Good and Bad Buys at Lidl and Aldi stores (***Please don't expire***)

Rosa_Damascena

Brie said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

I don't understand why wines are sold at such stupidly high prices in US bars? (Well I do, it's called a profit motive and is costing me a fortune atm). It's made me appreciate just how inexpensive vino is in the UK, esp when purchased at 25% discounts often available. Yet I know that so much of that is actually taxation above the cost of the product. 

Ah - clocked the fact you're already over there!!!  Look out for New York state wines.  There's a lot of good wineries around the Finger Lakes region.  Sorry I can't remember any names but given the climate is similar to Niagara but likely with harder winters the same thing should apply about good white wines.  Never seen any of them in the UK but they were always much much nicer than the California garbage.  There's also lots of very good breweries in NY state and the whole north east so if you like a good beer that might be a cheaper option.  (still got the pint beer glasses from the Lake Placid brewery - think at the time it was $5 for a pint and you could keep the glass.)

Disappointed there were no decent local wines in Boston - but otherwise its a great city!

HillStreetBlues

Rosa_Damascena said:

Brie said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

I don't understand why wines are sold at such stupidly high prices in US bars? (Well I do, it's called a profit motive and is costing me a fortune atm). It's made me appreciate just how inexpensive vino is in the UK, esp when purchased at 25% discounts often available. Yet I know that so much of that is actually taxation above the cost of the product. 

Ah - clocked the fact you're already over there!!!  Look out for New York state wines.  There's a lot of good wineries around the Finger Lakes region.  Sorry I can't remember any names but given the climate is similar to Niagara but likely with harder winters the same thing should apply about good white wines.  Never seen any of them in the UK but they were always much much nicer than the California garbage.  There's also lots of very good breweries in NY state and the whole north east so if you like a good beer that might be a cheaper option.  (still got the pint beer glasses from the Lake Placid brewery - think at the time it was $5 for a pint and you could keep the glass.)

Disappointed there were no decent local wines in Boston - but otherwise its a great city!

But they do have a tea party

HillStreetBlues

Tried Lidl's version of a Mars ice cream bar as 15% off with app. Nowhere near as good as original, and without discount nearly the same price.

fdama

Does anyone know why we've not had brown British onions in the last few weeks? The onions have come from either the Netherlands or Egypt as written on the labels. This was the case in Aldi, Lidl and Asda that I did my shopping from. I ask this because the British onions have thicker brown skins which makes them easier to peel off compared to these foreign ones. 

pumpkin89

fdama said:

Does anyone know why we've not had brown British onions in the last few weeks? The onions have come from either the Netherlands or Egypt as written on the labels. This was the case in Aldi, Lidl and Asda that I did my shopping from. I ask this because the British onions have thicker brown skins which makes them easier to peel off compared to these foreign ones. 

We're between seasons at the moment (they tend to be harvested in spring/early summer and late summer/autumn).  But the autumn harvest is going to be affected by the very wet weather in the South at the moment, so potentially more imports this year.

maman

Thanks for the information @pumpkin89. I found that the brown onions in Aldi were very small a few months back, far too much peeling for the average recipe. 😪 So I've taken to buying loose onions from Sainsburys. I haven't noticed their origin. They are price matched to Aldi and I can pick out the size I want. 

harz99

My local Aldi has just removed all the Covid plastic screening around the checkout cashiers, and a few weeks back installed the self check out tills which they are trying to persuade everyone to use (unsuccessfully)...what next, bag checks and/or card only payment.

Pollycat

harz99 said:

My local Aldi has just removed all the Covid plastic screening around the checkout cashiers, and a few weeks back installed the self check out tills which they are trying to persuade everyone to use (unsuccessfully)...what next, bag checks and/or card only payment.

I love the self service checkouts.
In Aldi, there's lots of room.
I only ever do a basket of shopping so it's great for me not to have to queue behind someone with 2 full trollies.
I use self service checkouts whenever I can - in Tesco, Poundland, Aldi, WHSmith...

As for bag checks...get ready the next time you visit:
Aldi's new bag check policy means it can 'refuse to serve customers' | Express.co.uk
Aldi staff told to REFUSE to serve customers if they decline new bag rule - Mirror Online

If you don't like it, you may be going somewhere else for your shopping.

Aldi say they have introduced this only in some stores, not all.

Brie

Pollycat said:

harz99 said:

what next, bag checks and/or card only payment.

As for bag checks...get ready the next time you visit:
Aldi's new bag check policy means it can 'refuse to serve customers' | Express.co.uk
Aldi staff told to REFUSE to serve customers if they decline new bag rule - Mirror Online

If you don't like it, you may be going somewhere else for your shopping.

Aldi say they have introduced this only in some stores, not all.

I was under the impression that a shop could only insist on looking in your bags if they had followed you around the shop and noticed you putting something in.  Obviously they might consider that this is all done on cctv these days. Then again I also understand that a shop can refuse to sell you anything for any reason they choose (discrimination aside) - as in, if you have a bad attitude, are drunk, swearing, etc.  

Of course when I go into a the shops a lot I prefer to use my shoulder bag rather than drag one of those baskets about or have to hold a basket meaning I don't have 2 hands free.  Net result is I'm walking about putting things in my own bag until I get to the till.  I then empty the bag and leave the empty bag available.  I would never put things into a bag I had that was already half full on entering the shop and I would not be happy with anyone shifting through my previous purchases as it's none of their business.  May very well mean they'll call the police on me at some point....not that I'd expect the police to attend of course.

Pollycat

I don't use bags in Aldi.
I have a 4 wheeled trolley that is empty when I enter the shop.
If staff want to look inside the trolley before they start scanning my shopping, I have no objection to that.

I'd never put shopping into a bag that I already own before it's paid for.
I see that as a potential reason for staff to challenge the shopper and would not want to put myself in that position whilst I'm shopping.