It’s been an interesting few months since reducing my grocery budget to £50 a week.
There’s been highs and lows. I’m managing to stick to the budget, but it’s requiring some effort – for example having to shop at 4 to 5 separate locations.
So last Friday I decided to try and do the whole of my grocery shop at Aldi.
Being totally honest, I wasn’t feeling overly optimistic. I had been in Aldi a few times, not for groceries but rather running apparel (which is fantastically priced in comparison to branded) and hadn’t really felt compelled to try a food shop.
Following my usual Friday routine, I headed off list in hand. The plan was (oh there’s always a plan!) to get as much as possible off the list and then top up from elsewhere.
So how’d it go?
I didn’t tally up as I went round. I just stuck to my list.
At the checkout the bill came to £41.11 – an underspend of £.8.89!
Pretty impressive huh? I wasn’t able to get pasta sheets, and the milk hadn’t been delivered yet so that was slightly inconvenient. Therefore I popped to the Nisa on the way home to grab those items (rather than the supermarket, whose car-park I attempted to get on and couldn’t as it was too busy… I dread to think how much worse this will get as the month progresses).
Adding on the milk and pasta my basic grocery spend came to £44.16.
In fact I was so pleased with my low spend, I hit Aldi a second time after loading my groceries in the car, and purchased:
The two bottles of wine took me to just over £50. The Lemonade, Advocaat and Irish Cream I wanted to try. This month I am allowing an extra £20 a week to grab a few luxuries. As these are half the price of the usual brands I buy I thought it was worth a try!
In preparation (let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!) I also picked up:
I love. love. love. the snow but I despise trying to get snowboots for the kids at short notice. Anyone remember the snowboot saga last December? Unfortunately they don’t fit First-Born (Second-Born’s sorted) so they need to go back. Snowboot Saga The Sequel here we come!
The Con’s
- Aldi don’t accept credit-card’s. I totally appreciate why, but for someone who spends almost every penny on card it’s a bit of a negative.
- I’m not familiar with all the products yet so am a little unsure what I should buy and what I shouldn’t – however this is a work in progress – watch this space for a post next Monday!
- The amount of packaging. This is no more excessive than any other supermarket but as I have been shopping at the outdoor market I am used to handing over my canvas bag and them filling it without added bags, plastic etc…
- They don’t stock pasta sheets! What? Why? Bizarre! 😉
The Pro’s
- They seem to only stock one brand of an item so it relieves the stress of decision making. I liked this a lot.
- It wasn’t very busy – I was in and out in 20 minutes.
- No carrier bags given – so you have to reuse your own bags – and so you should!
- Aldi stock free-range chicken – reasonably priced.
- Being able to get my shop at one location – not 4!
- The price – so far so good. I’ll be going back this Friday to see whether it was beginners luck or not.
Wow, Jo! Impressive! May I ask what are pasta sheets? Are they like lasagna sheets?
Spot on Rayna! 🙂
Wow, Jo! Impressive! May I ask what are pasta sheets? Are they like lasagna sheets?
Spot on Rayna! 🙂
Wow, Jo! Impressive! May I ask what are pasta sheets? Are they like lasagna sheets?
Spot on Rayna! 🙂
Ooh, a bagging area – I haven’t seen one of those since the late 80s! I never bag at the tills since I use a shopping trolley and it takes longer to load, but it means I have to find somewhere out of the way to transfer everything over.
That looks like a nice haul for the price. Will be interested to see next week’s experience, even though I don’t have a convenient Aldi nearby. It’s a bit silly considering I’m in London so a lot of people only use public transport, but so many newer supermarkets seem to assume that everyone has a car so build in out of the way places. Annoying!
Maybe they are working on the principle that they want shoppers who buy ‘a lot’ so they presumably aren’t going to carry their purchases? They’re forgetting about the ‘wheely shoppers’! 😉 It’ll be interesting to see how the high street evolves over the next few years. Maybe Aldi and the low cost grocers will see some opportunity and move in. Presume it’s high end around London in the towns? M&S, Waitrose etc…
ps – The bagging area was a shock! I provided some entertainment however trying to pack my haul on about 6″ Square. The cashier put me out of my misery by grabbing my trolley and positioning it correctly before placing the groceries in! I may have gone a little rosy 🙂
The high streets are normally a Tesco or Sainsburys, plus an M&S and occasionally Waitrose. Central London (where I work) has a lot of independant stores, plus smaller versions of the chains.
For me, I have a small Tesco Express and a decent size M&S within walking distance so those are my main two stores. There’s also an excellent butcher and health food store, but they’re very expensive so treats only. There’s a large Sainsburys about 15 minutes walk away, but annoying to get to as I have to cross a main road so rarely go there. At the next tube stop, there is a larger Tesco and Waitrose, plus another M&S. I rely on online shopping for the bulk of storecupboard purchases, but will alternate between any of the above for produce. Usually M&S, as their prices are fairly competitive now and the quality is so much better.
I would imagine that online is a great opportunity in the future even for the low-cost supermarkets. I obviously do not know how much an operation like that costs, but I did notice Home Bargains now does some online – not basics, but maybe in the future? Fingers crossed eh?
Ooh, a bagging area – I haven’t seen one of those since the late 80s! I never bag at the tills since I use a shopping trolley and it takes longer to load, but it means I have to find somewhere out of the way to transfer everything over.
That looks like a nice haul for the price. Will be interested to see next week’s experience, even though I don’t have a convenient Aldi nearby. It’s a bit silly considering I’m in London so a lot of people only use public transport, but so many newer supermarkets seem to assume that everyone has a car so build in out of the way places. Annoying!
