Sainsbury's £68.25 - Lidl £39.83 - blimey!

[Snaf]

Yes, I'm bored, but I'm also strapped for cash

Went to my local Lidl today, out of curiosity. Spent £39.83 - then came home and compared to Sainsbury's online - saved almost £30!!

The meat was the only thing I wasn't be crazy about, but the rest - think I might be converted. The fruit and veg was actually pretty good, imo. I even bought fresh figs for 19p each! Big treat tonight then, figs, honey and double cream... delish.

Lidl is great, but it's a bit like hunting and gathering...

I'm a Tesco girl, but there is a Lidl not many miles away and I've been thinking maybe I should take the plunge...... Please tell me, if I go to Lidl, what should i avoid??

I also have an Aldi on my way home from work, so are there any horrors there I need to steer clear of?

I'm keen to avoid lining the pockets of Mr Tesco if I can, but I've heard there are some foods from Lidl that are grim.

.....LIDL is fine.

The price generally equates to the 'value' style brands in the other supermarkets, but much higher quality.

I cannot get all the things I want there, but those things they do stock are good value for money. In addition,I don't actually feel scared when shopping there (unlike our local CHAVSDA. Shudder)

...I just hope that they soon introduce an internet delivery service. I envision it delivered in a wheelbarrow, and dumped unceremoniously on the doorstep.

I did try to register for Ocado, the Waitrose home delivery thingy. The website asked for my postcode, then spat it back at me with (I am sure) a contemptuous sniff. The pop up read "BS30? How vulgar."

Or something to that effect.

I understand that Waitrose home delivery is performed by bewigged footmen, bearing a sedan chair.....

I have been shopping at Lidl for a couple of years now since one opened locally. It seems entirely normal to me as my Mum is German and the town where she used to live only really had a choice of Lidl, Aldi and one other similar one. I do think though that over here the stores do vary a fair bit depending on where you live. My local one is much easier to shop in eg they don't go so fast and wait for you to catch up rather than chucking everything at you at high speed as one a few miles away does.

I'd like to know how people who don't have access to a car manage to buy food cheaply.

I was due do to get my driving license back this month, and then went and had another effing fit it M&S. Brain scan, no clot, no tumour. So, another year of shopping locally and not being able to get to Lidl, or any of the cheaper shops.

I embarrass my children by having a trolley, granny-style, but that's the only way I can do it.

Can't ride a bike, in fact, quite useless when it comes to food shopping

I quite often see people getting a taxi home. Perhaps that might be cheaper if you do a massive shop for heavy things once a month? Or can you do an online shop at Asda? Iceland often do free delivery if you spend over £25 (I think).

Sorry to hear of your predicament.

Which Lidl foods are grim? I go for certain things but I don't think I have seen anything that looks 'grim'.
Their Stollen is lovely and a fraction of the cost of M&S or even Tesco.

I don't know of any that are grim.
There are some things I can't get there eg. Silver Spoon 1/2 spoon, Nutrigrain bars, hob cleaner but most of it has passed the test. Even their laundry stuff is good.

I go knowing that I can't get everything I need because their stock is limited and there are things that I just don't buy because we don't eat it, but I haven't seen anything that I wouldn't buy because it is grim.

what is the difference between Lidl and Aldi then?
I am willing to give it a try
Twatrose is walking distance (only one that is) so I tend to shop there

This sort of thing puts me off though...

(from their website FAQs)

Why are Aldi stores not listed in the phone book?
The Store Manager or Area Manager handles all customer enquiries, so the easiest way to contact them is by returning to the store. This way our service to customers is prompt and personal.

Why are there so few staff?
We like to call our staff the ?fastest, friendliest people in retail?. Our intensive training programme means all our staff operate at the highest standards, all the time.

At Twatrose, if I have a corked bottle of wine for eg one of the legions of staff replaces the bottle and gives me a refund too, then a foot massage and pedicure to ensure I haven't damaged my feet walking back to the store

I once left something in the store and they brought it round

I shop online with Tesco, my nearest Lidl is about 10 miles away. Bearing in mind that i'd have to drive there and physically do the shopping, would it be worthwhile to do that or stay at Tesco. Tesco is easy for me because not being able to browse through the shop saves money. Would I spend more in Lidl because its cheap or would the saving I make outweigh the time spent on doing it?

so do twatrose
and they are "partners" not staff

I shop at sainsbury's, and even with the prices of things going up, I still spend the same amount on shopping as I did last year. £70 for 2 adults and 2 kids (and 1 baby!) I do savvy shopping though and just change brands all the time depending on what's on ofer. We also get nectar points which is useful at christmas because we get a large chunk off of our shopping for booze extras!!

I do meal plan though, and then work out my shopping online before going.

offer

I have just got back from Lidl, they have lovely avocado pears for 29p.

Perhaps they vary around the country, riven. Ours has a huge fresh veg section. I would go to a greengrocer but sadly we don't have one, the only other option is to go to the market on the correct day.

Does anyone know how much avocados cost in Lidl?

We have not lidl or aldi - so where do we shop if sainsbury is to expensive? tesco or waitrose or sainsbury or sainsbury yes three sainsbury within 5 miles.

Ignorance maybe bliss but how are we supposed to come out of this ignorance if there aint a blardy lidi or aldo to be found?

Netto?

Netto - is this another supermarket?