The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: MrsW on August 11, 2015, 09:15:16 AM
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We have a new Aldi in town opening next week and I'm wondering:
What do you buy at Aldi/ what's good there in terms of quality and cost? and what don't you like there?
I've read a couple of the other posts but is seems like quality has improved.
thanks!
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Following because an Aldi is reportedly coming close to us...
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We love Aldi's.
You know you should always take a quarter, right? Not two dimes and a nickel, but a quarter. You'll need it to borrow a cart. I always keep a quarter in the console of my car just for this purpose.
Also note that they don't accept credit cards. You can use cash or a debit card.
And bring your own bags. I actually LIKE bagging my own groceries; I do it more carefully than the store clerks.
Good things to buy:
- Chips and crackers
- Salad dressings, pickles, and other jarred items
- Milk and eggs
- Produce, good quality stuff!
- Cheese of all varieties
- Chicken salad with cranberries and almonds; yes, we go JUST for this one item
- Some frozen things; for example, we like the gyro sandwich kit
- Glutten-free items, if that's your thing
Things we avoid:
- Meat
- Frozen pizzas; really, the kids won't even eat them
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We've had good luck with their meat, if that helps. Unfortunately, we don't have an Aldi's within a reasonable distance (i.e., we'd have to go out of our way to get there), but when we're able to fit it in, I love the produce staples we can get: mushrooms, lettuce, bananas and apples or kale, all for around ten bucks. Can't beat it! (Though I've heard the produce quality can depend on your location)
I also like stocking up on their stock (hehe), as it doesn't seem to have as many add-ins as what you'd get from the regular store. They also have whole wheat gnocci and small bottles of I-recognize-most-of-the-ingredients pesto that we like to throw together with mushrooms for a quick/lazy meal.
If you're new to Aldi's, remember that part of the reason their prices are so low is that they operate a little differently than a standard store. So you'll have to deposit a quarter to get a shopping card, bring your own bags (or buy one there), bag your own groceries, get used to having fewer options on the shelves, and potentially deal with longer lines at checkout. These are all things I'm willing to trade off for lower prices, but not everyone is a fan.
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I tried a variety of items and liked everything I got. I wasn't impressed with their bread. For some reason that stuff grew mold fast and I didn't handle it any different than the low carb wheat bread I buy from Wally World or Krogers. They did have several types of wheat bread at Aldi's and I only tried that one kind.
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We are HUGE fans of Aldi. We buy all our groceries and many of our toiletries there, except for the following items:
-Dog food (it doesn't come in a smaller size, and we only have room to store a small size)
-Ice cream (mediocre)
-Frozen pizza (not very tasty, although they recently introduced a new brand that is quite a bit better)
We don't cook meat at home so can't comment on that, but I would definitely second the recommendation about frozen foods (pierogies, hashbrowns, veggies, etc.) and fresh veggies. So good! Of course, any of the import foods are also terrific. Last winter they offered Pumpkin Chipotle and Butternut Squash pasta sauces that were AMAZING. We bought a case of it when we realized that it was seasonal - really hope they bring it back this winter. I can also vouch for the deliciousness of the cookie-brownie mix, and the large Italian round bread. Our store (DC metro area) also has a surprisingly large amount of gluten free stuff.
One thing about Aldi is that they seem to constantly introduce new varieties of things, so if you tried their pizza/ice cream/etc. once it is worth trying again a few months later if it looks like they have a new kind.
Also, our local Aldi is approximately three times as fast as any other grocery store in the area (probably b/c the cashiers get to sit down, and the bar codes are printed on all sides of the containers so it is uber-efficient). We also love having fewer choices and no one bagging b/c it makes the trip so much faster.
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Aldi is my default grocery store, I often don't shop any others unless there are some amazing loss leaders.
The only things I disliked were their basic jarred tomato sauce (guess I just prefer a different taste), and the boneless chicken breasts (they were monstrous in size, and spongy in texture). Other meats have been fine. I often pick up meat packages that are labelled 1/2 off and stock the freezer: Italian sausage, chicken tenders, chicken thighs, pork chops.
I like Aldi because I am buying basic staples, not lots of convenience foods. I don't have to wade thru 50 varieties of instant x to get to the flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, meat, produce. There is some packaged stuff, but much less, and rarely are there any promotional displays clogging the aisles. I can get in, navigate the limited aisles quickly, and get out with my cart of stuff.
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We buy Aldi's no salt added maranara sause in jars and then add in our own veggies and spices when we cook pasta. It's similar to the leading brands except without the 30%+ of the recommended daily serving of salt.
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I tried my local Aldi's about a year ago and thought it was terrible. Produce that looked like it would go from ripe to rotten in the time it would take to get it home, plus a terrible selection (they didn't has a single leaf of lettuce in the whole store, not even iceberg). All their processed items had HFCS and tons of dyes and preservatives, and they had maybe 6 organic options in the whole store. Nothing I saw was priced significantly lower than Meijer. Not nearly worth the extra trip to save maybe $1 a week, and I'd still have to go to Meijer or Trader Joe's (ironically owned by the same parent company as Aldi) to fill in what I couldn't get at Aldi.
I know many people sing their praises, and maybe it varies store to store but I saw nothing that would make me ever want to shop there. It's a shame because they seem to treat and pay their employees very well and I love to reward business that do so, but in this case I just can't do it.
By all means, check the new store out, maybe it's a better one than what I have here, or maybe it will fill your needs better than mine. But I just wanted to give you an alternate point of view. Good luck!
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In my area, Aldi's sells strawberries for around 1.29-1.49 per carton. Wal-Mart's are consistently $1.99 for the same size.
Almond milk is normally $2.29 per carton. Wal-Mart's is around $2.89
Individual pizzas that kids eat on occasion are $.99 at Aldi. Wal-Mart is $1.25
Canned goods at Aldis $.49 per can. Wal-Mart .69-.89 per can.
Yogurt with fruit on bottom at Aldis: $.75 per cup. Wal-mart: $1.00.
I normally buy Aldi's cheese-it brand because it's about $.20 cheaper than Wal-Marts brand of cheese-its.
Icecream: 4.99 for gallon tub of neopolitian. Same size is $5.99 at Wal-Mart.
Sodas, however, are a no-go at Aldis. Aldi only carries like 2 types of soda, and they're $1.48- which isn't terrible, but you can get better deals at Wal-Mart on occation for $1, or Publix or Food Lion for $.89.
Most things at Aldis tend to be cheaper including condiments, dressing, snacks, and bottled water. Just be sure you're comparing apples to apples as Aldi tends to only have smaller sized options as opposed to Wal-Mart.
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We went through an exercise a year or so ago of walking through Aldi's with a short list of items and taking a photo of the price/size, then finding a corollary at Kroger and then Sam's.
I believe I put this all into a spreadsheet and looked at the delta's, but didn't see anything compelling. It worked out into a few items in each stores favor but not enough to convince me to shop in two locations. Might be partly because we always get the store brand at Kroger or that I just don't stay on top of our groceries that well.I will admit I could have been more thorough and detailed. We had moved away from the nearby Aldi's so it is slightly out of the way now.
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I love ALDI. However the one item i do not like from there is their mayo, it has a weird taste.
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First of all, it's Aldi, not Aldi's. It drives me nuts when people say Aldi's. ;) I think technically it might even be ALDI, but I'm not that militant. :D
Also note that they don't accept credit cards. You can use cash or a debit card.
My Aldi takes credit cards; I think all of them do now--you should check on this. I actually used my BarclayCard with PIN for a long time before I realized they supposedly did not take credit cards--mine always worked, likely because I have a PIN.
As for what I buy there, pretty much everything I can--milk, eggs, cheese (they have European and other fancy cheeses for good prices), haven't tried all of the breads but we love the sourdough, plus protein bars, cereal, canned veggies, salsa, corn chips, tortillas, plus produce is the cheapest in our area (I regularly buy avocadoes, berries and other fruits, plus whatever other veggies for recipes I'm planning). I've bought only a few meat items (we don't eat a lot of meat), but their shrimp is by far the cheapest in my area (like $6.99 for a pound of shrimp vs. $11.99 or more at the local grocery), and we love the pepper crusted pork tenderloin (I sear it and serve with a carby veggie like potatoes or squash--such a great fall/winter meal). I also buy tissues and gum there fairly regularly, since it's very cheap compared to my other local stores. But I'm not a Wal-Mart shopper (it stresses me out and I hate the locations in my city), so I don't know how prices compare there, whereas Aldi is conveniently located for me.
For bags (since Aldi does not supply them, similar to many European markets), I highly recommend the Q bags (shoppers and shoulder totes) and a few styles are on sale for half price right now: http://www.blueq.com/shoppers/
Also, keep in mind that they guarantee your satisfaction, so if you don't like something (even for a dumb reason, or no reason at all), they will refund your money. We once bought about 10 avocadoes to make guacamole, and about half of them were overripe, but they refunded us for all of them, plus let us choose new avocadoes for free. My mom has also returned things if she doesn't like the flavor as much as a similar brand name product, and they happily took it back and refunded her money. So go ahead and try their brands of whatever you usually eat--you may be pleasantly surprised, and if not, just return it.
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I personally like Lidl more. Same formula as Aldi (low cost, mostly own brand). Lidl has more variety in fruit and veg. Good quality fruit and veg too. They are in a lot of countries in Europe, i did read they are gonna start in the US.
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I have had very good luck at our local Aldi, and it is close enough to make it a no-brainer for our main weekly shopping. I think that the quality of different items must vary store to store, based on the comments I've read above. The only things I don't like in our Aldi are the canned tuna fish and their frozen salmon. And I am iffy on the fruits and vegetables. Sometimes they're fine, sometimes not so much. I would try your new Aldi and see what you think. I save a fortune, and am happy with ours...with the caveat that they don't always have everything, and I generally stop at the Giant Eagle on my homeward loop (not adding any distance or fuel usage) to pick up whatever Aldi didn't have, or that I didn't like the looks of that week. Keep a couple quarters and a bag full of bags in your car, so you're always good to go. I've also found that the lines are fast, the checkers are 100% nice, and the restroom is immaculate.
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> the restroom is immaculate
American ALDIs have a loo?!?
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Our local Aldi's has lousy produce quality, and the rest of the prices are just mildly competitive.
Their off-brand 'salty snacks' - chips, crackers, etc - are cheap, and good quality - one more reason to avoid Aldi's - don't need that stuff anyway ;)
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Agree with the general consensus here. Aldi’s is awesome! Everything is way cheaper than every other grocery store (except maybe SuperWalmart, but that is a place to avoid like the plague). I’ve been happy with everything I’ve purchased, in particular the produce prices are unbelievable. $1.69 for containers of blueberries every single time I go in there…unbelievable! They also have some epic dark chocolate and sea salt caramels that are so good. I love how small Aldi’s is as it lets you can be in and out of the store in 20 minutes top. They do have a bunch of random crap for sale that takes up at least half 15% of the store, and sometimes it is really crowded in there with displays in the middle of the aisle or as they restock, but nothing to annoying. I will also say that I haven’t bought any non-food items from Aldi’s, so I cannot speak to the quality of those items (toilet paper, tissues, etc.) but I’m guessing they are pretty decent too. Aldi’s is easily saving us 30% on groceries while also saving us time spent actually shopping.
Also, not only does Aldi’s take all credit cards, but right now American Express has a special offer going on where you get a $10 statement credit for spending $40 at Aldi’s. You can actually do two of them on separate trips too. You need to actually add this special offer to your card by logging into your AmEx account, and I don’t know if everyone has the offer or just those in a certain geographic area or with a certain card or certain shopping habits or what, but look for it!!
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Unlike grocery stores that actually have shelves, everything at Aldi is still in the large cardboard boxes it's shipped in. One handy tip to remember if you forget your reusable bags is that you can just grab one or a few of those boxes and carry your stuff home in that. (Aldi is like Costco in that regard.)
I tried a variety of items and liked everything I got. I wasn't impressed with their bread. For some reason that stuff grew mold fast and I didn't handle it any different than the low carb wheat bread I buy from Wally World or Krogers. They did have several types of wheat bread at Aldi's and I only tried that one kind.
