Aldi versus Lidl

For all you people who've been holding your breath since I said I'd do a shop at Lidl to compare prices one day, you'll be glad to know I did so today... Basically they work out about the same - some stuff's more, some stuff's less. The shop came to just under £40 for the week. It has to be said Lidl's melon's are pretty impressive - look very good quality and big, and only £1 each (Aldi's are small, shrivelled and £1.49!). However, Lidl don't stock some pretty basic things like oatcakes, rice cakes and cocoa powder, and I wanted two carrots but they didn't sell them loose so I would have had to buy a bag which would have only led to waste. Lidl also don't sell Salt n' Shake crisps which I like to get because we just don't salt them which is better for everyone (though actually we keep crisps and chocolate bars in Josh's car now so the kids and I aren't tempted by them which means they're actually available for his lunches but he prefers them with no salt anyway).

So, I'm sticking with Aldi from here on in, which makes more sense petrol-wise as well because I drive past it everyday :) I really need to start taking my own bags though - I always forget and now have a cupboard full of them because I'm determined to put them in a recycling collection point eventually!

As an interesting aside, I asked the cashier guy when he'd started his shift coz he seemed bored and he said 6am (it was now about 10:45am). So I wondered when he was on until and he said 7pm! He's still there now and I'm about to put the kids to bed!! So I asked how many breaks he gets and the answer was one! - for half an hour!! Man, it's good to have a job and everything but I don't blame him for looking bored! I asked him how many hours he does in a week, figuring the bonus of long shifts is less days in work, but the answer was 50!! - so he's still there 5 days. I assumed he must just need/want to do that but it turned out most of the employees work those hours. Flip! It made me feel so grateful that I get to be a fulltime mummy, even if it does mean we have less money than we would if I worked. Ooh, that's something I'm thankful for - how fitting for my blog!

Another interesting point I learnt is that the owners of Aldi and Lidl are brothers! Credit to my mum for that piece of knowledge! I wonder how that affects their relationship.. I assume they're in competition with each other and therefore don't share their business secrets but maybe they work together, a bit like Coke and Pepsi?