Maybe they are working on the principle that they want shoppers who buy ‘a lot’ so they presumably aren’t going to carry their purchases? They’re forgetting about the ‘wheely shoppers’! 😉 It’ll be interesting to see how the high street evolves over the next few years. Maybe Aldi and the low cost grocers will see some opportunity and move in. Presume it’s high end around London in the towns? M&S, Waitrose etc…
ps – The bagging area was a shock! I provided some entertainment however trying to pack my haul on about 6″ Square. The cashier put me out of my misery by grabbing my trolley and positioning it correctly before placing the groceries in! I may have gone a little rosy 🙂
The high streets are normally a Tesco or Sainsburys, plus an M&S and occasionally Waitrose. Central London (where I work) has a lot of independant stores, plus smaller versions of the chains.
For me, I have a small Tesco Express and a decent size M&S within walking distance so those are my main two stores. There’s also an excellent butcher and health food store, but they’re very expensive so treats only. There’s a large Sainsburys about 15 minutes walk away, but annoying to get to as I have to cross a main road so rarely go there. At the next tube stop, there is a larger Tesco and Waitrose, plus another M&S. I rely on online shopping for the bulk of storecupboard purchases, but will alternate between any of the above for produce. Usually M&S, as their prices are fairly competitive now and the quality is so much better.
I would imagine that online is a great opportunity in the future even for the low-cost supermarkets. I obviously do not know how much an operation like that costs, but I did notice Home Bargains now does some online – not basics, but maybe in the future? Fingers crossed eh?
Ooh, a bagging area – I haven’t seen one of those since the late 80s! I never bag at the tills since I use a shopping trolley and it takes longer to load, but it means I have to find somewhere out of the way to transfer everything over.
That looks like a nice haul for the price. Will be interested to see next week’s experience, even though I don’t have a convenient Aldi nearby. It’s a bit silly considering I’m in London so a lot of people only use public transport, but so many newer supermarkets seem to assume that everyone has a car so build in out of the way places. Annoying!
Maybe they are working on the principle that they want shoppers who buy ‘a lot’ so they presumably aren’t going to carry their purchases? They’re forgetting about the ‘wheely shoppers’! 😉 It’ll be interesting to see how the high street evolves over the next few years. Maybe Aldi and the low cost grocers will see some opportunity and move in. Presume it’s high end around London in the towns? M&S, Waitrose etc…
ps – The bagging area was a shock! I provided some entertainment however trying to pack my haul on about 6″ Square. The cashier put me out of my misery by grabbing my trolley and positioning it correctly before placing the groceries in! I may have gone a little rosy 🙂
The high streets are normally a Tesco or Sainsburys, plus an M&S and occasionally Waitrose. Central London (where I work) has a lot of independant stores, plus smaller versions of the chains.
For me, I have a small Tesco Express and a decent size M&S within walking distance so those are my main two stores. There’s also an excellent butcher and health food store, but they’re very expensive so treats only. There’s a large Sainsburys about 15 minutes walk away, but annoying to get to as I have to cross a main road so rarely go there. At the next tube stop, there is a larger Tesco and Waitrose, plus another M&S. I rely on online shopping for the bulk of storecupboard purchases, but will alternate between any of the above for produce. Usually M&S, as their prices are fairly competitive now and the quality is so much better.
I would imagine that online is a great opportunity in the future even for the low-cost supermarkets. I obviously do not know how much an operation like that costs, but I did notice Home Bargains now does some online – not basics, but maybe in the future? Fingers crossed eh?
You could try LIDL, Jo, they definitely have lasagna sheets. 🙂
Hey Laura! Thanks for that! I may have to check Lidl out. I worked with a German Guy many many years ago for a few weeks (he was over on a secondment) and he insisted we went to Lidl one lunchtime to get a German Christmas Cake. He was rather bemused that in the UK it was seen as a low-cost supermarket. He claimed it was rated as a quality store over in Deutschland!
Jo, I’ve been shoiing in LIDL and Aldi on and off over the past 6-7 years.
Their dishwasher powders – not worth buying. But both shops sell Finish at a lower price than Tesco. Also, my family does not like the Aldi/LIDL baked beans, but both shops sell Bachelors and Heinz as well. I’m not so keen on the Aldi/Lidl frankfurters either. They have, however, lovely 100% fruit fruitjuices. They tend to have a god selection of cheese and serials too…and some brilliant wine for nothing! 🙂
The Hubby tried the Aldi baked beans at the weekend, and his comment when asked how they were, was ‘they are a bit cold’ – can you see what I’m dealing with here? (wish you could see me… I’m really laughing to myself!!!… still tittering… :-))
I must say I reckon it’s hard to beat Home Bargains when it comes to cleaning products and toiletries – they do Finish also. In fact HB has become such a conversation point at Chez Wright we now affectionately call it ‘Bargos’
Thanks for the heads up Laura!
You could try LIDL, Jo, they definitely have lasagna sheets. 🙂
Hey Laura! Thanks for that! I may have to check Lidl out. I worked with a German Guy many many years ago for a few weeks (he was over on a secondment) and he insisted we went to Lidl one lunchtime to get a German Christmas Cake. He was rather bemused that in the UK it was seen as a low-cost supermarket. He claimed it was rated as a quality store over in Deutschland!
Jo, I’ve been shoiing in LIDL and Aldi on and off over the past 6-7 years.
