OMG, just discovered Aldi's for food!

[terran]

One of the first things I do when I enter the parking lot is look for any abandoned carts, so I can earn a quarter, sometimes two!!

Super mustachian right there!

There must be too many mustachians going to my Aldi. I've only found an abandoned cart once. Sometimes people offer you their cart rather than walk it back and when you offer a quarter in return they refuse it, though.

[OutFab]

Much as Aldi is awesome, and I do shop there weekly, they aren't as good as LIDL.  Aldi's prices might be a few pennies less, and I do mean a few, but LIDL is for the WIN. 

For those of you who don't have a LIDL, imagine Trader Joe's with a bakery, about 1/4-1/3 off. Plus they have a rewards program that is really cool.  Most grocery store reward programs are cheesy, but LIDL gives you something VERY nice as a reward for shopping there.  This month it was I think $30 off on a $100 purchase.  Last month it something like $10 off of $40. Shop the sales especially, and you will dial in the savings on some really high quality food.

For what it's worth, Trader Joe's IS Aldi, kind of.  It's a more Americanized version of Aldi (and owned by Aldi North).  Whereas Aldi is owned by Aldi South and much more "European" style.

[DeniseNJ]

I recently discovered you can order groceries from Aldi.  I don't usually but it's 5 bucks plus 5 tips and you can usually find a $10 coupon.  Twice when I was too busy to shop on the weekend I ordered and it's a blessing.  The site is called instacart and it's way cheaper than say Shoprite or Peapod, which is 10 to 15 without coupons and tip not included.  I don't understand how anyone can make money grocery shopping for me at Aldi and driving the stuff to my house.  It's not like Aldi can pay them a bunch out of theri profits.  I mean the food is so cheap already and the delivery is free with a coupon.  I'll give the guy another five or ten but really, how much could you possibly be paid to make it profitable.

Love Aldi so much, it really saves me 400 to 500 per month.  I should write them a letter, with hearts on it.

[Frankies Girl]

I've made close to $10 in the last year on carts, one quarter at a time. People in my area are so lazy.

[Brother Esau]

Lazy?

[lizzzi]

Aldi for Easter candy!! Yay--German chocolate is sooooooo good.

[fuzzy math]

Omg Cinco de Mayo is soon and that means TAMALES are back!!!! I've screwed up these past 2 years and never get enough. I need to seriously eat through my freezer so I can fit more in there.

[dougules]

Omg Cinco de Mayo is soon and that means TAMALES are back!!!! I've screwed up these past 2 years and never get enough. I need to seriously eat through my freezer so I can fit more in there.

I find this kind of ironic because the Aldi near my house is right next to a Mexican bakery that sells tamales most of the year.  I buy the bakery's tamales and freeze them for lunches.  Buying tamales from Aldi just sounds kind of odd.

[Brother Esau]

Omg Cinco de Mayo is soon and that means TAMALES are back!!!! I've screwed up these past 2 years and never get enough. I need to seriously eat through my freezer so I can fit more in there.

I find this kind of ironic because the Aldi near my house is right next to a Mexican bakery that sells tamales most of the year.  I buy the bakery's tamales and freeze them for lunches.  Buying tamales from Aldi just sounds kind of odd.

LOL!

[OtherJen]

Omg Cinco de Mayo is soon and that means TAMALES are back!!!! I've screwed up these past 2 years and never get enough. I need to seriously eat through my freezer so I can fit more in there.

I find this kind of ironic because the Aldi near my house is right next to a Mexican bakery that sells tamales most of the year.  I buy the bakery's tamales and freeze them for lunches.  Buying tamales from Aldi just sounds kind of odd.

I didn’t even know that Aldi sells tamales. I just buy them from one of the tamalerias in Detroit.

[grobinski]

We've been doing 95% of our grocery shopping at Aldi for a couple of years. We keep a list of the occasional items we can't find there and hit a big box or TJ's maybe once a month. When we do make that grocery run we feel overwhelmed by the choices and the prices. 30 minutes and $50 a week for groceries? Yes please! For me the limited choices (simplicity?) encourages a healthier lifestyle. If it's on sale, it's in season and should taste better. Also love the specialities like Nurnberg Sausages, aged English cheddar, etc. Last week I got Mahi Mahi for $5/lb!

I also love that they are moving towards more organic proteins. Milk, eggs, and occasional sales on organic and free range proteins. I believe in Europe they have a target date for all organic, I hope the same is not far off fot US.