That might be a good thing, if it's because they use fewer preservatives in it. (Obviously, it's not a good thing if it were just because it sat around a long time before being sold... but I'd be surprised if Aldi stocked any slow-selling items to begin with.)
-Frozen pizza (not very tasty, although they recently introduced a new brand that is quite a bit better)
I was warned away from the frozen pizza by another customer, but he also instead recommended the take-and-bake located in the same case as the cheese. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks good.
Also, our local Aldi is approximately three times as fast as any other grocery store in the area (probably b/c the cashiers get to sit down, and the bar codes are printed on all sides of the containers so it is uber-efficient). We also love having fewer choices and no one bagging b/c it makes the trip so much faster.
Around here, the cashiers are so damn fast I can't even put my stuff in my bag (or box) before they're already dumping the next customer's stuff on top of it.
Also, not only does Aldi’s take all credit cards, but right now American Express has a special offer going on where you get a $10 statement credit for spending $40 at Aldi’s. You can actually do two of them on separate trips too. You need to actually add this special offer to your card by logging into your AmEx account, and I don’t know if everyone has the offer or just those in a certain geographic area or with a certain card or certain shopping habits or what, but look for it!!
Awesome!
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Our local Aldi's is small (I don't know if that's normal). Its total footprint is about the same as the produce section of my normal grocery store.
Produce at our Aldi's is always good quality, but very limited selection. I could not go to Aldi's for specific items - I'd have to go and see what was available and base meals around what I was able to buy. Produce items that are not on sale are often competitive, often more expensive than Dillons (Kroger). Produce items that are on sale are always ultra cheap compared to even sales prices of Dillons.
Last time I checked, our Aldi's only took debit or cash. I actually had to leave groceries once because I forgot cash and didn't know my PIN. (Edited: Looks like it's new. I guess it's been awhile since I went there!)
If Aldi's was closer, I would stop there first, but I would always expect to make a second stop elsewhere.
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The produce in our local Aldi is iffy. I don't go there often, partly because I can't count on them having good produce or a good selection of basic produce (peppers, carrots, potatoes, bananas, apples, oranges...).
It is very close to another store I go to - so not out of the way, but never became one of my go to places. I won't make multiple stops to get all my groceries to optimize savings....
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First of all, it's Aldi, not Aldi's. It drives me nuts when people say Aldi's. ;) I think technically it might even be ALDI, but I'm not that militant. :D
Also note that they don't accept credit cards. You can use cash or a debit card.
My Aldi takes credit cards; I think all of them do now--you should check on this. I actually used my BarclayCard with PIN for a long time before I realized they supposedly did not take credit cards--mine always worked, likely because I have a PIN.
As for what I buy there, pretty much everything I can--milk, eggs, cheese (they have European and other fancy cheeses for good prices), haven't tried all of the breads but we love the sourdough, plus protein bars, cereal, canned veggies, salsa, corn chips, tortillas, plus produce is the cheapest in our area (I regularly buy avocadoes, berries and other fruits, plus whatever other veggies for recipes I'm planning). I've bought only a few meat items (we don't eat a lot of meat), but their shrimp is by far the cheapest in my area (like $6.99 for a pound of shrimp vs. $11.99 or more at the local grocery), and we love the pepper crusted pork tenderloin (I sear it and serve with a carby veggie like potatoes or squash--such a great fall/winter meal). I also buy tissues and gum there fairly regularly, since it's very cheap compared to my other local stores. But I'm not a Wal-Mart shopper (it stresses me out and I hate the locations in my city), so I don't know how prices compare there, whereas Aldi is conveniently located for me.
For bags (since Aldi does not supply them, similar to many European markets), I highly recommend the Q bags (shoppers and shoulder totes) and a few styles are on sale for half price right now: http://www.blueq.com/shoppers/
Also, keep in mind that they guarantee your satisfaction, so if you don't like something (even for a dumb reason, or no reason at all), they will refund your money. We once bought about 10 avocadoes to make guacamole, and about half of them were overripe, but they refunded us for all of them, plus let us choose new avocadoes for free. My mom has also returned things if she doesn't like the flavor as much as a similar brand name product, and they happily took it back and refunded her money. So go ahead and try their brands of whatever you usually eat--you may be pleasantly surprised, and if not, just return it.
Their website says they don't accept anything but cash, debit or EBT, to keep costs low. "Credit card processing fees are expensive." I know our area stores don't accept credit cards, I've heard the cashier explaining to customers when their cards wouldn't work.
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Their website says they don't accept anything but cash, debit or EBT, to keep costs low. "Credit card processing fees are expensive." I know our area stores don't accept credit cards, I've heard the cashier explaining to customers when their cards wouldn't work.
They're testing out credit cards in select stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York.
http://couponsinthenews.com/2014/12/17/aldi-gives-credit-cards-a-try/
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I've gotten some great deals at Aldi! The best score I ever had was 2.5 pounds of 90/10 ground beef for $10, with a $5 off coupon, so 2.5# of meat for about $5. I've also found frozen scallops there for about $6 for a pretty big bag, and haven't had any complaints about the produce either!
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I love Aldi - I make frozen meals with ingredients from there - 21 meals for $150, and we have lunch leftovers too.
http://www.iamthatlady.com/aldi-freezer-cooking-meal-plan/
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thanks all!! very helpful
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Aldi is where we shop every week. It saves us a tonne of money.
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Aldi's is amazing. If they have it, we pretty much buy it there. We stay away from a lot of the special buys and uncommon items though. We do make periodic trips to the "big" store for deli lunch meat, Mr. Crackin's favorite dressing, or Doritos! But that's about it!
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Good point from rubybeth. Once I dropped a carton of cherry tomatoes on the floor as I was packing it in my bag after checking out and the cashier told me to just go grab another carton for free.
I also super easily exchanged a pair of slippers there for a better size.
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I've gotten some great deals at Aldi! The best score I ever had was 2.5 pounds of 90/10 ground beef for $10, with a $5 off coupon, so 2.5# of meat for about $5. I've also found frozen scallops there for about $6 for a pretty big bag, and haven't had any complaints about the produce either!
I don't remember the exact price, but one year after Easter I was able to stock up on hams really, really cheap -- maybe $0.50/pound or less.
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I live near two Aldis. One has fabulous produce; at the other it is dreadful. I have no idea why there is such a huge difference. Produce examples from this week include a bag of lemons (1.99), broccoli (1.89), bag of yellow and red peppers (1.49), cucumber (.79). During the winter I buy almost all my produce at Aldis.
My favorite non-produce foods are: goat cheese, brie, hummus, and nuts. Also their baking staples seem just as good as other brands. My daughter loves their veggie sticks in the snack section and their vegetarian sushi in the frozen section. I know another poster recommended it, but I actually was quite disappointed with the chocolate, except for the pure cocoa powder (when they have it).
My favorite thing about the Aldis near me is that it is incredibly quick to shop there. The store is small and the checkout cashiers are amazingly quick and pleasant.
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I miss Aldi. I used to shop there all the time when I was in school in the Midwest, but we don't have them here in Seattle. The store is small, so you don't spend much time walking from aisle to aisle to pick up things you missed the first time through. Their chocolate is quite tasty and cheap. The other stuff is decent enough and priced very well. You're not going to get many gourmet ingredients, but the quality to price ratio is definitely quite high nonetheless. One thing I was less impressed with was their produce. It seemed like everything was pre-packaged on a styrofoam tray, which makes me sad. I like having the option to buy a single apple instead of needing to buy them in multiples of four, with a side of non-bio-degradable packaging. Maybe they've improved in that area this decade. I hope so!
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I love shopping at Aldi's. My wife makes almost everything from scratch and we love rice and beans - just a warning! Produce is hit or miss. Some days they have a great selection, some days it seems like they left it out all week. I got to know our local Aldi's truck schedule and time our shopping trips to be the day after the truck hits.
We do eat boxed cereal sometimes, and their generic brand is actually pretty good for most cereals. They are horrific nutritionally, but my wife doesn't want to get up super early to make breakfast, so there's a trade-off. We buy milk there with no problems. We make almost all of our own sauces at home, so we can't comment on quality of those items.
We like their herbs and spices (the few they have), and their baking stuff has been great for our uses. We avoid their cheeses and meats, for the most part (the meat we avoid because we have a butcher near us that charges about as much as Aldi's for their meat). None of us like their off-brand cheese - although they have the Baby Bell cheeses that we will buy there as it is cheaper.
We supplement Aldi's with Hy-Vee, as we can get bulk items there (chickpeas, nuts, seeds, etc) and those items we generally don't see or are higher priced at Aldi's. For the most part, Aldi's is the bulk of our shopping. Feeding a family of four for less $360/mo between these 3 stores.
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I love Aldi's and it so much cheaper than the regular cheap grocery store - just a longer drive for me. I did a price sheet and just about every single thing was cheaper there than the sales price at the regular grocery.
I avoid their meats - had nasty gross gristle in ground beef ("beef" since apparently there was some issue w/ horsemeat in the past). Will not buy again - i get that at the regular grocery store or at Costco. Produce is so-so and sometimes hit or miss, as others have mentioned.
Everything else I've purchased there has been good - and the chocolate, as others have mentioned, is fantastic. They have "fresh" non-frozen pizzas that are huge and run around $5 and are delicious. They are too big to fit in my fridge so I can only buy them when I shop there and plan to eat them the same day.
I also love that it is small - there are only about 5 aisles and the lines move pretty quickly since you bag your own stuff. The cashiers are fast too. In and out quickly, with kids in tow +++
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Avocados. Canned vegetables.
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We've tried going to 2 different Aldi stores and did not like them. Way too much processed food and the produce was not too great either. Rather limited as well. We already shop at 3 places and it just wasn't worth going there, plus the people that work there always seem either weird or miserable. Even though they are sitting instead of standing!
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I used to do Aldi's every month or so. Now that my income has changed, it would be best for my family to shop there. But only my dad can drive and I don't think I can walk a whole Aldi's anymore. Without my guidance he'll come out with 10lbs of German chocolate and say they have nothing good. Between me and my mom, groceries fell on him, he'd meal plan around loss leaders, didn't coupon. Now he has no plan, is there 3 times a week because meals aren't planned. I was planning to heavily coupon again, give him a list and all the coupons, he looked at me like I had 3 heads. So I should take over planning the week's meals so he can go somewhere with an actual list. But I know if I could get him into Aldi's, he would love it. hmmm.....
My friend in Long Island says they have a deli counter, I don't remember that? anyone know?
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I get milk, eggs, canned veggies, bread products (buns, loaves) chips, sugar, ketchup, cereal, ice cream...almond milk, romaine hearts,
lots of stuff. sometimes produce, but I have a great produce market now that has much better prices.
I get inexpensive hams and turkeys there after holidays when they go on super sale.
the do have limited selection, so its not ever going to be my one stop shop, but I cant see not going at all.
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Aldi in Australia accepts CCs, but they charge a fee for you to use them.
I like their mayo, as the hole on the bottle is small so the kids squeeze out less.
I also like the special foods they get in, eg. chocolate Digestive biscuits, apricot and raspberry jam. And their ski gear.
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Aldi is really hit or miss depending on the store. The last couple of times we've had a discussion here, I've driven the extra ten miles each way to check the one nearest my work (also nearest my home, but that means 45 miles away). Each time I found rotten produce, meat and processed foods higher priced than the local Walmart. No more driving so far for me, but the Aldi my mother shops at is fabulous, and if I were close enough to stop in just for milk, the price is very good there. For me, though, it isn't worth the cost of the gas to get there just for milk, plus it might well spoil on the way home.
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My Aldi is decent. Butter & eggs are consistently cheaper there than anywhere else. Agree with others about the produce, but I think all stores have rotting things. The stores with more staff are just better at culling everything that doesn't look good. Tracie McMillan covers this in American Way of Eating with how WallMart kept the herbs looking fresh by trimming the stems. Aldi is keeping a lid on prices by leaving it to the customer to sort through.
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And their ski gear.
