With the cost of living soaring and food prices escalating week by week, I decided to explore different supermarkets to find the best deals. Typically, I shop at one of the big four, but I noticed that Sainsbury’s prices were rising faster than I could keep up with. This led me to consider budget retailers Aldi and Lidl to see if I could cut down on my food bill, and I chose Lidl after finding their own-brand items scrumptious in various food taste tests.
I downloaded the Lidl Plus App, where I could reap substantial savings, as well as receive free grocery items and thought I’d be able to save hundreds each year by making the switch. However, after shopping there for a month, I discovered I was actually spending more than I was at Sainsbury’s. Lidl is fantastic for affordable grocery items, and the supermarket maintains its low prices by keeping its range simple. This means you spend less time choosing between items, which can help speed up your shopping time.
I’ve always been a fan of their bakery, but have never done my full weekly food shop there, so I thought I would give it a go to see how fresh the produce was, and how much I could save.
The Lidl Plus App provided me with immediate savings as well as complimentary bakery items such as doughnuts or rolls. These offers and savings only increased the more I spent in the store, too.
However, by offering shoppers free grocery and bakery items, I found myself making the trip to Lidl when I wouldn’t otherwise have needed to shop.
Despite collecting my free items, I often found myself wandering around the supermarket to see if anything else piqued my interest, and more often than not, I would spend at least £10.
Additionally, the middle aisles, also known as the Middle of Lidl, have caught me out on several occasions.
The Middle of Lidl products change frequently, and it’s a section of the store where you can find everything from blenders to saucepans to DIY goods.
On one occasion, I went in for a basic food shop and ended up spending £109 due to finding numerous kitchen goodies in the middle aisles.
While it wasn’t necessary, I know appliances and items in these aisles sell out and sometimes never return, so I thought I would pick them up.
Ultimately, I ended up completely avoiding those aisles despite using these items in my daily life because I was actually spending more than usual.
However, if you aren’t tempted by any of the middle aisle goodies, you could make a significant saving in the supermarket.
I was accustomed to paying at least £2.30 for a punnet of grapes, but in Lidl, they were around £1.09. Some weeks I could even grab them for under £1 thanks to the Lidl Plus App.
While I haven’t stopped shopping at Lidl entirely, I tend to avoid the middle aisles and really focus on the groceries I actually need, and I find the shopping experience very enjoyable.