Amid the cost of living crisis, we are all trying to make our money stretch a little bit further. And with a weekly supermarket shop costing more than it did a few years ago - or even a few months ago - saving a few bob here and there with our shopping will soon add up.
To help us save money in the shop, co-founder and 'chief bargain hunter' of LatestDeals.co.uk, Tom Church, has shared some tips which he says could help save you up to £200 in Aldi. From researching which special buys you want to purchase before they go on sale to doing your shopping on a Wednesday when new stock typically arrives in-store, Tom has some great suggestions to help us stick to our budget and reduce our spending, as reported by YorkshireLive.
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1. Familiarise yourself with Aldi's "unique" pricing strategy
Tom says that whilst Aldi used to be known as one of the cheapest supermarkets in the UK, a few years ago the supermarket changed its strategy from offering "everyday low prices" to a mixture of high and low prices.
What this means is Aldi stocks a mixture of cheaper products and mid-range products too - so shoppers should remind themselves that just because something is in Aldi, doesn't mean it is necessarily the cheapest. For example, Tom recently found six eggs were £1.29 in his local Aldi supermarket but just £1 in M&S, and chicken wings were £1.99 in Aldi but £1.45 in M&S - on this occasion, Tom would have saved some money by buying these products at M&S - so he recommends learning what products are cheapest in Aldi than elsewhere.
2. Buy Aldi Special Buys online before they're sold in-store
Tom recommends Aldi shoppers read the Aldi special buys leaflet - and ordering the items online days before they're available in-store. Whilst they sell out quickly online, there's more available on the website than in your local Aldi store - so you've got a better chance of getting what you're after. Plus, the items are more likely to be discounted online, Tom says.
3. Stick to Aldi's private-label brands
Tom says Aldi keeps many of its prices low as it buys products in bulk. Whilst Aldi does stock branded products, it's worth looking at Aldi's own version for products that are cheaper - and nearly always as good. For example, Tom says he prefer Aldi cheese puffs to branded Wotsits.
4. Shop on a Wednesday or Sunday
Tom recommends shopping when new stock arrives at Aldi - which is typically a Wednesday for regular items and a Sunday for speciality products, he says. Alternatively, go to Aldi the evening before these days as unsold previous stock may be reduced to clear, to make way for the new stock.
5. Try Aldi's dupes
Aldi is known for its own version of branded goods and they often look and taste very similar to the original/branded products they're inspired by. You can save money by buying Aldi's versions of items rather than the more expensive branded version.
6. Keep an eye out for products with red stickers on them
Aldi's red stickers indicate that the product has been discounted. Typically, red stickers are applied in the mornings rather than evenings, so if you're in the shop on a morning keep your eyes peeled for them.
7. "Get The Super 6"
Every fortnight, Aldi chooses six fruits and vegetables and reduces them to a fantastic price. At the moment, for example, a 1kg bag of potatoes is just 89p, five oranges are 99p, aubergines are 59p each, six apples are 69p, a bag of pears is 79p and a 100g pack of baby corn is 89p. Customers should definitely take advantage of the Super 6.
8. Peruse the Special Buys section
This section of the supermarket has new deals every week - so it's definitely worth keeping your eyes peeled for new products and bargains. Tom says some of the best things to look out for are DIYY tools and children's toys. "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," he said.
9. Buy specific products at Aldi
Several products are cheaper than Aldi than anywhere else, Tom says. He'd recommend shoppers stock up on tinned fish, nappies and batteries whenever they go to Aldi as they're much more expensive elsewhere.
10. Sign up to the Aldi newsletter and follow them on social media
Aldi sends a newsletter to its shoppers to let them know about the latest deals and bargains to help keep customers in-the-loop - just like we send our readers regular newsletters with the biggest news stories from the day! We even have a What's On and a Food & Drink newsletter, you can sign up to them here.
Tom says: "Be the first to know about deals by signing up for the Aldi newsletter and following them on social media. They often announce upcoming deals on their Instagram stories, so you can nab them before anyone else. Hot topics are the back to school deals and new beauty dupes."
11. Shop early in the morning or when its quieter
Shopping when the store is quiet fives you the best change of being able to pick up reduced products - Tom recommends going when everyone else is on the school run, if you can.
12. Use a Supermarket Comparison Tool
You can compare prices at different supermarkets to make sure you're getting the deal. LatestDeals.co.uk has a free supermarket price comparison tool.
13. Go through the baskets in the store
Sometimes, you can find extra bargains due to errors like wrong sizes, Tom says, so it's worth going through the baskets in the store
14. Stock up on Aldi's cheap booze!
Aldi stocks a wide range of delicious and good-priced alcohol, including Aldi's Haysmith's Rhubarb & Ginger Gin, £14.99, which has been named one of the best gins in the world - beating out stiff competition from premium brands that cost around double the price of Aldi's version.
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