Their dishwasher powders – not worth buying. But both shops sell Finish at a lower price than Tesco. Also, my family does not like the Aldi/LIDL baked beans, but both shops sell Bachelors and Heinz as well. I’m not so keen on the Aldi/Lidl frankfurters either. They have, however, lovely 100% fruit fruitjuices. They tend to have a god selection of cheese and serials too…and some brilliant wine for nothing! 🙂
The Hubby tried the Aldi baked beans at the weekend, and his comment when asked how they were, was ‘they are a bit cold’ – can you see what I’m dealing with here? (wish you could see me… I’m really laughing to myself!!!… still tittering… :-))
I must say I reckon it’s hard to beat Home Bargains when it comes to cleaning products and toiletries – they do Finish also. In fact HB has become such a conversation point at Chez Wright we now affectionately call it ‘Bargos’
Thanks for the heads up Laura!
You could try LIDL, Jo, they definitely have lasagna sheets. 🙂
Hey Laura! Thanks for that! I may have to check Lidl out. I worked with a German Guy many many years ago for a few weeks (he was over on a secondment) and he insisted we went to Lidl one lunchtime to get a German Christmas Cake. He was rather bemused that in the UK it was seen as a low-cost supermarket. He claimed it was rated as a quality store over in Deutschland!
Jo, I’ve been shoiing in LIDL and Aldi on and off over the past 6-7 years.
Their dishwasher powders – not worth buying. But both shops sell Finish at a lower price than Tesco. Also, my family does not like the Aldi/LIDL baked beans, but both shops sell Bachelors and Heinz as well. I’m not so keen on the Aldi/Lidl frankfurters either. They have, however, lovely 100% fruit fruitjuices. They tend to have a god selection of cheese and serials too…and some brilliant wine for nothing! 🙂
The Hubby tried the Aldi baked beans at the weekend, and his comment when asked how they were, was ‘they are a bit cold’ – can you see what I’m dealing with here? (wish you could see me… I’m really laughing to myself!!!… still tittering… :-))
I must say I reckon it’s hard to beat Home Bargains when it comes to cleaning products and toiletries – they do Finish also. In fact HB has become such a conversation point at Chez Wright we now affectionately call it ‘Bargos’
Thanks for the heads up Laura!
Aldi not only doesn’t stock multiple brands, they stock *their own* brand of most everything. It’s usually made by a reputable, good-quality manufacturer, but packaged specifically for Aldi.
They all have weird names that sound like name brands, but aren’t. “Aunt Maple” was a syrup brand that they carried at one point, for example.
I notice that the “brand names” on yours are different than the ones here, which reinforces my suspicion that their stuff is produced regionally, and the different manufacturers each seem to have a brand name that they use for Aldi products.
As for quality, it’s rare to get a store brand product at Aldi that’s actually bad. On the off chance you do, report it to them on their website or just bring your receipt back to the store and (at least here in the US; UK may be different) they’ll give you a replacement (same product only), *and* your money back.
We have certain things that we buy at Aldi, and certain things we get at Wal-Mart or a local grocery store. It usually depends on whether Aldi carries it or not. For example, they appear to think that baking yeast, Bisquick (the Aldi version, obviously), and iced tea are all seasonal items. I respectfully disagree, so I find myself having to go elsewhere for certain things. 😀
For the things they do carry though, I’ve found that most everything I’ve tried from there is very good – especially for the money.
As usual Robert – spot on! The ‘strange’ branding was what I struggled with because I didn’t understand it. When I had gone in for running clothing I saw lots of unfamiliar brands, if it had been Aldi branded I’d have got it I reckon – because this is the norm in the UK now, and most own-brands are good ((otherwise why would they put their name to it?(I’m a bit of an own-brand geek – fascinated! even did my MA dissertation on it)). Then I read this post over at The Frugal Girl. It clicked they take a lot of interest in production over in the US and I wondered whether it was the same over here. They have also released a very good ad campaign in the UK – which spells it out. Sometimes I need it spelling out – and they achieved it. Direct comparison with the leading brands – no mystery there then! I’m working my way through the products and having a lot of fun with ‘taste tests’ at Chez Wright 🙂 Lovely to have you commenting – hope all good with you?
ps – yeast? seasonal? Agree… odd!
I think at least part of Aldi’s thing is trying to avoid having somebody walk into a friend’s kitchen and see “Aldi” on every package in sight. The “brands” are obviously not regular name brands, but it’s not immediately obvious that somebody’s shopping at “the cheap store”. 😀
It’s kind of weird – their products run the gamut from very inexpensive (their boxed cereals, laundry detergent, etc.) to things that look like they’re designed to compete in the higher-end grocery market (steaks, higher-end frozen food, certain alcohols).
The biggest critique I’ve heard leveled against the local Aldi (and it’s valid) is that they have a lot of chips (I think you call them “crisps” in the UK?), chocolate, and assorted junk food – and it’s all very good. It’s hard to walk out without some impulse purchases of that stuff. 🙂
Everything’s okay on this side; it’s just been a busy busy fall!
Feels like an eternity since I’ve had a good ole marketing conversation – loving it! Totally get the potential stigma with a low cost brand, but I reckon the tide is a turning. Since ‘discovering’ Aldi I’ve had a few conversations with friends and found they shop there. With the way things are and the entry into an austerity phase people are loving talking about a bargain – the focus is on value for money. This may be a good time for brands like Aldi to build their reputation. The multiple branding is confusing. For example I purchased some Alcoholic Irish Cream Friday (which is fantastic) and proceeded to have a personal Facebook three way conversation with a couple of girlfriends and none of us could remember the name. I had to go to the cupboard. We all called it the ‘Aldi’ one. The design of the packaging doesn’t need to be generic (that is quite boring! and they’d lose the comparison to the market leaders) but the names such as ‘Aunt Maple’ or ‘Holly Lane’ could be dropped and Aldi put on there. Certain products could be trialled. If it were me I’d be tempted to give it a go and try and take hold of some of the market whilst price sensitivity is rife, then as things improve they’ve shown they have quality products behind the brand. They then start to get comfy in UK household cupboards and seen by others – no stigma attached.
