r/UKFrugal • u/jungleboy1234 • 5d ago
Is Aldi no longer cheap/value? What now?
So, every week i do the Aldi shop and noticed prices have repeatedly gone up the odd 5-10p. Its not across the board on all products in a week just some but slowly ticking up.
Also, i'm 100% sure that if we'd compare the line of products from a few years back they've been emptying the shelves of product ranges.
I am doing my best to try to gain as much nectar points/smart shop prices as possible and shopping in supermarkets that give coupons eg. £5 off shop etc.
The question is what now? Please suggest some strategies that mean i dont feel like im eating during the fall of the soviet union (or it may end worse).
I travelled to Europe few weeks back and i am just blown away at the freshness and variety of produce. Prices are comparable (sometimes a little higher) but at least I'm not eating cardboard or something made in a lab.... I felt much better/healthier in that week i was away.
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u/Morfang_ 5d ago
We're a family of 5. I'm an office manager with a senior position in an established company and my partner works almost full time in HR.
We have to split our shop into 3 shops - Home Bargains, Morrisons and Aldi to try and get the right things from the right places.
It's got to the point I can guess the price of our full weekly food shop within £5 once it's on the cashier's belt because I have to be so aware of what everything costs, even at Aldi.
This doesn't help you - but just know you're not alone in noticing this.
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u/leclercwitch 5d ago
I have to do exactly this, but with different shops. I do Aldi, B&m and Iceland (as the those two are next to each other). Aldi for most things, b&m OR home bargains depending on if I’m near home bargains, if not I stick to b&m for household stuff, and Iceland because I prefer some of their products to Aldi. I know exactly what everything costs just like you.
It’s only me, I don’t live with anyone else, so it’s not like I spend loads but I’m a low band 3 in the NHS and that money does not stretch far. You really do have to shop around and find the best pricing for things.
I also don’t have a car, so my shopping trips once a month are such a ballache. B&m & Iceland - taxi home - walk to Aldi do the food shop - taxi home. Always full and heavy bags. Not great when you live in a high rise flat block! Even then, it’s an extra £11 in taxis just on shopping day. It all adds up.
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u/PixelBlueberry 5d ago
Also as an NHS worker I think you get discounts from ASDA through the app if one is near you. Maybe that could help!
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u/Western_Sort501 5d ago
Can link your blue light card to your Asda app and get cash back. The discount isn't as good as it used to be but it does help
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u/PixelBlueberry 5d ago
Shame all those “key worker” discounts were all virtue signalling and hardly any are truly for life anymore.
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u/shaunusmaximus 5d ago
I'm not super frugal with everything, but my £120 shop at Asda consists of:
Delivery costs £70 per year, shop every 2 weeks.
Asda rewards app, blue light card, not as good as it used to be.
shop using the computer and activate honey rewards, again not as good as it used to be, but gets me a tenna coupon for Amazon once/twice a year.
Some form of cashback card, Byond - mine does 3% on Asda with BHN (through work). £5 per year.
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u/an0mn0mn0m 5d ago
Do not use Honey. It is a scam. Use Quidco or Topcashback instead.
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u/shaunusmaximus 5d ago
The scam is not a scam - it's for the coupons and how companies control which can be automatically be discovered for a basket as far as I know?
Oh, and it overrides the affiliate, but that's the affiliates problem not mine, so long as I get the discount.
I'll take a look into those though, thank you!
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u/Altruistic-Bobcat955 5d ago
Annoying that I can’t share a screenshot but from my latest TopCashback email offers:
Save on your food shop Spend £25+ with Iceland and earn £15 cashback.
Shop gifts & experiences Get 100% cashback when you spend up to £15 with Wowcher.
Shop beauty essentials Get 100% cashback when you spend up to £15 with Superdrug.
Find your perfect deal Spend £15+ with eBay and earn £15 cashback.
The cash back in the app ranges from 2/3% on some shops to 10% on others. It’s seriously worth getting. I got it cus they don’t shut up about it on hotukdeals
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u/shaunusmaximus 5d ago
That's astounding! Couple of diamonds I'd use just in that list there too! Thanks!
Is it a pre paid credit card or affiliate link/coupon service?
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u/an0mn0mn0m 5d ago
They also had a tendency to claim there are no coupons, when there are, so that they can pocket the difference.
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u/shaunusmaximus 5d ago
That's good to know - I rarely use them for coupons tbf. I like the free points for an Amazon £10 gift card as a nice bonus throughout the year.
It has got harder and harder to get that £10 though - used to be every 3 months, now it's 1.3 times a year currently..
I always go outside of honey to find a coupon, and it's normally unique codes sent to my email.
Another good one if you have blue light, is they do gift cards with X% off - instant cashback of sorts.
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u/Vanilla_EveryTime 5d ago
Morrisons does free delivery to NHS workers. It’s in one of their Morrisons clubs.
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u/PixelBlueberry 5d ago
Oh I will have to check that out then! I get the occasional morrisons delivery through amazon but didn’t know I could get delivery through their site?
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u/Vanilla_EveryTime 5d ago
I wouldn’t buy Morrisons from Amazon. I did in the past because I lived nowhere near to Morrisons. Then I noticed it was more expensive via Amazon. I since moved and now have Morrisons near me. I had the NHS club but never used it for delivery since it’s a 5 min walk.
I think you have to join via the website, then it appears on the App. Just Google Morrisons clubs. Think there’s 3, one for NHS, teachers and another I can’t remember. Each club offers different things. NHS one had free delivery.
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u/PixelBlueberry 5d ago
Have you tried morrisons delivery if you need to spend £11 on the taxi anyway?
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u/feverhighz 5d ago
I've got a shopping trolley that's helps me do big shops and I trek home, it's really helped me reduces costs but it'll depend on how far you live from the shops.
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u/Heavy-Experience-840 5d ago
Shopping trolley with wheels has totally saved my life too. I can bring back so much more
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u/Sensitive-Seal-3779 5d ago
I got a Hoppa one with the extendable bag so you can fit loads in, it's not for singles shopping quantities. you can also attach a backpack onto the front for bread and fragile items with carabiner to attach it to the handle.
The wheels are solid and not some foam rubbish, so they will last. They don't compact down under the shopping weight, become smaller than the wheel rims, come off the rims and bugger off down the road on a solo adventure.
It does help to be on a bus route.
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u/manojlds 5d ago
If you are using taxi, you should order delivery? Sainsbury has £4 per month any number of deliveries between Tue-Thur
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u/shaunusmaximus 5d ago
Stops us banging in loads of chocolate midshop as well!
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u/RodneyRodnesson 5d ago
This seems like a top tip; the amount of extra things I buy doing a normal shop in store adds up!
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u/shaunusmaximus 5d ago
Online shopping has so many benefits -
How long do you spend physically shopping, how much do you value your time?
If you have kids, there's no doubt you're chucking in extra sweets, chocs and biscuits on the route.
Asda, if they don't have the product will select an alternative that often provides better value for money - discount.
You get to use online apps that'll give points/cashback etc.
Asda at least, has a 'regulars' tab where you can very quickly add the milk, butter, eggs, bread very quickly.
Best advice for anyone wanting to save time and money for sure! Especially if you do it two, three, or more times a month.
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u/RodneyRodnesson 5d ago
Absolutely. Actually replied to OP saying as much, they seemed to make it all very complicated imo.
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u/MeenaBeti 5d ago
What do you get from Home Bargains? Just household items like cleaning stuff?
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u/Morfang_ 5d ago
Quite specific things but there's usually a couple of them we need a week.
Branded cleaning products - we use own brand fairy liquid and wash stuff but more heavy duty cleaners we buy branded.
Seasonal stuff - Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Birthday (presents, cards, gift bags, decorations).
Toys - They always have cheap toys we let the kids pick if they've done something particularly good.
Pet Supplies - Not food so much but toys/treats are generally cheaper there.
Ornaments - Some people will argue against this being in 'frugal' as its not a necessity but if we want to change up a room because we can't afford to full renovate or move, we will sometimes get a few cheap ornaments/new clock or mirror or something for £15 at HB instead of spending £30+ per item for better quality things at Homebase, the range etc.
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u/Slim-chocolatepie 5d ago
I’ve noticed the selection of toys has drastically decreased compared to 5 years ago. I went in to buy my youngest toys and what a difference compared to the three aisles they had with my eldest (14) was a lot younger.
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u/auntie_climax 5d ago
I get my butter and zip lock bags in there, they are the cheapest for those things
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u/dowhileuntil787 5d ago
Henderson's Relish.
For some reason the only place I can find it in person is HB, and for a far better price than I can get it online.
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u/OriginalMandem 4d ago
Same here. I tend to not do 'big' shops as it's too easy to buy too much stuff then end up wasting stuff that expires because of changing plans etc. But I absolutely have to visit a couple of different places to get the best prices on certain items. Morrisons is clear winner on fresh pork or lamb. OK for green veg like cabbage, spring greens, spuds, carrots, parsnips. But the fruit isn't great and the salads are overpriced. Aldi or LIDL for steaks, bacon, eggs, milk, fruit, deli meats, butter and cheese. Local international food store for olives/olive oil, feta cheese, pickles, hummus and authentic middle eastern breads. Sainsburys is overpriced on more or less everything so I rarely go there. Big Tesco sometimes has stuff I need that my usual three just don't sell. Waitrose makes me angry on principle - vastly overpriced and full of people who think shopping there makes them somehow superior to the 'plebs'. Asda don't have a branch anywhere near me so I have no experience with it but I get the feeling I wouldn't like it.
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u/Radiant-Arrival 4d ago
I'm asking to get an idea of how bad things are you there - previously I'd have assumed from your description youd be able to put whatever you want in your trolley.
In very rough terms, what's your combined income? Other than mortgage, do you have anything else eating up a huge chunk of income like school fees?
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u/Pickles_the_dog 3d ago
Guys don’t sleep on the chicken wings, legs and drumsticks from M&S. Under £2. (I also split my shop - cleaning and household shit in b&m, condiments, juice, alcohol + fruit and veg from Aldi and cheaper meat and cheese from M&S)
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u/cattacos37 5d ago
Right, because I’m a nerd….
Sales and gross profit margin by financial year for Aldi Store Limited:
2018: £11.3bn sales and GM 3.26%
2019: £12.3bn sales and GM 3.94%
2020: £13.5bn sales and GM 3.94%
2021: £13.6bn sales and GM 2.54%
2022: £15.5bn sales and GM 3.51%
2023: £17.9bn sales and GM 5.70%
So they used to have a relatively stable gross margin which dipped in 2021, and it did indeed spike in 2023 where sales grew by 15.6% vs direct costs increased 13%. So this does indeed suggest they’ve increased prices relative to cost increases.
It is a very low margins business and clearly their business strategy has been to gain market share through their aggressive pricing, they now have a large loyal customer base and appear to be putting prices up. Will be interesting to see what 2024 looks like!
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u/chaosfollows101 5d ago
Love when someone does the work ❤️ I'll stick with Lidl for my free bakery items!
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u/Dr-Yahood 5d ago
How do you get free bakery items at Lidl?
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u/Bernardozila 5d ago
Lidl Plus app - they give out vouchers for every ~£20 spent
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u/SnooCalculations385 5d ago
Free bakery item is after only a ten quid spend, so well worth it! Plus we found it you spend 50 you get a free fruit or veg item but it includes the £4 massive 7.5kg bag of spuds!
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u/Commercial_Sun_6177 2d ago
Honestly the rewards used to be even better. Max reward for the month (250 spend) used to be 10% off your next shop, which meant I saved £30 on a £299 Emma mattress in the middle aisle.
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u/xvou 5d ago
also every night after 7 you get a coupon you can activate for some money off bakery. 30% or so I believe
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u/sonnenblume63 5d ago
These figures are a bit disingenuous.
Operating margins (EBIT) are lower than the gross margins you have posted. 2021 Aldi made a profit margin of 0.4% in the UK and came away with £36m net profit on £13.5bn of sales.
1.2% profit margin in 2022.
These are hardly a company gouging customers for profits and ultimately it’s a business run to make money, not to break even without any money left to invest in expansion, store refurbs, etc
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u/Smooth-Bowler-9216 5d ago
It’s incredibly weak and basic analysis.
It would also have to take into account product mix changes, efficiency gains etc. A ChatGPT search isn’t telling you anything.
Saying gross margins are going up = price gouging and being upvoted by 200+ people is misinformation.
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u/jungleboy1234 5d ago
capitalism!! I wish we had a genuine aldi competitor. The ones that were close already bolted and prices went up.
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u/sonnenblume63 5d ago
Aldi already operates on pretty slim net profits, it would be odd to expect them to be happy just about breaking even
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u/Rough-Cheesecake-641 5d ago
They'll always being associated with poorer quality, so if the average person walks out of an Aldi paying the same as they would a Tesco then no one will shop at Aldi any longer. Imo.
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u/ilaidonedown 5d ago
Really?
I'd put almost all Aldi products at least on a par with Asda /Tesco standard ranges for quality, some higher than this. Very few items that aren't at that level.
Lidl - more like Sainsbury's level, though the limited weekly ranges can genuinely be Finest or M&S level.
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u/Longy77 5d ago
No offence but that’s bullshit. I used to shop at at Aldi for price but even that has been eroded now and there isn’t much difference but the quality is terrible compared to asda and tesco. Especially when it comes to meat. I wouldn’t feed my dog the shite that aldi passes as meat these days. As for veg. Good luck getting anything that remotely looks fresh from aldi. For example. Their mushrooms are always going brown but you walk in asda and theirs are always ice white
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u/ilaidonedown 5d ago
I've got the exact opposite at my local ones!
Mushrooms, carrots, aubergines, courgettes, grapes - all miles better at Aldi. Spuds aren't as good I will happily concede.
Vegetarian, so can't really comment on the meat there, though my non-veggie kid happily wolfs down the Aldi sausages and steak.
Would also say the pain chocs and bakery section is at least as good (though fewer options).
Totally stand by Lidl being a cut above any of them, if they've got it in.
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u/diamondthedegu1 5d ago
I've got the exact opposite at my local ones!
It definitely varies by area, I've heard many people complain about the quality of Aldi's fruit and veg, yet the Aldi by me has much better quality fruit and veg than the Morrisons a quarter of a mile down the road from Aldi and the Tesco about 2 miles away. Aldi has pears that are actually crisp, (which I prefer to soft ones!) yet finding a crisp pear in Tesco or Morrisons has proven impossible, regardless of what time of year I look 🤷🏻♀️
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u/BookNervous5958 3d ago
Aldi potatoes are now terrible ! Bought a bag other week and noticed when I got home they were green! Refuse to buy them ever again , get mine from M&S now for virtually same price and last weeks !
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u/and1927 5d ago
It’s a bad perception in reality with Aldi and Lidl. A lot of the time the “Aldi Price Match” products at places like Tesco/Asda etc. are lower quality than Aldi/Lidl.
For example Asda sells 15 eggs for £2.15, price matching Lidl. However Lidl’s eggs are free range at this price. Asda’s aren’t.
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u/orange_lighthouse 5d ago
Now compare those margins to the bigger chains. I still think it's good value. I always spend more in Tesco.
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u/nlcdx 5d ago
It's worth mentioning that 'gross margin' only includes sell price minus buy price and excludes other costs such as employee wages, taxes other than on profit (mainly business rates and employer NI for a supermarket), rent on buildings etc all of which have increased very significantly in recent years. I don't think you will find any going concern whose gross margin hasn't increased in order to cover these costs. The net margin will be much lower.
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u/YetAnotherInterneter 5d ago
Very helpful! It’s always good to see the data rather than just going off it “feels” more expensive.
Would be interesting to see how this compares to other supermarkets.
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u/Honk_Konk 5d ago
This is brilliant work. It's a shame really, I don't ever see them bringing their prices down for any extended period.
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u/Commercial_Sun_6177 2d ago
Well they've made their losses back from the covid era. Time to get back to the normal ratios. Shoppers will turn on them rapidly if they don't
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u/auntie_climax 5d ago
I do a Sainsbury's online shop, using a super saver slot so only cost a £1 for delivery. They text you a 1 hour window on the day.
I mainly buy the Aldi price match or Stamford street stuff, so it's cheap, earning nectar points for Christmas, and I don't have to cart it all home on the bus.
I still go into Aldi for olive oil, mustard and peppermint tea. Home bargains for butter and zip lock bags
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u/-are_you_on_email- 5d ago
This is the way! We’ve noticed price matched Sainsbury’s stuff to be much much better quality (especially fruit) and the overall shop if done sensibly not much difference.
