You’ve been shopping at Lidl all wrong – here are six ways to bag a bargain

SHOPPERS love Lidl for its low prices but even bigger savings are available if you know the top ways to bag a bargain.

We’ve rounded up the best tips for getting a great deal at the discount supermarket.

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You can get discounts, freebies and special offers if you follow these tricks.

Lidl doesn’t offer online shopping so you’ll have to head to a physical store to see what’s in stock.

You can find your nearest shop by using Lidl’s online branch locator, where you can also view opening hours.

Loyalty card

Lidl has a loyalty scheme for frequent shoppers to get deals and freebies.

To access the scheme you need to download the app and register your details.

You’ll get coupons every Thursday, which will change each week.

This week you can get 20% off tortellini and fresh pasta sauces.

Shoppers can also get 15% off deluxe juices and lemonades, unsalted nuts and chilled pastry pies.

You’ll also get extra goodies when you spend a certain amount.

Customers who spend £50 in a month will get a free bakery item next time they go shopping.

If you spend £100 in a month you’ll get a £2 off coupon, and you’ll get a £10 discount if you reach £200.

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Be careful when you’re using the app and don’t spend extra money to hit the discounts, as you could end up losing out.

You’ll also be entered into prize draws and will be able to access offers with Lidl’s partners.

Middle of Lidl

Lidl’s middle aisle is a treasure trove of bargains, where you can pick up everything from DIY tools to clothes.

It refreshes the items every Thursday and Sunday.

You don’t have to wait to randomly stumble across something you want.

If you’re looking for something specific, you could check the Lidl website to see it’s coming up.

The supermarket publishes what middle aisle special offers are scheduled in the next few weeks.

For example, there’s a Mother’s Day themed sale coming up, as well as health and beauty, kitchen appliances and arts and crafts.

Make sure you compare prices before buying something from the middle aisle so you know you’re getting the best deal.

Yellow stickers

Lidl’s already a discount store but you can get even cheaper items at certain times of the day

Experts said Lidl discounts its items at the start of the day, unlike other grocers which wait until just before closing time.

Lidl usually reduces products in its 800 UK stores near the use-by date to about 30% of the original price, bloggers from Student Hacks have previously revealed.

Opening times vary from shop to shop, but most open from 7am or 8am.

You can find out your local branch’s opening times by using Lidl’s online store finder tool.

Pick of the week

Lidl launches weekly food offers, when it slashes the price of fresh fruit and veg.

For example this week, a five pack of apples is 79p, down from £1.29 and asparagus tips are just 95p instead of £1.39.

You can pick up a 2.5kg bag of maris piper potatoes for 89p rather than £1.15, and a 200g bag of cavolo nero is 59p, down from 99p.

You should only buy things you actually need otherwise it is a waste of food and money.

But it’s worth checking out what’s been discounted in case it’s a good time to get something from your list.

If it’s a really good saving, you could always check whether you can pop it in the freezer for another time.

Time it right

The quietest time to shop at Lidl tends to be in the evening.

You might miss out on the yellow stickers, but you’ll be able to focus more which could help you spot a bargain.

You’ll have the most peaceful visit between 9pm and 10pm.

However, this can vary day-to-day and between stores.

You can use Google’s “popular times” feature to find out the least busy periods for your nearest shop.

Local offers

Lidl’s offers vary across the UK so make sure you’re looking at what’s available in your area.

You can do this by going to Lidl’s store locator and entering your postcode.

A list of the nearest stores will come up and you can click on a link to view online leaflets.

For example, in London currently you can get a roast in the bag whole chicken for £3.29, down from £3.99.

But in Birmingham, you’ll be able to get two Sea Bass fillets for £2.39, reduced from £2.89.

You’ll also be able to find details of local offers in store.

There are secret tricks for shopping at all the major UK supermarkets.

For example, you can save money with these tips at Tesco, Aldi and B&M.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk