Supermarket Snobbery

Monkeynut

I think with all of the supermarkets it's just a case of using your common sense, and checking thigs out a bit more.

I never used to shop in Lidl, no real reason, it just wansn't somewhere I went.
Being on Maternity leave now, and having Tesco (well, 3 Tescos altogether actually!!) and Asda within walking distance, I have the time to shop around. For lots of things we'll check online for the cheapest place for different bits, and while we do our main shop fortnightly at Sainsburys in the car, I walk up to Tesco and Asda for the other bits.
It was only lately that we went to the Mother In Law's after popping into Tesco for salad bits, and I needed to put them in her fridge. She had just come back from Lidl, and bought almost the same things, and as we were putting it in the fridge we were comparing prices. And hers was all soo much cheaper.
So now I've added Lidl to my list of places to compare. In the past I was a bit of a supermarket snob too to be honest, but now I just don't care, and to be honest I don't think anyone else would either. Even in the past if I saw someone with a Lidl bag, I wouldn't have even though twice about it being bad or anything.

However, I do still take into account quality. Nearly all of the meat that we buy is Sainsburys basics, as we've never had any problems with it, and when it's all cooked up with sauces etc, it tastes absolutley fine. However I wouldn't be happy buying Tesco value or Asda Smartprice meat, as I've had some really not very nice bits in the past. (Though I'm sure most of it is fine, and I'm sure there's people who've had bad experiences of Sainsburys Basics meat!).

I do tend to read labels now sooo much more than I used to, and obviosuly, as expected, the cheaper ones are worst. For example I was looking at Ready Made chilled lasagnes recently, and in the Sainsburys own (standard quality) brand, the main ingredient was beef. In the Lidl equivalent, the main ingredient was Water.

You get what you pay for at the end of the day. And I'd rather spend my pennies on more worthwhile things and debt-busting than on Fancy meat that tastes the same as soon as you stick a jar of tomato sauce with it! Although I wouldn't pay the same for ready made watery lasagne as I would for a nice meaty one!

Blimey - sorry. Realised I've gone on a bit there.
Bed time methinks!

Monkeynut

geordie_joe wrote: »

If I were you, before I called people foolish I would learn to spell the words "you" and "are", then make sure I had the energy to type them in full before posting in a forum.

:D:D
Well, it is a whole extra 4 letters to put you are rather than u r.
Amazing how much hard work it can be for some people!

Though not quite as annoying as when people spell things like kool wrong. There is NO advantage at all! It's not character saving at all.

Will stop my nite tym rantz now!

chuckley

geordie_joe wrote: »

Well I think you are being foolish, I didn't see UnderPressure mention fresh fish or meat, so why bring it up?

UnderPressure did say he/she would shop at a local butcher if he/she could afford it. But that has nothing to do with the quality between asda and waitroes/M&S.

In all arguments about which supermarket is best the stores own brand always comes up. But what about brand names? Heinz beans are the same in waitroes as they are in asda. So is Kellogs corn flakes, Kellogs don't make one type of corn flakes for waitrose and another, cheaper version for asda, if it says Kellogs on the box then it doesn't mater where you buy the box. It's the same stuff, just a different price.

If I were you, before I called people foolish I would learn to spell the words "you" and "are", then make sure I had the energy to type them in full before posting in a forum.

Y bring up meat n fish?! well last i checked, supermarkets did a variety of foods including meat n fish!!!!!!

we clearly aint talkin about branded items, as we all know its the same everywhere, its own brand stuff. and well basically Lidl and the rest, have LOW quality own brand food. YES it's cheap, but its a waste of money as its not 'value' for money produce, hence my original reply.

*A-HEM* i suggest u go back and read who startin throwin the word 'foolish' around b4 u EVER state I started calling people foolish.

u clearly understood what U and R stood for, yet felt to jump on it like it was an issue.... hmmm... clearly your argument was weak!

PrincessJelly

I shop at Waitrose via Ocado every week. I pay £9.99 for delivery a month (as many deliveries as I want) which I think is worth it, as an internet shop takes me about ten minutes, and it takes me the same amount of time to drive to Waitrose. I don't shop online anywhere else as Ocado rarely subsitute, unlike Sainsburys and Tescos and if they do subsitute the picker always sends a considered choice rather than something that happened to be on the same shelf as the original item

I don't have the time to drive out to the supermarket just because key items such as toddler milk, onions, etc either don't arrive or are of poor quality. I put a value on my time, so it makes sense for me to shop with Ocado.

When I do venture into a supermarket, I go to Waitrose for a number of reasons,

1. I invariably have my children with me and am guaranteed a parent and child space, unlike at Tesco where there are lots of parent and child spaces but they are filled with people with child seats in their car but no child or people who can't park in normal spaces as they are either lazy or are poor drivers.

2. Last time I was in Tescos my six year old Modeo was keyed, from front to back. That is our nice car, it makes me cross everytime I look at it.

3. Waitrose aisles are wider

4. No screaming children in Waitrose (only mine)

5. Knowledgeable and helpful staff

6. They will have the food I want

7. Their meat is ethical.

Need I go on? I am not a supermarket snob, I just go to the one that ticks the right boxes for me and if you examine the reasons why you go to the supermarket you go to, it is probably for the same reason.

Chuckley, if you want to strengthen your arguement, it would be advisable to start using English rather than 'text talk'.

Mummy_to_L,K_and_C

Got to admit I shop at Tesco . The only reason is it's the nearest supermarket to me. In theory it's a 5 minute drive but can take upto half an hour on busy days !!! the only way you can get there is the ring road.

We have got 2 tesco extras, 2 sainsburys, 2 morrisons, asda, 2 farmfoods, 2 aldis and 2 nettos in teh city I live in but everything is so spaced out and it takes forever to get to them so I find time wise and pertol wise they aren't worth it. Sometimes shop at Morrisons when I go to MIL's. That works out alot cheaper that tesco which suits me fine.

When we lived over the other side of the city I would use aldi a fair bit as the price difference was pretty god and the LO's absolutely loved the belgain choc cereal, similiar to M&S but much cheaper and nicer in thir eyes. Wish we had one nearer. x

darkblue_2

MLKC, have you considered online grocery shopping? If it works out cheaper than driving, it's well worth it convienience wise and also cost wise, as you will only buy what you need rather than impulse purchasing.

Stompa

darkblue wrote: »

...and also cost wise, as you will only buy what you need rather than impulse purchasing.

I've always found I spend more with online shopping.

darkblue_2

Really?

That's strange. I've done it before and saved a huge amount of money because I tend to be an impulse buyer. If I see big saving signs and BOGOF offers, I'll buy them.

I'm not a waster - so they all do get used, but if I stick to my list I save more.

Stompa

darkblue wrote: »

Really?

That's strange. I've done it before and saved a huge amount of money because I tend to be an impulse buyer. If I see big saving signs and BOGOF offers, I'll buy them.

I'm not a waster - so they all do get used, but if I stick to my list I save more.

I do the opposite. I'm not an impulse buyer at all, but I see things online that I don't need right now, but figure that I may as well have them since I'm already paying for the delivery!

fairtrade

Stompa wrote: »

I do the opposite. I'm not an impulse buyer at all, but I see things online that I don't need right now, but figure that I may as well have them since I'm already paying for the delivery!

It is just as well to stock up now. Particularly if it is a VATable item as the price is set to rise in the near future.