Poll: how much do you spend on a weekly food shop?

Typical main weekly shop is ~£150 at Aldi, plus 2-3 small shops from the local Tesco express which can be £10+ each.

Cost is high in for a few reasons - while most food is prepared from scratch, we tend to go for the more expensive ingredients - so the chicken is always free range, my wife doesn't eat meat so we buy a lot of fresh fish, etc.

We used to do Tesco delivery - but that was working out over £200 a week...

Edited by Jonathan C

indemnity said

sepiashots perhaps the only way they can afford the cars, photo equipment, and holidays abroad is by shopping at Aldi? 

:-) maybe so

I also don't eat meat and that definitely keeps the cost of my shop down

I don't think I've ever set foot in an Aldi or Lidl.

Yesterday was weekly shopping day and I spent just under £36 (for 2), which is a little more than usual. I did notice that packets of ginger nuts were 15p more than last time.

But, as I mentioned in the other thread, meat, eggs and principal veggies are straight off the farm and cost me next to nothing as well as plenty of free fish caught and eaten between May and September.

FiL said

I don't think I've ever set foot in an Aldi or Lidl.

Lidl is a culture shock. In many ways it is like setting foot in a supermarket from 1994. But with a discount plasma cutter in the middle aisle.

Once you get used to the old fashioned qualities of the place, you start habitually saving money. Though when I can afford it I will happily never buy their coffee beans again.

Edited by Unfocussed Mike

FiL said

I don't think I've ever set foot in an Aldi or Lidl.

Yesterday was weekly shopping day and I spent just under £36 (for 2), which is a little more than usual. I did notice that packets of ginger nuts were 15p more than last time.

But, as I mentioned in the other thread, meat, eggs and principal veggies are straight off the farm and cost me next to nothing as well as plenty of free fish caught and eaten between May and September.

you'd know if you did! 

Unfocussed Mike said

FiL said

I don't think I've ever set foot in an Aldi or Lidl.

Lidl is a culture shock. In many ways it is like setting foot in a supermarket from 1994. But with a discount plasma cutter in the middle aisle.

Once you get used to the old fashioned qualities of the place, you start habitually saving money. Though when I can afford it I will happily never buy their coffee beans again.

"But with a discount plasma cutter in the middle aisle."

Really?

I'm after a welder for a bit of DIY, is it worth me checking them out??

I remember the first International store in Maidstone which seemed all the rave at the time.

Probably about £100 a week.

FiL said

Unfocussed Mike said

FiL said

I don't think I've ever set foot in an Aldi or Lidl.

Lidl is a culture shock. In many ways it is like setting foot in a supermarket from 1994. But with a discount plasma cutter in the middle aisle.

Once you get used to the old fashioned qualities of the place, you start habitually saving money. Though when I can afford it I will happily never buy their coffee beans again.

"But with a discount plasma cutter in the middle aisle."

Really?

I'm after a welder for a bit of DIY, is it worth me checking them out??

I remember the first International store in Maidstone which seemed all the rave at the time.

The "middle of Lidl" varies from week to week, like the Aldi equivalent. 

But I really did see a plasma cutter a few weeks ago, yes.

I doubt their tools are a good choice as a general thing! They are all designed down to a price. So sometimes stuff will be good value, mostly it will be light duty at best. It's basically all their "own brand", Parkside, which is the kind of stuff you would see at the cheapest tier on Amazon, just improved to be actually compliant with EU standards.

Edited by Unfocussed Mike

Unfocussed Mike said

FiL said

Unfocussed Mike said

FiL said

I don't think I've ever set foot in an Aldi or Lidl.

Lidl is a culture shock. In many ways it is like setting foot in a supermarket from 1994. But with a discount plasma cutter in the middle aisle.

Once you get used to the old fashioned qualities of the place, you start habitually saving money. Though when I can afford it I will happily never buy their coffee beans again.

"But with a discount plasma cutter in the middle aisle."

Really?

I'm after a welder for a bit of DIY, is it worth me checking them out??

I remember the first International store in Maidstone which seemed all the rave at the time.

The "middle of Lidl" varies from week to week, like the Aldi equivalent. 

But I really did see a plasma cutter a few weeks ago, yes.

I doubt their tools are a good choice as a general thing! They are all designed down to a price. So sometimes stuff will be good value, mostly it will be light duty at best. It's basically all their "own brand", Parkside, which is the kind of stuff you would see at the cheapest tier on Amazon, just improved to be actually compliant with EU standards.

Edited by Unfocussed Mike

All my gardening equipment (IANAG) is Parkside.  From a battery chainsaw to hedge trimmer to (my wife’s) sander and (my small) circular saw. 
I agree with Mike’s characterisation but they fit my and my wife’s amateur/hobbyist needs perfectly.  Many are over 7 years old and still going strong. And all work off the same two battery chargers.  So are great value for money.

The middle of Lidl is a treasure trove if you are willing to rummage.  I’ve bought most of my thermal walking gear there, slippers, pans, blender, electric chopper etc.  All sorts of stuff actually.  It’s virtually all perfectly adequate for those of us who are not label snobs, or (unlike Mike) don’t need a specific quality of (say) coffee bean.

I am the supermarket shopper in my family.  I am not looking for a shopping experience and a wide choice but rather good value for money and acceptable quality.  I love the Italian, Iberian, Asian, Eastern European, Swiss and even Scottish weeks that pop up every so often.  They introduced me to foods I never had in Italy (Croccatini) providing a supply of old favourites (Cantuccini); foods I love from Portugal and Spain (Jamon Iberico, Pasteis de Nata, Tarte de Amendoa, Rissois, Bacalhau etc); Swiss favourites (Schnitzel, Strudel) and on and on.  In fact these ‘weeks’ are the bit that make Lidl special not so much the low low prices though for a Scot like me that’s great.

I am hugely amused by the pie-crust collared blouses, puffa jackets, Alice bands, Hunter wellies, Barbour accessories etc wandering around completely lost in a fairly small space.  But hey, as a native guide, I try to help with orientation when I can.

I find it almost physically painful to shop in the ‘mainstream supermarkets’ now.  The kind of pain I previously only felt in Waitrose and M&S…🤣🤣🤣

Just me and I'd say about £15- £20 a weekly on a shop - depending if I need to buy more herbs/base ingredients (£20 - £25 with a bottle of wine), I mainly just eat veg, legumes and fruit so pretty cheap and don't eat out. If I need a snack when I'm on the go I'll just grab a couple of bananas or oranges. I do spend a few extra quid on pints in the pub though !

I also find out when they reduce the food in various supermarkets to fill a couple bags of shopping for a fiver !

I did think I’d spent next to nothing but when you break it down it’s quite a bit,

£4 meal deal 4 days a week just for lunch - £16 (they  sneakily removed the actual deal for non card members and I hate store cards)

about £27 in tescos every week

and one weekend breakfast/ lunch in a fancy cafe - £12

so £55 a week.

but I did live in Switzerland a while back, words cannot describe that rip off. I think no joke £200 per week. And that was snacks as the canteen at work was subsidised so I used that for my main meals.

Edited by Perception