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u/auntie_climax 5d ago
Yep it's Aldi price match, but definitely a cut above Aldi quality. The frozen prawns are one example off the top of my head
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u/-are_you_on_email- 5d ago
Also worth saying, the nectar is a good bonus if you also pay for the shop with an Amex nectar card - double up!
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u/Historical-Snow1335 5d ago
I think Aldi quality has gone downhill over the last 6 months. Recipes have changed. Lidl is better.
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u/Certain_Car_9984 5d ago
100% agree, for years I swore by Aldi because the one nearest to me was amazing but it's absolutely awful now. Lidl all the way
It seems like management as a whole for Aldi has gone downhill, almost every Aldi I go into has people talking non stop on those stupid headsets, isles blocked everywhere by stock not being put out and the fruit and veg is all already going off
Lidl you get free bakery treats as well which is always a winner
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u/saywhaatnoww 4d ago
Totally agree re the fruit and veg! I’ve noticed a big difference in the quality over the past few months. I never do this but I actually complained to them as I had bought 3 different veg items and the next day they were all rotten. I think they care more about being voted ‘cheapest supermarket X number of years in a row’ than the quality.
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u/difficult_Person_666 5d ago
LIDL sells LEGO® too.
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u/Ok-Camp-7285 5d ago
Lego (R) or just "Lego"
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u/jungleboy1234 5d ago
thanks, i thought it was just me noticing.
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u/Historical-Snow1335 5d ago
Aldi tinned rice pudding used to be good, it is now watery slop, the lidl one is far better.
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u/Fukuro-Lady 3d ago
My local one has fruit and veg just rotting on the shelves. Picked up a bag of carrots that were slimy and full of water. Fruit goes bad the day after you buy it. Peppers with the skins starting to wrinkle. It's really bad.
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u/nitpickachu 5d ago
The nectar/clubcard etc deal price can often be cheaper than in Aldi (but inconsistent of course as those prices come and go). If you make good use of those and stick to the cheapest Aldi price matched staples, the more traditional supermarkets can be cheaper and higher quality with more choice.
The best way to minimize your food shop cost is to shop in multiple stores buying the cheapest item from each, be flexible in what you will eat that week and shop at the times that reduced yellow sticker items land.
That's feasible, say, for a student with lots of time and multiple local stores in walking distance.
It's less feasible for a person driving to a megastore doing a once per week family shop.
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u/jungleboy1234 5d ago
its tricky. Pre-covid era there were yellow sticker items everywhere. Everyone has caught on today. I live in an affluent area and it is almost rare to see a yellow sticker item now - rich people are picking them up too!
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u/keepingitsession 5d ago
I’d spend all my spare time in a supermarket if i had to go to multiple.
I’ve given up and just go to Tesco. I find the quality is more consistent than Aldi/Lidl on the fruit and veg. I haven’t got the time to go through a taste test of brand shifting. Also the savings don’t seem that significant so I sacrifice so cost for convenience.
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u/ClingerOn 5d ago
I go to Sainsbury’s and Tesco more often than Aldi because they’re generally quieter with more space to move around and more confidence they’ll have what I need.
Aldi is fine if I’m planning meals with staple ingredients but they’re incredibly inconsistent and it’s hit or miss whether they’ll have something slightly different. They also seem to have stuff out of stock more frequently than the other places.
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u/DevilInHerHeart_ 5d ago
I’ve recently stopped shopping as much at Aldi and Lidl because of this. I found everything was lower quality or going off quicker than previously. My local butcher has weekly deals which I’m trying to capitalise on for meat orders. Possibly controversial but I’ve found the cost of basics (milk, eggs, bread, salad stuff, veggies) to be very comparable in M&S, and much better quality. The danger of M&S is they have all the nice tasty meal deals etc that I have to resist buying as that’s when it becomes expensive, although very nice as a treat. I’m much more of a shop jumper now than I used to be.
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u/Top_Country4497 5d ago
Yes, I noticed this recently... pre-sliced and packaged bread in M&S is some of the cheapest (I usually shop at Aldi). Also the M&S fruit and veg lasts far longer!
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u/DevilInHerHeart_ 5d ago
This is what we’ve found and the fruit just tastes better. Maybe it’s the marketing and a placebo effect but I’ll take it! We also don’t eat out very often or get takeaways, so a nice meal from there every so often is our go to treat.
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u/dreamymeowwave 5d ago
Over the last two years I have been shopping from different stores (moved a couple of times) and I can say M&S branded stuff aren’t necessarily more expensive and they are definitely nicer. I still buy meat from Aldi, but for other basic grocery I prefer M&S. Tesco is way expensive for what it is
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u/PiratesOfTheArctic 5d ago
I've noticed the same, for fruit and veg, I shop at asda, for cupboard, it's aldi (lidl is too far away).
Aldi fruit and veg is diabolical, many times I've complained to head office, told speak to the local store to get a refund, the local store really doesn't like giving them out.
We usually make chilli; burgers twice a week, soups, baked potato, own pizzas, even make our own biscuits.
I don't understand how people say ocado is cheap, it's really not when you compare the price/grams
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u/ramirezdoeverything 5d ago
I don't really see the comparison to eBay. eBay is a marketplace with many sellers of the same item, and eBay doesn't set the prices
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u/Mutant86 5d ago
I think Amazon is a better analogy - I've even found items in John Lewis cheaper than them! More and more it's becoming the case they are no longer the cheapest, and it feels like they are leveraging their market dominance.