Hope it’s all ‘good’ busy?
I’ve seen them occasionally switch brand names on their products too – like “Aunt Maple” may disappear and be replaced with “Maple Valley” (I’m making these up; you get the point). I think that means they switch the manufacturer….and sometimes it means the product changes slightly.
I definitely know what you mean though. It would be nice if they’d just say “Aldi” instead of all the other goofy names. 🙂
The “busy” has been a mixed busy. Some good, some not so good, just a lot of stuff to deal with this fall.
Other than revolutionizing your grocery spend, how’s everything at Chez Wright?
Aldi not only doesn’t stock multiple brands, they stock *their own* brand of most everything. It’s usually made by a reputable, good-quality manufacturer, but packaged specifically for Aldi.
They all have weird names that sound like name brands, but aren’t. “Aunt Maple” was a syrup brand that they carried at one point, for example.
I notice that the “brand names” on yours are different than the ones here, which reinforces my suspicion that their stuff is produced regionally, and the different manufacturers each seem to have a brand name that they use for Aldi products.
As for quality, it’s rare to get a store brand product at Aldi that’s actually bad. On the off chance you do, report it to them on their website or just bring your receipt back to the store and (at least here in the US; UK may be different) they’ll give you a replacement (same product only), *and* your money back.
We have certain things that we buy at Aldi, and certain things we get at Wal-Mart or a local grocery store. It usually depends on whether Aldi carries it or not. For example, they appear to think that baking yeast, Bisquick (the Aldi version, obviously), and iced tea are all seasonal items. I respectfully disagree, so I find myself having to go elsewhere for certain things. 😀
For the things they do carry though, I’ve found that most everything I’ve tried from there is very good – especially for the money.
As usual Robert – spot on! The ‘strange’ branding was what I struggled with because I didn’t understand it. When I had gone in for running clothing I saw lots of unfamiliar brands, if it had been Aldi branded I’d have got it I reckon – because this is the norm in the UK now, and most own-brands are good ((otherwise why would they put their name to it?(I’m a bit of an own-brand geek – fascinated! even did my MA dissertation on it)). Then I read this post over at The Frugal Girl. It clicked they take a lot of interest in production over in the US and I wondered whether it was the same over here. They have also released a very good ad campaign in the UK – which spells it out. Sometimes I need it spelling out – and they achieved it. Direct comparison with the leading brands – no mystery there then! I’m working my way through the products and having a lot of fun with ‘taste tests’ at Chez Wright 🙂 Lovely to have you commenting – hope all good with you?
ps – yeast? seasonal? Agree… odd!
I think at least part of Aldi’s thing is trying to avoid having somebody walk into a friend’s kitchen and see “Aldi” on every package in sight. The “brands” are obviously not regular name brands, but it’s not immediately obvious that somebody’s shopping at “the cheap store”. 😀
It’s kind of weird – their products run the gamut from very inexpensive (their boxed cereals, laundry detergent, etc.) to things that look like they’re designed to compete in the higher-end grocery market (steaks, higher-end frozen food, certain alcohols).
The biggest critique I’ve heard leveled against the local Aldi (and it’s valid) is that they have a lot of chips (I think you call them “crisps” in the UK?), chocolate, and assorted junk food – and it’s all very good. It’s hard to walk out without some impulse purchases of that stuff. 🙂
Everything’s okay on this side; it’s just been a busy busy fall!
Feels like an eternity since I’ve had a good ole marketing conversation – loving it! Totally get the potential stigma with a low cost brand, but I reckon the tide is a turning. Since ‘discovering’ Aldi I’ve had a few conversations with friends and found they shop there. With the way things are and the entry into an austerity phase people are loving talking about a bargain – the focus is on value for money. This may be a good time for brands like Aldi to build their reputation. The multiple branding is confusing. For example I purchased some Alcoholic Irish Cream Friday (which is fantastic) and proceeded to have a personal Facebook three way conversation with a couple of girlfriends and none of us could remember the name. I had to go to the cupboard. We all called it the ‘Aldi’ one. The design of the packaging doesn’t need to be generic (that is quite boring! and they’d lose the comparison to the market leaders) but the names such as ‘Aunt Maple’ or ‘Holly Lane’ could be dropped and Aldi put on there. Certain products could be trialled. If it were me I’d be tempted to give it a go and try and take hold of some of the market whilst price sensitivity is rife, then as things improve they’ve shown they have quality products behind the brand. They then start to get comfy in UK household cupboards and seen by others – no stigma attached.
Hope it’s all ‘good’ busy?
I’ve seen them occasionally switch brand names on their products too – like “Aunt Maple” may disappear and be replaced with “Maple Valley” (I’m making these up; you get the point). I think that means they switch the manufacturer….and sometimes it means the product changes slightly.
I definitely know what you mean though. It would be nice if they’d just say “Aldi” instead of all the other goofy names. 🙂
The “busy” has been a mixed busy. Some good, some not so good, just a lot of stuff to deal with this fall.
Other than revolutionizing your grocery spend, how’s everything at Chez Wright?
Aldi not only doesn’t stock multiple brands, they stock *their own* brand of most everything. It’s usually made by a reputable, good-quality manufacturer, but packaged specifically for Aldi.
They all have weird names that sound like name brands, but aren’t. “Aunt Maple” was a syrup brand that they carried at one point, for example.
