So, did my first Aldi shop yesterday...

[Mum2Fergus]

Maybe its my local store (though Id have thought stock was pretty generic) but felt quite limited in what I could get. I had a shopping list but had to swap a couple of meals as couldnt get everything I needed.

I then went for a wander round Tesco with a calculator today (sad, I know l) and if Id bought their Everyday Value range instead of Aldi, the shop would have come to £2.76 cheaper!

[DisappointedHorse]

You do get used to it. I now base most of my meals around what I can get in Aldi with the occasional top up shop at Sainsburys.

Plus, the stuff in Aldi tends to be better quality I find than value ranges. The beans for example are thick and more on par with Heinz rather than mostly sauce.

I know people disbelieve it but I really can do a full weekly shop including washing powder, cleaning products, a wine box etc for £60. The super 6 fruit and veg range is brilliant.

The only things I stock up on at other shops are things like kids yoghurt as Aldi's are just too small, plain cous cous and non-dairy milk.

[BunnyLebowski]

The selection of meat/fish is far too limited to do a full shop.

Unless you're happy to eat the same stuff over and over again.

No thanks!

[LynetteScavo]

Most Alid food is better quality than value ranges.

I'm a bit of a food snob, and would never buy value ranges in Tesco.

I do find I have to top up in Sainsbury's for some things, which is a pain, but an £80 Aldi shop would cost me £110 in Sainsburys.

[Mum2Fergus]

I'll definitely give it another shot...now Im more familiar with whats available I might do better next time

[mumofthemonsters808]

After hearing lots of glowing reports I tried an Aldi shop and it did not work out for us.My biggest disappointment was the meat which was tough as old boots and the dog ended up with it.I also hated the packing arrangements.According to my friend an Aldi convert I bought all the wrong things, but Iam not convinced so sticking with Asda and the odd Sainsbury's shop when we are flush.

[catcalledginger]

ALDI is much better quality than Tesco Value. Main downside is that you cannot do a full shop there.

I tend to go and stock up on what I can then finish off my shop elsewhere.

[DisappointedHorse]

Bunny, ours has got much better recently, meat wise anyway. The fish range is still a bit crap.

They now have lamb and pork mince as well as beef, lots of different cuts of beef, pork and lamb too. Of course, if you want anything any more interesting you won't get it!

[CheerfulYank]

We get mostly staples from Aldi and top up at another store if we can't get everything there. I love it!

[FrillyMilly]

Yes definitely much better quality than the value range at Tesco. Ours has lots of meat options. I tend to slow cook meat I get from any supermarket as I've yet to find any that's great. Oh to have the money to shop at the butchers.

[pecans]

I have been a few times and am not impressed. The cheese I had was horrid especially the Parmesanso that's put me off the cold meats that people seem to rave about. Dds hated the Hovis-style bread but liked the brioches. I have bought their Xmas pud as it won the Good Housekeeping best pud award (the orange topped one) and the choc (chocleur) is really good. I tried their lamb steaks the other day and they were fine. They also seem to have chocolate fingers cheap. For me it's a shop I pop into to see f there is anything I fancy.

[wafflingworrier]

i tend to walk around and get inspired by what they have rather than go with a menu of what to cook that week, to avoid getting annoyed when they don't have stuff.
their "foreign" stuff-esp european things like antipasti and cooked meats, olives etc-are SOOO much better than any other supermarket tho, which for me makes up for it
it does help that we aren't big meat eaters tho....i think their veg and fruit selection is really good, so much cheaper meaning we can actually eat things like grapes all the time. oh and their fresh spinach bags are twice the size of tescos for half the price.

i owuld concede that you have to go a few times to work out what they have tho and i prefer lidl over aldi. i tend to do a top up once a month at asda.

[Fozzleyplum]

I do my basic shop at Aldi and then an occasional top up at another supermarket; I have 2 shopping lists for this reason. The fresh meat is a bit patchy, but in any event we buy our meat and game direct from local farmers, much more cheaply than we would from the supermarket. The basics (washing powder, tins) from Aldi are great, and the super 6 are a no brainer for fruit and veg.
My current favourites are:
washing powder, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, toothbrushes and dental floss, loo roll, fruit juice, butter with sea salt, claret, macon, German and Italian ham and sausages and DS2 is addicted to the thick and creamy yoghurt. The dark chocolate is v good too and the Christmas cake (bought one and have eaten it already, so had t buy another). I was astounded this week to see some v nice wines - Tokaj, Margaux - for comapratively very low prices.

[Strawhatpirate]

You can't really shop to a list in Aldi IMO. The ones near me have a good range of meat and fish but it rotates IFYSWIM so you don't always have the same things every week. The veg is really good quality.
I tend to go first thing on a sunday see what meat looks nice, get a shit load of veg and then work out what to put with what later. DH loves pissing about around that aisle full of miscellaneous crap that's always slap bang in the middle of the shop.