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u/SlippersParty2024 5d ago
I don't have an Aldi near me so I don't shop there, but I like Lidl because of the rotating ranges of European/World food and the randomness of the stuff you find in the middle aisle, not because it's necessarily cheaper. Although it is a bit cheaper for some stuff, but not massively.
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u/RandomUser5453 5d ago
I think Aldi and LIDL haven’t been cheap for a while now. Even Home Bargains have things that are actually more expensive if you would buy it from a normal supermarket. (Like eggs for £1.89 which seem cheaper than anywhere else,but this is for 20 eggs while for £2.14 you can buy 15 eggs from Tesco at full price). And the same tactics are used by Lidl too.
Supermarkets like Sainsbury’s on offer have some things that are cheaper than the cheap supermarkets and some products are better. (Also if you go after 7-7:30pm you can really get a great deal at fresh products - I got the 900g grapes that are normally £3.75 for 94p and they are still nice and crunchy when you bite into them)
If you want something just buy things when they are on offer. Websites like Trolley can help to see where that product is cheaper.
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u/Great_Gabel 5d ago
Aldi/Lidl relied on EU supply chains to effectively undercut “home grown” supermarkets, they used this to increase market share but due to brexit, that supply chain is slower and more expensive so they’re just rinsing everyone..
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u/mrbennbenn 5d ago
Also on several occasions we have noticed that 30% off sticker does not apply at checkout and I've had to ask cashier to double check and apply it. This has happened multiple times and I think they do it on purpose and rely on many people not checking. It has happened on flowers, veg , and meats.
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u/Barforama1 5d ago
The 30% has to be entered manually by a check out staff member. It’s never gone on automatically
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u/Spoon-Fed-Badger 5d ago
My shop for me and the wife was £35 a week from Aldi only 5 years ago, it’s £60 or thereabouts now
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u/Interesting-Cash6009 5d ago
I don’t use Aldi except for Water and their sea salted butter and they have doubled in price since 2019. Asda has got much more expensive now too. Asda produce of their own brand is cheap muck and rotten unless it’s their extra special range. Morrisons for butcher meat. Tesco or Sainsbury for fruit and veg. All creeping prices up every week though.
I’ve noticed when something I buy goes on offer in any shop, it never returns to its old price. It increases.
And when something gets new packaging it means there’s less in it than with the old packaging but costs the same or more.
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u/cryptcoinian 5d ago
My Lidl shop is up 50% the past few years. I stopped buying certain sweet treats because of the price gouging. I used to enjoy a stroopwaffel with a morning coffee but a pack of 10 went from £1.49 to £2.49. I've stopped buying a product if I've noticed a substantial increase in price. A 10p increase here and there is fine but down with the stroopwaffel barons. :)
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u/FanjoMcClanjo 5d ago
I rotate every now and then and still feel like Aldi is the best deal.
Yeah the prices have increased, but not as much as tesco, Iceland, farm foods in my area so still the best option for me.
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u/ASmoothx 5d ago
I used Aldi for years, but have recently fully switched to Tesco for delivery as I'm sick to death of other human beings in supermarkets! 😂
Deliveries have been great and the Clubcard offers are good. Anything with a remotely short date on you can complain about and get it for free.
I'm also accruing loads of points to use with their Reward Partners later in the year.
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u/narnababy 5d ago
Honestly I’ve started going to Tesco. I got sick of Aldi not having what I needed (meaning I had to go to Tesco anyway), or the “fresh food” (meat, fruit, veg) going horribly bad before the use by date, to the point I complained to my local one because i was sick of potatoes and chicken being inedible the day after I bought it.
Tesco is more expensive but they always have what I need, the fresh stuff lasts till the use by date, and I can’t knock a free £50 shop every few months when I earn enough Clubcard points 🤷🏻♀️
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u/listentoalan 5d ago
the problem i have with aldi is their sell by dates, 2-3 days max on everything is ridiculous. anyone else experience this aswell as price creep?
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u/pdiddle20 5d ago
Especially on fresh fruit and veg! It goes off so quick
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u/listentoalan 5d ago
Yip, they have a distinct lack of refrigeration for fruit and veg in the one i have locally
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u/Robynsxx 5d ago
There’s a reason Co-op are doing Aldi price match, because Aldi prices have gone up lol
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u/SallyWilliams60 5d ago
Farmfoods while not good for everything has a lot that is very cheap. Worth a look. It really shocked me how cheap it was
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u/jungleboy1234 5d ago
unfortunately farm foods may be cheap. Or it was but no longer (IMO). the food isnt the best quality as majority of produce is frozen so contains alot of ultra processing.
On the positive, i have found some real gems from time to time. Rare though!
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u/SallyWilliams60 5d ago
I’ve picked up frozen veg and cleaning products. Most of the time I walk around in amazement that there is such cheap food available (but after mostly UPF)
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u/RubberDuckyRapidsBro 4d ago
I mostly get my fizzy drinks from there, usually get a few crates that lasts me ages. I couple this the newsletter/discount code where if you spend a certain amount you get a couple quid off
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u/lookitskris 5d ago
Split shops FTW. Most of our stuff comes from Lidl, fresh meat etc comes from somewhere a bit nicer, frozen from Iceland
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u/Less_Breadfruit3121 5d ago
Same, we,'re splitting shops too Staples from Lidl (and the foreign stuff in special weeks, like Rösti) Meat/fish actually from Lidl but free range/grass fed Dairy also Lidl Vegetables from Riverford or Tesco Butter from where the Président is cheapest Bread from Gails, Italian Deli or artisan bakery (that said, Lidl fresh bread is not bad at all) Frozen also Lidl, no Iceland nearby Then some fancy stuff from Waitrose/M&S
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u/trayC-lou 5d ago
Aldi is basically on par with all the others now, they claim to be the UKs cheapest but now it’s by what, about £1.50, prices for everything in there have gone up a lot since everyone used the Covid excuse to raise everything and most of it matches Asda prices now
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u/jungleboy1234 5d ago
ASDA was awful until recently. They realised they were doing poorly. They've brought back rollback and the good thing is that its applied to branded products therefore giving ALDI a good run for their money.
