Lidl Full Shop - The Haugh Family

Week 1

 

Armed with my trusty shopping list I was very excited to start my 4-week Lidl shopping experience and put the store to its ultimate test!

 

I have often popped into Lidl to pick up some bread, milk and other emergency essentials since its arrival in my local area of Stillorgan. However I have never attempted to do a full grocery shop there as I had this notion that I wouldn't be able to pick up everything I needed in-store. Well I couldn't have been more wrong, not only did I get everything on my list, I got even more besides!

 

From the moment I walked into the supermarket, I was greeted with the smell of freshly baked bread, my mood was positive right from the off. I chose multi-grain, wholemeal and wholewheat tortilla wraps for the week's lunches. I then swiftly moved to the fresh fruit and vegetable aisle where I stocked up on the weekly specials, particularly thrilled to pop the bag of pears with extra 50% free into my trolley.

 

Next on the list was meat and fish and boy was I surprised at the value to be had. I bought two large packets of XL lean beef mincemeat to which I later matched one packet with tins of tomatoes, onions, kidney beans, sweet peppers and a packet of Chilli Con Carne mealmaker spices, and the other with an old favourite bolognese recipe passed down to me by my mother-in-law.

 

 

I picked up a large packet of chicken breasts also on special offer, with the idea to make fajitas during the week. I also bought two packets of three cuts of minute steak which I couldn't resist as they were on special too. Combined with baby potatoes and some chargrilled veg, this was going to be a delicious meal for the family. Finally I picked up some darnes of pink salmon and paired them with a tray of eggs for my children's all-time favourite lunch, scrambled eggs and flaked poached salmon. Great brain food!

 

I fulfilled all of my shopping requirements in the chilled refrigerator section with cold meats, cheese and yogurts for packed lunches - I even managed to pick up a box of Yoplait Frubes, a staple in our house. I'd done a big toiletries shop the week before so I wasn't low on anything other than toilet paper and was impressed to find supplies of wet toilet tissue wipes at half the price of the branded ones I usually buy.

 

Wheeling my trolley down the home-stretch to the till-point my eye was diverted to a professional looking hairdryer, while not on my grocery shopping list, it had been on my other "To Do" list for quite some time but I hadn't made it to Argos and done the required research that comes with an investment buy of this nature. I couldn't believe the specification and more importantly the price of the Lidl special buy and promptly popped it into my trolley feeling very pleased with myself. I expected that this additional purchase for €20 might tip me over the €100 budget I had for shopping, combined with the enormous amount of meat and fish I had purchased. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised with the final bill came to just €103, winner!