i am so chuffed!

[lcg]

...was so broke after getting paid today i only had £90 for the rest of the week (but at least i paid all the bills!). i had started to pop into our local aldi over the last couple of weeks and bought odd bits, but decided to do a weekly shop there instead.
i spent £50 and got loads of stuff! i had a delicious salad for my tea and my cupboards are crammed full!!!! compared to £100+ for tesco or asda....how did i not do this sooner? do any of you guys go there and any hints or tips of your experiences and recipes would be gratefully received x

[ummmm]

Never done a full shop there but I have bought micro meals from there that beats Birdseye hands down. I buy them when I go away for a few days so who's ever looking after the kids don't have to cook if they don't want to.

[sherrardk]

I buy quite a lot of stuff from there but if I buy something and it doesn't get a good reception I don't buy it again. Word of warning, their fresh fruit and veg is cheap but doesn't seem to stay fresh for as long as supermarket stuff.

[nungate]

I often pop in to Aldi for a few things. Their butter is much cheaper than any of the other supermarkets, and I've found the selection of cold deli meats to be good value, as well as other stuff. Some of their own brand things have come out top in comparisons with similar products from the big name brands. You can often pick up some good stuff in Lidl as well, if you happen to have one near you.

[sherrardk]

Oh, and their fruit juice is supposed to be made by Del Monte and the stuff in the containers where you have to cut the corner off (as opposed to the flippy lid container) is exactly the same and is about 15p a litre cheaper (we go through at least 12 litres a week so it all adds up).

[bellazella]

Its a snob thing with some people, would not be seen to be shopping there, incase they met someone they knew, i love aldis and lidls

[gingejbee]

If you keep an eye on their website, you can see what's on offer and what "weekly specials" are coming up - both food and non-food.

http://www.aldi.co.uk/

[lcg]

thanks all. i really did enjoy shopping there today and your advice seems sound. thanks gingejbee - i'll take a look at that site x

[funnygirl]

I love Aldi and miss my local store dreadfully. It got burnt down in the riots.
I cannot wait for them to reopen.

[sherrardk]

I would be gutted if our Aldi closed - the staff give my children chocolate and one gave thing 1 a flower, she was so chuffed! I even say hello to the staff if I see them out and about (I must be going there too often).

[pastafreak]

I have both an Aldi and a Lidl's near my work. I get eggs, cheese (Welsh Colliers),berries,pointed peppers,cherry toms,very dark choc from either. The dog and cat both scoff Aldi's petfood.and chickens are dirt cheap there. I get pork-ribs and bellypork from Lidls. And I hear that their free range chickens are excellent. If I compare like for like with Tesco's-I save about 1/3.

[jamesnan]

Always get my parmesan cheese from either Lidl or Aldi, really good price.

[hc4361]

Washing up liquid and laundry detergents are better than any brand and half the price.
The hair products and bath/shower stuff is also very good and my wife loves Aldi face creams.

[dickythecook]

I love Aldi and Lidl. You can get most stuff there at brilliant prices. As an example I normally use a Gillette Fusion wet Razor and needed new blades. Couldn't afford the £18 for a 4 pack, so in Lidl bought a razor with 2 lots of blades and a pack of 4 more. Total cost £7.98. 5 blade technology, sharp as a well you know. At least 8 months of shaving for 8 quid. We've also bought things like steam irons there and you get a 3, yes 3 year guarantee

[rozia]

i buy tuna and baked beans from there cheap, and tasty.

[Bromsgrove]

I can vouch for Lidl's free range chicken being excellent. Try nad enjoy!

[vodkancoke]

It's a place I always intend to go to but I never do. I don't know why. I'm one of these idiots who buy branded everything, so if it's not a brand I recognise I won't buy it. However, I am out of work at the mo until my ankle heals so my finances may dictate that I will have to resort to trying it. lcg76 your post has made me want to go now! Thanks for the info! :)

[gness]

I started to go to Aldi years ago because it was the only shop that wasn`t deafening me with music. Now use Aldi and Lidl for as much as I can. I have two Waitrose friends who turn up their noses when I mention something I have bought . More fool them.

[pastafreak]

A +1 for Aldi's parmesan,and their face creams...I love the Lacura Shimmering Day Cream....and only £1.99! Their nail varnish is also good value at £1.99.

I tried their fabric conditioner and also non-bio laundry gel....the former had no scent,and the latter smelled 'funny'. :-((

[mojay]

There's just me here and sometimes cooking for one is such a chore - it doesn't happen.
I've tried everything from Wiltshire Farm Foods, Sainsbury's, Birdseye, you name it - Aldi is so much better - forget the price aspect - their frozen meals are really so much better.

[thugulike]

Welcome to my world I switched years ago when you could only pay with cash and I've been a loyal fan ever since. Biscuits are particularly good value