[habanero]

For the quite facinating story behind Aldi and how they operate, this article is a good read:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/05/long-read-aldi-discount-supermarket-changed-britain-shopping

(also available as podcast, just search for "The guardian the long read" to get the episodes)

[Buffaloski Boris]

We've been doing 95% of our grocery shopping at Aldi for a couple of years. We keep a list of the occasional items we can't find there and hit a big box or TJ's maybe once a month. When we do make that grocery run we feel overwhelmed by the choices and the prices. 30 minutes and $50 a week for groceries? Yes please! For me the limited choices (simplicity?) encourages a healthier lifestyle. If it's on sale, it's in season and should taste better. Also love the specialities like Nurnberg Sausages, aged English cheddar, etc. Last week I got Mahi Mahi for $5/lb!

I also love that they are moving towards more organic proteins. Milk, eggs, and occasional sales on organic and free range proteins. I believe in Europe they have a target date for all organic, I hope the same is not far off fot US.

Funny you mention big box stores. I find myself not going to those or really even Costco now that we have both aldi and lidl in our area. The prices strike me as ridiculous, and the crowds just make it something I want to avoid.

[Jon Bon]

Funny you mention big box stores. I find myself not going to those or really even Costco now that we have both aldi and lidl in our area. The prices strike me as ridiculous, and the crowds just make it something I want to avoid.

Something you did not mention.

Prices
Crowds
and
SKU's.

I dont have time, desire, effort required to search through the 142 different types of yogurt that those big box stores carry. I dont want fat free jalapeno berry whipped yogurt, get that crap off the self. Maybe make the grocery a size I can actually navigate without bringing a freaking GPS?

Aldi offers just a few options, most of the time that is more than sufficient for me. Quick googleing shows Aldi at 1000 SKUs and a big grocery store at 40,000. I guess some folks just like wasting their time searching for things?

[OtherJen]

Funny you mention big box stores. I find myself not going to those or really even Costco now that we have both aldi and lidl in our area. The prices strike me as ridiculous, and the crowds just make it something I want to avoid.

Something you did not mention.

Prices
Crowds
and
SKU's.

I dont have time, desire, effort required to search through the 142 different types of yogurt that those big box stores carry. I dont want fat free jalapeno berry whipped yogurt, get that crap off the self. Maybe make the grocery a size I can actually navigate without bringing a freaking GPS?

Aldi offers just a few options, most of the time that is more than sufficient for me. Quick googleing shows Aldi at 1000 SKUs and a big grocery store at 40,000. I guess some folks just like wasting their time searching for things?

All of this. Our Aldi carries very good full-fat plain Greek-style and regular yogurt in quart containers. These work in any recipe requiring yogurt and can sometimes be subbed for sour cream and buttermilk. The supermarket a half-mile down the street carries at least 100 different yogurt brand/flavor combos. They do not carry plain (unflavored) yogurt in any format. Aldi wins.

Aldi takes care of at least 90% of our grocery needs. I make about one Costco trip per month to stock up on the few things that we have identified as the best values for us (combo of price per unit and personal preference), and a quick trip to Kroger or Meijer to pick up the few things that Aldi doesn't carry. We save a ton of money this way.

[Arbitrage]

Like several others in this thread, my grocery shopping is now primarily at Aldi, with a warehouse store (Sam's in this case) for a few items that are either better priced per unit or preferred.  Occasionally supplemented by the Walmart grocery or Target, and only in an emergency will we use the full-priced grocery store. 

This method has allowed me to trim our grocery bill by about $350/month for a family of four.  Combined with previous efforts to do more cooking myself, we're spending at least $500/month less on food than a year ago.  That lowers our FI number by $150k, basically equaling the contribution of all of our savings/investments over that time. 

[Davnasty]

The supermarket a half-mile down the street carries at least 100 different yogurt brand/flavor combos. They do not carry plain (unflavored) yogurt in any format. Aldi wins.

This is infuriating. Finding anything that's not fat-free is also difficult. Who decided that all yogurt must be fat free and contain lots of sugar and flavoring?

[OtherJen]

The supermarket a half-mile down the street carries at least 100 different yogurt brand/flavor combos. They do not carry plain (unflavored) yogurt in any format. Aldi wins.

This is infuriating. Finding anything that's not fat-free is also difficult. Who decided that all yogurt must be fat free and contain lots of sugar and flavoring?