I notice that the “brand names” on yours are different than the ones here, which reinforces my suspicion that their stuff is produced regionally, and the different manufacturers each seem to have a brand name that they use for Aldi products.
As for quality, it’s rare to get a store brand product at Aldi that’s actually bad. On the off chance you do, report it to them on their website or just bring your receipt back to the store and (at least here in the US; UK may be different) they’ll give you a replacement (same product only), *and* your money back.
We have certain things that we buy at Aldi, and certain things we get at Wal-Mart or a local grocery store. It usually depends on whether Aldi carries it or not. For example, they appear to think that baking yeast, Bisquick (the Aldi version, obviously), and iced tea are all seasonal items. I respectfully disagree, so I find myself having to go elsewhere for certain things. 😀
For the things they do carry though, I’ve found that most everything I’ve tried from there is very good – especially for the money.
As usual Robert – spot on! The ‘strange’ branding was what I struggled with because I didn’t understand it. When I had gone in for running clothing I saw lots of unfamiliar brands, if it had been Aldi branded I’d have got it I reckon – because this is the norm in the UK now, and most own-brands are good ((otherwise why would they put their name to it?(I’m a bit of an own-brand geek – fascinated! even did my MA dissertation on it)). Then I read this post over at The Frugal Girl. It clicked they take a lot of interest in production over in the US and I wondered whether it was the same over here. They have also released a very good ad campaign in the UK – which spells it out. Sometimes I need it spelling out – and they achieved it. Direct comparison with the leading brands – no mystery there then! I’m working my way through the products and having a lot of fun with ‘taste tests’ at Chez Wright 🙂 Lovely to have you commenting – hope all good with you?
ps – yeast? seasonal? Agree… odd!
I think at least part of Aldi’s thing is trying to avoid having somebody walk into a friend’s kitchen and see “Aldi” on every package in sight. The “brands” are obviously not regular name brands, but it’s not immediately obvious that somebody’s shopping at “the cheap store”. 😀
It’s kind of weird – their products run the gamut from very inexpensive (their boxed cereals, laundry detergent, etc.) to things that look like they’re designed to compete in the higher-end grocery market (steaks, higher-end frozen food, certain alcohols).
The biggest critique I’ve heard leveled against the local Aldi (and it’s valid) is that they have a lot of chips (I think you call them “crisps” in the UK?), chocolate, and assorted junk food – and it’s all very good. It’s hard to walk out without some impulse purchases of that stuff. 🙂
Everything’s okay on this side; it’s just been a busy busy fall!
Feels like an eternity since I’ve had a good ole marketing conversation – loving it! Totally get the potential stigma with a low cost brand, but I reckon the tide is a turning. Since ‘discovering’ Aldi I’ve had a few conversations with friends and found they shop there. With the way things are and the entry into an austerity phase people are loving talking about a bargain – the focus is on value for money. This may be a good time for brands like Aldi to build their reputation. The multiple branding is confusing. For example I purchased some Alcoholic Irish Cream Friday (which is fantastic) and proceeded to have a personal Facebook three way conversation with a couple of girlfriends and none of us could remember the name. I had to go to the cupboard. We all called it the ‘Aldi’ one. The design of the packaging doesn’t need to be generic (that is quite boring! and they’d lose the comparison to the market leaders) but the names such as ‘Aunt Maple’ or ‘Holly Lane’ could be dropped and Aldi put on there. Certain products could be trialled. If it were me I’d be tempted to give it a go and try and take hold of some of the market whilst price sensitivity is rife, then as things improve they’ve shown they have quality products behind the brand. They then start to get comfy in UK household cupboards and seen by others – no stigma attached.
Hope it’s all ‘good’ busy?
I’ve seen them occasionally switch brand names on their products too – like “Aunt Maple” may disappear and be replaced with “Maple Valley” (I’m making these up; you get the point). I think that means they switch the manufacturer….and sometimes it means the product changes slightly.
I definitely know what you mean though. It would be nice if they’d just say “Aldi” instead of all the other goofy names. 🙂
The “busy” has been a mixed busy. Some good, some not so good, just a lot of stuff to deal with this fall.
Other than revolutionizing your grocery spend, how’s everything at Chez Wright?
Ahh Jo, so you bit the bullet!! I have yet to do a full weeks shop there and although i do most of it there, there are still a few bits i struggle with. This week i tried the laundry liquid, and it ws ok, i had previously tried the washing powder and not liked it 🙁 so another big tick for Aldi!!
I like the simplicity too, you want mayo? You have 2 chioces, low fat or not, simples. I did have a little laugh at you at the checkout, the first time i had ever gone in i was wondering what the cashier was waiting for, then she asked me to pull my trolley through, then i put it the wrong way, oh the embarresment!! I now put all the shopping in the trolley and pack at the car.
The alcohol is amazing, although i have never tried the bailys, so for comparisons sake, is it the same??
We got through November on £60 a week (with an added £20.0 from tesco clubcard vouchers 🙂 ) So for December i am going to have £80 a week, and like you an extra £20 for christmas goodies, this week i think i’m going to buy my turkey crown and gammon, from Aldi, of course!! What are your plans for Christmas lunch Jo?
Sharron x
I like the lack of variety also – choice isn’t always a good thing! So far everything I’ve purchased has gone down pretty well. I didn’t buy any washing powder but did get the dishwasher tablets – they had some stamp of approval on the box (may have been Which?) – no complaints about those. The Irish Cream is good. They do two varieties a £3.99 bottle and a £5.99. I purchased the £3.99 in error when I popped in to get some nappies (more on that next Monday!) the day before my main shop, and it is thinner than the £5.99. Personally I’d struggle to tell the difference between Ballycastle Gold Label (Aldi) and Baileys – I’m having a dinner party Friday and will do a blind test on the girls!
