With the price of seemingly everything at an all-time high, many shoppers are eager to cut costs and look for extra savings where possible. One supermarket that is well-known however for its low prices and budget items is Aldi.
Tom Church, co-founder of online shopping community LatestDeals.co.uk, has revealed his ultimate guide to saving money at the discount retailer. He has listed 14 tips that could save shoppers hundreds of pounds.
He claims that by using these tips, people can ‘save up to £200’ on grocery shopping. His hacks include comparing prices, learning what Aldi’s cheapest for and what it’s not, allowing customers to stick to a budget and reduce their supermarket spend.
READ MORE: Aldi shoppers love ‘great value’ £30 garden furniture that are ‘brilliant quality’
Below are the tips that he recommends to ensure shoppers are getting the maximum value for their money:
1. Get to know Aldi’s unique pricing strategy
A few years ago Aldi changed from being about everyday low prices (EDLP) to a hybrid of high-low pricing. “So you can no longer assume everything is the cheapest just because it’s in Aldi,” Tom says.
He also claims to have recently found six eggs that were £1.29 at Aldi, “but just £1 in M&S and chicken wings were £1.99 but £1.45 at M&S”. He added: “Try to learn what Aldi is cheapest for so you’re constantly saving.”
2. Buy Aldi Specialbuys Online Days Before
Tom also suggests reading the Specialbuys leaflet online and “you’ll see you can order items online days before they’re available in-store. If something is super popular, it sells out fast online and there’s less stock delivered to the shops.”
He added: “So it’s always better to look online for them. This is when many of those high-priced items get discounted, and there are weekly deals on homeware, gardening, toys and more.”
3. Stick to Aldi’s private-label brands
According to Tom, Aldi reportedly keeps costs low by limiting the bulk of its merchandise to its private-label brands. “These products offer great quality at a lower price than competitors. While there are some branded products on sale, such as Coca-Cola, I find Aldi’s own versions nearly always just as good and cheaper. One of my favourites is Aldi cheese puffs rather than Wotsits.”
4. Shop when new stock arrives
“Generally, Aldi restocks regular items on Wednesdays and specialty products are restocked on Sundays,” Tom says. “Plan your shopping trips on these days to take advantage of new stock arrivals. Or, shop the evenings before when unsold previous stock may be reduced to clear.”
5. Try out Aldi’s dupes
Aldi is known for its cheeky dupes of branded goods, from its take on Jaffa Cakes and Gordon’s Gin to its own version of Mini Cheddars. Tom says you can also find dupes for designer perfumes such as Jo Malone and beauty products such as Clinique.
6. Look for red stickers
“Keep an eye out for red stickers that indicate extra savings on products. Unlike Tesco and Sainsbury’s that use yellow stickers for reduced-to-clear items, Aldi’s are red. And they’re generally applied in the mornings rather than the evenings (more similar to M&S),” Tom added.
7. Get the Super 6
Tom says that every two weeks, Aldi reportedly picks six fruits and vegetables and reduces them to a “silly low price”. He added: “Right now it has aubergine 59p each, 6 apples 69p, bag of pears 79p, 1kg potatoes 89p, 100g babycorn 89p, and 5 oranges 99p.”
8. Check out the Special Buys section
Tom said: “This section has new deals every week on a variety of products. Keep an eye out for new arrivals and grab a bargain. I particularly enjoy toys for my son (they had Bluey last week), DIY tools, and picking up weird and wonderful condiments for some dodgy cooking experiments.”
9. Buy particular products
Some products, like tinned fish, nappies and batteries, can be cheaper at Aldi than other supermarkets.
10. Sign up for the Aldi newsletter
Tom says shoppers can be the first to know about deals by signing up for the Aldi newsletter and following the supermarket on social media. It often announces upcoming deals on its Instagram Story. Tom says hot topics are the back to school deals and new beauty dupes.
11. Shop early in the morning or during quiet times
This gives you the best chance of landing reductions on products. “I try to go early morning when everyone else is on the school run,” Tom says.
12. Use a Supermarket Comparison Tool
Compare prices at different supermarkets to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Latest Deals has a free supermarket price comparison tool.
13. Dig through baskets in the store
You may find extra bargains due to errors like wrong sizes, Tom said.
14. Take advantage of Aldi’s bargain booze
Aldi’s Haysmith’s Rhubarb & Ginger Gin, which costs £14.99 and has been named one of the best gins in the world. It beat out competition from premium brands, including Edinburgh Gin’s Rhubarb & Ginger flavour, which costs around double the price of Aldi’s version.
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