[Mum2Fergus]

I think I'll take some advice from above posts and start 2 shopping lists, one Aldi one Tesco/Asda and keep a track of what is best bought where. Toileteries/cleaning etc can be Aldi, and will nip there for midweek bread/milk top-ups. The fresh stuff I'll decide on as I use it. Also try not to be so driven by my mealplan shopping list

[BaconAndAvocado]

Personally, I find that not having too much choice or products is a good thing so I don't end up buying loads of added extras that I didn't need!

[Strawhatpirate]

The biscuits and chocolate from Aldi are very good. There's been an influx of really good german christmas food at my local one.

[Fozzleyplum]

You can do a list for the basics, but you have to be flexible in relation to fruit and veg, meat and other things. I buy things like dishwasher cleaner in bulk when they have it in, because they stock it only every few weeks. If you're a regular Aldi shopper, you learn to stock up on things like that so that you don't run out until they are available again.

I prefer the relative lack of choice. It's probably no coincidence that our local Tesco, which has just doubled in size, has lost a lot of regulars as a result. I just can't be bothered to make a decision each time I want to buy something. Whilst I haven't done a proper price comparison, I reckon we save about £20 - £30 per week by shopping there for the four of us.

[Ponders]

I find I can do pretty much a full shop at Aldi, including meat. If we want a particular pork or lamb joint we have to go elsewhere, but generally I will get some mince (the best, lowest-fat one), free-range chicken breasts, pork shoulder steaks, sausages & a small beef joint.

Their Maris Pipers are fantastic - I've mentioned them several times on Aldi/potato threads - excellent quality & really cheap (but IME they sell out quite early). Maris Peers also good. Most of the veg is great & good value.

It's worth looking out for the "specially selected" products (black & silver label) eg Aberdeen Angus steaks, the butter with sea salt, thick & creamy yogurt (lush), & lots more.

Lots of excellent wine too...just sayin'

[Ponders]

oh, and, yes, the quality is way better than Tesco Value (but it can't be a coincidence that Tesco Value have pitched their prices to match Aldi/Lidl more or less exactly)

another wonderful thing is that they don't do BOGOFs. Want just one? Buy just one! Same price!

[upinthehills]

I just wander round and buy what I fancy. I use Asda and Sainbo as my main shops and top up with Aldi which I go to one or twice a month. I buy the things are that are better there like cheap fruit and veg, chocolate, breakfast cereals (outstanding at Aldi), cheese, low fat greek yogurt (amazingly good), frozen berries, frozen sole goujons, laundry stuff, nuts, baking stuff, bread flour and ham.

[manicmum66]

I tend to go to Aldi first, then get the rest at Sainsbury's. Do definitely think that Aldi is better quality than the value ranges at mainstream supermarkets. I'm a big fan of Aldi's Magnum washing up liquid. I reckon the prices are about 30% off the supermarkets' normal own-brand ranges.

[Loveweekends10]

I did my first shop in a long time in Aldi last week. The food seemed fine. Have had to just pick up an odd extra from tesco but it was the chaos and chucking my food back at me at the checkout that did my head in.
I doubt DH will tolerate that so I will have to be the Aldi shopper I feel!
It was cheaper though.

[nagynolonger]

Most Aldis are quite small compared to the massive Asda/Tescos around here so they will never compete on choice. We shop at Aldi most weeks now and just top up at Asda/Morrisons/Tesco once a month. I'm not bothered which one I go to because we usually fit a shop in with another necessary trip to save on fuel costs.
I quite like the checkouts at Aldi but I don't shop with DC anymore. I have got it sorted with bags ready in the trolly and stuff coming off in the correct order. Sometimes DH cocks it all up by buying something for the shed.
Their chocs and sweet range is fantastic.......I rush by that bit most weeks but I have bought a few bits to put away for Christmas. I won't be bothering with any of the round plastic 'tins'.

[Chunkychicken]

Certain items are a false economy when you buy value ranges - you end up using twice as much. As it happens, Aldi washing up liquid won the Which? recommendation, over Fairy, & the laundry liquid always gets the Good Housekeeping award. And anecdotally, I know people that rate their nappies.

We do a top up shop at Aldi to get a lot of bits that are either better there than Asda, are cheaper or you can't get anywhere else. I think we may end up switching to Aldi & doing the top up elsewhere, though, as I'm on maternity leave now & money is tighter.

[FivesAndNorks]

I used to hate the packing arrangements, now I love them (assuming same as lidl). I just chuck everything back in trolley then go to the end and sort it all out. Packing without holding up the person behind you, and with all the stuff in front of you, instead of holding a bag open while you wait for them to scan your potatoes or whatever