Is Aldi/Lidl actually cheaper?

[CPHB2021]

Hello! Thinking of ways to cut our costs each month. Usually spend about £100 per week in Tesco/asda. Family of 4. Don't drink alcohol. Do you think Aldi or Lidl are genuinely cheaper and ok quality?

Yes they are cheaper - I don't think the meat or fish quality is as good as Tesco, no. Asda about the same as Aldi/Lidl.

Yes, definitely cheaper. Some things are less good in terms of quality, some the same and some better (deli/dairy often better). But equivalent enough that I feel a bit ‘had’ in the more expensive supermarkets.

Yes definitely cheaper and I think the fish,meat,bakery,cold meats ,cheese is a higher standard than Sainsbury’s!
Not so keen on their shove in oven ready meals which I occasionally have or their fresh veg .
Lidl really is so much cheaper so just go to local Sainsbury’s for the extras .
Probably save about £150/200 a month!

I find the fruit and veg fresher in Lidl.

Yes they are cheaper but I agree the quality is lower.

It's cheaper but I can't do a whole week shop there which is annoying. Always have to go to a big supermarket to finish off.

Yes, definitely cheaper but I can't buy everything I want in Lidl, so alternate with Tescos (luckily they're very close). Bakery goods, cheeses, fish (don't eat meat), fruit, veg really good.

Lidl is definitely cheaper but I hate the lack of being able to leisurely pack your bags at the checkout. It's awkward. Get the app to save more money. Fruit is often rubbish quality at ours, veg and salad isn't too bad. Bakery items and Greek yoghurt are lovely. 3 ply loo roll is good quality too, as are a lot of the weird and wonderful foods from other countries that they have week on week. Try it and see, you might be surprised. We spend around £110 a week on a family of 7.

The only problem I find with Aldi (no Lidl me) is that the fruit and veg doesn’t last very long at all. My husband jokes that half of it doesn’t last the journey home.

Not really. You can shop as cheaply in Asda or Tesco if you buy home brand items.

I don't like a lot of Aldi or Lidl stuff. It's just made to look like branded items but tastes bloody awful mostly.

100%
I used to spend around £100 a week in Tesco, now it’s about £60 in Aldi and that’s taking into account that recently their prices have increased.

Aldi prices are comparable to Asda own brand prices. Much cheaper than branded versions but aldi don't have any branded versions.

I find the veg lasts really well, but I do use it quickly and frequently. I personally love the packing, I get very infuriated in other supermarkets now when people dawdle when packing! If you mostly cook from scratch, then I think it’s great. I can’t comment on ready meals, but have found the basic stuff a lot cheaper. I tend to buy spices and other more unusual items in bulk online, so just use it for vegetables, fruit, frozen giant prawns (they are so good), and bread (part baked sourdough is the best).

They are but you have to change your mind set. I buy more own brand in Lidl than I would in another supermarket. I also buy more raw ingredients and cook from scratch more when I shop at Lidl. I can do a full shop there, no need to supplement elsewhere but I’m happy to switch it up a lot and try new things. I don’t think it’s great if you’re a creature of habit. Lidl doesn’t have the manic packing rules that Aldi has and you save a lot using the app.

Which? rules Lidl is the cheapest supermarket

The quality of their food is very good. Those suggesting it's inferior are more likely to be food snobs who prefer to buy brands!

I'm happy to buy home brand Asda or Tesco. I'm not happy to be duped into thinking that Aldi dupes are as good as the branded stuff they pretend to be. They are not.

Yes about 30%, but there’s less choice. Because of that, a full shop only takes about 20mins unless you get sidetracked in the aisles of delight…

I cook from scratch a lot and find Aldi much cheaper. I also find the fruit and veg lasts ages, way longer than other supermarkets but others say the opposite. It must be store dependent.

I prefer Aldi food and its cheaper

Both cheaper and Lidl more so. I think their products are really good quality.
Aldi steaks are better than the bigger super markets by far.

Yes, I think they are actually cheaper whereas when I did a big shop at Asda as opposed to my normal sainsburys I thought that things were smaller if they were cheaper. For example the bagels I buy in sainsburys have 6 in for £1.20 but in Asda they were a pound so you think they are cheaper but there are only five. Same brand.

Broadly it’s cheaper but brands are sometimes more expensive that tesco - ie Heinz beans

I think it depends on what you’re buying.

I actually only went to Aldi for the first time last week because they’ve only just opened here, and I bought some chicken, burgers, sausages curry sauce and a beef stir-fry. Priced it up against sainsburys when I got back and there was about £1.50 difference.

Even if you buy own brand products in Sainsburys instead of branded you can save a lot of money. And own brand in sainsburys vs own brand in Aldi are around the same.

I imagine that a lot of people who are saving money are doing so because they’d usually buy branded in Sainsburys but as branded doesn’t exist in Aldi they can’t buy them. I was actually disappointed as I’ve heard so much about Aldi and how cheap they are that I was considering making them my regular shop but doing click and collect as they’re not easily reachable on public transport.

I worked out that if I did that and had to get a cab there it would actually cost me more to shop there than in Sainsburys.

Apparently fresh fruit and veg comes in on a Thursday, so that’s the day you should buy it if you want it to last.

Any other day and it doesn’t.

Yes their steak is very popular here and the bacon. I rate the washing powder, also things like milk and butter. The hard part for me is walking past the bakery.