Haha, yeah. Never know what you'll find when you go in there. I've definitely bought some Aldi furniture.
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We have several Aldis in our area, and a few are really good. We don't shop there much anymore because we like to use a credit card that gives extra points for grocery stores and you cannot use a credit card at Aldi.
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Their website says they don't accept anything but cash, debit or EBT, to keep costs low. "Credit card processing fees are expensive." I know our area stores don't accept credit cards, I've heard the cashier explaining to customers when their cards wouldn't work.
They're testing out credit cards in select stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York.
http://couponsinthenews.com/2014/12/17/aldi-gives-credit-cards-a-try/
Yes, I'm in Minnesota, so that makes sense. They are massively expanding our local store, and the ones in the Twin Cities areas are really nice--my sister does most of her shopping there.
And if my credit card didn't work, I'd just use debit instead, no big deal to me, I'd definitely still shop there. I often only spend like $20-$30 each time I go and am usually amazed I manage to get so much food for so little money.
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And their ski gear.
Haha, yeah. Never know what you'll find when you go in there. I've definitely bought some Aldi furniture.
And my bike toolkit is from Aldi. :)
I get their canned beans and tomatoes, pasta, rice, milk, cleaning products, some of the fruit, meat and veg, their salami, cheese, and some of the frozen stuff (even the meat pies if I can't be arsed cooking).
Oh, and Aldi booze is usually pretty good too. I tend to buy more wine from Aldi than from the bottle-o these days.
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I shop at Aldi weekly. We love it! We've never had any issues with their meat, but I do pick through their produce thoroughly before adding it to my cart. I think if it were refrigerated in the store, it may fare a little better. The frozen pizzas have been hit and miss, but we enjoy the flatbread variety, and the "take and bakes" are awesome. I always keep a box of pierogies in the freezer, and the kids love the fish sticks. We buy lunch meat, every kind of cheese they sell, crackers and cookies, chips, you name it. The organic milk is great and .50-1.00 less than Kroger typically. We've never had an issue with the bread molding prematurely, and we buy at least 1-2 loaves every visit. I highly recommend the knock off girl scout samoas. They're like 1.79 and they're amazing.
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It took me about a year to get used to shopping at Aldi and find things I like, but now it's my primary grocery store because it is at least 25% cheaper than other stores in my area. I have two Aldis not far from where I live and they seem similar. One carries a larger selection of Hispanic foods. Produce is still hit or miss in both of them and their meat is generally poor quality except for a few items (chicken tenderloins, grass fed organic ground beef), so I go to other stores if I need any specialized or better produce or better meat. I don't eat much meat anyway, so the meat situation doesn't bother me. Things I like and get there all the time: organic milk, bananas, bagged apples, plain greek yogurt, hummus, olives, cheese, orange juice, almond milk, avocados, peppers, lunch meats, whole wheat bread, seasonal produce (after careful inspection of the contents of the package), tissues, butter, eggs, almonds, chocolate, pasta, pasta sauce (I like the organic variety they have), canned tomatoes, German imports, coffee K cups. Avoid: pork (most is injected with some kind of solution so it is too salty and tastes like crap) and beef.
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And if my credit card didn't work, I'd just use debit instead, no big deal to me, I'd definitely still shop there. I often only spend like $20-$30 each time I go and am usually amazed I manage to get so much food for so little money.
If they accepted credit card, I would shop there, but I don't right now. I get 6% back on groceries on my credit card, making my local grocery store slightly better than Aldi, and pretty close to Costco, except for a few items.
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And if my credit card didn't work, I'd just use debit instead, no big deal to me, I'd definitely still shop there. I often only spend like $20-$30 each time I go and am usually amazed I manage to get so much food for so little money.
If they accepted credit card, I would shop there, but I don't right now. I get 6% back on groceries on my credit card, making my local grocery store slightly better than Aldi, and pretty close to Costco, except for a few items.
what credit card do you use? 6% back on groceries is great!
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Double check vegetables. I had rotten ones more than once.
The boneless chicken seems inflated with water. I don't know what they did to make it like that, but I assume it's not good. Better a small amount of good quality meat, than a big lump of tasteless hormone meat.
One thing is that they have a lot of things that look cheap, but are actually not that cheap if you compare it with other shops.
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Mine is several miles farther away than where I usually shop, so I only go once a month or so. If they were closer, I'd go more often.
Their chocolate is to die for. Snacks and crackers are great. I buy canned tomato products, dried beans, lentils, rice, tortillas, canned/frozen fruit, basic baking supplies, basic spices, bread, cheese, eggs, milk, and yogurt. The take and bake pizzas are good. They sometimes have specialty pasta sauces that are cheap and great, like sun-dried tomato and regular pestos. Some of their baked goods are way too good, like their Danish, but they don't have an in-house bakery or deli.
Their toiletries can sometimes be great, but things I like tend to appear only periodically, like facial moisturizer and make-up.
The produce at mine is hit or miss, but they often have boxes of four baby lettuces that are amazing. The meat I find to be no bargain. I can generally do much better with loss leaders at the regular grocery store, unless I stumble into something like post-holiday hams being sold at Aldi for a song.
Some paper products, like trash and food storage bags are good, but toilet paper and tissues are not cheaper. I don't like most of their lines of coffee, but one is OK.
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what credit card do you use? 6% back on groceries is great!
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/blue-cash-preferred/
There's an annual $75 fee, so it works out to more like 4.75% for a $500/month grocery budget. It also gets 3% back on gas and 1% on everything else.
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Aldi's is amazing. If they have it, we pretty much buy it there. We stay away from a lot of the special buys and uncommon items though. We do make periodic trips to the "big" store for deli lunch meat, Mr. Crackin's favorite dressing, or Doritos! But that's about it!
Have you tried the Aldi's version of Doritos? They have both cheese and ranch. I gave the ranch ones a try and they are pretty close to Doritos.
I almost exclusively shop at Aldi. I can get the essentials like milk, eggs, etc. for significantly cheaper than other local stores. I enjoy their "SpagettiO's" and their canned ravioli. I keep my cabinet stocked with some of those for an easy meal. I buy their lemon "Crystal Light" for my water. Their fiber bars are good. I like their yogurt and string cheese. Their cereals taste like name brands. Their alcohol selections is worth a try as well. There is a Belgian beer called Kinroo Blue that tastes very similar to Blue Moon. They also have a hard cider called Wicked Grove that is great. I hear the wines were decent as well. I haven't found too much there I don't like. I did get some of their clam chowder and did not care for it. Their lunch meat is all prepackaged and is kind of meh. I don't buy too many household items there. I have bought their TP and it was fine but I think you get more for your buck at Wal-Mart or another big store. Their frozen chicken breasts are good but they are massive. So you don't get many breasts in a bag. I agree with others that the produce can be hit or miss. I have seen strawberries with mold on them. I do really like their mini sweet peppers. I like to dips those in some ranch for a snack. The prices are reasonable so I usually try something new when i'm in there.
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The consumer organisation in Australia did a price comparison of all the "national" grocers, and Aldi came out as the cheapest by far. They also tend to use local cheeses, and have won prizes at some of the state shows. So their products tend to be quite good here.
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I'm making a price comparison spreadsheet and Aldi is on my list to visit. Before I go, does anyone know of the store's produce source? Do they make that info available? Couldn't find online.
Edit: Never mind. I found what I could on the interwebs. Looking forward to checkin ALDI out!
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I am from Germany, ALDI is from Germany, so I will give you a few basics to interpret because there is no sense to compare items on different sides of the Atlantik ;)
ALDI is from Germany, created by 2 brothers who have divided Germany into ALDI North and ALDI South. Aldi S is considered the better one.
Aldi is the self-proclaimed cheapest discounter.
The basic priciple is to have a low number of different products of the same type, but a relatively diverse range of items. So you can buy a dozen different cheeses, but only one or two brands each.
They also have a low number of workers (btw: No one here in Germany packs the bags for the customer, its all "self-service" ) and everything is optimized for price, location, size etc. That included, as someone has mentioned "Unlike grocery stores that actually have shelves, everything at Aldi is still in the large cardboard boxes it's shipped in." - It just takes a lot more time to put 20 items on the shelf then a single cardboard box.
The quality is on average quite good, meaning you will seldom find anything bad, but even less often something top. That even is correct for electronics.
(btw: If you find a LIDL, it is the same principle, but Lidl is just trying to change their image from cheap to something else, so it may be the cheap variant will never exist in the US.)
I am a bit confused about your reports of the difference in the different Aldi stores. Here in Germany Aldi makes the low prices with buying huge quantitites and dictate prices this way (not to the amusement of the producers). Maybe they are not big enough for that in the US or it depends more on the single local manager (I think I did read Aldi in the US is going more the franchise way; if this is true, that would be the result I think). I dont think it is the difference between Aldi Noth and South, because i think they have split the countries so only one of them in the USA, buy maybe you could ask? I woudl really like to know it, just out of curiosity.
So, at last, from a german point:
I mostly buy potato chips, one sort of cheese, one sort of chocolade and one other sweet item there. Nearly everthing else is from Kaufland 100m away, partly beause if I go to Kaufland anyway I buy the things I coudl buy at Aldi there, too. The price fight especially here is so extreme it is either the same price for brand ware, generic items like milk and flour where there is no difference at all between brands (so take the cheapest) or store-brand anyway, so you cant change. I often joke I only buy sweets at Aldi ;)
I would not recommend the bread there, but that is because it is pre-made like in every discounter and supermarket here, and my local Aldi seems to be not able to manage to keep its assortment stuffed anyway. There are always only half of the bread sorts there when I go in.
I often think of Aldi as a sort of single-market: You get everything you need, but no fancy stuff or wide choice. One size fits all. Go in, grab it, run out.
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I started shopping at Aldi's exactly 1 year ago and my 12 month grocery cost dropped by $2600 with very little effort. I have two children and I purchase most of their fruit, veg, cereal and snacks there. They do not seem to care about brands and actually prefer some of the Aldi snacks/cereals. They eat 5-7 servings of fruit and veg per day at least plus I eat even more so it's nice to get the basics at significantly lower cost.
I'm mostly vegan and the kids eat mostly vegetarian with me so I cannot comment on the raw meats, dairy, etc. We have tried a few frozen prepared meat items and the kids like them. I do still shop at Whole Foods for some of the things I like to eat such as Tofu, unsweetened nut milks, various whole grains from the bulk bins, and ethnic foods/seasonings but buy as many staple items as I can at Aldi (i.e. dry beans, brown rice, canned tomatoes, etc.).
Overall, Aldi has been a good experience for me and they seem to be expanding their organic and vegetarian selection at my local one.
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We love Aldi's.
You know you should always take a quarter, right? Not two dimes and a nickel, but a quarter. You'll need it to borrow a cart. I always keep a quarter in the console of my car just for this purpose.
Also note that they don't accept credit cards. You can use cash or a debit card.
And bring your own bags. I actually LIKE bagging my own groceries; I do it more carefully than the store clerks.
Good things to buy:
- Chips and crackers
- Salad dressings, pickles, and other jarred items
- Milk and eggs
- Produce, good quality stuff!
- Cheese of all varieties
- Chicken salad with cranberries and almonds; yes, we go JUST for this one item
- Some frozen things; for example, we like the gyro sandwich kit
- Glutten-free items, if that's your thing
Things we avoid:
- Meat
- Frozen pizzas; really, the kids won't even eat them
Yup, i think you resonate exactly how i feel about good ol' Aldi. LOVE the mayo they have. I think its better than Hellmanns
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I am from Germany, ALDI is from Germany, so I will give you a few basics to interpret because there is no sense to compare items on different sides of the Atlantik ;)
ALDI is from Germany, created by 2 brothers who have divided Germany into ALDI North and ALDI South. Aldi S is considered the better one.
Aldi Nord in the US, owns Trader Joe's. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trader_Joe%27s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trader_Joe%27s)
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We buy Aldi's no salt added maranara sause in jars and then add in our own veggies and spices when we cook pasta. It's similar to the leading brands except without the 30%+ of the recommended daily serving of salt.
