£10 weekly shop? Aldi!

ginchyqueendangle

CAFCGirl wrote:

I'm reading this wioth great interest as I'm planning on going to our local Aldi for the first time today, and I'm not too sure what to expect. I priced up my shopping online last night. Admittedly it was Sainsburys so not the cheapest but it came in at around £18, so if I could get it down more, I'd be really impressed.

Are Aldi good for fruit and veg? I've heard Lidl mentionned a lot, so just wondered?

I already tend to by quite a few things out of Aldi as they are considerably cheaper for certain items.

We have recetly converted ny brother as well (his attitude was "im not shopping there")but since he moved into his own place last year he gets a fair bit of his shopping there. lol

I have to say just remember to take your own carrier bags (saves you paying for theirs!)

As for fruit and veg i cant remember off hand, from memory i would say they have a small selection but if ur after certain items you may have to go to a bigger supermarket etc.

Ginch

ginchyqueendangle

sophiesmum wrote:

Best way to sort it would be to work out a weeks meal plan that will come in around that budget.
Might be a little difficult the first week as you will have no storecupboard of herbs,stock cubes etc but I'm sure it could be done with a bit of imagination.
Will it be 3 meals a day or just breakfast and evening meal?

Have a look at the meals for 50p thread to get some ideas.
Breakfast should be easy - bag of porridge, box of cereal or a loaf for toast.
Evening meals based around pasta,potatoes,pulses, rice etc.
Tinned tomatoes def a staple too.

sophiesmum

It may be a bit of both, im a bad one for not eating breakfast when im working, lol. Cereal or toast is always a good option for me!

In regards to the store cupboard thing i imagine my parents/grandparents will prob contribute so i wont be completely without.

Ginch

studentphil

Buying seasonal produce makes your pound go far further!

halloweenqueen_2

If you belong to the teso healthy living club they are sending out vouchers which include a free bag for life, not an expensive item i know, but they replace worn out ones for nothing and will help with the aldi shopping!

ginchyqueendangle

Im feeling quite positive about my little challenge now. With everyones input and the help of a few recipes etc i can see that it should be more than possible.

Due to that iv now made an appointment to see a mortgage advisor- i thought i should get the ball rolling! lol. Im excited but nervous, and i know that if im allowed enough to go buy somewhere then this is the start of some serious moneysaving!

Oh my latest idea is that if i actually start using my tesco clubcard espec wen buying in bits and bobs for my future house i should hopefully gain enough points to get my little necessities when the time comes.

albacore1854

Inspired by this forum I decided to visit Aldi/Lidl/Netto. My only advice would be either don't, or go at obscure times when fewer people are likely to be there.

I got stuck in a queue for what seemed like hours, behind an individual whose moneysaving clearly involved cutting out deodorant, and shampoo, and possibly even soap too.

BusyGirl

I love Aldi! :j
I go every week and buy lots of nice things there, then I go over to Asda/Tesco for the 'other' things.
In Aldi I buy...
grape/apple/orange juice, cartons skim milk, bread (great value), ciabatta, baguettes, tortilla wraps, cheese, ham, sausages, yoghurts, pizza, garlic bread, mayo, rice, pasta, frozen mince, frozen half leg of lamb, flour, sugar, tinned food, ice-cream, eccles cakes, biscuits, fruit, vegetables, cereals etc

The only things I didn't like were...fresh chicken, crisps.
I also go there during the week as it is busy at the weekends and you ALWAYS have to queue to pay...buy hey you get what you pay for!

ginchyqueendangle

albacore1854 wrote:

Inspired by this forum I decided to visit Aldi/Lidl/Netto. My only advice would be either don't, or go at obscure times when fewer people are likely to be there.

I got stuck in a queue for what seemed like hours, behind an individual whose moneysaving clearly involved cutting out deodorant, and shampoo, and possibly even soap too.

Aww dont let that put you off, admittedly yes sometimes you do bump into a few undesirables, however i think considering the mass discount and quality of goods you get it really is worth it.

As for the queues, yup they can be long, espec as management never expect it to be busy hence theres only ever like one checkout open, lol

Give it another chance, go on it wont let you down, lol!

Ginch

V.Lucky

I too love Aldi - especially for the range of continental goods they sell - the cheeses and sun dried tomatoes are especially delicious. Their muffins to toast are the best ever.

Bargains include 1litre of long life UHT milk for 35p, bio live yogurts for 19p and their stuffed pasta in the chilled cabinet for around 69p.

halloweenqueen_2

Try going on a wednesday - thats usually a nice quiet day!