I’m a savings pro – I compared Aldi and Lidl food shops to work out which one is really cheaper, there’s a clear winner

AS WE ARE all trying to snag savings wherever we can right now, there are two supermarkets that are constantly frequented by bargain hunters – Aldi and Lidl.

Their prices are extremely competitive – but is one of them better than the other?

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Consumer expert Tom Church of money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk decided to pit the two stores against each other by picking up an identical list of groceries from both stores and comparing the prices.

He said: “Bargain hunters always mention the savings they’re getting at those stores in our Facebook group, so I decided to find out which brand offered the best overall value.

“I was surprised by the results – there was actually a winner and I thought it was a lot closer than it was. Here’s what I found.”

Ground Beef – Cheaper at ALDI, save 20p

Ground beef is a great option if you’re looking to get your protein on a budget. I’ve noticed the price of chicken breasts has gone up so I’m getting creative by making spaghetti bolognese and chili con carne.

Sometimes I just add pasta to my ground beef and mix in baked beans! I checked out the 500g packs of 20% fat minced beef in both stores – Lidl had it available for £1.95 but Aldi won with their £1.75 20p cheaper version.

Baked Beans – Cheaper at LIDL, 10g more

Next I had to get a can of baked beans. These are definitely a British staple. Whether with boiled potatoes, toast or fries, they go well with so many dishes.

That was close – they were 26p in both stores, but you get 10p more at Lidl. That means they beat Aldi in this case. For some reason Aldi offered a 410g tin while Lidl had a 420g tin!

POTATOES – A TIE

If you’re looking for a bag of potatoes, you can head to either store for this item. I have found 2.5kg bags at the same price of £1.25 at both Lidl and Aldi.

I have to say these two shops both have a good reputation for reasonably priced fruit and veg. I usually save about £20 less a month by picking up my bananas, potatoes and tomatoes from one of these shops.

Macaroni Pasta – Cheaper at ALDI, save 6p

If your kids want macaroni cheese for dinner this week, save pennies by buying your pasta from Aldi instead of Lidl. The price difference may not seem huge, but it all adds up.

I compared their 500g bags and found it was 85p for Lidl but 79p for Aldi. This item is a staple of any grocery closet, so I grabbed the cheaper bag and headed to the fridge next…

Chipolata Sausages – Cheaper at LIDL, more gram for gram

That was interesting – at first glance, Aldi looks like the winner. Their chipolata sausages are £1.75, while Lidl’s product is £2.79. It seems like a no-brainer, right?

But if you take a closer look at the packaging, you will notice that the Lidl product is almost twice as heavy. It’s 681g, while Aldi’s pork chipolatas weigh just 340g. In other words, you get a lot more gram for gram at Lidl, so this time they win.

Mushrooms – cheaper at ALDI, more gram for gram

You can get more sausages at Lidl, but if you want mushrooms, you better go to Aldi. They are offering 260g British chestnut mushrooms for 95p, while Lidl is offering Scottish mushrooms in a 200g pack for 89p.

Again, it’s worth looking at more than the price. Aldi’s product costs 6p more, but you also get 60g more – so better value!

Chicken Legs – Cheaper at ALDI, save 10p

Chicken thighs are a cheaper cut and pair well with veggies for a Sunday roast. I noticed that Lidl offers 1kg for £2.09, but Aldi is 10p less for £1.99.

I was going to grab some to try in the air fryer – lots of bargain hunters are using air fryers these days and I’m going with the trend! I found a recipe online for air fried crispy curried chicken so I’m going to try that soon.

Chopped Tomatoes – Cheaper at ALDI, save 7p

Sliced ​​tomatoes are a must-have for any food cupboard. They fill up every conceivable dish and are also cheap. However, there’s always an opportunity to save a little more, and that’s exactly what I did here.

I found a can at Lidl for 39p but Aldi had their own version for 32p. If you’re buying multiple cans at once to stock up, that 7p saving will quickly add up. It’s always worth keeping an eye on the prices of such staples.

Plain Flour – Cheaper at ALDI, save 11p

Flour is one of those things that we usually buy quickly when we’re running low, but even if you don’t buy it that often it’s worth checking the prices because there can be big differences depending on the location.

I found evidence of this by looking at the offer at Lidl where I would pay 69p – and comparing it to Aldi where I could get the same amount for 58p, 11p less!

Vanilla Cream – Cheaper at ALDI

Aldi strikes again with larger product sizes and better value for money. Their custard creams cost 49p, while Lidl offers these biscuits for 37p.

However, you get more from Aldi and they work a little cheaper. If you prefer bourbon biscuits, you can head to either store – they’re 66p at Lidl, or you can buy half a lot for half price at Aldi and pay 33p.

The LatestDeals.co.uk co-founder concluded: “Most products were cheaper at Aldi, which I found surprising. I figured there would be a more even split between the two stores.

“There is no guarantee that this situation will remain the same if prices change. That’s why I always recommend being unfaithful to supermarket brands and using resources like the supermarket comparison tool to find the best prices for your groceries, so you can go to the stores with peace of mind knowing you’re saving as much money as possible. “