Our Aldi stopped sticking the no salt sauce several months ago. A real bummer because it was the lowest sodium sauce that we could find around. Now its back to making our own.
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Some things are awesome, some are not. I buy a lot of staple items there. Things I really like - tortilla chips, cereal, canned tomatos, cheese, frozen fruit, frozen asparagus, 12 grain bread, nuts, and eggs. I do not like their cottage cheese, coffee creamer, frozen corn, peanut butter, and pasta sauce. I like their produce except I never buy fresh berries any more - I swear every container I bought had mold where I couldn't see it. I always buy baby spinach, green peppers, and grape tomatos. I do weekly shopping there with a monthly stop at a Meijer or Kroger for the things I can't get at Aldi. There are Aldi stores all over our area and what they carry varies. Some stores have a good line of organic items.
My SIL's family thinks the pasta sauce is the best.
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I buy…
-- sugar cereals for my kids (I know! I know!!!)
-- milk
-- eggs
-- butter
-- chocolate and chocolate chips
-- spices
-- wine
-- canned goods -- tomato soup, pasta-Os, canned beans and tomatoes
-- chicken breasts and ground beef
-- frozen pizzas
-- ice cream and ice cream cones
-- laundry detergent
-- (we haven't got it yet but they have water softener salt and I bet it's a good price compared to Wal-mart)
-- paper products
-- produce -- watermelons, apples, cucumbers, lettuce, almost anything (inspect before buying but most is good)
-- halloween pumpkins (this is what got me started at Aldi)
-- at Christmas, stocking stuffer candy and teacher gift chocolates
-- vanilla, sugar, flour
-- coffee (we like their fair trade dark roast)
-- graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, chex mix, tortilla chips
-- mushrooms, avocado
pretty much anything.
We don't like their chocolate syrup and mayonnaise (prefer Hershey and Hellman's).
If I need fancy things like fish or deli items, I go to a regular grocery but you can get tons of basics at Aldi.
Have fun checking it out!
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I shop at Aldi weekly. We love it! We've never had any issues with their meat, but I do pick through their produce thoroughly before adding it to my cart. I think if it were refrigerated in the store, it may fare a little better. The frozen pizzas have been hit and miss, but we enjoy the flatbread variety, and the "take and bakes" are awesome. I always keep a box of pierogies in the freezer, and the kids love the fish sticks. We buy lunch meat, every kind of cheese they sell, crackers and cookies, chips, you name it. The organic milk is great and .50-1.00 less than Kroger typically. We've never had an issue with the bread molding prematurely, and we buy at least 1-2 loaves every visit. I highly recommend the knock off girl scout samoas. They're like 1.79 and they're amazing.
Knock off Girl scout samoas? Oh, maybe I don't' want to know…. ;-)
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Knock off Girl scout samoas? Oh, maybe I don't' want to know…. ;-)
You do know that Keebler as well as some private label supermarkets have all the girl scout knockoffs....right? Thin mints, samoas, etc. Just sayin'. lol!
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If they accepted credit card, I would shop there, but I don't right now. I get 6% back on groceries on my credit card, making my local grocery store slightly better than Aldi, and pretty close to Costco, except for a few items.
Just wondering - are you including the Costco and AMEX rebates in your price comparisons?
I live in the land of no ALDI, but when we went to Orlando, I spotted one beside the highway on the way to our condo and had DH pull a U-turn. We loved it so much we shopped there twice, bought 10-cent ALDI shopping bags as souvenirs for our fellow frugal but ALDI-less friends, and took pictures with our full bags at the cart corral. A big shout out to Kristen at The Frugal Girl who regularly waxes poetic about the joy that is ALDI or we wouldn't have even known what we were passing by that memorable day. Fortunately, I have Winco to drown my sorrows. It's not nearby, but at least it's in my state and I pass one occasionally when visiting a family member. I always remember to pack bags and an ice chest. They're open 24 hours, so it doesn't matter what time of day or night we're passing through.
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I looked at a WinCo in Chandler AZ when I was out there last week. Except for $0.48 cantaloupes, I saw nothing that was worth buying. Prices were as good at Fry's and Safeway if you shopped carefully and the $0.67 grapes at Fry's were far superior to WinCo. Sprouts had a similar deal on cantaloupes in the last couple of weeks. No Aldi's in California yet, although they are supposed to break into the Southern California market soon.
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We have a new Aldi in town opening next week and I'm wondering:
What do you buy at Aldi/ what's good there in terms of quality and cost? and what don't you like there?
I've read a couple of the other posts but is seems like quality has improved.
thanks!
I have Aldi nearby and I don't bother. Locked grocery carts, bring your own bags, bag your own groceries (and you'd better HURRY or else enjoy the dirty looks), more store brands than brand names. Not worth it to me.
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We have a new Aldi in town opening next week and I'm wondering:
What do you buy at Aldi/ what's good there in terms of quality and cost? and what don't you like there?
I've read a couple of the other posts but is seems like quality has improved.
thanks!
I have Aldi nearby and I don't bother. Locked grocery carts, bring your own bags, bag your own groceries (and you'd better HURRY or else enjoy the dirty looks), more store brands than brand names. Not worth it to me.
Don't forget cash only.
I don't get it either.
One can only spend so much on groceries.
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I have Aldi nearby and I don't bother. Locked grocery carts, bring your own bags, bag your own groceries (and you'd better HURRY or else enjoy the dirty looks), more store brands than brand names. Not worth it to me.
I hope for you you never come to Germany, because you will have a really hard time shopping here.
Whats so hard on bringing your own bags? One in left trouser pocket, one in right pocket, and you have enough carrying capacity for all your needs (if you dont have a familiy with children). Wash them twice a year. I just had to replace one, it was older then 10 years. I have one very stupid looking and I have several with nice pictures.
Also you know that "store brands" are often better then "real brands"? That is because the supermarket with brand X makes sure its own name is not synonym for bad wares. If some brand is bad - the store does not care. In extreme case they just replace the item with another one.
Its all about profit after all, and that is btw. the reason why there is very intentionally not much space to place things after the counter, excactly for the reason that you feel pressured and move away faster.
I hate that, too, like the other psychological tricks, but if I can save 30% because fo this - heck yes! And Why should I pay someone to pack my groceries?
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If they accepted credit card, I would shop there, but I don't right now. I get 6% back on groceries on my credit card, making my local grocery store slightly better than Aldi, and pretty close to Costco, except for a few items.
Just wondering - are you including the Costco and AMEX rebates in your price comparisons?
I include the Amex rebates on the grocery store side. What rebates are available at Costco? For Amex rewards, Costco counts as a warehouse club rather than a grocery store, so I would only get 1% back (<1% if you count the annual fee). Also, Costco is discontinuing Amex acceptance in April 2016.
I have to admit I haven't done a thorough analysis. Costco is not far away, and I've heard they'll let you go in for a look. I checked online price lists and found a lot of things to be about the same before the ~6% cash back. Checking again, it looks like cheese, frozen fruit and vegetables, and oatmeal are among the things we buy that would be cheaper at Costco. I'm not sure it's worth the annual fee. Maybe I can tag along with a member every few months and buy 100 lb of oatmeal.
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I have Aldi nearby and I don't bother. Locked grocery carts, bring your own bags, bag your own groceries (and you'd better HURRY or else enjoy the dirty looks), more store brands than brand names. Not worth it to me.
There are valid complaints about Aldi (such as hit-or-miss produce quality), but these are not among them. In fact, those are the things that make Aldi great for mustachians like us!
For one thing, name brands are a waste of money and you shouldn't be buying them most of the time anyway. Sure, occasionally it matters, but it certainly doesn't most of the time.
If they accepted credit card, I would shop there, but I don't right now. I get 6% back on groceries on my credit card, making my local grocery store slightly better than Aldi, and pretty close to Costco, except for a few items.
Just wondering - are you including the Costco and AMEX rebates in your price comparisons?
I include the Amex rebates on the grocery store side. What rebates are available at Costco? For Amex rewards, Costco counts as a warehouse club rather than a grocery store, so I would only get 1% back (<1% if you count the annual fee). Also, Costco is discontinuing Amex acceptance in April 2016.
I have to admit I haven't done a thorough analysis. Costco is not far away, and I've heard they'll let you go in for a look. I checked online price lists and found a lot of things to be about the same before the ~6% cash back. Checking again, it looks like cheese, frozen fruit and vegetables, and oatmeal are among the things we buy that would be cheaper at Costco. I'm not sure it's worth the annual fee. Maybe I can tag along with a member every few months and buy 100 lb of oatmeal.
In my experience, Aldi generally beats Costco on price (by a whopping 15% on whole chickens, for example). I have a Costco membership, which was worth it because I bought some big-ticket items (such as a mattress) and had a clown-car commute so I saved a lot on their gas, but I'm seriously considering letting it lapse.
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I have Aldi nearby and I don't bother. Locked grocery carts, bring your own bags, bag your own groceries (and you'd better HURRY or else enjoy the dirty looks), more store brands than brand names. Not worth it to me.
I hope for you you never come to Germany, because you will have a really hard time shopping here.
Whats so hard on bringing your own bags? One in left trouser pocket, one in right pocket, and you have enough carrying capacity for all your needs (if you dont have a familiy with children). Wash them twice a year. I just had to replace one, it was older then 10 years. I have one very stupid looking and I have several with nice pictures.
Also you know that "store brands" are often better then "real brands"? That is because the supermarket with brand X makes sure its own name is not synonym for bad wares. If some brand is bad - the store does not care. In extreme case they just replace the item with another one.
Its all about profit after all, and that is btw. the reason why there is very intentionally not much space to place things after the counter, excactly for the reason that you feel pressured and move away faster.
I hate that, too, like the other psychological tricks, but if I can save 30% because fo this - heck yes! And Why should I pay someone to pack my groceries?
Or really any European grocery, for that matter. The ones we visited in Paris and Amsterdam were also similar to the German ones, which were all very like Aldi. I like going to our local US Aldi since it feels more European to me. ;) That, and the prices on European style cheese, will keep me a loyal customer for life. :D
Also, one thing to add is that my DH, who has ADHD, really appreciates Aldi for the simplicity--there aren't a lot of brand choices. If you want salsa, you just choose the flavor, not the brand. If you want chips, same deal. It reduces the amount of mental energy needed in shopping. And there's no cost comparison between brands, which also simplifies things. You either want corn chips, or you don't. It's not "which brand, and which size, and--oh, is this brand on sale, and this one isn't? What's the price per ounce?" In terms of mustachian optimization, it's pretty great.
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Astonished that anyone would think it was a trial to bring one's own bags to the supermarket. You do know about the floating plastic bag island in the Pacific, don't you? We are destroying the earth with our laziness and inability to think beyond our own comfort. I keep a stash of reusable cloth bags in my trunk at all times. When I go to the store, I just pull out whatever I think I will need. I prefer to pack my own groceries because when some teenager does it, inevitably something is crushed or smashed, or gets left behind on the belt and I have to come back for it. And young boys always seem to pack the bags too heavy for women to lift comfortably.
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Also, one thing to add is that my DH, who has ADHD, really appreciates Aldi for the simplicity--there aren't a lot of brand choices. If you want salsa, you just choose the flavor, not the brand. If you want chips, same deal. It reduces the amount of mental energy needed in shopping. And there's no cost comparison between brands, which also simplifies things. You either want corn chips, or you don't. It's not "which brand, and which size, and--oh, is this brand on sale, and this one isn't? What's the price per ounce?" In terms of mustachian optimization, it's pretty great.
I'm not ADHD and I really appreciate the core simplicity of Aldi products. Some things like toothpaste I can't get at Aldi and I absolutely hate the time I waste in a regular supermarket trying to decide which brand to buy, trying to compare different flavors, sizes, prices, etc.
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I have Aldi nearby and I don't bother. Locked grocery carts, bring your own bags, bag your own groceries (and you'd better HURRY or else enjoy the dirty looks), more store brands than brand names. Not worth it to me.
Ooh, I loved the locked grocery carts! It keeps them out of the parking lot, so no worries about getting dinged or worse by a cart and it makes the place look tidier, too. I always bring my own bags, as they are not free in my area and I always pack my own groceries, wherever I go.
