In the quest to stretch our hard-earned dollars further, savvy shopping is not just a skill—it's an art form.

For those who have embraced the thrifty lifestyle, ALDI has become a haven for shoppers.

One mum talked about her money-saving journey with the German retailer.

Lidia Scida, a mum of two, is a household name among budget-conscious shoppers.

She mastered the art of frugal grocery shopping, saving a whopping $100 a week by frequenting ALDI.

Lidia's approach is methodical and disciplined—she fills her cart with the bulk of her grocery list.

After she exhausts all options, she heads to Coles to pick up additional items that didn't make the cut at ALDI.

Lidia showed her ALDI and Coles’ haul and their prices in a now-viral video. Image Credit: TikTok/jlhz22

It's a strategy that served her well, with her weekly grocery bill ranging between $150-$250 at ALDI and an additional $80-$130 at Coles.

Yet, despite her love for the discount retailer's array of products, she draws the line at one particular item: bread.

Why bread? According to Lidia, it simply doesn't meet her standards.

‘I buy in bulk and freeze. I just find it doesn't defrost as well,’ Lidia shared.

‘But the wraps, croissants, muffins, English muffins, and bagels are great!’

Lidia's shopping savvy doesn't stop at bread.

‘I think where ALDI shines is their frozen food department—I have enjoyed everything we've ever chosen as a treat or side from there,’ she said.

She also opts for ALDI's rosé, dishwashing tablets, washing powder, fabric softener, glad wrap, foil, and cheese, citing the significant price difference.

On the flip side, she goes to Coles for sponges, hair products, female products, deodorants, bread, and John West tuna.

It's a balance that works for her, allowing her to enjoy quality products without breaking the bank.

Lidia's recent video highlighted the stark price difference between her ALDI haul and the few items she picked up from Coles.

Her ALDI haul, which included fresh fruit, vegetables, canned food, frozen food, conditioner, and drain cleaner, totalled $255 for more than 35 items.

In contrast, a small selection from Coles, including bread, carrots, and tuna, came to $78.

The disparity left her—and many viewers—astonished.

‘You don’t realise how ripped off you are shopping at Woolies and Cole’s until you go to ALDI,’ one comment wrote.

‘I need to start shopping at ALDI like yesterday,’ another added.

‘I wish they had an online shop though,’ a third suggested.

Watch Lidia's comparison video:

Source: jlhz22/TikTok​

Lidia's story is a lesson in shopping smart.

With thorough planning and a willingness to shop around, reducing your grocery bill is possible.

Key Takeaways

• Aussie mum Lidia Scida saves approximately $100 a week by prioritising her shopping at ALDI, only going to Coles for particular items.
• Lidia does not buy bread from ALDI as she finds it doesn’t defrost well after being frozen.
• She avoids buying staple household items such as dishwashing tablets and cheese from Coles or Woolworths due to higher prices.
• In her video, Lidia criticised Coles and Woolworths for their pricing and compared how much she saves at ALDI versus leading supermarkets.

What are your thoughts on ALDI's offerings? Have you found items that you swear by or some that you avoid at all costs? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.

 

[Colette 3799]

Aldi cheese is awful. The slices break when you try and seperate them and the block cheese just crumbles. The foil breaks when you pull it out of the box and everything stuck to the non stick baking paper, I used that twice and threw the whole thing in the re-cycling and went and bought the Glad wrap brand. False economy, you get what you pay for.

 

[Veggiepatch]

How about a real comparison? Coles and Woolworths list the price of all products in their range. Aldi used to do that but stopped listing their prices several years ago for reasons unknown. I questioned Aldi on the deletion of this feature to no avail.

 

[Elvenwishes]

My main shop is ALDI. I do on the occassion go to Woolies or Coles if I cannot find what I am looking for (but I have at times not bought that item either way). I have not found any issue with the cheese slices or the block of chesse, I prefer ALDI's cling wrap and aluminum foil and the baking paper is nice and wide. That woman that doesn't buy bread from ALDI because it doesn't defrost properly not sure what the issue is I freeze alot of my bread from ALDI and it defrosts just perfect, but she buys from what it was in the video like Woolies own brand bread (I have had issues with that freezing etc not nice).
But I guess everyone is different and when a person can save money which I do it is a win win for me.

