NOW CLOSED Talk to Aldi about shopping for Christmas bargains and be in with a chance of winning a £100 voucher

[TheOtherHelenMumsnet]

Aldi are gearing up for Christmas with loads of bargains on their website - they'd love Mumsnetters to check out what's on offer then come back to this thread and give their feedback. Please visit the website here.

Are you an Aldi shopper already? If so, are you planning to do your full Xmas shop there, or will you pick up specific bits and pieces from there? What's the best bargain you've ever picked up from Aldi?

If you've never shopped at Aldi before, why? Is there anything on the website that has convinced you to give it a go?

Also, Aldi would love to hear your top tips on how to bag a Christmas bargain, or any other genius money-saving tips you have, so please do share here.

Everyone who posts their comments on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 voucher to spend in store.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

Lio, I thought you might like to see this from the website's FAQ:
"ALDI is committed to animal welfare and against animal testing. We introduced our ban on animal testing of products and ingredients in 1992, ahead of legislation and before many of our competitors. This ban applies to all ALDI brand cosmetics, household cleaners and healthcare products."

My biggest gripe about Aldi is that they don't accept credit cards (only debit cards). I'm surprised to see some Scottish and Welsh branches do, so am hoping they'll be able to roll this out before long.

we love the cheap fruit and veg and we'll be going to ALDI to stock up on christmas nibbles and treats; cakes, chocolates and stollen etc. - love it!

We have just changed over to aldi for our weekly food shop, and not only is it cheaper, but the food is actually much nicer too! Wish I had done it years ago!

I am only a very occasional Aldi shopper (we have two Lidls within easy reach and Aldi is the other side of town). Having looked at the website I'm not convinced it's worth making an extra journey - the things that would be available at Aldi that aren't available at Lidl haven't leapt out at me.

Just been to Aldi and bought my Christmas Turkey 4.2Kilos for £9.99, very much toying with the idea of that Christmas Pudding for £7.99 that has been said to be better than Fortnum's and Crabbie's ginger mulled wine is a must :)

Can confess to being an out and out snob but 'discovered' Aldi a few months ago and haven't looked back. I feel like I'm sticking two fingers up to the rip off huge supermarkets with their crappy Bogofs and pretend deals.

Things we always buy from Aldi: chocolate brioche, mature cheddar, bread machine mix, milk, spreadable light butter, weetabix type thing, luxury yogurts, magnum type ice creams (better than magnums), the clancy range of nuts, bleach, cleaning cloths, black bin bags, fillet and sirloin steak (brilliant), washing up liquid, face serum, loo roll, hairspray, dishwasher tabs, sage and onion stuffing (fab), strawberry conserve, teabags (look like Twinings, great), prawn crackers, chocolate orange wave shapes, all in one lemon shine cleaner.

Things we would absolutely buy from Aldi if they were better: liquid washing detergent (not high enough percentage of active ingredients, not as good as Persil), fabric conditioner (doesn't smell strong enough), non-concentrate orange juice (del rivo is just gopping in Aldi), frozen salmon en croute (tried Northern Catch - horrible, 'hard' salmon), 'wholefoods' pistachios (taste like dust).

Wish Aldi had ski gear in now.

Absolutely love how the cashiers work so fast, that style of service suits me brilliantly.

Regular Aldi shopper since one opened up near me a couple of months ago. Had never shopped there before then. Haven't had anything bad at all, everything has been top quality. I love the fruit and veg offers and can't believe how little we spend there compared to other supermarkets - it's regularly half the price of a comparable shop in Sainsbury's or Tesco.

We're not having Christmas at ours so no need for me to do a full Xmas shop anywhere, but I'll certainly be stocking up on things like nuts, crisps and alcohol from Aldi for the festive period.

DOn't have one near me, but my Mum does and I like the chocolates from Aldi.

Aldi pay their staff better than any of the other supermarkets ...

I have never shopped at Aldi , nearest one is about 12 miles away but I am away to look at the website just now as I am always hearing good things about it . Hear lots about ski wear and nibbles and fruit and veg so will def be looking in for some of the Christmas food shop. Food prices getting so ridiculous even with being careful-so I am happy to make more savings on my shopping.

My best bargain tips for Christmas is shop around check out which offers are on and try and be as organised as possible to make the most of deals .

How funny that this thread has appeared, I've just done my second Aldi shop. It will be the second of many as I am likely to make it my regular supermarket if I'm happy with the quality because I am already impressed by the prices. The things I've tried so far have been good.

The shops are a nice size, big enough to stock a good range of products without it taking two hours to do the weekly shop.

I like that there is only one variety of most things. It makes the process of shopping with a toddler in tow much easier when you don't have to stand in front of a whole aisle of for example, baked beans, trying to work out which are the best value.

It is always fun to see what special purchase items are in the middle aisles.

I would like it if there was a slightly bigger range of fruits and vegetables, things like root ginger which are staples in my house are not stocked at my local store. I would also like to see a range of canned beans and pulses because I often bulk out a shepherds pie or casserole with these things to make the dish go further and help me keep to a budget.

I will not be doing my whole Christmas shop in Aldi because there are a number of more specialist ingredients that I just wouldn't be able to buy. Cake decorating ingredients or vaccum packed chestnuts. I will however be buying all my German Christmas staples like stollen. I'd like to know why the Gluhwein I've been buying for 1 euro in Germany is £5 here in the UK. It can't all be tax surely.

