You’ve been shopping at Aldi all wrong – 4 things you need to know to save cash

YOU might have been doing your grocery shop at Aldi wrong this whole time – unaware that there’s more savings to add to your basket, online and in-store.

Prices at the supermarket are rising at an alarming rate, so many shoppers are looking to slash their spends in any way they can.

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But you can be smart about which items you pick up off the shelf, and cashing-in on limited time offers and more, to quickly lower your bill at the checkout.

Shopping at Aldi is a start – it’s known for it’s low prices, and was named second cheapest supermarket in Which?’s latest roundup.

So if you do your grocery shop at the budget retailer, you’re already going to save a few pennies compared to a pricier store.

But what if there were ways to slash your supermarket spends even more?

We take a look at four different ways you can cut costs at Aldi.

Getting duped

Aldi is no stranger to a bit of copying – the supermarket was locked in a legal battle with M&S last year over copycat claims.

The budget store had started selling a cake called Cuthbert the Caterpillar which looked a little too similar to the posh store’s own creation. 

But Aldi has plenty more look-alikes instore and you can use the copycat products to your own shopping advantage.

Plenty of products are just a striking match with big name brands – but at just a fraction of the cost.

For example, a 100g bar of “Bubbly” chocolate from the budget supermarket costs 69p.

But a similar sized bar of the original Nestle Aero that it’s trying to recreate, is 89p at rival Tesco – a difference of 20p on your shop.

If you’re willing to give up big brand names then you could cut a sizeable chunk out of your supermarket bill.

Seeing red

Aldi has its own version of yellow sticker bargains too.

But in the budget supermarket they’re red, so you need to keep your eyes peeled if you were looking for discounted food labelled up differently.

Supermarkets will often reduce the price of food nearing its use by date to shift stock and avoid food wastage – and the store will flag these discounts with yellow stickers.

The food is still good to eat, and in some cases you can freeze what you buy so it will last that bit longer too.

You can often save up to 75% off products marked up in this way, so it’s worth keeping an eye out in the store.

Aldi discounts other goods by 30% if the packaging is imperfect too.

Freebies

Alongside all the low prices, there’s the occasional freebie you can score too.

Aldi shoppers can pick up FREE nappies in-store with an easy-to-claim voucher, for example.

On offer right now is a 24 pack of Mamia size one newborn nappies, which usually cost 79p to buy from the budget supermarket.

But parents can get the full-sized pack free of charge thanks to a Netmums trial.

You have to sign up, and you’ll be mailed your free voucher that you can claim only in an Aldi store.

It’s great for struggling parents though, and sometimes you can cash in on other deals.

This one was spotted by bargain hunters on Latest Deals, but to keep track of other freebies and more, you can use the site along with other deal hunting sites like Hotukdeals.

You can also find other bargains that might otherwise be “hidden” to you by joining Facebook groups – there’s one called Aldishoppersuk, and others like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK host great deals too.

Something special

Aldi shoppers flock to the online store portal on weekends and all for one reason only.

Specialbuys are products launched by the low-cost supermarket every Thursday and Sunday.

The items cover a range of activities and hobbies, like camping, fitness, or DIY.

But most things come pretty cheap, which is why shoppers love to cash-in.

The supermarket sells a popular garden egg-chair for example that’s much cheaper than rivals – and it’s sells-out in record time without fail every time it’s launched on the site.

Shoppers have even been able to bag bargain hot tubs or sofa sets in the past too.

Of course, you have to keep in mind that it’s only a bargain if you were planning on splashing out anyway.

That £190 egg chair won’t save you any money if you didn’t need to buy it in the first place.

It’s also worth having a shop around, as even though the retailer is known for its low prices you might find an even better bargain elsewhere.

Aldi is not the only store where you might have been doing your shopping wrong.

We’ve looked at ways to spend less at Ikea, and how to bag a bargain at B&M.