To say Lidl and Aldi are not cheaper or better quality than other supermarkets?

[WeetabixTowels]

A Lidl has opened near me and so many people have said how good it is and how much cheaper it is to shop there. So I thought I’d give it a go.

I meal plan over 2 weeks and we generally eat the same things. So I went with my usual list - and spent £20 more than I do in Asda!

This was yesterday, and we ate chicken last night which was very gristly and then today I made the kids bacon sandwiches for breakfast - I had to bin the bacon as it was so fatty and shrivelled and grey it was revolting.

Comparing my receipt, I saw that

• The only things that were cheaper than Asda were bakery items and biscuits/treats - but I don’t tend to buy a lot of either so made no massive difference
• Fruit and veg were more expensive in Lidl
• Meats were a little more expensive in Lidl
• Frozen stuff was a lot more expensive and smaller quantities too so it won’t all last as long. We always have a movie and pizza night on Saturdays and I spent £3 per pizza whereas in Asda I can easily find them for £1.50 or cheaper
• Cupboard things like olives are more expensive in Lidl
• Toilet roll is cheaper in Lidl but honestly I wouldn’t buy it again, it’s like wiping my arse with a cheese grater

Now I will say that I bought 2 things I can’t get in Asda that were to die for and I would 100% make a trip to Lidl again for these - pickled garlic cloves and the Towergate digestives 🤤 amazing!

But have I done something wrong? I have officially failed at Lidl and I have no idea why 😂 was chatting to my cousin about this last night and she said the same happened in Aldi to her!

We actually did an experiment on this a few months ago, we used to shop in Morrisons but I hated it, place was quite scruffy. We had tesco deliveries but they kept letting us down. Sainsburys is super close to us but we always assumed more expensive so we did a weekly shop in Morrisons, tesco, Asda and sainsburys and sainsburys came out best, we scan as we go and get great nectar offers plus points. We spend about £30 a week less and the whole thing is done including home and packed away in just over an hour. Much less annoying and cheaper.

I haven't tried Lidl but we have an Aldi and it just seems to be a whole shop of supermarket own brand stuff, I don't know why it considered better than any other supermarket own brand. Its pretty much the same price and I would say worse quality, plus the queues are horrendous. No idea what all the fuss is about!

we have an aldi and a Morrisons in my town. Aldi is so much cheaper than Morrisons (which I think has a small town hike on a lot of the prices and sells very few own brand items) but the quality of the aldi fruit and veg is often very poor.

I mainly use Lidl and Aldi, always buy dry cure bacon, great, never the cheap stuff, fruit and veg fine, Lidl do a freshness promise.
Most things are great, tho bread rolls are a bit off, soda tasting, puss prefers Aldi pouches tho
i rarely use Sainsburys as ours is awful, if anything better quality in Aldi

We only have an Aldi near us, and it's at least 20 minute drive to another supermarket. I've always been very impressed with Aldi. I did for a while shop in Sainsbury’s when I worked near one, but I found it a lot more expensive and was really unimpressed with the meat I bought.
The best things in Aldi are the specially selected smoked bacon, their specially selected sausages and I really like most of their own brand stuff too (the specially selected crisps are the best), plus the wines and beers. I've always found Asda meat a bit hit and miss but it's great for branded items and big packs of soft drinks etc if you're having a party.

There are a few things I'd go to Lidl for (cereals, bread, biscuits, nuts - mainly packet stuff) but I'd never do a main shop there. I've tried it, and find the fruit and veg more expensive than other supermarkets. I've also had to take Lidl meat back more than once that had up to 3 days left on it but it was already stinking. Their chicken is very hit or miss.

You can eat it in the same way as olives ie an accompaniment, put it in a salad. But if I’m being honest I just stuck my fork in the jar and munched away 🤣🤣

How odd. It’s significantly cheaper for me, fresh produce is tasty and lasts ages, their premium meat is about the price of basic ranges but the same quality as premium elsewhere and I can almost always do my complete shop there - just one or two things I need Tesco for, not every week.

I'm not sure about other supermarkets but for Sainsburys at least the prices can vary significantly depending on location. The branch near my office in the city centre is 30-50p more expensive on most items than the branch near where I live.