Sorry, do you realize you're whinging about small things and store brands vs.brand names on a frugality site?
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Astonished that anyone would think it was a trial to bring one's own bags to the supermarket. You do know about the floating plastic bag island in the Pacific, don't you? We are destroying the earth with our laziness and inability to think beyond our own comfort. I keep a stash of reusable cloth bags in my trunk at all times. When I go to the store, I just pull out whatever I think I will need. I prefer to pack my own groceries because when some teenager does it, inevitably something is crushed or smashed, or gets left behind on the belt and I have to come back for it. And young boys always seem to pack the bags too heavy for women to lift comfortably.
We've got canvas bags that are decades old. Besides being sturdy and more comfortable to carry, packing them myself means I've sorted groceries before I get home. Cans in the green one, toiletries in the blue, perishables in silver insulated.... It's a PITA to go back to the old way and deal with plastic bags.
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I live near two Aldis. One has fabulous produce; at the other it is dreadful. I have no idea why there is such a huge difference. Produce examples from this week include a bag of lemons (1.99), broccoli (1.89), bag of yellow and red peppers (1.49), cucumber (.79). During the winter I buy almost all my produce at Aldis.
My favorite non-produce foods are: goat cheese, brie, hummus, and nuts. Also their baking staples seem just as good as other brands. My daughter loves their veggie sticks in the snack section and their vegetarian sushi in the frozen section. I know another poster recommended it, but I actually was quite disappointed with the chocolate, except for the pure cocoa powder (when they have it).
My favorite thing about the Aldis near me is that it is incredibly quick to shop there. The store is small and the checkout cashiers are amazingly quick and pleasant.
See, the Aldi I tried had terrible produce and very little in dairy. It's got to be very hit or miss from everyone's different anecdotes.
I do agree that the cashier was the most pleasant and nice person I met in that entire town. A+ for employees.
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I don't get why anyone, especially on this site, would complain about bringing their own bags. Also, there's no dirty looks because you pack your bags at a separate counter. You pack them any way you want. And there are no corrals in the parking lot overflowing with carts waiting to be taken back to the store. In fact, many times when I go, someone will offer me their cart instead of returning it to get their quarter back. I offer them a quarter they don't want it. We smile and wish each other a good day. It's like this little part of shopping brings out the best in people. I'd say we've liked 90 percent of the Aldi products we've tried. They are so reasonably priced compared to other grocery stores that I don't mind trying new products.
But I have to say I did not care for their Aldi Hellman's mayonnaise!
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Things that are as good or better than the brand name version:
Frozen veg and fruit
Canned tomato products (paste, sauce, crushed, etc)
Eggs
Canned beans
Anything German-y like sauerkraut/ red cabbage/ mustard
Boxed cereals
Pop tarts
Orange juice
Tomato juice
Wheat bread
Peanut butter and jelly
Graham crackers
Chocolates
Pasta
Large pretzels
Hummus
Yogurt
Dried nuts and fruits
Flour/sugar/butter
The salsa is only okay.
Tortilla chips are absurdly salty.
I would only get fresh fruit and veg there if I were going to use it within the next two-three days. It seemed to go bad fairly quickly.
We moved away from the areas with Aldi, and I miss it sometimes. We were able to fill a giant cart with a months worth of food for like $200.00.
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I don't know about the US but here in Australia most of the store brands at Aldi (as well as the premium store brands like Woolworths Select) are made in the exact same factory as the big name brands you find in other supermarkets. Sometimes the recipe is slightly different, sometimes it's the exact same product and today it gets put into boxes that have name brand A on the front and tomorrow it gets packed into boxes with store brand B on them.
One thing we noticed is that when Aldi opened nearby, the other supermarkets lowered the prices of their basic store brand items to match. The problem is that with lots of things, the quality just isn't the same. I can buy shortbread fingers at Aldi for 95c. At Coles I can choose the same quality by buying Arnotts for $2.95 or I can pay the same as Aldi and get ones that are rock hard and tasteless. It's a no brainer for us.
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We go to Aldi's mainly because it's the only American store we recognize in Australia (I know it's German, but we've been to one in the US, so it's familiar).
BTW, I pronounce it All-Dees, in Australia I've heard it pronounced Al Dee (as in Al Bundy). Wonder how everyone else pronounces it?
I dislike how there's no trolley corrals at the Aldi's I've been to here. Coles and Woolworths have them. I like parking next to one, so I can unload the groceries, unload the kids and baby, and return the trolley. Can't do that at Aldi's.
There's not a lot of stuff screaming at kids "buy me buy me!" It's easier to do shopping with three kids at Aldi's (I didn't say it was easy, just easier). Though I may need to steer clear of the middle section (that's their non-grocery specials, sometimes there's toys, lots of electronics, etc.).
Quality is good. Wife likes the generic Tim Tams better, I like the name-brand better. We both decided that they were awfully close and would simply buy whatever was cheapest. Bread is better quality for the same price. Bananas and other fruit often much cheaper than Coles or Woolworths (but sometimes dedicated fruit/veg stores are cheaper). Just about everything is cheaper at Aldi's except things like flour, sugar, milk, bread, diapers, and loss-leaders (kinda a given).
Wife will not eat their grapes anymore. At least we know there's not a whole lot of pesticides on them (or that was a resistant snail).
I often forget to bring bags, so I throw everything loose in the car. I may have to make six trips to the house, but at least I saved 30c!
The ones here take credit cards, there's a surcharge. They got my wife once, she did the tap to pay thing (which runs it as credit). Doh!
Oh, sometimes they have country themed sales. First part of July they had a lot of American food. The American Facebook group was pretty excited.
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I have Aldi nearby and I don't bother. Locked grocery carts, bring your own bags, bag your own groceries (and you'd better HURRY or else enjoy the dirty looks), more store brands than brand names. Not worth it to me.
Ooh, I loved the locked grocery carts! It keeps them out of the parking lot, so no worries about getting dinged or worse by a cart and it makes the place look tidier, too. I always bring my own bags, as they are not free in my area and I always pack my own groceries, wherever I go.
Sorry, do you realize you're whinging about small things and store brands vs.brand names on a frugality site?
LOL, welcome to European shopping - I actually felt sort of embarassed at having my groceries bagged for me while grocery shopping in the US. It made me feel like a stereotypical spoiled rich person.
Things I like buying at Aldi in the Netherlands (though no more, as I have a Lidl which is far closer):
- chocolate
- olive oil
- wine
- nuts
- good temporary deals on regional products (like monchego cheese during Spanish weeks)
- cleaning supplies
- basic toiletries like shower gel and soap
- muesli
Things I'd much rather buy elsewhere:
- produce, as it's often of poor quality
- dairy (yoghurt, cheese), also b/c of quality
- things like toilet paper and tampons - usually only unrecycled paper + poor quality
- bread, also a quality thing
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Love me some Aldi! Shopped there in Germany, Netherlands and was thrilled when I moved near one in the US!
The soft red licorice that is imported from Australia of all places is amazing, wish I'd never tried it. They have sometimes have this unfiltered blackberry juice that is amazing, buy two if you see it.
I love that they don't always have the same things but I get pissy when something I've been loving a few weeks is suddenly gone, the joy of Aldi! Some products here are a full dollar cheaper than elsewhere and in normal sizes, not huge Costco ones.
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Grass-fed Australian cheddar anyone? Yup, at Aldi, for $2.99. Absolutely delicious! I love finds like that in addition to the usual stuff I get there.
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ALDI is our number one choice of stores and shop there almost exclusively for groceries. We purchase beef and pork at a local market but the rest comes from ALDI. Our local store has truck delivery everyday so the produce is always great. We do try to go in the AM for the best selection as some items do sell out fast.
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We shop there every Sunday. It has been getting to the point where we let our guards down because of their prices that we over-buy. This week we spent $55 for two people.
Some of it is certainly a bit hit or miss, but I've definitely gotten some high quality produce and good meat there. At the same time, they sell these Jennie O turkey burgers that are dog food quality. Seriously, we called up friends offering them the package for doggie treats. You just have to pick and choose what you buy.
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We shop there every Sunday. It has been getting to the point where we let our guards down because of their prices that we over-buy. This week we spent $55 for two people.
Some of it is certainly a bit hit or miss, but I've definitely gotten some high quality produce and good meat there. At the same time, they sell these Jennie O turkey burgers that are dog food quality. Seriously, we called up friends offering them the package for doggie treats. You just have to pick and choose what you buy.
Yes I also will splurge there because the prices are low. I usually spend 60/week for two people but this includes far more than just the "basics" instead I am buying hummus (1.99), berries (.99-1.99), NFC orange juice (1.99) and other items that I would only buy once in a while at Harris teeter because they are much more expensive, even when they have it on sale. We eat better and spend less.
Regarding the comments on produce many have made, I have had good luck for the most part but when something looks iffy I don't buy it. I would do the same at any store. I also buy the meat regularly including ground turkey (lean - they also have a high fat content one), ground beef (90/10), pork loin, whole hams, etc but I also don't buy everything all the time, check that it looks ok first.
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We shop there every Sunday. It has been getting to the point where we let our guards down because of their prices that we over-buy. This week we spent $55 for two people.
Some of it is certainly a bit hit or miss, but I've definitely gotten some high quality produce and good meat there. At the same time, they sell these Jennie O turkey burgers that are dog food quality. Seriously, we called up friends offering them the package for doggie treats. You just have to pick and choose what you buy.
Yes I also will splurge there because the prices are low. I usually spend 60/week for two people but this includes far more than just the "basics" instead I am buying hummus (1.99), berries (.99-1.99), NFC orange juice (1.99) and other items that I would only buy once in a while at Harris teeter because they are much more expensive, even when they have it on sale. We eat better and spend less.
Regarding the comments on produce many have made, I have had good luck for the most part but when something looks iffy I don't buy it. I would do the same at any store. I also buy the meat regularly including ground turkey (lean - they also have a high fat content one), ground beef (90/10), pork loin, whole hams, etc but I also don't buy everything all the time, check that it looks ok first.
Totally agree. There is definitely some bad stuff there. But in my experience the majority of it is good quality. All the produce (fingers crossed) we've gotten there has been just fine. Excepting those awful frozen turkey burgers, the meat has been good.
It's not perfect, but it's well worth the trade off.
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I know some people on here have complained about their meat, but I have been happy with it so far, especially the chicken legs, which always seem to be on sale and have the $2 off sticker as well. I usually buy 5lbs of chicken legs for $3. I've grilled them, breaded them, and southern-fried them... yum!
I love Aldi dairy products: butter, cream cheese, milk, ice cream, hard cheeses. Their orange juice (not from concentrate) is great and by far the cheapest around.
Their produce is meh... very hit or miss. Someone once said of Aldi, "it was the best of bananas, it was the worst of bananas." They were spot on. You just never know what you will get in their produce section.
I like their organic stuff, but a lot of their non-organic packaged products (cereal, crackers, condiments, nuts/trail mixes, etc) have too many preservatives, artificial colors/flavors, GMOs, and high fructose corn syrup. If you care about any of those things, keep an eye out and read the labels.
I buy some of their baking supplies, but the selection is limited; for instance, they only carry bleached flour - you will have to go elsewhere if you want unbleached flour.
I supplement my Aldi shopping with Trader Joe's. Between the two, I can generally get everything I need.
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The soft red licorice that is imported from Australia of all places is amazing, wish I'd never tried it.
Grass-fed Australian cheddar anyone? Yup, at Aldi, for $2.99. Absolutely delicious! I love finds like that in addition to the usual stuff I get there.
And I didn't think my ALDI envy could get any worse...
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Aldi is my main grocery store, and I've bought groceries at Aldi in several different states. The mix of produce does vary somewhat from one store to the next - my store always carries lasagne noodles, and the one in Florida doesn't but has a bigger supply of "Hispanic" foods. My store has a wider range of "special buys" than does the one in Madison, WI.
I like pretty much everything that I buy there, and am often disappointed when I have to buy the brand name product elsewhere. A lot of specialty items are only there for a few weeks, so if you like it, stock up.
