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

Doc_N

Pollycat said:

Doc_N said:

Kernow666 said:

over the last couple of months i have swapped from branded biscuits to Lidl's own 

Ginger nuts
Rich Tea
Oaties
Digestives
Malted Milk 
Chocolate chip cookies

i wouldn't ever go back to McVities even if they were on offer 

I struggle to understand why anyone buys at least 90% of branded groceries.  With a few exceptions, almost all of them can be replaced at a much lower price, with just a little open mindedness.

Rosa_Damascena said:

I struggle to understand why anyone buys at least 90% of branded groceries.  With a few exceptions, almost all of them can be replaced at a much lower price, with just a little open mindedness.

More money than sense?

Not necessarily.
We've done Martin's brand challenge on most of our food and there are some things that we really don't like the taste of.
So we buy branded when it suits us.

'open mindedness' doesn't come into it.
I'll make a decision whether a better taste is worth paying extra for.

That’s why I used the phrase ‘with a few exceptions’ and the 90%.  We also buy some brands, but a very small number. All a matter of personal taste. Open mindedness is simply being open to acceptance that brands aren’t always the only option.

Pollycat

harz99 said:

Pollycat said:

Doc_N said:

Kernow666 said:

over the last couple of months i have swapped from branded biscuits to Lidl's own 

Ginger nuts
Rich Tea
Oaties
Digestives
Malted Milk 
Chocolate chip cookies

i wouldn't ever go back to McVities even if they were on offer 

I struggle to understand why anyone buys at least 90% of branded groceries.  With a few exceptions, almost all of them can be replaced at a much lower price, with just a little open mindedness.

Rosa_Damascena said:

I struggle to understand why anyone buys at least 90% of branded groceries.  With a few exceptions, almost all of them can be replaced at a much lower price, with just a little open mindedness.

More money than sense?

Not necessarily.
We've done Martin's brand challenge on most of our food and there are some things that we really don't like the taste of.
So we buy branded when it suits us.

'open mindedness' doesn't come into it.
I'll make a decision whether a better taste is worth paying extra for.

Likewise, although some branded goods can also be found cheaply at the likes of Home Bargains, B and M etc. Not always necessary to pay the big supermarket prices.

Yes.
I wouldn't go into Tesco and buy a tin of Heinz soup at 95p.
I wait until they are on offer and stock up.
There are some flavours that I've tried in Aldi's home brand that I prefer to Heinz and some that don't compare to Heinz.
The point is I've tried and made my own mind up.

I won't buy cheap tinned tuna.
I buy branded from B&M.

briskbeats

Sometimes I buy branded items if they are on clearance bargains at work. Last week I bought a box of 18 Quaker Oats Oatso Simple for 50p at work. 2.8p a sachet! 

Rosa_Damascena

There are very few brands I buy when it comes to food. Spending over the odds for food is just not my bag - if I had my way I wouldn't spend anything on it - which is why Aldi and Lidl suit me well.

pumpkin89

Rosa_Damascena said:

There are very few brands I buy when it comes to food. Spending over the odds for food is just not my bag - if I had my way I wouldn't spend anything on it - which is why Aldi and Lidl suit me well.

This perfectly illustrates why there is such a wide range in the amount that people spend on food.  We all have to buy it, but for some it is one of the biggest joys in life and for others it's purely functional.  I guess most people are somewhere between those two.

Personally, it's one of the last areas I would cut down on - I'll shop around for the best deal on the brands I like, but I won't trade down to a cheaper option unless it really is just as good.  Mind you, I think a lot of the famous brands have reduced quality over the years and I buy a lot more niche brands these days.

Doc_N

pumpkin89 said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

There are very few brands I buy when it comes to food. Spending over the odds for food is just not my bag - if I had my way I wouldn't spend anything on it - which is why Aldi and Lidl suit me well.

This perfectly illustrates why there is such a wide range in the amount that people spend on food.  We all have to buy it, but for some it is one of the biggest joys in life and for others it's purely functional.  I guess most people are somewhere between those two.

Personally, it's one of the last areas I would cut down on - I'll shop around for the best deal on the brands I like, but I won't trade down to a cheaper option unless it really is just as good.  Mind you, I think a lot of the famous brands have reduced quality over the years and I buy a lot more niche brands these days.

Probably Aldi and Lidl are less than ideal in your circumstances, then - given that they both concentrate mainly on own label.  That's why I much prefer them. Same food as the brands, usually coming from the same factories, to specifications which are just as good or better, but at much lower prices.

Each to their own, of course.

maman

Obviously it's your choice how much you choose to spend on food @pumpkin89 but I've found that by doing 90%+ of my shopping in Aldi I'm eating really well without compromising on quality but spending a lot less than I previously did in Sainsburys. 

Fortunately I have the time to cook from scratch including HM ready meals for the freezer for busy days. 

sammyjammy

harz99 said:

Likewise, although some branded goods can also be found cheaply at the likes of Home Bargains, B and M etc. Not always necessary to pay the big supermarket prices.

Agreed, on the ketchup/salad cream front its got  to be heinz for me but I would never purchase from a standard supermarket

Pollycat

Rosa_Damascena said:

There are very few brands I buy when it comes to food. Spending over the odds for food is just not my bag - if I had my way I wouldn't spend anything on it - which is why Aldi and Lidl suit me well.

IIRC, you don't cook much at all...

I batch cook and cook most meals from scratch.
I enjoy the planning of menus, I enjoy the prepping and cooking.
So the eating is also enjoyment.
It is my bag.

There really would be no point in me buying cheaper ingredients to cook a meal that doesn't taste as good as it does with the branded items that I've tested against cheaper alternatives.

I do occasionally check the quality of cheaper items against the few branded ones I buy.

Rosa_Damascena

Pollycat said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

There are very few brands I buy when it comes to food. Spending over the odds for food is just not my bag - if I had my way I wouldn't spend anything on it - which is why Aldi and Lidl suit me well.

IIRC, you don't cook much at all...

I took something batch cooked out of the freezer yesterday and had it at lunchtime. It was half a 500ml container and I spent the rest of the day regretting it. Even drinking tea this morning has been difficult, I need to get out there and get some exercise.

Cooked food just doesn't suit me, I'm better off with something that comes straight out of the fridge and is not stodgy. I looked at the content of my brand new fridge this morning and the way I'm feeling at the moment could only think how I need to run the content down, it will take at least a week before I need to shop again. November is going to be my month of thrift and it starts with provisions.