I have shopped once in aldi and whilst not scruffy like i expected 'm not bothered about going back. there was some cheap good quality stuff but it was a bt random and seemed like one of those places where people buy loads of stuff they don't need because it's a bargain

Aldi is my regular supermarket. I think the produce is excellent value all year round and your 4 bird roast is always a regular feature for us every Xmas. We always buy one just in case something goes wrong weather wise or turkey wise (as it has in the past). It's great in an emergency as it can be cooked from frozen.
Merry Xmas Aldi - I love you

There isn't an Aldi conveniently near to me at the moment, but I believe one is planned for next year.

I have never shopped at an Aldi, but the website looks good and the products look good quality (as much as you can tell from a pic!) and good value.
I try to buy my non-perishables throughout the year when I see it on offer.

Likewise, I try to bulk buy where poss and then freeze what I can.

Tyra, it looks random at first because you've been 'trained' to look for particular brands. Aldi compensates to a certain extent with look-alike packaging but, all the same, you're not staring at serried ranks of branded goods as in an 'ordinary' store. There are only two rows of dishwasher tablets, for example, because that's enough - the thirty rows in Sainsbury's are the same products in thirty different packs. (For reference, Aldi's 5-in-1 is as good as Finish and a third of the price.)

I didn't buy anything on my first visit. My sister told me to go back and take time to look properly. Glad she did!

I have just bought a stollen. All to myself.

I love Aldi. I used to shop at Waitrose, switched to part time work and to Aldi at the same time and DH didn't even notice until I told him. We both think the quality of the food is excellent; favourites are the 79p (!) packets of hot and mild pepperoni, and the wonderful chocolate biscuits that I temporarily can't remember the name of...argh.

To make Christmas feel more affordable I've been buying one thing each week for a while now, whether it's biscuits, or a bottle of wine etc, so when it gets to Christmas week we won't suddenly have masses to buy. I'm definitely planning to do the whole Christmas shop there.

I shop at Aldi most weeks and there are certain things I would only buy there (Aldi's own version of Lucozade Sport, nappies, ready made lasagne etc.). I will be doing a "big shop" there at Christmas but will probably have to go to Morrisons too as there are still a few things Aldi don't stock. After looking at the website, I'm particularly interested in the Glen Marnoch single malt .

Can't get to one easily it would be two buses and a bit of a walk!

I shop irregularly at Aldi as I don't drive and they don't offer online shopping. My parents love it though so I go there when visiting them - we get cheese, ham, olives and general deli stuff as well as beers and wine. I also like to check the non-food items too for good deals.

I prep for Xmas by keeping an eye on daily deal sites and staggering my shopping over the year.

I'm a regular aldi shopper, about a third of all my food comes from here. I shop there even more now BabyCat has arrived because the nappies are brilliant and a blinking bargain.

We did our Christmas shop at aldi last year. This year we'll be using up our nectar points so will only get bits and pieces from aldi. However, I've already bought my Turkish delight (half the price of anywhere else) and white chocolate coins. Oh, and I picked up two jars of seafood sauce this week - one for Christmas, and one for testing beforehand!

I will also be getting my cooked meats from aldi, as well as some stollen bites and a panettone.

Best bargain? Probably the nappies for day to day, but I've just picked up some wooden toy block sets and some hand puppets for bargainous prices!

I was converted to Aldi at the beginning of the year and do 90% of my food shopping there, spending on average £50 per week (I was there today too!)

I have in fact got some Christmas bits today including wrapping paper, labels and advent calendars (for 15 month old dd and 37 year old DP!)

Having not shopped at Aldi at Xmas time previously, the variety of goods that I saw today was great. I need to have a good look through but saw a nice selection of biscuits and chocolates that I know my grandparents would be thrilled with, and even spotted some toys for DD's friends which won't dent my bank balance!

My tipsfor Xmas is to budget. Set up a spreadsheet early in the year and work out who you need to buy for, spend per person and add additional Xmas things such as wrapping paper, stamps, cards etc so you don't forget them. I then do a food / drink list too around early November and begin adding these to my weekly shop so that the main Xmas shop isn't as expensive.

Blimey, Fad, you spreadsheet Christmas? [impressed]
Have you realised people would pay you for this???!!

I do a spreadsheet
Went to Aldi yesterday, £50, but £15 of that was extras, stollen bites, Sellotape dispenser, wine and port. Says a lot about us
The deli meats are fab. Am a bit smitten with Aldi!

what's worse is I can refer back to last year, 2010 & 2009 to see what I brought people

In my defence I had to get organised the other year because I was working so many hours and got caught short with money, forgetting key people like my mum and so it's kind of a necessity now!

It does make me budget though, so I know we will be spending an additional £850 over Christmas which, if you don't budget, you end up using cards (been there) or just running out of money when you need specific things you've forgotten.

Have a budget and stick to it!

(PM me if you want a blank copy of spread sheet, it'll cost you in kind words )

Stollen........... how good? If you haven't tried it do. I have been known to claim it as all my own doing.
We do most of our shop there. Cheap vege is fab.
Best bargins - parmasen cheese, latest cycling top, chocolate wasing powder, silicon baking tray liners, passatta, pesto, tea bags, nutty muesli, flour - 50% plain plus 50% strong flour makes best bread flour.
I love the random bargins too.
Gripes - no golden syrup. That alone means I go to a Tesco and spend a fortune on things I don't need