Aldi v. Lidl: where school lunch essentials may cost less

Ben Dennis
·2 min read

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — As many families wonder when prices for essentials will decrease, despite a promising inflation outlook, price checking between discount grocery stores can help families build student school lunches for less.

Shoppers that have stepped inside Aldi and Lidl know that low sticker prices are easy to find. That’s why DC News Now price checked various school lunch essentials to see where to stretch your dollar the most.

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Savings on produce, prepared meats, frozen items and pantry finds are a-plenty down the discount store aisles.

Sevil Tahmazova said Lidl appeals to her because she loves international products which are available for less, adding that the store’s app offers attractive additional savings.

“I get sometimes free yogurt, free packed of tissues for example, like a lot of them … juice [and] chocolate,” she said.

To build a lunch for school children, DC News Now compared prices between Aldi and Lidl on Monday for bread, sliced meat, vegetables, apples and a snack.

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The prices listed below were found at an Aldi and a Lidl location in Alexandria, Va.:

  • White bread cost 50 cents for one loaf at both stores. Store-packaged sliced meats were generally cheaper at Aldi, coming in at $3.19 compared to $4.49 at Lidl.

  • Canned green beans and corn cost 63 cents a can at Aldi, and 58 to 64 cents at Lidl.

  • Aldi’s pack of red delicious apples were 46 cents cheaper at Aldi — priced at $2.89.

  • A bag of goldfish crackers cost the same price at both stores at $3.87.

“We’re obviously shopping around for where we can buy the cheapest,” said Lidl shopper, Barbara Pearson.

“Walmart has great prices too. Buying in quantity. Giant and Safeway don’t have the prices for us at all,” Pearson added.

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DC News Now price-checked Giant and Safeway’s prices for the same lunch essentials previously mentioned, and found they are more costly than Lidl and Aldi.

The key here is to price check anywhere before buying which can save cash, as can loyalty programs to get cash back or even items for free.

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