How much of a shop can be done at Aldi/Lidl?

168101112

Comments

  • Zero_Sum
    Zero_Sum Posts: 1,567 Forumite
    Cornucopia wrote: »
    It's one of the drinks ranges sold off the pallet stacks. There are 3 or 4 varieties on that single pallet with clear, blue tinted plastic bottles. Elderflower is the one with the blue cap. I think 2 of the other flavours are Peach and Lemon & Lime.

    There should be another pallet nearby with one litre bottles of mixers. Not sure where the Cola/Lemonade is because I never buy it.

    Ive seen the soft drinks palletts & only have cola / lemonade / orange at mine
  • kerri_gt
    kerri_gt Posts: 11,202
    First Post Name Dropper First Anniversary Xmas Saver!
    Forumite
    Zero_Sum wrote: »

    The fruit & veg are often rotten (has been featured on BBC watchdog)

    .

    I generally don't find any issue with lidl fruit and veg, in fact it usually lasts very well. Cherries I've found poor but then they put a whacking great metal scoop to bag them up so no wonder they get damaged, bruised then go mouldy.

    I find more often than not that poor quality fruit and veg are due to poor growing conditions for period, like the great iceberg lettuce shortage last year.
    Feb 2015 NSD Challenge 8/12
    JAN NSD 11/16


  • meer53
    meer53 Posts: 10,217
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    I never have a problem with Aldi fruit and veg. I buy lots every week, as long as you keep it in the fridge (exceptions are potatoes, onions and sweet potatoes, i keep these in a bag in the dark) they last at least a week, most times longer. In my fridge i currently have aubergines, peppers, carrots, rocket, spinach, sweetcorn and sugar snap peas that i bought last week in Aldi, they're all still perfectly fine. The aubergines were from the week before ! They did have an issue with onions a while ago but that seems to be resolved now although the onions this week are quite small.
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    Ive got a butternut squash in my cupboard from lidl which has to be two months old now and its as good as the day I bought it :)
  • annandale
    annandale Posts: 1,469 Forumite
    People think those who resort to using foodbanks are doing so because they’ve shopped in more expensive supermarkets when they should be shopping in Aldi or Lidl?

    Seriously? I am living well below the poverty line just now. I don’t smoke. I don’t buy scratch cards. Ive worked full and part time for almost 30 years. I’ve worked zero hours jobs lately. Do you think someone on 317-350 a month can afford fags and scratch cards
  • annandale
    annandale Posts: 1,469 Forumite
    I’ve always used Aldi and Lidl. When I had far more money than I have right now. If people think a Foodbank is somewhere people go when they’ve spent all their money on fags. Try it sometime.

    Most foodbanks allow 3 referrals a year. There’s a town near me that has a tenth of the population using foodbanks.

    Mainly because of issues with uc. I had to wait six weeks for my first uc payment. My advance didn’t cover half of my bills.

    It almost covered what I had to pay my landlord in rent and nothing else. As on uc you now get given the money to pay rent and it goes to your landlord.

    That’s six weeks with zero income apart from half your first months payment as it was then which has to be repaid.

    Poverty is what drives most people to foodbanks. Not spending money on fags. Or scratch cards. Or iPhones.

    Because when you have no income. Or are living on your overdraft or being helped by family or foodbanks. The last thing you are thinking of is fags or scratch cards.

    I know someone who got five pounds from the dwp to live on for a month. They messed up his payment. His bus fare to the job centre was 7. He got a 28 day sanction for failing to make an appointment

    Poverty isn’t funny and neither is stereotypical comments.

    People automatically smoke and buy scratch cards because they are poor. News to me.
  • VfM4meplse
    VfM4meplse Posts: 34,269
    Combo Breaker First Post I've been Money Tipped!
    Forumite
    annandale wrote: »
    People think those who resort to using foodbanks are doing so because they’ve shopped in more expensive supermarkets when they should be shopping in Aldi or Lidl?
    My suggestion was that some people might in the past have been buying foods that I would consider a luxury may now have to rely on foodbanks. I didn't realise there was a referral process. It's fair enough to ensure the needy benefit, but there is also a degree of stigmatisation that I am sure puts some off.
    Value-for-money-for-me-puhleeze!

    "No man is worth, crawling on the earth"- adapted from Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio

    Hope is not a strategy :D...A child is for life, not just 18 years....Don't get me started on the NHS, because you won't win...I love chaz-ing!
  • A._Badger
    A._Badger Posts: 5,848
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    Judging from the experience I have just suffered in my nearest Aldi, the answer to how much of a shop you can buy is 'very little'!

    Circumstances meant I had to shop on a Sunday, which I wouldn't ordinarily do, but even accounting for Sunday being a busy day, the stock situation was ludicrous. Almost all the fruit and veg specials were sold out, the selection of fruit was very limited, the meat section looked like I'd missed a marauding wolf pack by minutes (not a single fresh chicken on the shelves!) - all in all, it was a waste of time. I'd have been better off going to Morrisons.

    It's not just a Sunday phenomenon either. Another Aldi branch I occasionally visit was similarly devoid of chickens a week or so back and that was on a Wednesday.

    I like Aldi and I like its products but if it doesn't get a grip on its stock control and supply issues it is going to start losing customers.
  • Zero_Sum
    Zero_Sum Posts: 1,567 Forumite
    Cornucopia wrote: »
    I like the Fizzy Elderflower (Aldi). 1L bottle, and currently at the bargain price of 32p.


    I very much suspect that all of the "thicker the better" stuff is marketing fluff, anyway.

    In terms of the original question, in my experience, IF you have easy access to both Lidl and Aldi, you can easy achieve 90%+ of a typical household shop. Added to which, you'll have access to the mystery middle aisles and Lidl's weekly national food events. I would expect that average savings of 25-30% compared to branded products, Tesco & Sainsbury's are achievable.

    However, nothing is ever free, and there's a level of experimentation and trial and error with Lidl and Aldi that may not be required elsewhere. I quite like that, but I can see that some people may find it annoying.


    Watery bleach just dont work for cleaning the toilet. It needs to flow down slowly.

    And your quote of savings on branded products is again marketing fluff.
    You could save 20-30% on a Tesco shop buy shopping in Tesco by not buying branded goods. Like for like the savings in the discounters is no more than 10%.

    And like the post above, as i work the only time i can visit is evenings & weekends when the shelves are frequently empty for fresh stuff.
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,578
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Savvy Shopper!
    Forumite
    Zero_Sum wrote: »
    Like a lot of own brand stuff its a bit hit & miss. The tinned stuff ive bought in aldi have been poor (except tuna).
    I didn't rate Aldi tuna.
    I posted this a few months ago:
    Pollycat wrote: »
    There's a big taste and texture difference between the Aldi tuna I used and my usual Princes or John West.
    As I said, Aldi is more like tuna flakes.
    I've not bought Tesco value.
    Tuna is something I won't compromise on.
    At 75p per tin, Aldi was around the price I can get Princes/John West in HB, B&M etc in a 4 pack £3 or £3.25 for 4 tins) so I thought it was worth a try.
    It turned out not to be.

    Aldi tin had a ring pull.
    It was a pain in the butt to open so failed on every level - for me.

    Our Aldi hasn't been open long so I'm trying a few changes to my usual brands.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards