Can you do a full monthly shop and Aldi and Lidl

littlechezza

sarah1972 wrote: »

£300 for 2 adults and 2 children is doing things cheaply already, I spend £400 a month for 2 of us.

OMG!!! I thought £300 was alot, maybe I'm being unrealistic but I've read plenty of threads from families who seem to manage what I'm trying to achieve.

adouglasmhor

Lidl do sell free range eggs.

littlechezza

Optimisticpair wrote: »

The art of reducing shopping bills is a four part job I find. Some of these you may already do. Firstly finding less costly brands that you like so you could shop at Lidl and Aldi for most of it.

Secondly, because it is usually the more expensive part of a meal, making meat go further, by portion control, adding more vegetables or pulses, eating a vegetarian meal more often and batch cooking by making meals from scratch and freezing portions rather than buying ready made.

Thirdly altering the menu so as not to waste leftovers ie making soup with a chicken carcase and choosing cheaper cuts of meat and turning them into something scrumptious. I find if you plan what you will buy there is less temptation to impulse buy.

Fourthly I reduced the number of cleaning products to the minimum and use less of them. I use cheaper, more eco friendly "old fashioned" products like Stardrops, white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, washing soda etc.

Just one or two stop shopping where it is cheaper reduces the bill and that may be as far as you wish to go with being a Money-saving Expert but bargains are in buying in bulk, from ethnic stores for such as rice and the reduced price goods sections of the usual higher priced supermarkets too.

So the answer is no you probably won't find everything at the right price in one or two stores but by coming up with a strategy that suits your circumstances you could make substantial weekly savings.

I know what you mean with the meal planning, I know what I should be doing it just never seems to happen, I've just recently gone from working 22 hours a week to full time and taken on an allotment and what with 2 children I feel like it's the food budget that is suffering, I know I'm lucky to have all these things as the extra hours means more money, the allotment is something that plenty of people would love and I have my gorgeous family but trying to work out a food plan for the month and go to several places to shop for bargains seems to go to the bottom the list.

This is getting away from my original question about aldi and lidl but the crazy thing is I have 3 draws full of essentials, such as pasta, rice, risotto rice, quinoa, tomatoes, chick peas, lentils, dried herbs, etc., etc., so feel a bit of a failure for not being an expert in this area.

littlechezza

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Lidl do sell free range eggs.

Thank you, I have actually been buying these and prefer them to anywhere else.

Much nicer than Tescos.

worried_jim

You can do it but it's nothing like shopping at Tesco. There is less choice and the I still go to Tesco to buy cleaning materials that actually work. Fruit and veg is good and there pre packed salad bags are half the price so its great for my lunches. I have never seen free range eggs in Aldi but wouldn't buy them anyway so I may not have noticed them. I have sampled the booze and it is excellent and cheap ! Mine was packed this morning at 10am with everyone buying £120 tv's.

Sublime_2

You could always do !/2 your shop, at Aldi/Lidl, and the other at your regular store.

My Lidl faves, are Chorizo (Good quality, but inexpensive), cheese, Pickles, dishwasher tablets, cleaning stuff, and nappies. I save a good bit of money buying those.

MsHoarder

We alternate. So one week we'll go to Sainsbury's and the next Aldi (which is also where we go during the week to pick up extra milk/bread). The only thing that Aldi don't do that we really miss is joints for roasting (and toothpaste and feminine products). Everything else can usually wait until the week after.

The smaller shop saves time too!

Stompa

sarah1972 wrote: »

£300 for 2 adults and 2 children is doing things cheaply already, I spend £400 a month for 2 of us.

I don't know what you spend it all on then, I reckon we spend around £220 per month for 2 - and that's without really trying (i.e. I seldom buy stuff from the 'Value' ranges etc., though most of my shopping is done in Aldi as it's the closest).

sarah1972

Stompa wrote: »

I don't know what you spend it all on then, I reckon we spend around £220 per month for 2 - and that's without really trying (i.e. I seldom buy stuff from the 'Value' ranges etc., though most of my shopping is done in Aldi as it's the closest).

I buy,
Fresh meat from my local butchers and fresh veg every day
Fish twice a week
Lunchbox fillers everyday
Toiletries
Cleaning Products

sarah1972

KimYeovil wrote: »

I think you are a little confused about who is doing something cheaply and who is being extravagant.

I am not in the slightest bit confused and I dont think that fresh meat/fish and veg everyday is extravagant, each to there own though