it first opened about 8 yrs ago. Never had any problems with anything Rosie has mentioned. Fruit and veg not only excellent quality, but they have 6 items each week that are a fraction of the usual price ( and usual price is cheaper than other supermarkets).

Biffsboys · 20/02/2017 20:03

specialsubject - it annoys me when they ask cash or card while still scanning ? It depends how much it is before I decide that ?

Rhayader · 20/02/2017 20:04

Ive never been to Aldi/Lidl, what happens if you take your time packing into bags?

NotTheFordType · 20/02/2017 20:13

Ive never been to Aldi/Lidl, what happens if you take your time packing into bags?

You get a queue of people giving you the Hmm eye, plus the cashier will usually say "don't pack luv, just stack it in the trolley and pack at the shelf"

However if you're good at packing and have stacked your belt efficiently, it won't be a problem.

I would not take young kids to Aldi because once at the til you won't be able to pay them any attention, but I have brought my son with me since he hit his teens and we make a great loading and packing team Grin

MistyMinge · 20/02/2017 20:17

I'm an aldi convert. It's saving so much money. As pp said, I write a list in the order I go round the shop. I used to try and put the shopping into bags in the trolley as they scanned, but in the end found it quicker and less stressful to put in the trolley and then pack at the shelves.

Eolian · 20/02/2017 20:19

I pack at the till and easily keep up with the cashier, but I might not if I had a fractious toddler to handle!

I find the fruit and veg just as good quality as any other supermarket (although they don't have as wide a range as some). And the 'copies' of brands are usually as good as the originals (better, in the case of Jaffa Cakes!). I do think quality of fresh stuff maybe varies from branch to branch, judging by people's different experiences.

ManoloChooBoutin · 20/02/2017 20:22

What are the 'aisles of wonder'?

I've never been to an Aldi before but there's one opening nearby soon...

Rhayader · 20/02/2017 20:23

NotTheFordType

Ah, okay. There is one nearish (20 min drive) but every other supermarket is closer... I've also done online shopping for the last 4 years and I'm not sure that I can stop now.

Lots of friends recommend though and they are eating into the big 4s market share which means they must be doing something right.

Frouby · 20/02/2017 20:23

I have tried shopping at aldi over the years. Had one open forever where I used to live and never rated it, mainly because of the freshness, or lack of, on the fruit and veg.

Moved 8 miles away and have a store literally 2 mins away. The quality of the fresh stuff is better than the local large Tescos, Morrisons and Asda. It's not quite M and S or Ocado BUT is half the price.

I have chopped our shopping bill by about 1/3 and we have more treats and naice bits.

I always just put stuff back in the trolley and pack at the shelves. Morning is a good time to go. I don't mind taking DS (3) as it's quick enough for him to not get bored.

RhodaBorrocks · 20/02/2017 20:23
  1. Follow the tips everyone has provided above.
  2. Keep thinking about all the money you're saving.

I've also halved my bill and I'm loving it! Yesterday I beat the checkout guy - highlight of my week, and he congratulated me lol!

BarbaraofSeville · 20/02/2017 20:24

I got my shopping swept onto the floor once when I failed to keep up with the cashier. Im a very competent regular of over 20 years experience and I was only behind because the person in front of me took fucking ages to get out of the way so I could position my trolley.

Ignore all the comments about fatty meat and rotten veg, it's all very good quality.

JoyceDivision · 20/02/2017 20:25

I love Aldi, their parmesan is about same price as asda or tesco or sainsburys but about 200g in a pack rather than about 130g and their chorizos are lovely

Fruit can sometimes go off quickly but salad andveg have been okay

Steaks are nice,only once bought ones that smelt funny, while dh was cooking I drove back to the store and they just told me to take some more off the shelf!
Sour cream and creme fraiche big tubs that are cheaper, shower gel oklay and cheap, eggs good, basics such as dry pasta good too,plus chicken breasts good

BretonTop · 20/02/2017 20:25

YY to writing out your list in the order it appears in the ship.

Big Blue ikea bags. Shove everything in. I then usually decant some of the heavy stuff into smaller bags once back at my car boot.

Spent £67 today on my weekly shop (two adults & two kids) which would've been £100 in Asda.

I've never had a cashier tell me off for packing, albeit at lighting speed, at the till. Toddler is happy as we're in/out in 25mins.

Another tip is to put something fresh which needs weighing, a hand of bananas for instance, half way along the belt. Slows the cashier down for 3 seconds so you can catch up.

Original poster
SoMuchPain · 20/02/2017 20:26

It is quick to get around. 'Aisles of wonder' are the 2 aisles in the middle that have mainly hardware on offer but brilliant prices and often branded products e.g. At Xmas there were sat navs etc and they sold out very quickly

OP posts:
scrivette · 20/02/2017 20:27

Good tips above, especially with regard to the Ikea bags.

Would add, if yours ha a fresh bakery section pick up a croissant/cake etc for you and something for the toddler for a bribe, the bakery items are fabulous and so so cheap!

wtffgs · 20/02/2017 20:28

Don't have enough £ to shop at Sainsburys- that's the straightforward answer.

If you can afford to shop at Sainsburys then please DFOD back there and leave Aldi for those of us who've been shopping there for fifteen fucking years to go and shop without middle-class mount-arses in their fucking 4x4s getting in the way!

wtffgs · 20/02/2017 20:29

Fucking autocorrect moany-arses

yorkshirepuddingandroastbeef · 20/02/2017 20:30

If you don't have a social life like me then Saturday night is a good time to go. It's quiet and they are normally restacking shelves for Sunday so stock levels are good.

JoyceDivision · 20/02/2017 20:30

also mention aldi's own nylon reusable bags, the bright green or yellow or red ones about 50p each are fab,I use them for packing clothes when we go away for a weekend (much to dh's horror Grin) but they hold loads and you can get 3 in a trolley to pack at lightening speed if you have planned where you place your shopping on the conveyor belt....

CrohnicallyPregnant · 20/02/2017 20:30

I shop at Lidl because it's closer than Aldi, but I think the principles are the same.

If DH is with me I sort the stuff onto the conveyor (I often let people with baskets in front to give me time to do that), then I pack the shopping into bags as the cashier scans, DH pays and by the time he's done that I've put the last few bits in the bags.

If no DH, I stack stuff in the trolley, then have my bags open in the boot and sort and pack back at the car.

DD is 4 now, but she always shopped with me. When she was a toddler, if she was good I would get her fetching stuff off the shelves for me (not glass obviously!) and if she misbehaved then she was plonked in the trolley seat (yes, she would scream, and one time tantrummed so hard she got stuck!) and I would run round grabbing what I needed as fast as I could. And as others have said, at least you are quicker at shopping at Lidl/Aldi.

yorkshirepuddingandroastbeef · 20/02/2017 20:31

I also go every few weeks and do a big shop. Shop at other supermarkets in between for bits and pieces.