Lidl Or Waitrose?

[diddlydo]

I've just done a pretty ordinary, basic shop in Lidl and spent £18.70. I've added up the cost of those items on the Waitrose website (choosing their own brands as much as possible) - total cost £35.15. I normally shop in the latter as it's much closer but what can we all do to stop ourselves being ripped off?

[Cloverjo]

Whenever I go to Waitrose I only intend to buy a bit of meat and perhaps a couple of vegetables. I always end up buying more and spending silly money because they have nicer things that you can't get in Tesco or wherever.
It's easier to shop there because you don't see people dragging their whole family, including six lumpy kids, around, who won't move because they can't understand someone else might want to get to the shelves. But that's another moan...

[Retrochic]

I suppose it depends on what you mean as a 'full shop'. I don't buy many veg as we have an extensive vegetable and fruit garden, don't buy eggs as we have hens and I buy all our meat , except chicken which is very nice at Aldi, from local farm sources.

[237SJ]

I couldn`t do a full shop at Aldi. I do go there for a lot of the basics but they don`t have a huge range. Their tinned veg (for example) are limited. So are their breads, cheeses, yoghurts and many other things.

[lady-janine]

I get some things from our local lidl and eggs from the farm gate as we don't have chickens or ducks. we have a veg and fruit garden so that's lucky but always have to go to sainsburys for free from goods as it is not possible to get anything in lidls. sainsburys also do the tonic I like for gin. like waitrose but it is miles away unfortunately.

[jno]

free newspapers and a cup of coffee in Waitrose (if you spend over £5, I think the limit is). And of course a better class of person.

[cazzz1975]

so in essence retrochic, you don't really do a full shop in aldi

[ladybirder]

Excepting the one who told me to eft off in the car park if you don't mind!

[Retrochic]

cazz its a full shop for me as I don't go to any other supermarket, except occasionally to M&S when they have the two dine for £10 deal

[Retrochic]

jno I hope that comment was in jest 'a better class of person' what an utter snob you are lol!

[ummmm]

I find Aldi very scruffy as well.

[diddlydo]

Jno - with the money I save in Lidl/Aldi I could afford to buy a newspaper every day. As for the "free" coffee in Waitrose - my branch only has a machine and the coffee is disgusting - I've tried 3 different sorts and ended up pouring them all down a drain in the carpark.

[ludwig]

I find I have to go to about 5 different places to get everything I want.

costco - for certain bulk items you can't get anywhere else.
aldi/lidl - for basics which are exactly the same as in other shops but half the price.
Morrisons - for stuff they haven't got in aldi/lidl due to their limited choice.
Sainsbury's - for stuff they haven't got in Morrisons due to their limited choice.
The local farmers market or farm shop - when I want something special or a bit different.

I never go near Tesco or Asda (tried 'em and don't like 'em) and there isn't a Waitrose or M&S conveniently near to me.

You're only being ripped off if you don't have the choice, or they're selling you sub-standard goods.

[naomi24]

I don’t know much about Lidl, but I have tried Aldi and the stuff that is packaged to resemble well-known brands falls short of expectations. It might be cheaper, but you get what you pay for. I buy meat and vegetables from farm shops, but for the rest of the shopping I stick to known brands from the big supermarkets.

[-Talbot-]

I use Penny -Markt, Edika, Aldi, lidl and hit. They all have one thing in common........all the fruit and veg goes off far too quickly.

[Retrochic]

Well here is our tasteless, scruffy common supper tonight from Aldi LOL! smoked gammon , boiled then baked in manuka honey, Gammon £4.99 raw, honey£4.25, caramalised pineapple chunks 40 p, jacket potatoes from garden with cornish salted butter 99p aldi, creme fraiche 65p aldi and fried italian 'lardons' £1.25 for two packs., green mixed salad from garden with homemade viniagrette made with virgin olive oil £1.99 500 ml aldi. dijon mustard 65p aldi and white wine vinaigre 65p aldi. wine budvar chardonnay £3.49 aldi and a nice bit of brie aldi £2.45 with sea salt crackers 95p . OMG I feel so common ! Help! ;-)

[jourdain2]

We do all out basic shop in Lidl (and find the pork pretty good as well - their 'baked on site' bread which is all seedy is really, really good) after that we shop around. At Christmas (apologies for mentioning it!) their 'De Luxe Range is really good and saves a fortune.

[EcclesCake]

Is Mercia back?

I CBA going back through the posts but I do not recall anyone describing Aldi/Lidl as tasteless or common, a comment was made about some stores being scruffy and I for one uphold that comment from my experience.

Enjoy your supper.

[kvalidir]

Both Lidl and Aldi have great quality stuff, in fact often German visitors are horrified by the food in UK supermarkets so I think it's more what you are used to than one is better than the other. We always shop there and then scavenge about Morrison's and Tesco's ( no Waitrose around here) for any reductions. Some meat we buy straight off the farm or from local butchers in Ludlow.
I'm with Retro on this, I don't feel we have a primitive palate and am really happy with the food we buy from Aldi / Lidl and I really don't think you 'get what you pay for' from Waitrose- it's the original 'Emperor's new clothes'shop as far as food and wine is concerned.

[Retrochic]

Eccles can't quite understand where the ancient kingdom of Mercia comes into the equation but heyho ;-) My comments were based on various posts that Aldi food was 'tasteless', you paid for what you got ( suggesting the food was less quality than something from Waitrose at twice the price) and a 'better quality of person' shopped at Waitrose, suggesting that only those of poor taste with no knowledge of good food would set foot in Aldi.