It is definitely infuriating. Yogurt has become the Snackwell’s of dairy products.

[OtherJen]

I don't know why it took me so long to try the Moser Roth chocolate bars. The Dark Orange Almond and Dark Mint are steals at $1.99 each.

[fuzzy math]

Well I screwed up and the tamales were gone. Perhaps I will seek out some legit local options instead.

[economista]

I grew up shopping at Aldi all the time and I hate that there aren’t any stores in Colorado. I mentioned it a few weeks ago to my husband and he got all disgusted and asked why I wanted to shop at “Aldi Dented Can.” He actually thought the full name of the store was “Aldi Dented Can” and he thought they only sold dented cans and food that was about to expire. I have no idea where he got that idea but it took me a ridiculous amount of time to convince him that wasn’t the case.

[Rosy]

Got my garden fix for the year from Aldi:) Small round outdoor folding table - same as Target - on sale for $30, cost - $12.99 at Aldi - same quality too:).
Picked up a gazebo type structure for $149 - looks very similar to the one at Lowes on sale for $599. Haven't put it together yet but I'm guessing it may be a cheapo version.
I've bought garden chairs there like 5-6 years ago that are still holding up beautifully. I always get my garden umbrellas there, outdoor lights etc.

Realized that I need to pay more attention to their Wednesday fresh meat and fresh, never frozen seafood specials.

I've never seen an abandoned cart at Aldi which is most likely a reflection of our neighborhood. Our Aldi is slated for an upgrade soon involving construction, lucky for us, we have three more locations that are nearby or on Mr. R.'s way home from work.

[Trifle]

I grew up shopping at Aldi all the time and I hate that there aren’t any stores in Colorado. I mentioned it a few weeks ago to my husband and he got all disgusted and asked why I wanted to shop at “Aldi Dented Can.” He actually thought the full name of the store was “Aldi Dented Can” and he thought they only sold dented cans and food that was about to expire. I have no idea where he got that idea but it took me a ridiculous amount of time to convince him that wasn’t the case.

I've heard similar comments before. Weird!  Glad you could tell him otherwise.

Speaking of salvage food stores though, I'm a convert and fan.  We're lucky to have a Grocery Outlet near our Aldi -- great store.  Each week I hit GO first before I shop Aldi.  Their inventory varies and it's hit or miss, but each week there are a few items (usually canned goods, frozen, or dairy) that are cheaper than Aldi, and at least the same quality or better.  Plus I like that these stores are making use of grocery overstock; it makes good sense and avoids waste.     

[Kazyan]

Has anyone made a comparison between Food City and Aldi? I just figured out that there's an Aldi practically in the parking lot of the local Food City I've been going to for a couple of months. Cha-ching. It seems like an easy way to trim that part of my budget, but I'm wary of the reports of Aldi's prices slowly raising again, so this is a quick check to see if anyone can confirm or deny how Food City stacks up (it's a traditional-style grocer).

[spaniard999]

Me and my GF shop there all the time!.
I love it! Prices are so cheap, and I always get 2 full bags of groceries for less than $20.

[Rural]

I wish I could benefit, but it's a long way to an ALDI and the prices are higher than Walmart, while the produce quality is much lower. I've tried five or six times, several months apart each time at two different ALDI stores in two different cities, and the result is always the same - higher prices, lower quality. Just tried again last month. I can only conclude that Walmart grocery prices are lower in the deep South than other parts of the country, that or many people here are comparing to the major grocery chains instead.


I can advocate for Sav-a-Lot, which is lower price than either Walmart or ALDI. Still have to keep a suspicious eye on the produce, though.

[Blonde Lawyer]

Got my garden fix for the year from Aldi:) Small round outdoor folding table - same as Target - on sale for $30, cost - $12.99 at Aldi - same quality too:).
Picked up a gazebo type structure for $149 - looks very similar to the one at Lowes on sale for $599. Haven't put it together yet but I'm guessing it may be a cheapo version.
I've bought garden chairs there like 5-6 years ago that are still holding up beautifully. I always get my garden umbrellas there, outdoor lights etc.

Realized that I need to pay more attention to their Wednesday fresh meat and fresh, never frozen seafood specials.

I've never seen an abandoned cart at Aldi which is most likely a reflection of our neighborhood. Our Aldi is slated for an upgrade soon involving construction, lucky for us, we have three more locations that are nearby or on Mr. R.'s way home from work.