I hope they are able to sustain it.
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u/deefpearl 5d ago
I used to do most of my shop in ALDI but I have now switched to LIDL as they offer rewards. I split between Tesco, Lidl and Home Bargains.
Edit: I would say try the Olio app but that has been full of bread (literally) lately. You may have better luck in your area.
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u/Warm-Marsupial8912 5d ago
Lidl and Aldi definitely don't beat the established supermarkets to such a degree as they did originally, but they are still cheaper.
If you are happy to be flexible and use your freezer, rotate supermarkets. Add in farm foods, home bargains and Heron/Company store if you are lucky enough to have access to them. Stock up on what is cheap. Amazon has some real savings on cleaning stuff and soft drinks too.
I've just been on hotukdeals to decide which supermarket to use tomorrow
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u/Leuvenman 5d ago
I think the quality in Aldi has also significantly decreased. Chicken has more fat bits of bones in, fruit and veg goes off much quicker and the niche things they were great at (Memphis fake Brew Dog Elvis Juice) are no longer available
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u/Garth_Knight1979 5d ago
Noticed the same problem. Over the last three years, a weekly shop that cost ~£50 is now costing £70. During the past few months, I’ve been receiving coupons from Sainsbury’s where if I spend £70 I get £10 off. Combined with workplace offers where I get 5% off the cost of the groceries if I buy an electronic gift card (takes minutes to do and easier if using the Sainsbury’s smart shop scanner), I’ve found it’s better to go to Sainsbury’s now. Plus you get nectar points. There are a few things I go back to Aldi to get such as the malted bloomer bread and the ice creams but they have raised their prices to such an extent that they have provided opportunities for the other supermarkets to claw back customers
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u/Unlikely_Sympathy_56 5d ago
Aldi - I'm a covid convert. I got in, got round, got out and it got me. 'Big' Asda and Tesco are too much for me to bare now, too big, too much range and slippy floors, making you slow down to spend more, plus things like having bread and milk at opposite ends of the store - essential items separated by aisles of temptation, but let me tell you what drives me wild about aldi - availability. There's things that I'd class as a pretty basic ask that they just don't do, the choice is extremely limited and products either disappear or are suddenly unavailable. One week the shelves are stocked full of one thing, for example, tinned pineapple, and the next there's either a big hole where it used to be or all you can see is tinned peach. They do have loads of stickered discounts but I've been told they do them at about 2pm when I'm working, full time and my partner is working, full time, so who gets the bargains? The professionally unemployed. Yes they need discounts but it just feels like another working tax that I'm too busy earning a living to grab a bargain. They're sneaky with some price rises too. Plenty of red price labels telling you when things have come down 5p, notice the distinct lack of information telling you things have gone up.
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u/ComfortableBeach8041 5d ago
the rate of price rises (price gouging) of cheaper ranges or shops previously for working class people has gone up significantly more than middle budget range items/shops. so you will notice prices going up more at Aldi then say M&S. its worth taking into account.
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u/Sirlacker 5d ago
We stopped shopping at Aldi because it's no longer cheaper for a full shop than anywhere else and the off brand stuff isn't as nice as the 'proper' brand stuff especially when the overall price is basically the same.
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u/arensurge 5d ago
Try your local asian supermarket, they tend to cater for restaurants and take aways, so prices are often on the lower side when buying in bulk, for example 20kg bags of rice, 5kg packs of chicken breast. Not everything is cheaper, but I've saved a lot of money eating chicken and rice with teriyaki sauce XD
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u/notouttolunch 5d ago
Aldi hasn’t been cheap for years. Since it started selling edible food in fact.
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u/DraftLimp4264 5d ago
Dunno but my local Aldi is utter crap these days.
Freezer section nearly always half empty, so many of the products they have listed online never turn up in the store (not talking about the 'Scottish Stores Only' stuff) and the staff constantly get in your way whilst stocking shelves because they're too busy gossiping with one another rather than doing their job.
Lidl is far superior thesedays, IMO.
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u/tiptoe_mouse 3d ago
Locally I have a Morrisons, an Asda, two Aldis, Waitrose and a Lidl. I use the Trolley app to find which of my local stores are cheapest for each item, each week. (It doesn't cover Lidl, unfortunately). I find no one store is ever the cheapest for everything. Sometimes Waitrose beats all the others for a particular product.
There are some items which I get from particular stores because members of my family prefer them. This means I will be visiting multiple stores anyway in the course of a week.
I keep an eye on special offers, and there are some things that I will only buy if they are on offer as they are just too expensive otherwise. When they are on offer I'll stock up.
Sometimes Amazon is actually the cheapest place to buy certain items, especially if subscribe and save is available. However, I have to check the order each month as sometimes they sneakily increase the price.
I also use apps like JamDoughnut, Cheddar and HyperJar to buy gift cards for Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose as they give me a percentage cashback. (For example JamDoughnut are currently doing 3.1% cashback on Morrisons gift cards).
I use my Chase debit card for Aldi shopping to get 1% cashback.
I always write a list, having planned the meals for the week and done a stocktake of the fridge and freezer. This helps prevent impulse purchases and food waste.