My cats vastly prefer their cheap kitty litter to any other. I think the plastic trash bags are better than the name brand, by far.
My store doesn't have wine, which I regret (Ohio has weird licensing laws), and only takes debit, cash and EBT. The produce is top notch, though, nicer than the expensive grocery store's by far.
The 100% whole wheat bread is great. I find that very little of their stuff has HFCS, though I'm sure there's some in there in the junkier foods.
I've found their gardening stuff to be extremely nice.
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Do US Aldis carry electronic stuff?
In my one there is always a small cabinet with one or two laptops, a tower, one or two tablets und a few other things.
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I'm in Scotland, and while I pass an Aldi on my walk home from work, I tend to go to Lidl once a week, as there is one pretty close by to my home. I take a little wheeled trolley bag, fill it to the brim and pay about £30. Lidl is very similar to Aldi, but my Lidl has free range/organic chicken (£4.30 for a whole one last week), wild salmon - 2 fillets for £2, grass fed beef - £4 for a large rump steak which did me for two meals and better produce than Aldi, including some organic. I buy pretty much everything there, except milk, as they don't do lacto free :( and weirdly shaving gel - they only stock men's, which smells like aftershave. (Though I have bought it in a pinch!)
Particular favourites are:
Wine
Continental meats and cheeses
Cleaning products
Moisturiser
Greek yoghurt
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I love Aldi stores!
I love that they are small and usually neat and tidy. Usually they are 3-4 aisles and the checkers are lightning fast.
I recently moved to a new town about 60 miles from my old place and I had a mild panic attack when I rolled up to the Aldi in my neighborhood and it was closed for remodeling! I had to navigate a "regular" grocery store for everything. It took forEVER. Too many people and too many choices! I don't mind bringing a quarter for the shopping cart, or bringing my own bags and bagging my groceries or using cash or debit. In the end I'm done shopping at Aldi in half the time that it takes to go through a full service store.
Favorites:
- Produce including berries, melons, peppers, avocados
- Nuts and dried fruits
- Spices, they aren't as pungent as name brand ground spices but they are suuuuper cheap!
- Staples like flour and sugar
- Cheese
- Hummus
- Whole wheat wide loaf bread
- Meat fresh chicken, ground turkey, sometimes ground beef.
- Frozen veg, they carry edamame seasonally so I stock up when I see it.
- Granola bars
Things I often can't or won't buy at Aldi:
- Coffee: they don't carry whole bean
- Bananas: Conventional bananas come in a plastic bag and are slimy. I'll pick up organic sometimes if they are super green.
- Eggs: no organic or cage free varieties available. Maybe this will change since they carry grass fed beef in my area.
- Condiments: this is hit or miss. usually they don't have basic things like soy sauce
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An awful prank just passed through my head. Take $25 in quarters to Aldi...
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I dither between trying to do local, seasonal/organic/supporting small independent shops and the fact that actually, some of the time, I really can't afford all of that. So at the moment I'm back to shopping at Aldi for somethings, which frees up cash for more expensive but lovely local/organic stuff. Some of my regular buys from Aldi at the moment are:
Muesli (the cheapie fruit one - the fancier, more expensive ones all have added sugar of some kind)
Own-brand Tuc-type crackers (not quite as salty but good enough)
Tins of tomatoes
Cartons of passata
Jars of olives
Wraps (during American week)
Fish fingers
Tins of tuna
Tins of sardines
Tins of kidney beans
Mixed nuts
Flour
Parmesan cheese (buy it and grate it all immediately and then into the freezer it goes)
Quark
Yoghurt
And some of the organic dairy stuff: milk, mozarella and sometimes other cheese
Organic, fair-trade bananas
And of course, every once in a while something from the weekly special non-grocery offers. But I do try to not get tempted anymore. If anyone struggles with that, they've written a song for you (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL7jyXCQ2Zc). Enjoy!
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I just love the word "tins" for cans. So British/Irish and post-WWII frugal. Or is there a US regional dialect use of tins?
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I just love the word "tins" for cans. So British/Irish and post-WWII frugal. Or is there a US regional dialect use of tins?
No idea. I'm Irish so that's why I use it. :) Although I do sometimes use can as well so now I'm trying to figure out if I just use them interchangeably or if there are certain things I say can for. Hmm, that might be a good conversation some time for when I'm in the pub and it's getting late...
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I've never been to Aldi. There is one approximately 25 miles away from where we live and 10 miles from my work in the opposite direction from home. Would the savings be worth it? It would also increase my time sitting in traffic if stopping on my way home from work. But I am very interested in lowering our grocery budget.
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I live in Northern VA and I found that Trader Joes and Wegmans is comparable in price to Aldi. Also, Aldi doesn't have much of a selection on foods so I would only stock up on very basic food there, like salt or milk.
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I've never been to Aldi. There is one approximately 25 miles away from where we live and 10 miles from my work in the opposite direction from home. Would the savings be worth it? It would also increase my time sitting in traffic if stopping on my way home from work. But I am very interested in lowering our grocery budget.
The one closest to me is out of my way as well. I go every six weeks or so and stock up on the stuff that is routinely much cheaper there, but I don't have time to go every week. I wish I did.
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I've never been to Aldi. There is one approximately 25 miles away from where we live and 10 miles from my work in the opposite direction from home. Would the savings be worth it? It would also increase my time sitting in traffic if stopping on my way home from work. But I am very interested in lowering our grocery budget.
I'm in a similar situation, and the one nearest me is not worth it, but I've definitely been in an Aldis that was worth it, near my mother. I'd say it's worth a trip to determine which sort of Aldi you have, because the potential payoff is large.
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I love Aldi. The produce is generally terrible, but the meat is good, snacks, dairy, hummus (which DH would eat by the spoonful if he could), and canned goods are awesome. We really like the frozen pizza too, so maybe it has improved from what it used to be.
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They just remodeled our Aldi and did a re-opening and sent us a coupon. I decided to try it again. it's still horrible. The produce goes bad before you make it home. The meat is sketchy and the only other thing I would be interested in are canned beans but it's SO not worth it to make an extra trip.
Yuckamadoo
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I wonder if the hit-or-miss factor on the produce has to do with what region people are in. I'm in Minnesota, and the produce at our Aldi is pretty good--I always look things over to make sure it's ripe or not over-ripe or whatever, but I do that in any grocery store. Our store was just remodeled/expanded and re-opened this week, so I'm excited to see what new things they carry. My sister's regular Aldi in the twin cities area has a few things we don't have in our city, like Apfelschorle (fizzy apple drink that's a German favorite), and I'm hoping they'll carry more specialty products like that.
If you've had a bad Aldi experience, I really challenge you to try it once more. They really do seem to go for constant optimization, and are always working at improving.
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Aldi came to our area about three years ago and Walmart is feeling the hurt:)
We are lucky - the closest one is about a mile away -ours is great - fresh produce, excellent meat buys every Wednesday. Their expanding cheese selection is half price what it would be elsewhere. Love their Italian and German week. Two more are 4 miles away in opposite directions. So when they have a great special and they sell out at one location we hit the other two:)
Batteries, detergent, ibuprofen, light bulbs - well worth it. A lot of organic choices and great pasta as well.
Of course we don't like all their products, in the beginning it was more of a trial and error, so now we know their bread selection is fresh and fabulous. I buy a big loaf and freeze it in sliced portions. Their canned goods are all fine too and whatever frozen seasonal veggies they have we've been pleased with, especially the family sized sweet potato casserole.
Best place to buy garden furniture and always check their reduced section ... so yeah, I'm a fan.
We now have a Trader Joe's, but it's about 20 min by car, so I haven't been there yet.
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Aldi's is a great store but stay away from the frozen pizza. It is the WORST.
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Aldi's is a great store but stay away from the frozen pizza. It is the WORST.
LOL
Actually - at least here in Germany - LIDL has the worst frozen pizza.
You get what you buy. If you think you get great pizza for $3 you are wrong.
But putting a bit of salami and a bit more of cheese on one of those can make even them quite good. Better is to bake pizza yourself, of course. Doesnt need to be a "real" pizza, just dough and tomato and salami or whatever you want. Half the price, double the yum.
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An Aldi's opened up about a mile and a half from my sister-in-law's place in the West End of Richmond this spring. Meat prices were excellent--95 cents a pound for chicken, for example--but overall I wasn't super-impressed with it.
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Aldi ... excellent meat buys every Wednesday.
Is this true for all Aldis??
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I love Aldi. .. hummus (which DH would eat by the spoonful if he could)
Unless it's a diet restriction, perhaps you should be making your own hummus.
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Aldi's is a great store but stay away from the frozen pizza. It is the WORST.
The Aldi here has some special "Greek gyro" and "Cuban sandwich" frozen pizzas right now and I decided to get them. So far, the Cuban has been pretty good. I haven't tried the Greek yet.
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I love Aldi. .. hummus (which DH would eat by the spoonful if he could)
Unless it's a diet restriction, perhaps you should be making your own hummus.
Meant to include;
It's really MMM badass if you buy dry chickpeas
It's really easy if you use sesame oil instead of tahini
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I fly to Germany once or twice a year from Norway. 20kg is the load linit on my carrier. It's used up in its entirety for Hungarian salami (unbeatable world's best use of pig meat), chocolate, cheese and alcohol.
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It's really MMM badass if you buy dry chickpeas
It's really easy if you use sesame oil instead of tahini
Thanks for this. Just made hummus for the first time for a birthday party.
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Ohhhh, we just had an Aldi open this summer. I'd never been and was skeptical thinking that maybe it'd save us 10% or less....but, been going for several months and it saves us more like 30%!
We buy almost all of our groceries there now. The only things I go elsewhere for now are fake meat products (like boca burgers and morningstar), Asian things (Asian noodles, tofu, etc), and fresh herbs that we don't have in our garden. I've found nuts to cost the same as the store brand/sale price at the grocery store, and everything else I buy there is no more expensive than the super bottom sale price elsewhere and usually considerably less. With this said, my mom has an Aldi near her and it's not nearly as good as ours, so they vary greatly. Things I especially love to buy at Aldi:
-produce!!!!! avocados, berries, watermelon, apples, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, etc, etc, all the produce at super low prices! I have found the quality to be the same as the regular grocery store, if not better. Really no issues.
-milk (almond and regular)
-nuts and dried cherries
-fair trade coffee and dark chocolate
-their brand cheerios (they are different but DD and DH don't mind)
-pretzels and any snacks
-tubs of hummus, especially the spicy one
-cheese/cheese sticks when we buy it for a treat (not often)
-frozen veggies and berries
-whole wheat pasta, wheat gnocchi and tomato sauce
-baking supplies and oils
-whole wheat bread
-taco shells, dried beans, and canned beans
-natural peanut butter and whole fruit (no corn syrup) preserves
Really I could go on and on b/c we buy very close to everything there....I've found all of it to be good, except their brand of nutella. It's not as good, but that's pretty much the only thing I've found so far....
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I love Aldi. .. hummus (which DH would eat by the spoonful if he could)
Unless it's a diet restriction, perhaps you should be making your own hummus.
We used to make our own hummus. Now I just buy Aldi's and have no regrets. It's tasty, $2 a tub, and ready to eat whenever I want. They also have a spicy kind that's just addictive. Seriously, it's my vice right now.
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And if my credit card didn't work, I'd just use debit instead, no big deal to me, I'd definitely still shop there. I often only spend like $20-$30 each time I go and am usually amazed I manage to get so much food for so little money.
If they accepted credit card, I would shop there, but I don't right now. I get 6% back on groceries on my credit card, making my local grocery store slightly better than Aldi, and pretty close to Costco, except for a few items.
I get 6% back on my cc too (although there is a $75 a yr fee), and thought with the difference in distance and this Aldi probably wouldn't save us much. I was wrong and will have to compare the difference in savings on gas with the card, but will probably be canceling it before the next fee.
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Love Aldi & following this post for later, but the produce def varies. Sometimes it's like jackpot buried treasure. Other times it's like everyth is out of stock or not fresh looking.