I stay away from Lidl meat but have found Aldi meat to be absolutely fine

I am definitely more of an Aldi girl than Lidl but agree fruit and veg can be a waste so will go to M&S or Sainsbury’s for that

At the moment I would crawl over hot coals for Aldi’s version of lemon Fanta. It has become my summer drink and not only is it it diet, which the Fanta version isn’t, it’s also not so bitter. Very refreshing and I love it. Not feeling the same for their dupe of the red Fanta though

Cupboard staples in Aldi are great so will stock up there for things like pasta, rice, spices, cooking sauces. Not a fan of their tomato sauce and Mayo though

My local Aldi’s are food only (plus a bakery like Lidl) so don’t have the middle aisle of shite - that is a blessing and a curse. Blessing for my budget, curse because where else do I buy random shit I don’t need!!!

Home Bargains is good for cleaning products

Yeah there is a Sainsbury’s local near my house and it is definitely more expensive than the big one about a mile away.

Seen the same difference in Tesco express vs big Tesco

I put my tesco order into the aldi online app last week as a test and it came up £1 cheaper. However I have a Tesco delivery saver plan so if you add in petrol then Tesco came out cheaper. I was very surprised.

I still find them both quite a bit cheaper

i find Sainsburys expensive but like a few bits from there and also pick up a few things in Co op their bread is lovely and have the best cat litter it doesn’t get everywhere (I don’t think there is a brand I haven’t tried)

all shops have gone up the bigger supermarkets they can share round this prices increased. It’s as have more stock

Lidl is the cheapest option in my small town ( you have to be rich to shop at Co op 😂) but we do also have an Iceland that is reasonably priced on there three for deals.
If I travel further afield I find Sainsbury's have some cheaper options

Yanbu. I've tried both several times and find the food generally greasy, poor quality and of limited range.

I buy my baking goods from Aldi - baking powder, bicarb of soda, choc chips etc- to avoid the Dr Oetkers that are sold elsewhere, but otherwise no, too poor quality.

It's got so bad I buy meat from the butcher, dairy, fruit & veg from Tesco (fast turnover) and bread/fish from Waitrose.

I've tried both several times and find the food generally greasy, poor quality and of limited range.

I'm intrigued - what kind of things have you found greasy that isn't greasy from other supermarkets?

I like Aldi, and still find it to be cheaper than other supermarkets. I find the quality to be good for almost everything , including fresh veg/fruit and meat. We don’t often eat ready meals, so can’t comment on those. But wine, chocolate, sour dough bread, cheeses are all great. There isn’t the range sometimes, so I’ll pop to Morrisons for a few things, but I find that to be more expensive.

It seems that Which still find Aldi and Lidl to be cheaper than the others, but perhaps by not as much as they used to be.

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/supermarkets/article/supermarket-price-comparison-aPpYp9j1MFin

I've swapped back to Sainsburys recently as I've noticed Lidls definitely isn't as cheap anymore! Since they have done the nectar prices and money off vouchers I think I'm spending less in Sainsburys.

I like M&S / Waitrose for fruit, veg, fish and meat for the quality and then Aldi / Lidl for cheese, yoghurt, biscuits, cereals, nuts, crisps, bakery, cleaning, toiletries etc basically anything that can live longer is better value from the 'cheaper' shops. It's often a case of shopping around I think. However proceed with caution in M&S and Waitrose and don't get carried away with their temptations!

I buy dry goods from Aldi.
Chicken from M&S - Aldi chicken is bloody awful
Veg from M&S

But we get 20% off M&S as DH is one of their HGV drivers

I don't buy veg or meat in Lidl, but I do like their range of cheeses. The Greek yog is great and incredible value as is their ground coffee - and the dark chocolate with hazelnuts is nicer and cheaper than Lindt. Bottled fizzy water is also good value.

I love their themed weeks. Picked up some Miso paste last time, and their Gazpacho is great, when you can get it.

I am about to explore their cleaning products which seem very reasonably priced.

Oh and the Cornish butter with salt crystals.

Oh look, an Aldi/Lidl bashing thread. Haven't had one for a few weeks on here. It was about time I suppose... YAWWWWWWWWWN!!!🙄

Asda meat is absolutely disgusting. It’s hands down the worst supermarket meat. Their chicken breasts are always so tough and tasteless.

We use Aldi for our main shop and never have a problem with their meat, fish or fruit and veg. I take all fruit and veg, regardless of where I buy it from, out of its packaging when I get it home. Berries I buy from Aldi on a Friday are still fresh in the middle of the following week.

We prefer their biscuits, I like their corner yoghurts and their oat milk is absolutely fine. DH has a thing for one of their ciders, but I don’t drink so I can’t comment on that one, and their own white chocolate Magnums are amazing imo.

My shop was £25 more expensive in Lidl compared to Asda and we had alot less than what we usually buy. Some stuff is great in Lidl like the cereal, lasagna sauces especially!!! But I do find it more expensive than Asda and I can never do a full shop in Lidl either