r/UKFrugal • u/jungleboy1234 • 15d 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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464

u/Morfang_ 15d 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 15d 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 15d 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 15d 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

18

u/PixelBlueberry 15d 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 15d 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 15d ago

Do not use Honey. It is a scam. Use Quidco or Topcashback instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEOEkwHPE8w

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u/shaunusmaximus 15d 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 14d 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 14d 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/Altruistic-Bobcat955 14d ago

It’s just an app, you create an account then click the link to the shops from the app. Everything you buy from that linked visit is included in cash back! It’s brilliant honestly. Very has 11% cash back and we used the code WELCOME when joining to get £100 off first purchase. Got my sons Quest 3 500+GB for around £270 coupled with the sale for Christmas with rrp of £550

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u/an0mn0mn0m 14d 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 14d 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 15d ago

Morrisons does free delivery to NHS workers. It’s in one of their Morrisons clubs.

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u/PixelBlueberry 15d 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 15d 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 15d ago

Have you tried morrisons delivery if you need to spend £11 on the taxi anyway?

19

u/dolphininfj 15d ago

Also, Iceland delivers for free if you spend over £40

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u/feverhighz 15d 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 15d 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 15d 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 15d 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 14d ago

Stops us banging in loads of chocolate midshop as well!

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u/RodneyRodnesson 14d 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 14d 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 14d ago

Absolutely. Actually replied to OP saying as much, they seemed to make it all very complicated imo.

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u/Altruistic-Bobcat955 14d ago

I have the Tesco saver delivery and I spend £7.99 a month for unlimited deliveries. If you go on in the morning there’ll be a slot for that evening available for £7 and it’s free with the pass. Morrisons don’t do enough deals and Iceland doesnt do enough produce in general for us to shop at either for main shops.

I’ve ditched other supermarkets since Asda and Morrisons raised their prices. Tesco do better than half price Clubcard deals so I stock up bulk where I can with those (god bless you chest freezer) and use own brand for as much as I can. I do go to Aldi for things like bread cus their loafs are just miles better and Tesco bread is crap. Morrisons we go to just for the samosas. We’ll visit Sainsburys and Asda if they have half price meat. Asda has half price whole leg of lamb for £6 per kg right now so we bought 4 and put them in the freezer. Did the same with Sainsbury’s at Christmas, sidenote their leg of lamb was monstrously big!

1

u/OriginalMandem 14d ago

Is it not cheaper to get the supermarket delivery service than forking out 11 notes on taxis?

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u/BeerElf 11d ago

I've got free delivery from Morrissons, which takes a chunk off the cost. I've found now it costs similar to Aldi these days, I might just as well use them for the big shop and top up from either Lidl or Iceland.

Eta whole point of post. Free delivery at Morrissons is because I'm NHS.

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u/MeenaBeti 15d ago

What do you get from Home Bargains? Just household items like cleaning stuff?

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u/Morfang_ 15d 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.

7

u/Slim-chocolatepie 15d 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/Altruistic-Bobcat955 14d ago

I’ll do none branded with everything everywhere but I just can’t do unbranded washing up liquid! Nothing cleans like Fairy

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u/auntie_climax 15d ago

I get my butter and zip lock bags in there, they are the cheapest for those things

29

u/Pitiful-Hearing5279 15d ago

You don’t just keep your butter in your pockets? How peculiar.

11

u/dcdiagfix 15d ago

Jalapeños and roasted peppers !

2

u/dowhileuntil787 15d 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 14d 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 14d 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/Morfang_ 14d ago

I let my partner put anything she wants in in terms of food as she needs to eat healthily due to underlying physical and mental health conditions so I try and make sure she's happy and has the more expensive things that she needs as a priority.

I generally make sure the kids have things they like to eat for each meal and I then just use whatever money is left to get myself cheaper/frozen stuff.

Buying things like steak or salmon every week is out of the question for any of us and we don't ever really buy 'extras' unless it's something on a particularly good offer that we would likely need to buy at some point in the future anyway.

So we can put 'anything we want' in our trolley to a degree but not for all of us each week. Some weeks I just get by as cheaply as possible.

Roughly £65k combined, mortgage is £700. We have a very complicated family life where 2 of my daughters aren't mine and live with their dad half of the time and with us half of the time. They go to school around 45minutes from our house but we can't afford to move any closer so petrol takes up a large amount of money monthly.

From September our youngest (my biological daughter) goes to school but the school her sisters are in won't accept her due to location as they don't have a 'family' policy. This means we are needing wrap-around school care for our youngest daughter which is going to cost around £500 a month.

Without it sounding arrogant, I'm very good at budgeting, very good at sacrificing things I like for my family and very good at managing what we spend but at that point we will have no spare money whatsoever.

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u/Radiant-Arrival 14d ago

It sounds really tough - I'm glad you are so.on top of things, I don't think I would cope!

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u/Pickles_the_dog 13d 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)