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I recently came across this side-by-side price comparison sheet between Aldi, Sam's Club, and Costco. Here's link if you're interested: http://passionatepennypincher.com/2015/09/the-ultimate-aldi-costco-sams-club-comparison-chart/
I have been VERY impressed with the produce at Aldi. They generally have many organic options at mine. I, like others have said, was not a huge fan of the frozen pizza, but there's a lot of great stuff to be had with the added benefit that you don't have to walk into Walmart!
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I recently came across this side-by-side price comparison sheet between Aldi, Sam's Club, and Costco. Here's link if you're interested: http://passionatepennypincher.com/2015/09/the-ultimate-aldi-costco-sams-club-comparison-chart/
The problem with these side-by-side comparison sheets is that price is highly regional. Hell, the Sam's Clubs in my area vary dramatically. I've found things $2-$3 more expensive 5 miles away.
I would pay decent money for an app that would price compare Sam's, Aldi and Costco for me instantaneously, but I think it's impossible, also because prices change from week to week. Bacon at our Costco has vacillated from $7.99 for four pounds all the way up to $13.99 in the last few months.
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Aldi has an excellent hot giardinera in stores right now. Used it for italian beef sandwiches today. On the aisle where they keep seasonal and special buys. And Oktoberfest products should be rolling in from Germany soon.
I'm a huge aldi fan, love the compactness and ease of shopping (though I get my meat from a farmer).
All their imported stuff tends to be excellent, though my husband grumbles when I bring something fantastic home, only for it to disappear as a special or limited buy.
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Specifically
Tomato Ketchup - for years i have tried alternatives to Heinz but found them horrid. Aldi one is indistinguishable to my mind and loads cheaper.
Almat - washing machine liquid and dishwasher tablets. Cheap and easily as effective as branded stuff.
Cycling Sunglasses - £4.99. Come with dark, yellow and clear lenses. They are equal to much more expensive pairs and at the rate i misplace them they are just the job!
Generally, i did my first big shop at Aldi last month. (i don't keep spreadsheets on my grocery shopping (Mmm Heresy i know... shoot me) so i have to go on general feel) I was surprised at how much cheaper it came in for my basic monthly shop. I would guess it was 15 - 20% cheaper. The stuff i bought all got pretty good reviews off the kids. (i have to be honest though and say i did find the experience a bit more stressful than the normal big shop as i didn't know where everything was and i have been conditioned over the years to spotting the brands i know and lobbing them in the trolley. Also i felt under pressure packing my bags - a bit like one of those clips on tv of people taking part in a bag packing competition!!)
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I posted this a while back (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/weekly-grocery-list-how-i-save/msg528837/#msg528837) but now I usually buy organic bag of popcorn, spaghetti sauce, can tomatoes, can black beans, chicken stock & animal crackers. Also, non-organic unsweetened almond milk, fruit specials (they currently have a bag of navel oranges for $2.49 & mandarins for $3.49), bananas, turkey bacon, wheat wraps, wheat bread, cheese, OJ, cream cheese, hummus, potatoes, oatmeal, can cat food, various can veggies & beans/lentils, dishwasher detergent and the 80/20 ground beef has been fine for my shepherd's pie, cheeseburgers & lasagna. I might buy more but that's what I remember.
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I used to love Aldi, but it seems like it has been going downhill lately. Like others said, you can't rely on them having a particular type of produce. They didn't have cucumbers like 12 weeks in a row at one point, and they are often out of scallions (which I use frequently since I am on a low-sodium diet and need something else to add flavor to food). I do not buy milk or eggs there; I've gotten bloody eggs several times, and the milk always went bad a few days before the sell-by date when I bought it there.
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I used to love Aldi, but it seems like it has been going downhill lately. Like others said, you can't rely on them having a particular type of produce. They didn't have cucumbers like 12 weeks in a row at one point, and they are often out of scallions (which I use frequently since I am on a low-sodium diet and need something else to add flavor to food). I do not buy milk or eggs there; I've gotten bloody eggs several times, and the milk always went bad a few days before the sell-by date when I bought it there.
Sounds like the local manager isn't doing their job. Having milk go bad makes me think it is not stored at the right temp. If there is another Aldi in town, it may be better.
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Our aldi always has the same great produce. Aldi stores do vary by location, I have a primary and two backup for times there is a special buy I want to get more of.
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I love ALDI! However, they do vary by store. When I was growing up one did not want to go to ALDI. But the one by where I live now is awesome! The produce is good. I especially love the avocado's. They sometimes have them for 29 cents each. I agree with others about the good chocolate. They do also sell organic ground beef (at least at mine). And they sell decent wine too. Oh also, lately mine has been selling organic milk too. $2.99 for a half gallon. I love ALDI. I feel it's very underrated, at least in my circle. It does take some planning and meal prep to use it to it's full advantage though.
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We hit Aldi before we go to the supermarket chain next door. Even so, we're usually spending 1/3 of our weekly bill food at Aldi, 2/3 at the regular supermarket. I think our Aldi just has a lot of cheap things that we don't buy.
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Here are some on my better Aldi purchases:
- Chocolate (the REAL deal; excellent quality)
- Boxes of couscous
- Large bags of dried beans
- Huge/cheap bags of rice (including jasmine and basmati)
- Cheese: unique varieties; great sliced cheeses
- Table wine
- Tortilla chips with Sea Salt (excellent and lower in sodium)
- Flour, baking soda, sugar (basic baking goods)
- Pita chips
- Guacamole (tastes quite similar to Wholly Guacamole and probably really is)
- Spices
- Crusty breads (Italian, Ciabatta)
- English muffins (as good as Thomas' to me)
I have put out their specialty cheeses and have been asked by foodies if I got it at our local co-op/cheese store. Hmmm...........
I also find that sometimes they offer neat specialty items like fizzy lemonade or nifty cookies around the holidays.
I keep an eye on new items. I'm also a big Costco shopper and tend to have my favorite items at different places, but lucky for me Aldi just built a store right next to my Costco. They practically share a parking lot. Aldi isn't stupid.
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I wonder if the hit-or-miss factor on the produce has to do with what region people are in. I'm in Minnesota, and the produce at our Aldi is pretty good--I always look things over to make sure it's ripe or not over-ripe or whatever, but I do that in any grocery store. Our store was just remodeled/expanded and re-opened this week, so I'm excited to see what new things they carry. My sister's regular Aldi in the twin cities area has a few things we don't have in our city, like Apfelschorle (fizzy apple drink that's a German favorite), and I'm hoping they'll carry more specialty products like that.
If you've had a bad Aldi experience, I really challenge you to try it once more. They really do seem to go for constant optimization, and are always working at improving.
Yep - I've found the produce at the Aldi stores I go to in Wisconsin and Minnesota to be on par with what I find at our conventional grocer.
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They always have the cheapest avocados at Aldi. In fact, they have good prices on a lot of their produce. I'm also a fan of their chocolate!! For ladies, I really love this CoQ10 face cream they have called Lacura... it is so great and so cheap!
As a child all the cereal we ate came from Aldi and most of it was really good. They also have the best boxed brownie mix around...try it and prove me wrong!
In college, my sister and I lived off their $5 bags of frozen chicken breasts. Haven't bought those in a while, though.
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They also have the best boxed brownie mix around...try it and prove me wrong!
I completely agree! The only other one that competes in my opinion is the Ghiradelli's Dark Chocolate, but it costs much more per ounce. Aldi's Baker's Corner Fudge Brownies FTW!
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There's no Aldi's , just like there's no Nordstrom's or Barnes and Noble's. It just ALDI, Nordstrom, and Barnes and Noble.
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You've got to let it go, jb14. Otherwise, the people who say they are trying to loose weight and don't know the difference between it's and its will drive you insane.
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I just went back today to really give them a fair shot. I took my quarter too, so I meant business. I took my time, read the descriptions instead of solely looking at the packages and was shocked. Lots of good stuff at really great prices. The produce was pretty good as well, though the prices on certain things we not as good as Sprouts, others like red potatoes were awesome. So Aldi has made it into the rotation for sure. Thanks to this thread I gave them another try and discovered a lot of products I buy elsewhere for slightly more.
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You've got to let it go, jb14. Otherwise, the people who say they are trying to loose weight and don't know the difference between it's and its will drive you insane.
Thank you so much for my chuckle of the day!
We have a local restaurant called "Arpeggio," and it drives me nuts when people say they are going to "Arpeggio's," as if Arpeggio is a person.
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There's no Aldi's , just like there's no Nordstrom's or Barnes and Noble's. It just ALDI, Nordstrom, and Barnes and Noble.
There is when you use it as in its possessive form above, i.e. Aldi's brownies. But I'm sure you take issue with me not writing it ALDI's. Oh, well.
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You've got to let it go, jb14. Otherwise, the people who say they are trying to loose weight and don't know the difference between it's and its will drive you insane.
Yes, that was my faux pas. I actually hate it when people say "Walmart's," so I will face punch myself.
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There's no Aldi's , just like there's no Nordstrom's or Barnes and Noble's. It just ALDI, Nordstrom, and Barnes and Noble.
There is when you use it as in its possessive form above, i.e. Aldi's brownies. But I'm sure you take issue with me not writing it ALDI's. Oh, well.
Good point, @justajane! Aldo's brownies are fantastic! (As I type this from the Aldi parking lot in Minneapolis)!
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Our new second Aldi opened up 3.5 miles away! I have one 2.2 miles away. The new one is in a nicer neighborhood and the store is bigger though there aren't more items (so they told me). I am predicting already that because of it's location they will have better management and stock/supply, but the "more ghetto" one will be where all the organic and weird specialty items won't be touched and therefore where I will profit and get things marked down on Clearance. I've already seen it happen but it's just a hunch.
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Aldi is the only place we'll buy almond milk (the 40 calorie variety), at $2.29 or $2.49 depending on the week. The one thing we'll never buy there is counterfeit Cheerios (the Aldi version is like sawdust-Os).
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Their in-house brand cereals are not too good. I also noticed they use artificial flavors. They did actually have Nature's Path Pumpkin granola cereal for like $2.79 or so. Pretty good price. Their turkey lunch meat was way too salty and tasted off. Their tomato pasta sauce with no added salt was great and a killer price at under $2! So there are definitely some things great and others eh.
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I do not like the luncheon meat but love the sausage, salami and cheeses. I don't buy any of their cereal except for the rolled oats. Baking supply prices are good, but can be beaten by Sam's Club if you want to buy a huge quantity. The Aldi generic brand of Triscuits is a dead ringer for the name brand. I like their pretzel rods. They tend to have the best prices in the area on bananas, very good prices on most fruits and vegetables, and are always among the lowest on milk, eggs, cottage cheese and quarts of plain yogurt. They tend to be low for noodles, pasta and rice as well. Canned goods are well priced. Any of the Aldi prices can be beaten by BOGOs or special sales, but day in day out I tend to spend less there.
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Do any off brand Cheerios taste good? That's one thing we only buy name brand - usually in bulk on sale at Costco. I think ounce for ounce that beats generic at Aldi.
As I type I am eating some of the Tear and Share Chocolate Lovers Brioche. Damn that stuff is good!
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Went shopping at Aldi today and found SweeTango apples! I bought two bags and it save me a trip to the orchard!
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Do any off brand Cheerios taste good?
The Trader Joe version is great, though I prefer the Honey Nut version, Honey Nut O's. Pretty cheap, I think it's $1.99 for the box of Joe's O's.
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I went to Lidl yesterday (brother to Aldi), and bought a full weeks worth of produce, free range/wild caught eggs, meat and fish and spent £27. Then I got £5 on a promo card they are doing! [That's about $33]. I would never get that in any other store in the UK for that price!
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Aldi has a dead ringer for Girl Scout samoa cookies. They are caramel coconut something and fantastic.
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I like Aldi for flour/sugar/baking supplies. I buy at Costco and great deals can be had, but I don't usually like keeping huge Costco-sized supplies of flour and sugar around.
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As I type I am eating some of the Tear and Share Chocolate Lovers Brioche. Damn that stuff is good!
That stuff is insanely delicious.
