What’s Aldi best for? Lidl best for? Tesco best for?

[Karcheer]

I really need to cut back on the amount we spend on food. We live near a Tesco and Waitrose and tend to buy what we need which means we throw a lot out and waste food and money.
Lidl and Aldi are a drive away but I could do a weekly shop in them.

Any advise on what to buy from where? Or am I best just sticking with Tesco but being more organised.

I usually shop at Aldi but I've just done an Ocado shop for the first time and got everything I needed for less than I would usually spend. I find online shopping doesnt lead to as much temptation to buy things we don't need that will just be snacked on or wasted. There are lots of vouchers too for your first order, I used one that took 30% off and got a free meal planner. It's worth having a look if you don't mind online shopping.

Aldi are good for basics like dried pasta, w/m bread, tinned tomatoes, salmon, cheese, their own roth mosseur

I do my main shop on Tescos (mainly because whizzing around with the scanner means I can do my weekly shop really quickly!!) but prefer to stock up on meat, fish, cheese, filled pasta, hummus etc plus cleaning stuff at Lidls. Much cheaper and better quality (wouldn't buy tesco meat other than bacon and sausages) and their cleaning range is fab.
I used to do all my shopping at Lidls and was always very happy with it; it's just more convenient go to Tescos and self scan :)

We always shopped st Waitrose, Marks and Sainsbury's as close to home and work. Spent a fortune but then a new Aldi opened. We have switched for; salmon, sea bass, mackerel, all meats, pasta (fresh and dried), olive oils, toilet rolls (good quality and substantially cheaper), ditto clothes washing capsules, wine, all waters, fresh juice, herbs. The bread, fruit and veg are more hit and miss in my opinion. Peppers and tomatoes good and apples but other veg seems to have a shorter shelf life. I am saving around £50 per week!

Posted too soon. Their own chocolate _Roth Mounsier, rice cakes. DH likes their mens toiletries deo, body spray and shower gel also their baby bubble bath, baby wipes are all very good. A good selection of wine and frozen fish range is also good.

I do not like Aldi washing powder, toilet roll, coffee in a jar or adult cereals. My children like their honey loops (a rip off of honey Cheerios) and petit filous type fromage frais. Their fruit and veg goes off quickly and I buy meat from butcher, so cannot comment on that.

Lidl thier bakery section is divine, ! Fruit and veg I have found lasts longer than Aldi. Their big tubs of greek yoghurt are delicious, cold meats are very good, their own brand sauces apart from ketchup are good, their own weetabix are like proper weetabix. Their formil bio washing powder is good v similar to persil oh and their italian stone baked pizza are lovely too.

We shop at aldi for everything, the only bits I get elsewhere is persil washing powder and detail kitchen spray. Everything else is fine. I can't think of anything else i wouldn't buy. The beauty creams and deodrant etc are so cheap and all great. Nappies and wipes good too if you have a baby. We are a family of 6 and spend 80-90 a week and always have stuff left.

IMO you can't save money at Tesco. We shop at Aldi or Lidl for everything. Mostly Lidl and the staff at our local one are lovely and it's smaller. Hate shopping

I'd say the cereal is better at Lidl - and they do Weetabix (no-one likes pretendy Weetabix)

Aldi do this really nice range of home fragrances, soaps and hand creams in a cream box with a black edging. It's as near as damnit to Jo Malone -

Lidl Formil Bio Liquid is £2.99 for 50 washes. I was spending £10 on a big tub of Ariel so this is a huge saving for me and the quality is very good.

Shopping at Lidl has taught me that there are very few brands I need:

Weetabix
Marmite

er..... that's it

The ridiculous prices of brand cleaning products and toiletries! And other supermarkets' own brands are so much more expensive than Lidl or Aldi

We tend to shop at Aldi/Lidl and then go to Tesco/Sainsburys for the bits that the others don't stock - not necessarily branded things, but things like pak choi, certain spices, stock cubes etc.

Aldi's meat is great but you absolutely can't let it go past its used by date and I have found that it's sometimes questionable on its last day so sometimes I put it in the freezer. Some of their soft fruit can turn quite quickly, I'd say about 30% of the time in our area. I don't like their washing up liquid as you seem to need to use more than Fairy. I also think their cereal is a bit cardboardy. Just tried the Lidl cereal and it's worse. Lacks flavour and isn't great at all. If it wasn't for funds being low this month I'd actually throw it out (and I don't throw food out). I tend to find that tesco/sainsburys own brand cereal is fine.

I think Lidl is great for their bakery products if you want some things on par with an actual barkery. Aldi are pretty good too but don't offer the variation.

I'm mostly happy with Aldi/Lidl but I find I miss the "treats" and variation that other supermarkets offer. However this is probably why I save so much money! I love the aldi super 6 veg and often meal plan around it making our food shop cost less and our meals are less samey.

Big Aldi fan here.

It’# not just the prices.

I can drive straight in to park and drive straight out afterwards - no congestion like at the Tesco, Asda etc around here. The store is smaller so I can get round quickly and the staff are really helpful. The tills are lovely and quick. No faffing.

We don’t eat meat or fish so I have no idea about them, but everything else is great.

I swapped to aldi T the beginning of year. I was previously shopping in Morrison's. I would day we have eaten better since we have shopped at aldi.

I doubt their fruit and veg is any worse than say Morrison's but it's not as good as m and s.
Cleaning stuff and dishwasher tablets are excellent

The only thing I think is a bit off is their bread. Other than the thick white toastie I think it's a bit off so I buy hovis granary elsewhere.

I went to Morrison's yesterday as I couldn't be bothered drive to aldi and I spent £77 on barely anything whereas in aldi you'd get nearly a whole shop for that.

If you have children Tesco do 200ml bottles of Paracetamol at the Pharmacy for £2.50 so they are 100ml bigger than Calpol,thet also do 6 x Heinz Rice Puddings on offer for £1 which we use if out for the day but apart from that Aldi all the way.

I prefer Lidl to Aldi but my nearest supermarkets are currently Sainsburys and Aldi, so I get quite a bit from Aldi and most of the rest from Sainsburys, not a fan of Tesco at all.

Things I buy/ like most from Aldi:
big tubs of greek yoghurt (not the Greek 'style' one, bottled sparkling water (21p), cheese - Manchego, Scottish mature cheddar, not the Brie or the Gouda though - both tasteless, frozen calamari rings, Super 6 offers on fruit and veg (although in general I find their fruit and veg is not great, prefer Lidl or Sainsburys), seeded oatcakes, frozen fish (yellowfin sole, similar to plaice/lemon sole), some surprisingly good wine for around £5 - the Animus Douro (Portuguese Red) is my current favourite.

If you have children Tesco do 200ml bottles of Paracetamol at the Pharmacy for £2.50 so they are 100ml bigger than Calpol,

But your local pharmacy will GIVE you kids paracetamol and ibuprofen if you register with them I think?

I shop at Aldi and Lidl but do need to do a top up at Asda as it is cheapest for brands, baked beans etc and have a bigger range. Then I do a monthly marks or Waitrose for nice stuff.

I think Lidl is fantastic. I really rate their nappies - far better (don't leak) and cheaper than pampers. I also like their dark chocolate with orange and almonds.