Well done on Novembers budget!
Christmas is at Chez Wright this year, and as I don’t like waste I’m going minimal on the meat. In fact the day I did my meal plan we had an Aldi flyer with the local freebie paper and they were advertising their Turkey etc on sale from 19 Dec so I have put it in my diary. A couple of people said they’d had their Turkey from there last year, and seemed pleased with it – presume you’ve tried it before then? I’m hoping to get a pre-stuffed joint or maybe a crown but seriously reducing the size. I had just a crown last year hoping that would reduce waste, and I still had enough to feed the entire cul-de-sac!
Ahh Jo, so you bit the bullet!! I have yet to do a full weeks shop there and although i do most of it there, there are still a few bits i struggle with. This week i tried the laundry liquid, and it ws ok, i had previously tried the washing powder and not liked it 🙁 so another big tick for Aldi!!
I like the simplicity too, you want mayo? You have 2 chioces, low fat or not, simples. I did have a little laugh at you at the checkout, the first time i had ever gone in i was wondering what the cashier was waiting for, then she asked me to pull my trolley through, then i put it the wrong way, oh the embarresment!! I now put all the shopping in the trolley and pack at the car.
The alcohol is amazing, although i have never tried the bailys, so for comparisons sake, is it the same??
We got through November on £60 a week (with an added £20.0 from tesco clubcard vouchers 🙂 ) So for December i am going to have £80 a week, and like you an extra £20 for christmas goodies, this week i think i’m going to buy my turkey crown and gammon, from Aldi, of course!! What are your plans for Christmas lunch Jo?
Sharron x
I like the lack of variety also – choice isn’t always a good thing! So far everything I’ve purchased has gone down pretty well. I didn’t buy any washing powder but did get the dishwasher tablets – they had some stamp of approval on the box (may have been Which?) – no complaints about those. The Irish Cream is good. They do two varieties a £3.99 bottle and a £5.99. I purchased the £3.99 in error when I popped in to get some nappies (more on that next Monday!) the day before my main shop, and it is thinner than the £5.99. Personally I’d struggle to tell the difference between Ballycastle Gold Label (Aldi) and Baileys – I’m having a dinner party Friday and will do a blind test on the girls!
Well done on Novembers budget!
Christmas is at Chez Wright this year, and as I don’t like waste I’m going minimal on the meat. In fact the day I did my meal plan we had an Aldi flyer with the local freebie paper and they were advertising their Turkey etc on sale from 19 Dec so I have put it in my diary. A couple of people said they’d had their Turkey from there last year, and seemed pleased with it – presume you’ve tried it before then? I’m hoping to get a pre-stuffed joint or maybe a crown but seriously reducing the size. I had just a crown last year hoping that would reduce waste, and I still had enough to feed the entire cul-de-sac!
Ahh Jo, so you bit the bullet!! I have yet to do a full weeks shop there and although i do most of it there, there are still a few bits i struggle with. This week i tried the laundry liquid, and it ws ok, i had previously tried the washing powder and not liked it 🙁 so another big tick for Aldi!!
I like the simplicity too, you want mayo? You have 2 chioces, low fat or not, simples. I did have a little laugh at you at the checkout, the first time i had ever gone in i was wondering what the cashier was waiting for, then she asked me to pull my trolley through, then i put it the wrong way, oh the embarresment!! I now put all the shopping in the trolley and pack at the car.
The alcohol is amazing, although i have never tried the bailys, so for comparisons sake, is it the same??
We got through November on £60 a week (with an added £20.0 from tesco clubcard vouchers 🙂 ) So for December i am going to have £80 a week, and like you an extra £20 for christmas goodies, this week i think i’m going to buy my turkey crown and gammon, from Aldi, of course!! What are your plans for Christmas lunch Jo?
Sharron x
I like the lack of variety also – choice isn’t always a good thing! So far everything I’ve purchased has gone down pretty well. I didn’t buy any washing powder but did get the dishwasher tablets – they had some stamp of approval on the box (may have been Which?) – no complaints about those. The Irish Cream is good. They do two varieties a £3.99 bottle and a £5.99. I purchased the £3.99 in error when I popped in to get some nappies (more on that next Monday!) the day before my main shop, and it is thinner than the £5.99. Personally I’d struggle to tell the difference between Ballycastle Gold Label (Aldi) and Baileys – I’m having a dinner party Friday and will do a blind test on the girls!
Well done on Novembers budget!
Christmas is at Chez Wright this year, and as I don’t like waste I’m going minimal on the meat. In fact the day I did my meal plan we had an Aldi flyer with the local freebie paper and they were advertising their Turkey etc on sale from 19 Dec so I have put it in my diary. A couple of people said they’d had their Turkey from there last year, and seemed pleased with it – presume you’ve tried it before then? I’m hoping to get a pre-stuffed joint or maybe a crown but seriously reducing the size. I had just a crown last year hoping that would reduce waste, and I still had enough to feed the entire cul-de-sac!
Yes, our crown came from there last year, and yes it was HUGE, even the dogs were sick of it :), It was really nice, on christmas day, but by the time the 28th rolled round we couldn’t stomach anymore. This year i’m planning on getting the same size but being a bit more organised, i’m going to make a couple of curries and stew with it and freeze it in those takeaway tubs. I did suggest that perhaps we could have Lamb for christmas dinner this year (it’s so flippin expensive) but that didn’t go down too well, i was met with cries of ‘ What, no turkey, but it’s christmas’ and then hubs, drama queen that he is, said ‘ Well why don’t we go the whole hog and cancel christmas all together’ So Turkey it is….*sighs deeply*
I shall purchase a Ballycastle this week (and promise to keep it untill christmas, honest) Now next question Jo, what does advocat taste of? I distintly remember it being drunk in the early 80’s at christmas when i was a child, but have never tasted it! should i include it with my drinkies fro Christmas?