Glad to hear you have had good luck.  Our first Aldi opened this year.  We were shopping for a patio set for our screened in porch.  Everywhere we looked was outrageous.  Picked up some food at Aldi and found a perfect set for $199.  This week it was down to $169. We were worried for such a low price that it would be junk but we love it so far.  We hope it holds up.

[Arbitrage]

I wish I could benefit, but it's a long way to an ALDI and the prices are higher than Walmart, while the produce quality is much lower. I've tried five or six times, several months apart each time at two different ALDI stores in two different cities, and the result is always the same - higher prices, lower quality. Just tried again last month. I can only conclude that Walmart grocery prices are lower in the deep South than other parts of the country, that or many people here are comparing to the major grocery chains instead.


I can advocate for Sav-a-Lot, which is lower price than either Walmart or ALDI. Still have to keep a suspicious eye on the produce, though.

There's a Walmart near me that I pick some groceries up at (which cannot be had at Aldi).  Aldi is almost universally cheaper for any common (or similar) products.  Perhaps, as you alluded to, it is regional, as I live in California. 

Then there's the regular grocery store.  *shudder*  DW did a grocery trip for us when we were unexpectedly having friends over last weekend and I was too busy to go; normally these days I do nearly all of it myself.  She, unfortunately, took her usual approach, which is to go to the convenient, but super-expensive major chain store.  Somehow she dropped over $60 on a fairly simple meal of pasta, salad (many of the ingredients for which I already had), and fruit for 5 adults and 6 children.  My bill at Aldi a couple days earlier, which bought the majority of our food for our entire family for the rest of the week, was about that much. 

[Rural]

I wish I could benefit, but it's a long way to an ALDI and the prices are higher than Walmart, while the produce quality is much lower. I've tried five or six times, several months apart each time at two different ALDI stores in two different cities, and the result is always the same - higher prices, lower quality. Just tried again last month. I can only conclude that Walmart grocery prices are lower in the deep South than other parts of the country, that or many people here are comparing to the major grocery chains instead.


I can advocate for Sav-a-Lot, which is lower price than either Walmart or ALDI. Still have to keep a suspicious eye on the produce, though.

There's a Walmart near me that I pick some groceries up at (which cannot be had at Aldi).  Aldi is almost universally cheaper for any common (or similar) products.  Perhaps, as you alluded to, it is regional, as I live in California. 

Then there's the regular grocery store.  *shudder*  DW did a grocery trip for us when we were unexpectedly having friends over last weekend and I was too busy to go; normally these days I do nearly all of it myself.  She, unfortunately, took her usual approach, which is to go to the convenient, but super-expensive major chain store.  Somehow she dropped over $60 on a fairly simple meal of pasta, salad (many of the ingredients for which I already had), and fruit for 5 adults and 6 children.  My bill at Aldi a couple days earlier, which bought the majority of our food for our entire family for the rest of the week, was about that much.

I think it must indeed be regional; that's about what I spend a week - includes food for two cats and a Great Dane for me, but only two adults and no children.

[OtherJen]

I wish I could benefit, but it's a long way to an ALDI and the prices are higher than Walmart, while the produce quality is much lower. I've tried five or six times, several months apart each time at two different ALDI stores in two different cities, and the result is always the same - higher prices, lower quality. Just tried again last month. I can only conclude that Walmart grocery prices are lower in the deep South than other parts of the country, that or many people here are comparing to the major grocery chains instead.


I can advocate for Sav-a-Lot, which is lower price than either Walmart or ALDI. Still have to keep a suspicious eye on the produce, though.

There's a Walmart near me that I pick some groceries up at (which cannot be had at Aldi).  Aldi is almost universally cheaper for any common (or similar) products.  Perhaps, as you alluded to, it is regional, as I live in California. 

Then there's the regular grocery store.  *shudder*  DW did a grocery trip for us when we were unexpectedly having friends over last weekend and I was too busy to go; normally these days I do nearly all of it myself.  She, unfortunately, took her usual approach, which is to go to the convenient, but super-expensive major chain store.  Somehow she dropped over $60 on a fairly simple meal of pasta, salad (many of the ingredients for which I already had), and fruit for 5 adults and 6 children.  My bill at Aldi a couple days earlier, which bought the majority of our food for our entire family for the rest of the week, was about that much.

I think it must indeed be regional; that's about what I spend a week - includes food for two cats and a Great Dane for me, but only two adults and no children.