 

[trakn]

Why do people continue to tell their story,then fudge the figures.
" more than 35 items for $255 ( why not the exact number).
then Coles a small selection including bread carrots and tuna $78.
You buy in bulk and you buy John west( so you bought10 large or 25 small tins tuna plus 5 loaves coles bread and 5 kgs of carrots)
Doesn't look as bad as just mentioning 3 items.

 

[Janet g]

Why would you go to the trouble of putting your groceries in the bedroom to take a photo ? Especially the frozen food mmm ??

 

[Emwick]

Yes, every penny counts in the face of current cost-of-living pressures. I always write out a shopping list after checking what's currently in my freezer and in my pantry. Then, when I reach my shopping centre, I spend 45 min comparing prices of my listed food items/ household essentials.
I am very lucky to have three major supermarkets under one roof - Coles, Woolies and Aldi - each just a few walking distance to each other. In the same complex, there is a fresh fruit and vegetable store called "Gilbert's ".As a bonus, my local IGA is just 3 min. away by car.

My choice would depend on the price, quality and freshness of a food item in one store compared to the other venues. For the past 8 weeks now, "Gilbert's" has been my choice for fruits and vegetables. For my cuts of meat, I get some trays from Woolies and some from Coles. I frown on buying pre-prepared dishes in boxes or trays as these are expensive and often have less meat than accompanying mashed potatoes or gravy. At my local Aldi's, I buy snacks like chips and popcorn for my teenage grandchildren, toilet paper and tissue, bread and pastries, household cleaning items and the "specials" Aldi offers from time to time such as winter clothing, kitchen gadgets, car accessories, etc.

Buying in bulk, a good online merchant is "Catch of the Day", Australia's answer to Amazon. If you order on a regular basis, all shipping is "free" with a $4/month subscription to "One Pass" that may be paused any time if you no longer intend to continue regular online shopping.

 

[darrellh]

Yes, every penny counts in the face of current cost-of-living pressures. I always write out a shopping list after checking what's currently in my freezer and in my pantry. Then, when I reach my shopping centre, I spend 45 min comparing prices of my listed food items/ household essentials.
I am very lucky to have three major supermarkets under one roof - Coles, Woolies and Aldi - each just a few walking distance to each other. In the same complex, there is a fresh fruit and vegetable store called "Gilbert's ".As a bonus, my local IGA is just 3 min. away by car.

My choice would depend on the price, quality and freshness of a food item in one store compared to the other venues. For the past 8 weeks now, "Gilbert's" has been my choice for fruits and vegetables. For my cuts of meat, I get some trays from Woolies and some from Coles. I frown on buying pre-prepared dishes in boxes or trays as these are expensive and often have less meat than accompanying mashed potatoes or gravy. At my local Aldi's, I buy snacks like chips and popcorn for my teenage grandchildren, toilet paper and tissue, bread and pastries, household cleaning items and the "specials" Aldi offers from time to time such as winter clothing, kitchen gadgets, car accessories, etc.

Buying in bulk, a good online merchant is "Catch of the Day", Australia's answer to Amazon. If you order on a regular basis, all shipping is "free" with a $4/month subscription to "One Pass" that may be paused any time if you no longer intend to continue regular online shopping.

Sounds like you shop in WA since Gilbert's is there. We are aĺso spoilt for choice with all 4 major supermarkets within 2 minutes of us so makes it easy

 

[Toyo]

I find there is nothing wrong with Aldi products, many are made in Australia or sourced in Australia and good quality. I have often walked into Coles and Woolworths and thought wow, I really can't afford to shop here any more. I have found nothing wrong with the bread, but then I only eat rye sourdough, rest of the family eat Aldi bread with no problems. Aldi sells good shampoo and conditioner and the products are comparable or better than name brands. Nothing wrong with the cheese either it tastes and performs exactly the same as name brand cheese and you would probably find it actually comes from the same company just marked differently for Aldi with their brand names thats been my experience anyway. Each to their own I say.

 

[John Szmajda]

Looks like Lidia can afford more...just sell that sparkling ring on her finger!