Cheap and Cheerful Aldi Lidl buys here

[DforDiva]

We have Aldi and Lidl nearby but tend to go Tesco for no reason. I only buy milk and chocolate brioche from Aldi when we run out. Dont know what is good what is best avoid. Bought some ice creams and sweets in summer, thats it so far
Please recommend me the best buys from both stores please?
Thank you

Message withdrawn

Only know Aldi... but there is a thread already here on this, and also moneysavingexpert.com has this in detail.

For me I buy the following;

part baked baguettes 40p (waitrose 90p)
naan bread
chorizio
parmesan cheese
other cheese...gorgonzola etc
fresh orange juice
tomato puree (when on offer)
ice creams lollies for children
popcorn
cleaning cloths and scrub pads
croissant pastry in tube...though always sold out
melons

www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/are-cheap-supermarkets-good

'What's Hot and what's not at Lidl / Aldi' on moneysavingexpert.

We go to Lidl sometimes when we are skint and get in loads of basics, off top of my head would recommend:

Cottage cheese - nice and creamy
Dried pasta
Salt and vinegar 'Knights' crisps
Jars of olives
Red or green pesto
Charmin toilet roll £11.50 for 24 rolls

They also do some big name brands you'll recognise- weetabix, hellmans etc at a lower price, and i think heinz baby food is buy 3 get one free.

I only know Lidl and still stop in there for these staples:

-parmesan cheese
-capers
-tinned mackerel
-couscous
-coffee
-hot cocoa powder
-tagliatelle
-roasted peppers
-red beans and rice
-creme liquor, I can't drink just now as pregnant, but it's better than Baileys!
-proseco
-olives

I went to Lidl this morning.
Their luxury muesli is fantastic for £1.49 its massive oat flakes and tons of fruit and nuts - no dust!
Their crunchy cereal (like the Jordans stuff) again a massive bag for 99p.
I should know I just scoffed a bowl of the two mixed together.
The cheeses are very good value.
Two weeks ago I got several jars of nutella for only 99p each!

Lidl juices are rubbish, very watery.

The bread flour is excellent value about 49p I think? Makes a good loaf.

I live near a netto, pass an Aldi or Lidl most days on way home from work, so I tend to go in each in turn and stock up on the things that are good from each one. That way I am not trailing round umpteen different supermarkets each time I shop which some people think you need to do.

Aldi wine is very good. And their champers!

I like their juices.

I buy juices for the DDs there - and the drink boxes in summer for picnics because it's not got flippin' sweetners in it.

I love Aldis/Lidl, on the whole most of the food is much better value then other supermarkets, some items i always buy.

Aldi's
Granary bread
Dark chocolate biscuits
Pasta/rice
Benefit flakes
Cheese curl crisps, bag of six about 89p, better quality than quavers.
Maple syrup popcorn
antipasti's mushrooms, peppers, artichokes
Carbonara pasta sauce, pesto sauce
Dual therapy bubble baths
Antibacterial wipes
multivitamins
Pizza, chicken kievs, Whole half topped salmon either provencale or toscana (mmm had this for dinner tonight), specially selected cherry and custard tart, wine, champagne, freshly squeezed orange juice in glass bottles.

Lidl
Mostly for fruit vegetables, canned produce, cleaning products including bold 2in1, cheeses, hams including whole chorizo.

expat, you are pregnant????????

The Lobster from Lidl is great

Lidl baby wipes - best I have found anywhere - bigger, thicker, smell nicer, no wringing wet ones at the bottom, cheaper, fabbo. I buy 10 packs when I go.

Lidl Nappies are THE best

I been Aldi and bought some cheese, and some bread etc..
I will explore Lidl tomorrow, never been before. Will try nappies and baby wipes as Pampers an Johnsons do my head as they all comes together or sogging wet.
Thank you all, i shall keep this thread in watch and try everything people recommended.
x

Love Lidl, lots of their basics are similar prices to the other supermarket's economy ranges, but much better quality IMO. My DC's know all the best things come from Lidl. DS1 specified Lidl fruit shoot equivalents for his birthday party, when he could have had the real thing

Our favourites are:

Small fruit juice cartons for lunches
biscuits
Crumpets
Belgian waffles (DS2 won't eat any other brand or homemade
Tinned rice pud & custard (less additives than Ambrosia)
Luxury sausages (often reduced to £1)
Tinned tomatoes/ kidney beans
Heinz baked beans
All breakfast cereals
Mini choc ices on sticks (child sized magnums) Also do Solero ones that are very good.
Nappies inc pull ups
Anything chocolate - they do a 70% cocoa for c. 50p and if you need little Easter pressies, they have bunny lollies that work out about 7p each and bags with a large choc rabbit and several small eggs which are are lovely quality.
Batteries - v. cheap and last much longer than other cheap brands.

There does seem to be a bit of junk food theme here and I do have to admit that's where their strength is. I have been disappointed with their meat and fish and find that fruit and veg doesn't keep well.

their tinned toms don't have any salt in them.

I get everything from Lidl.

Use Lidl for my weekly shop (Sainsbury's for fortnightly "luxuries" eg freshly squeezed OJ):

Good:
Canned tomatoes (whole & chopped)
Passata
Butter spread (Can't beleive it's not butter equivalent)
Mozarella
Parmesan
Spaghetti
Cornflakes
Choco Rice (don't tell ds but I swap the bag into an empty box of "Coco Pops" as he "prefers" Coco Pops )
Frozen Chicken nuggets
Drieed cat food
Cava
Champagne (their standard one is better than their premium one)
Frozen leg of lamb
Oven chips
Frozen peas
Jaffa Cake equivelents (better than the orginal)
Mini cartons of multi-fruit/vitmain juice
Mini cartons of apple juice
Basmati rice
Tomatoes on the vine
Onions
Salad potatoes
Potatoes
Frozen king prawns
Muilit packs of crisps

Not so good:
Frozen Chicken kiev
Salted kettle chips (too salty)
Micorwave salted popcorn (too salty)
Cehck the bananas for bruising
Check the grapes

im addicted salami from aldi

Nettos do a bag of italian penne pasta which my dd loves, for 29p - has just gone up from 19p.

Can you get brown pasta, rice or spaghetti in either Aldi or Lidl?

Do Aldi do free range eggs or chicken?

Lidl do lots of named brands which are significantly less than the likes of Waitrose / Tesco etc - Kelloggs, Heinz to name just a couple.

They also do excellent 'own brand' anti pasti - mozzarella and olives in oil for example, and baby wipes are good at 99p

Lidl do free range eggs and organic milk.