Regional variations in grocery prices are huge. Here, Aldi and Save-a-Lot are similarly priced and generally the best deals. According to Walmart’s flyers, a few things are good deals but most are more expensive.

[Brother Esau]

Most times when I intercept a person with a cart between the door and where the carts are stored, they won't accept a quarter from me. I appreciate having accumulated several dollars in quarters now but why won't people take a quarter back from me?

[MatthewK]

Big fan of Aldi, been shopping at our's for 2+ years weekly now. I hate having to go anywhere else.

However today I was looking for yeast and couldn't find it. It has always been in the same place, top shelf of baking aisle. At checkout they informed me they no longer carry it/discontinued. How can I make my bread and pizza crust?!

After leaving I recalled seeing something about them having to recall their flour in some states, but not ours. Wondering if that has something to do with it. I didn't notice at the time if their flour was gone as well.

[Frankies Girl]

They stopped carrying horseradish sauce and tartar sauce in my region. The tartar isn't a great loss as I make my own from scratch, but that @#! horseradish sauce was great and I'm having trouble finding anything that has the same taste. Also their olive oil mayo. And their big bottles of spices. They're clearance the ones left and going to smaller more expensive ones.  :(

Within the last 6 months, all the ones in my area (I hit about 4 consistently) have stopped marking down things getting ready to go past their sell-by date and have refused to sell things at all ON the sell-by date if I asked. They do still put $1-$2 off stickers but rarely see the half off at all any more, and mostly they just throw things out if it's a day before - literally threw away 6 containers of precut butternut squash about 3 months back that weren't due to go out until the following day - they wouldn't even sell them at full price when I asked. They now refuse to discount dent cans and toss them out instead. The district manager apparently decided is is better to throw away MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF FOOD rather than discount things.

Also, they've raised the price on cat litter 60˘, making it more expensive than the big bucket o' litter at Target. Dammit.

Starting to lose faith in Aldi. :(

[OtherJen]

Big fan of Aldi, been shopping at our's for 2+ years weekly now. I hate having to go anywhere else.

However today I was looking for yeast and couldn't find it. It has always been in the same place, top shelf of baking aisle. At checkout they informed me they no longer carry it/discontinued. How can I make my bread and pizza crust?!

After leaving I recalled seeing something about them having to recall their flour in some states, but not ours. Wondering if that has something to do with it. I didn't notice at the time if their flour was gone as well.

It might be a recent decision to make it seasonal. I’ve noticed that the baking section at my local Aldi expands in fall and contracts in spring. Odd choice, though. One can probably work around a lack of flaked coconut or flavored baking chips. There’s not a sub for yeast.

[Davnasty]

Within the last 6 months, all the ones in my area (I hit about 4 consistently) have stopped marking down things getting ready to go past their sell-by date and have refused to sell things at all ON the sell-by date if I asked. They do still put $1-$2 off stickers but rarely see the half off at all any more, and mostly they just throw things out if it's a day before - literally threw away 6 containers of precut butternut squash about 3 months back that weren't due to go out until the following day - they wouldn't even sell them at full price when I asked. They now refuse to discount dent cans and toss them out instead. The district manager apparently decided is is better to throw away MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF FOOD rather than discount things.

Sounds like you need to start shopping out back :) I found a whole tray of avocadoes (~40) in the Aldi dumpster a few weeks ago.

But I agree, it's a shame that they toss so much. I suspect it's part of their model of efficiency that they don't ask individual stores/workers to make too many decisions. They have a formula and it gets followed for better or for worse.

[Peach]

There was an ALDI coupon in this week's ad for $5 off $30 that's good for a couple of weeks.  I don't know if it's only a local thing, but if you get the ad in the mail, look for it.

ALDI is one of many stores I shop.  Their fresh fruit specials are the best around. This week it was a giant cantaloupe for 99 cents.  I'll be honest, I don't buy much at ALDI, but I do stop in for their specials or some favorites like good and cheap frozen flounder. 

I'm lucky to have 8 different stores that sell food within 5 miles.  With careful planning, I can get exactly what we like for the best prices.  I spend a little time on checking out all of the deals, but since I don't work anymore, I enjoy it. I'm one of the crazies who actually enjoys grocery shopping.  I think nothing of pulling into ALDI if I'm driving by just to buy a couple of dollars worth of fresh fruit and veg.  If I didn't have all of these other great store options and didn't love the hunt for bargains so much, I could see buying more at ALDI.