With grocery prices climbing, more Australians are looking for ways to cut the cost of their weekly shop. Aldi is famous for its budget-friendly alternatives, but not every dupe is a winner.
We asked our Facebook followers one simple question: “What’s your go-to Aldi dupe?” Hundreds of shoppers weighed in, revealing the Aldi products they buy instead of big-brand alternatives. From pantry staples to household essentials, these are the supermarket swaps they say are worth making.
8 of the best Aldi dupes
It’s official: Aldi’s blue cheese is the people’s champion. Several commenters named exactly which cheese they mean – the Emporium Selection Smooth Blue Vein Cheese (200g, $5.99), with one commenter saying, “This is better than the other most popular brand and heaps cheaper.”
Made in Denmark from local milk and double cream, it has a rich, creamy texture and a tangy flavour.
Others didn’t discriminate, saying “All the Cheeses!!!”
Coming in as the single most-liked comment on the whole post, one shopper summed it up perfectly: “hands down the best when u have 5 little kiddies.” With 320 likes, this laundry hero was clearly a lifesaver for parents everywhere.
Butter
Nothing united Aldi shoppers quite like butter. One simple tip, “Butterfully butter instead of Western Star”, struck a nerve, racking up 244 likes.
A couple of shoppers gave a shoutout to Pure Valley Butter, a 100% spreadable option with no added oil (one noted it’s more of a treat at around $8 for 375g, rather than a straight budget swap).
Aldi’s lamb shanks were another popular product worth detouring for. “The Aldi pre-cooked lamb shanks are excellent and perfect for those living on their own. They are a two-pack but packaged separately,” commented one person.
“Don’t tell anyone about the Lamb Shanks, I could get them last time I was in store.,” joked another shopper.
One commenter rated Aldi’s Italian-style tuna as good as Sirena’s, at half the price.
Another Aldi shopper added: “Their very small tins of tuna are much cheaper than elsewhere at $1.29 Australian.” Another agreed, saying, “They have a really nice range of [canned tuna] flavours.”
The same commenter who rated Aldi’s Italian-style tuna as good as Sirena’s also makes the trip for the Trimat laundry detergent.
“Italian style tuna same as Sirena and half the price and laundry detergent Trimax better than Omo and half the price,” they wrote.
One take was refreshingly specific: Belmont Biscuit Co. Stem Ginger Cookies (200g, $2.49). These “actually taste like ginger… and not hard tooth-breaking things like Arnott’s sell,” explained a shopper.
Rounding out the list, one shopper’s tip is “shower mould spray”, with others backing it, saying, “hands down the best product ever.”
It’s Aldi’s Power Force Mould Away (500ml, around $2.79). It claims to kill mould in 30 seconds, kill 99.9% of bacteria, and keep surfaces cleaner for longer, with eucalyptus oil added to the formula. It’s bleach-based at its core, so while it’s effective at clearing visible mould and soap scum, some users say sprays like this treat surface staining rather than eliminating mould spores at the root.
Honourable mentions
A few more dupes that just missed the cut but deserve a mention:
- Toilet paper
- Cartwheels (Wagon Wheels dupe)
- Fresh produce
- Drumstick ice creams
The verdict
Butter, cheese and laundry products dominate the list, but the real takeaway might be this comment, which got plenty of likes in agreement: “My answer is every item is just as good if not better and cheaper.”