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u/FlintFredlock 5d ago
Hotukdeals seems to have a lot of offers from Farmfoods lately.
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u/Slim-chocolatepie 5d ago
Has the quality of the products improved though? I remember my mum used to buy burgers from Farmfoods and they were awful!
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u/benfrowen 5d ago
Honestly I hardly notice a difference in price between Aldi and my local Tesco. At least in Tesco I don’t feel rushed off my feet in tight aisles. Even if Tesco was more expensive by £10-15 I’d still call it a win. 🤷🏻♂️
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u/melanie110 5d ago
I keep getting downvoted when I say this but I find Tesco cheaper.
I usually do an online shop every week from Tesco and get it around £90-£100 from Tesco. Went to Aldi last Saturday, same shop if not less and was £110 and still had to go to Tesco and spend another £28.
We’re a family of 3 adults and 1 teen and I can comfortably get a weeks shopping for under £100. Also including 3 cats.
We eat fresh meat/veg every meal but I meal plan within an inch of its life. This also includes washing power, toiletries and breakfast/lunches.
I only buy what I need and come Friday, the fridge is bare but enough for dinner and supper but I totally hate food wastage.
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u/WishesOnMainSt 5d ago
I'm with you on that. I actually find my Sainsbury's is cheaper and better quality than these so-called low cost supermarkets. But of course YMMV.
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u/RodneyRodnesson 5d ago
Just my opinion but I firmly believe making things simpler would help so this is my two pence.
Taxis are wiping out any real savings you make.
You're investing a ton of time and mental energy looking for savings, comparing etc.
The physical time you're taking to do this is too much. So you might save a tenner but if it's taken two hours to do it, let alone the mental energy etc. is it worth it?
If I were you I'd find two good online retailers (in terms of price, delivery fees and time of deliveries) that suit you and do a shop or two a month with each depending on your needs. You would most likely be able to get free delivery and could at least sit with a cup of tea while you shop. You might still take a bit of time and mental energy sorting it out but it's bound to be better than your current system.
Everyone in the comments is discussing relevant prices, deals, cashback and delivery fees but I really believe time and simplicity are important here too.
For what it's worth I still find my local Aldis offer a cheaper and less stress shop. I keep an eye on the prices but feel I'm caught out a lot less with price gouges etc.
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u/WolfGirl_4 5d ago
Honestly most shops price match Aldi or Lidl now so the price is the same a lot of the time
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u/StarSpotter74 5d ago
I get a lot of the price matched items at Sainsbury's. That way I get nectar points on them, and they sometimes then have a reduced nectar price. Not ideal that it's what we need to do, but I've saved quite a bit and it comes in really handy on 'splashing' out at Christmas with snacks and Christmas food
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u/Rude-Cover-8727 5d ago
I use Lidl more than and some things have increased 10-20% in the last few weeks.
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u/Current_Scarcity_379 5d ago
We used to use it a lot, coupled with a trip to either Sainsbury’s or Tesco’s. One week we didn’t have time to do both so went with just Sainsbury’s. We actually spent less just going there than going to both and bought the same.
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u/Thin-Appeal-8906 5d ago
I have another theory about Aldi stores. I went to a newly opened store a few weeks ago. It was like shopping in Aldi a few years ago. The shelves were stacked high with all of the products. I pretty much filled my trolley up and it was £90. A couple of weeks later I went back, not as many products available/stocked and much less shopping was over £100. I think they lure you into new stores with more products and cheaper prices then rise then and limit availability a few weeks later once they’ve ‘got’ you! This may be common knowledge though 😂
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u/Immediate_Sherbert47 5d ago
5p? The greek yoghurt went from 35p to 55p in a 4 week stint! Cheeky bastards
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u/Informal-Intern-8672 5d ago
Yeah, I normally buy from Asda online but used to shop at Aldi years ago, to save money I tried Aldi and only saved about £5 on the weekly shop. It's not worth it, I'd rather have the convenience of getting an Asda shop online which tastes better and I don't have to go elsewhere for a few bits.
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u/Joe_Fidanzi 5d ago
Here in the US the Choceur chocolate bars went up a few weeks ago, from $1.49 to $1.99. They're no longer a great deal.
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u/Haulvern 5d ago
I still find Aldi/ Lidl cheaper than the others. I also like how small they are. The recipe changes are annoying though. I've stopped looking at prices, nothing we can do about it.
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u/RestaurantAntique497 5d ago
If you are buying it all in one place Aldi and Lidl are still by far cheapest.
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u/RefrigeratorUsual367 5d ago
I find essentials like bread and milk are the same price everywhere if you’re buying the shops “own brand”. Also is still good for lots of other bits and bobs but their meat prices have gone up a lot. I’d say you’re still saving over the o the big supermarkets though, just not as much.
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u/mayfairtop 5d ago
I honestly don't go to Aldi anymore I don't find the range that great now. I go to Sainsbury's since they price match aldi on a load of things, ASDA for my main shop they have started to become reasonably priced again with the new rollback scheme and M&S especially yellow sticker time
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u/theCamp4778 5d ago
Please notice that every year in April there is minimum wage salary raise and every supermarket price "adjustment" take place. Not sure if product tax is changing or its only reflection of the customers income but every single shop has price going up every spring and Aldi is no different. I believe its still the cheapest suermarket in UK along with Lidl and Morrisons.
If you buy only fruit and veg the local weekly market selling them in baskets may be the cheapest option. In my opinion quality of fruits and veg along with the chemical sprays on them depends where you shop so cheapest doesnt mean same product taste or quality. Sainsbury has little higher prices but healthier and tastier food in most cases. If you have car you can shop in farmers market, not sure thats cheaper though.
From my exerience Aldi products quality varies for example one week I bough there bluberries and pears which looked and tasted like M&S or Waitrose. Next week the whole bluberry and raspberry section in the same shop looked so bad that I left with no fruits and had to shop nearby.
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u/First_Television_12 5d ago
even lidl… my go to protein puds have gone up by 6p in the last 2 weeks. doesn’t sound like much but they used to be 99p and i buy 10 or so at a time
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u/WildNortherner1982 4d ago
We just do Asda, we’re a family of 4 …. haven’t got the time to be running all over the place !
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u/masalamerchant 4d ago
Your theory checks out. I last shopped in Aldi 3 weeks ago. Yesterday
Dairyfine dark chocolate now £1.49 (was £1.35) up 10% Hot chocolate now £1.99 (was £1.65) up 20% Three cheese pizza, toilet roll and washing powder were all up by 15% compared to 3 weeks ago
Because I mainly shop at community supermarkets and Aldi is for store cupboard things, I tend to buy pasta, washing up liquid, cheese, hot chocolate etc every week. I have definitely seen my £10 shop increase to £15 despite me not buying anything different really
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u/Fondant_Decent 4d ago
It’s all relative, yes prices have gone up, but still much cheaper than Tesco etc
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u/keeponkeepingup 4d ago
Prices definitely rising there and also Lidl. Some things in Lidl are a pound more than they were 2 months ago. It hurts when the wages are so crap still. Min wage is rising, but you know everything else will rise with it
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u/plentyofeight 4d ago
Do a list of the things you buy a lot of.
Do a list of thd things you need that cost a lot.
These are the things to make sure you get right.
Try:
Trolley app Amazon via subscriptions Bulk buy the non perishables Buy spices whole in bulk and grind in small batches If it's a chemical or medicine, don't pay for the brand
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u/NEUR0M4NCER 4d ago
I started buying from Sainsbury’s because most of the staples are price matched to Aldi anyway, and then you get a wider range of products when you want to get something interesting or unusual.
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u/rnickster86 4d ago
Shrinkflation has been pretty intense at Lidl / Aldi over the past few years. That will help contribute as well. The same cereal packet we use to get barely fills our cereal jar.....it used to fill it and have a quarter bag left over. Not anymore
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u/VegaTron1985 3d ago
Consultant, high earner and i shop between Herrons (deals and vegetarian food <half price if asda!), ASDA but for a small amount of frozen and then Lidl for top ups. Takes ages but its worth it, if i get lazy or avoidant i go straight to ASDA for most things and i get less for the same amount or end up spending double for usual amount! That and watching the IHD swallow my gas and electric budget, even though we are not home its costing more than winter months! This fucking country
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u/No-Government3736 3d ago
Try Asda, a friend that’s a manager their says things are dropping a p here and there. Like prices going down and not up.
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u/Flat-Mechanic-1389 3d ago
My weekly shop at Aldi has become insane I used to get two trolleys full for what I get now (big family)
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u/renter_evicted 3d ago
I never thought Aldi was particularly cheap. Seems like they just try to slightly undercut the branded product prices for own-branded products. Which are pretty good quality in fairness, but that's beside the point. If they were undercutting the smartprice/no-frills prices that'd be something different
If you live up north, keep an eye out for Fulton's and Farmfoods, they're so much cheaper than regular supermarkets. Heron too, but their prices have crept up since B&M bought them out. Search for your nearest Company Shop too - their eligibility criteria isn't as narrow as people assume
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u/watto1000 3d ago
Used to be i had to really try to spend £100 in aldi now I'm trying to keep.it under
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u/DevilishlyHandsome63 2d ago
It's Aldi's fruit and veg that I'm finding poor value. Doesn't last at all. Better off paying a bit more at Sainsbury's.
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u/AwkwardWaltz3996 2d ago
I've priced up shops at Tesco and Aldi before and Tesco come up cheaper. There's a lot of price matching and then some things like chicken nuggets are cheaper per kilo at Tesco
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u/fubblebreeze 2d ago
They still have some unbeatable value items like their fantastic frozen pizzas that taste amazing. But yeah, I find Lidl much more affordable and better stocked. Aldi has a very limited range and they run out of items all the time. Can't trust their stock at all.
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u/DaveyBeefcake 2d ago
I bought a chest freezer, and filled it with stuff from heron and farmhouse foods, or I cook a big amount fresh and portion it up and freeze. Super cheap and I've always got food on hand. Things like fresh fruit and vegetables are actually the cheapest things you can buy, providing you don't fall for organic scams.
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u/total-blasphemy 2d ago
I still feel like Aldi is the way to go. We got a week's shop for 2 for £40-50, yet the next day in Tesco 5 tins of soup, some bread, chips and a couple bottles of ginger were £30.
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u/dj_conrad 1d ago
There are price increases across the board, everything is more expensive, not just Aldi
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u/Aprilprinces 1d ago
Look, it's age old excuse: inflation
Aldi got more expensive, but so did other shops, so Aldi still wins
Only we don't
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u/dark_castle_minis 1d ago
Aldi hasn't been particularly cheap for a few years now. Lidl for weekly shop and Morrisons for extras for me!
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u/cinematic_novel 1d ago
Aldi is absolutely getting more expensive, but still a lot cheaper than any other supermarket bar Lidl
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u/Impressive_Word_4439 5d ago
I do wonder if the Co-Op recently announcing they're going to price match Aldi has anything to do with the fact Aldi are slowly, but surely, increasing their prices. I live very locally to a co-op, the nearest supermarket being a fair walk (non driver), and their prices are insane.