Most of my grocery shopping is done at Lidl. Not only is it my nearest supermarket but I’m impressed with most of the products (let’s not mention wasabi ice-cream!), the prices are highly competitive and the Lidl app gives a variety of offers and bonuses that save me a decent chunk of change each month.
However, there is perhaps a flaw with their bonus scheme. If you spend more, you get bigger rewards, up to 10% off your next shop when you spend at least £250 in a calendar month. Especially with the “Middle of Lidl” aisles containing decent quality hardware and other goods (yesterday I found I was wearing the same comfy Lidl-sold shirt as someone else at church) that is all too easy to do. That’s good but, to my mind at least, there is an incentive to not cross the £250 threshold too early in the month. The vouchers only last for a week so, if I cross £250 towards the end of the month, it means I can do a big shop at the start of the following month, giving me both the maximum saving and a head-start on the next £250.
Anyway, a combination of not wanting to get too far ahead with Lidl along with expiry dates looming on some Sainsbury’s Nectar vouchers (and, to be fair, some items I can’t get in Lidl) meant I was down at that store this afternoon. Petrol (one voucher) then groceries, where I managed to use both an existing voucher and one I got from the petrol station. Plenty of Nectar and plenty of win!