I went shopping in Lidl and had to double-take at some of the prices

I usually go shopping in Lidl and do a fairly boring essentials run – milk, bread, vegetables and a few cupboard staples. I’ll be honest: I usually treat the middle aisle as a place you glance at, not somewhere you seriously shop.

For homeware, gadgets or household bits, I normally default to online retailers like Amazon or Argos. They’re quick, familiar and I know roughly what prices to expect. But this time, curiosity got the better of me – and I came out genuinely stunned by the prices I spotted in Lidl’s middle aisle.

We’re talking prices that were comfortably lower than what I’ve paid online in recent months, even before delivery fees are added on.

Some of the real standouts for me were the energy-saving buys aimed at the colder months. The Silentnight Winter Warmer king-size electric blanket was just £24.99 – a full £11 cheaper than Boots where it’s currently £35.99. The same blanket was also priced higher at £29.69 in Tesco, making Lidl the clear winner.

A Silentnight Airmax 600 2L dehumidifier was another surprise bargain at £49.99, which feels like a steal when most comparable models are priced well over £80 elsewhere. 

The savings didn’t stop there. I spotted a 17L Daewoo halogen air fryer for £29.99 – that’s £20 cheaper than it currently is at Amazon for £49.99, alongside a Silvercrest air fryer with grill and smoker reduced to £79.99 from £99.99. Considering how popular air fryers still are, these prices felt like a good deal. 

One of the best bargains I saw was a Silvercrest toaster in a retro pastel green finish for just £16.99. A matching microwave costs just £49.99.

There was also a Russell Hobbs microwave priced at £49.99 – the same model is on sale at Tesco for £30 more at £79.99. Having only recently bought the same brand of microwave on Amazon for £80, I’ll admit I was seriously kicking myself.

What really impressed me was the number of recognisable brands on offer. Lidl’s middle aisle mixes its own ranges with well-known names, and seeing branded homeware at these prices genuinely felt like a win.

Even the smaller, everyday items were eye-opening. A clothes drying rack for £12.99 and a fleece blanket for £7.99 both felt like no-brainer buys. I also spotted a storage trolley for £19.99 and a personal organiser diary for just £4.99.

It’s definitely made me rethink how often I automatically go online for kitchen gadgets and storage solutions. I’ve clearly paid more than I needed to in the past simply because clicking “add to basket” felt easier than checking a supermarket aisle.

I won’t stop shopping online altogether, but I’ll absolutely think twice before ordering everyday homeware from Amazon or Argos again.

From now on, I’ll be taking a proper wander down Lidl’s middle aisle – because you never quite know what bargains you’ll uncover, or just how much you’ll save.