Sharron x
If you keep it to Christmas you are a stronger willed woman than I – I’ve been drinking mine! Oh dear!
Advocaat I buy to make snowballs (very British 70’s I know :-)). basically about 1-2 inches of advocaat a splash of lime juice then top up with lemonade stirring to make it bubbly. We had them at Christmas as a kid (I was a 70’s child) and we still have them now. In fact we had our first on Saturday when we put the tree up. My Hubby reckons Advocaat reminds him of me (he never had it before 1993 – the year we met) – classy eh? I haven’t found a version that compares to Warnicks previously – but the Aldi one seems okay. It’s the thickness once again that makes all the difference – previous own branded ones have been very thin.
Thunderbirds is the drink my husband says reminds him of me……… I’ll get my coat….. lol now that’s really classy….
Sharron x
We’re definitely from the same era! Did you ever hear the urban myth that as well as blue and red you could actually get…Gold Thunderbird? 🙂
Yes, our crown came from there last year, and yes it was HUGE, even the dogs were sick of it :), It was really nice, on christmas day, but by the time the 28th rolled round we couldn’t stomach anymore. This year i’m planning on getting the same size but being a bit more organised, i’m going to make a couple of curries and stew with it and freeze it in those takeaway tubs. I did suggest that perhaps we could have Lamb for christmas dinner this year (it’s so flippin expensive) but that didn’t go down too well, i was met with cries of ‘ What, no turkey, but it’s christmas’ and then hubs, drama queen that he is, said ‘ Well why don’t we go the whole hog and cancel christmas all together’ So Turkey it is….*sighs deeply*
I shall purchase a Ballycastle this week (and promise to keep it untill christmas, honest) Now next question Jo, what does advocat taste of? I distintly remember it being drunk in the early 80’s at christmas when i was a child, but have never tasted it! should i include it with my drinkies fro Christmas?
Sharron x
If you keep it to Christmas you are a stronger willed woman than I – I’ve been drinking mine! Oh dear!
Advocaat I buy to make snowballs (very British 70’s I know :-)). basically about 1-2 inches of advocaat a splash of lime juice then top up with lemonade stirring to make it bubbly. We had them at Christmas as a kid (I was a 70’s child) and we still have them now. In fact we had our first on Saturday when we put the tree up. My Hubby reckons Advocaat reminds him of me (he never had it before 1993 – the year we met) – classy eh? I haven’t found a version that compares to Warnicks previously – but the Aldi one seems okay. It’s the thickness once again that makes all the difference – previous own branded ones have been very thin.
Thunderbirds is the drink my husband says reminds him of me……… I’ll get my coat….. lol now that’s really classy….
Sharron x
We’re definitely from the same era! Did you ever hear the urban myth that as well as blue and red you could actually get…Gold Thunderbird? 🙂
Yes, our crown came from there last year, and yes it was HUGE, even the dogs were sick of it :), It was really nice, on christmas day, but by the time the 28th rolled round we couldn’t stomach anymore. This year i’m planning on getting the same size but being a bit more organised, i’m going to make a couple of curries and stew with it and freeze it in those takeaway tubs. I did suggest that perhaps we could have Lamb for christmas dinner this year (it’s so flippin expensive) but that didn’t go down too well, i was met with cries of ‘ What, no turkey, but it’s christmas’ and then hubs, drama queen that he is, said ‘ Well why don’t we go the whole hog and cancel christmas all together’ So Turkey it is….*sighs deeply*
I shall purchase a Ballycastle this week (and promise to keep it untill christmas, honest) Now next question Jo, what does advocat taste of? I distintly remember it being drunk in the early 80’s at christmas when i was a child, but have never tasted it! should i include it with my drinkies fro Christmas?
Sharron x
If you keep it to Christmas you are a stronger willed woman than I – I’ve been drinking mine! Oh dear!
Advocaat I buy to make snowballs (very British 70’s I know :-)). basically about 1-2 inches of advocaat a splash of lime juice then top up with lemonade stirring to make it bubbly. We had them at Christmas as a kid (I was a 70’s child) and we still have them now. In fact we had our first on Saturday when we put the tree up. My Hubby reckons Advocaat reminds him of me (he never had it before 1993 – the year we met) – classy eh? I haven’t found a version that compares to Warnicks previously – but the Aldi one seems okay. It’s the thickness once again that makes all the difference – previous own branded ones have been very thin.
Thunderbirds is the drink my husband says reminds him of me……… I’ll get my coat….. lol now that’s really classy….
Sharron x
We’re definitely from the same era! Did you ever hear the urban myth that as well as blue and red you could actually get…Gold Thunderbird? 🙂
Talking of the crown, another tradition me and Hubs have is that on Christmas eve once the littlies have settled i cook the crown and slice it. Hubs and I have a Turkey butty with a baileys around one in the morning 🙂
Sharron x
My Mom did that every year! I’ve always cooked the turkey on the day so have missed out since having my own home – but may resurrect the tradition this year, my childhood home always smelt gorgeous as I went to bed and shut my eyes tight waiting for Santa…
Sorry I meant Father Christmas as he was known back then!
Talking of the crown, another tradition me and Hubs have is that on Christmas eve once the littlies have settled i cook the crown and slice it. Hubs and I have a Turkey butty with a baileys around one in the morning 🙂
Sharron x
My Mom did that every year! I’ve always cooked the turkey on the day so have missed out since having my own home – but may resurrect the tradition this year, my childhood home always smelt gorgeous as I went to bed and shut my eyes tight waiting for Santa…
Sorry I meant Father Christmas as he was known back then!
Talking of the crown, another tradition me and Hubs have is that on Christmas eve once the littlies have settled i cook the crown and slice it. Hubs and I have a Turkey butty with a baileys around one in the morning 🙂
Sharron x
My Mom did that every year! I’ve always cooked the turkey on the day so have missed out since having my own home – but may resurrect the tradition this year, my childhood home always smelt gorgeous as I went to bed and shut my eyes tight waiting for Santa…
Sorry I meant Father Christmas as he was known back then!
What great bargains you found! We don’t have an Aldi where we live, but we do have one of their sister companies called Trader Joe’s….and I am a Trader Joe’s addict!! When I did my “only grocery shop locally” for a month, it too was a big shock to go back to all the packaging. Finding that balance between staying in a budget and staying green/sustainable is hard! I can’t wait to hear how everything tastes!
Morning Megyn! I’ve heard Trader Joe’s mentioned quite a few times over at The Frugal Girl and also Non-Consumer Advocate. The packaging is an issue for me, but as you say it’s striking that balance. We spent a couple of weeks in France this year and in the supermarket (Super U – big chain over there) they had a section where I believe you could buy product by weight. Cereal that type of thing. Or at least I think that’s what it was – I tried not to spend to much time in there whilst in idyllic rural France! I love the idea of a pick and mix type of grocery store where you take your containers and fill them up – probably incredibly impractical and an operational nightmare, but surely there’d be cost savings on the packaging? I’m sure as a Kid there were such places in the UK. I’m back at Aldi tomorrow and am also having a dinner party for girlfriends tomorrow night so my aim is to do a cost comparison on what the ingredients would have cost from elsewhere! Have Fun! Jo
Did you blog about “only grocery shop locally”? Could you drop link in here if you did please?
Oh you mean the bulk bins? We have TONS of those here. I’m in love with them!
I did a month long challenge, so have a few posts about local grocery shopping. Here are a couple:
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/going-local-week-1.html
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/week-2-money-saved.html
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/local-lovin-week-3.html
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/eating-arizona-challenge-overview.html
What great bargains you found! We don’t have an Aldi where we live, but we do have one of their sister companies called Trader Joe’s….and I am a Trader Joe’s addict!! When I did my “only grocery shop locally” for a month, it too was a big shock to go back to all the packaging. Finding that balance between staying in a budget and staying green/sustainable is hard! I can’t wait to hear how everything tastes!
Morning Megyn! I’ve heard Trader Joe’s mentioned quite a few times over at The Frugal Girl and also Non-Consumer Advocate. The packaging is an issue for me, but as you say it’s striking that balance. We spent a couple of weeks in France this year and in the supermarket (Super U – big chain over there) they had a section where I believe you could buy product by weight. Cereal that type of thing. Or at least I think that’s what it was – I tried not to spend to much time in there whilst in idyllic rural France! I love the idea of a pick and mix type of grocery store where you take your containers and fill them up – probably incredibly impractical and an operational nightmare, but surely there’d be cost savings on the packaging? I’m sure as a Kid there were such places in the UK. I’m back at Aldi tomorrow and am also having a dinner party for girlfriends tomorrow night so my aim is to do a cost comparison on what the ingredients would have cost from elsewhere! Have Fun! Jo
Did you blog about “only grocery shop locally”? Could you drop link in here if you did please?
Oh you mean the bulk bins? We have TONS of those here. I’m in love with them!
I did a month long challenge, so have a few posts about local grocery shopping. Here are a couple:
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/going-local-week-1.html
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/week-2-money-saved.html
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/local-lovin-week-3.html
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/eating-arizona-challenge-overview.html
What great bargains you found! We don’t have an Aldi where we live, but we do have one of their sister companies called Trader Joe’s….and I am a Trader Joe’s addict!! When I did my “only grocery shop locally” for a month, it too was a big shock to go back to all the packaging. Finding that balance between staying in a budget and staying green/sustainable is hard! I can’t wait to hear how everything tastes!
Morning Megyn! I’ve heard Trader Joe’s mentioned quite a few times over at The Frugal Girl and also Non-Consumer Advocate. The packaging is an issue for me, but as you say it’s striking that balance. We spent a couple of weeks in France this year and in the supermarket (Super U – big chain over there) they had a section where I believe you could buy product by weight. Cereal that type of thing. Or at least I think that’s what it was – I tried not to spend to much time in there whilst in idyllic rural France! I love the idea of a pick and mix type of grocery store where you take your containers and fill them up – probably incredibly impractical and an operational nightmare, but surely there’d be cost savings on the packaging? I’m sure as a Kid there were such places in the UK. I’m back at Aldi tomorrow and am also having a dinner party for girlfriends tomorrow night so my aim is to do a cost comparison on what the ingredients would have cost from elsewhere! Have Fun! Jo
Did you blog about “only grocery shop locally”? Could you drop link in here if you did please?
Oh you mean the bulk bins? We have TONS of those here. I’m in love with them!
I did a month long challenge, so have a few posts about local grocery shopping. Here are a couple:
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/going-local-week-1.html
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/week-2-money-saved.html
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/local-lovin-week-3.html
http://minimalistmommi.blogspot.com/2011/09/eating-arizona-challenge-overview.html