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Just came form the one nearest me (about 2 miles away) simply to check it out. Definitely one of the most depressing places I've stepped foot in. Not everyone seemed miserable, but the majority did. When I walked in, I was greeted with mountains of processed junk. Chips, sweets, crackers, etc...Not that that doesn't exist everywhere...but I'd rather be greeted with the things I need to buy like produce.
Then I ran into a gallon of milk for ~$2.4. WOW! That's cheap. Not sure how that's even physically possible? Ok...so that was cheap, but then the meat was very on-par with any other run-of-the-mill "luxury" grocery store nearby. The produce also looked very pitiful and most of it was pre-packaged in plastic. No option to buy just a few of something you might need.
Overall - some stuff was noticeably cheaper and other stuff wasn't. You're definitely not going to find many organic products other than a some produce that may be marked organic. I'm not a firm believer in buying everything organic, but I would at least like the option. For as efficient as everyone says their stores are, that efficiency can be very confusing when nothing is labeled very well. The dreary interior and location that the nearby store I tried was in will probably deter me from future visits.
I mean...one can only spend so much on groceries. If you buy staples and skip prepared and frozen meals, then you're going to save tons of money anyway (no matter where you shop) if you also couple that with not eating out. I'm not convinced that it's worthwhile to give up a decent shopping experience for a few dollars saved.
All that said, I might give the next closest one a try, since it's in a slightly better location. The experience may be better.
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Huh. I go during the day and it's the nicest, oldest people you will meet. Super friendly, and sweet. And old. Because it's the morning during a work week, and they are retired on a fixed income.
I love Aldis. The old people tend to compliment my kiddos on their behavior.
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Do any off brand Cheerios taste good? That's one thing we only buy name brand - usually in bulk on sale at Costco. I think ounce for ounce that beats generic at Aldi.
As I type I am eating some of the Tear and Share Chocolate Lovers Brioche. Damn that stuff is good!
Hi Jane - we didn't care for their Cheerios. My kids were raised on Kroger brand, though - they don't even like Cheerios brand Cheerios, (although the Aldi Rice Chex is good).
And that luscious French chocolate brioche? I brought it home ONCE, AND ATE HALF IN ONE SITTING. So, no more, LOL.
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Just came form the one nearest me (about 2 miles away) simply to check it out. Definitely one of the most depressing places I've stepped foot in. Not everyone seemed miserable, but the majority did. When I walked in, I was greeted with mountains of processed junk. Chips, sweets, crackers, etc...Not that that doesn't exist everywhere...but I'd rather be greeted with the things I need to buy like produce.
Then I ran into a gallon of milk for ~$2.4. WOW! That's cheap. Not sure how that's even physically possible? Ok...so that was cheap, but then the meat was very on-par with any other run-of-the-mill "luxury" grocery store nearby. The produce also looked very pitiful and most of it was pre-packaged in plastic. No option to buy just a few of something you might need.
Overall - some stuff was noticeably cheaper and other stuff wasn't. You're definitely not going to find many organic products other than a some produce that may be marked organic. I'm not a firm believer in buying everything organic, but I would at least like the option. For as efficient as everyone says their stores are, that efficiency can be very confusing when nothing is labeled very well. The dreary interior and location that the nearby store I tried was in will probably deter me from future visits.
I mean...one can only spend so much on groceries. If you buy staples and skip prepared and frozen meals, then you're going to save tons of money anyway (no matter where you shop) if you also couple that with not eating out. I'm not convinced that it's worthwhile to give up a decent shopping experience for a few dollars saved.
All that said, I might give the next closest one a try, since it's in a slightly better location. The experience may be better.
Just like for any other retail store, location matters for Aldi stores as well. You will very likely find a cleaner/newer store with fewer "miserable" looking people at Aldi stores located in better neighborhoods.
As you entered the store, you were greeted with processed snacks because general public loves that stuff. Aldi is a for-profit business, they know they will sell that junk better if they place it in the entrance, and they do.
Almost everything is prepackaged, including things like bananas, bell peppers, zucchinis that you normally do not see prepackaged because it is easier to source from vendors that way. Also easier to ship, track and pay for at the cash register.
They are slowly increasing the number of organic products they carry (they have probably doubled over the past 5 years) and usually those products are very competitively priced. Why they don't carry more organic variety? again, it is supply and demand.
In my area, their prices are significantly better than other stores and they keep opening new stores. Their model has been extremely successful in Europe and there are several chains in other countries in Europe that have been applying the same model and doing extremely well.
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I fell in love with Aldi's BBQ and Sour cream & onion chips when I lived in New York for awhile. I've been waiting 6 years for them to open up in California (news articles say in March!). Those chips were cheap and packed with flavor and way better than the Lays versions.
The one I went to was kind of small and not as bright/shiny with gleaming waxed floors as the big brand grocery stores, things were piled on pallets on the ground instead of nice shelves, but it didn't bother me much. I'd rather have the cheaper prices. It did suck that they didn't provide any bags so I had to carry things out by hand, but I could get used to bringing my own bags.
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I fell in love with Aldi's BBQ and Sour cream & onion chips when I lived in New York for awhile. I've been waiting 6 years for them to open up in California (news articles say in March!). Those chips were cheap and packed with flavor and way better than the Lays versions.
The one I went to was kind of small and not as bright/shiny with gleaming waxed floors as the big brand grocery stores, things were piled on pallets on the ground instead of nice shelves, but it didn't bother me much. I'd rather have the cheaper prices. It did suck that they didn't provide any bags so I had to carry things out by hand, but I could get used to bringing my own bags.
hint: cotton bags cost 0-2$, can be folded so that you can carry one or even two per pocket and last you years.
The last time I had to buy a bag because I forgot mine is years back. Ever thought about the cost savings compared to buy one or two each time, even if that costs just a few cents?
Or do you get the plastic bags "for free" in the US?
And I wont even mention the environment.
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Aldi is awesome. I can get most of what I need there, and there's a Woolies close to my nearest Aldi which can take care of most of the rest. That and the unusual stuff they sell there.
I tend to just take the plastic bags I had from trips to Coles/Woolies. They're often good for a couple of uses.
I just wished they'd be open later, I've got to go and get something for tomorrow, it's 9:15pm and they close at 8. Off to Woolies (open until midnight) instead I think. :)
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For those who say Aldi has some things they don't like.... who cares. We have a policy of going to Aldi once a week, and if there's something new, we try it. Then, if we don't like it, we don't buy it again (how shocking). But there is so much stuff we do like at Aldi, and it is so cheap, that the occasional cost of trying and disliking something, is just a negligible cost that is covered by the ongoing savings we get there.
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I love Aldi. .. hummus (which DH would eat by the spoonful if he could)
Unless it's a diet restriction, perhaps you should be making your own hummus.
We used to make our own hummus. Now I just buy Aldi's and have no regrets. It's tasty, $2 a tub, and ready to eat whenever I want. They also have a spicy kind that's just addictive. Seriously, it's my vice right now.
+1 Hummus is one of those things that I just like better store bought. It's the texture really, and I'm not going to go out and buy a fancy food processor for just one recipe.
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I love Aldi. The wine is good, especially the Malbec. The snacks are good, my family likes the chips and crackers. I actually like the salsa, I add a dash of red cayenne to spice it up. I also like their extra virgin olive oil. It might be cheaper to get EVOO at Costco in a big metal container or something, but I'd rather save the space and not worry about the oil going bad.
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I love Aldi. .. hummus (which DH would eat by the spoonful if he could)
Unless it's a diet restriction, perhaps you should be making your own hummus.
We used to make our own hummus. Now I just buy Aldi's and have no regrets. It's tasty, $2 a tub, and ready to eat whenever I want. They also have a spicy kind that's just addictive. Seriously, it's my vice right now.
+1 Hummus is one of those things that I just like better store bought. It's the texture really, and I'm not going to go out and buy a fancy food processor for just one recipe.
You don't need a fancy food processor for good hummus. I can barely cook and it's one of the few good things I make. And so easy. The key to texture is removing the peels on the chickpeas (its a quick pinch per, I can do a can in 10 min in front of the TV). Once I found a copycat TJ's Mediterranean recipe online, I could never eat store bought again.
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We've tried it a few times. It just ends up kind of chunky and gross. We'll probably try it again at some point but it's not one of the things I have much ambition to do because it's so cheap at Aldi.
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Just went to Aldi's today and here is what I bought for $27.13:
Unsweetened original Almond milk-$2.29
Organic chicken broth-$1.79
Old fashioned Oats-2.39
1 dozen large eggs-1.59
Organic creamy peanut butter-3.99
Bag Navel oranges (standard size, not sure how many pounds, ?5)-1.99
2 lbs bananas-0.56
Shredded Mozzarella cheese (3 cups I think, maybe 4)-3.29
Multi-color peppers (red, orange, yellow)-1.99
Fruit cups (diced peaches)-1.69
Apple sauce cups- 1.49
Frozen extra fine green beans-1.49
Bag Spinach-1.49
Cilantro-0.99
That's a lot of food for less than $28! I love Aldi's and shop there on a regular basis. I tried it when they first opened in our area and hated it, but they have greatly improved. I find their produce to be quite good, often times better than the bigger chain grocery stores in our area, and at half the cost. I don't tend to buy a lot of meat at Aldi's but I will on occasion. I usually buy their canned goods (diced tomatoes, black beans, etc.). We don't eat a lot of cold breakfast cereals but I will occasionally purchase a box of shredded wheat or cheerios from Aldi's and I don't notice any big difference between theirs and brand name. I also don't have any problems with their crackers/cheeses.
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My general rules are:
-Foreign products are often quite good and worth a try(British/Australian cheeses, Italian sparkling drinks, German treats,etc.)
-Meats are now ok but limited in selection (the new vacuum packed beef seems to be sourced from a similar vendor that supplies other large grocers in the area and is perfectly usable)
-Only buy as produce that be used in the short term (4 days or less) as it tends to go bad faster than elsewhere
-Most of their higher end household products (Tandil laundry detergent, Tandil oxi, toilet paper, cat litter) are good but might not be cheaper than Costco (one product is sold as Kirkland Signature and Costco is cheaper on a unit basis)
-Crackers/chips/cookies/etc are very cheap and often very good clones
-Major label items (Coke, Colgate, Head and Shoulders) are only equal to regular supermarket prices and more expensive then when on sale
-Stock up on Special Buys if you find something you love as they might not come back for a long time
Personally, I am a huge fan but I would definitely would give some huge caveats to a first time shopper (quarter for shopping cart, private labels, debit, etc.). Follow the above,use common sense (such as avoiding products/produce that look crappy), and be willing to try new products. I understand its not for everyone as I left the first time without buying anything thinking what is this BS but I have been converted.
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I found some pumpkin cornbread croutons there on markdown that is my new weakness.
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I found some pumpkin cornbread croutons there on markdown that is my new weakness.
I saw those on the clearance rack, too. I was dubious and didn't get them, darn it.
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I found some pumpkin cornbread croutons there on markdown that is my new weakness.
I saw those on the clearance rack, too. I was dubious and didn't get them, darn it.
I definitely think that this was the year they jumped the shark on pumpkin-flavored things. There was just so, so many things this year, and I imagine at least 75% of them tasted gross. This obviously was an exception, but overall I avoided all the pumpkin-flavored clearance items both at Aldi and elsewhere.
At least at my Aldi, you have to watch the clearance items. Sometimes they ring up regular price in the system and you have to get them to change it.
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Been shopping there for a couple of months since a friend/fellow MMM'er mentioned them...and it has drastically reduced my grocery bill. This weekend they had 3lbs of 85/15 ground turkey on sale for $6.00!!! i bought two.
Meat:
- 1lb sausage - 1.99
- 6lbs ground turkey - 11.98
- (2) 1.85lb turkey tenderloin - 11.98
That is 10.7 pounds of meat for $25.95!! (2.43/lb)
plus:
2 heads of cabbage, organic spinach, 2 pints of blueberries, 2 doz eggs, 2lbs of tomatoes, 3lbs of sweet potatoes, cashews, a gatorade, sea salt, olive oil, and 2 toothbrushes....Total bill was $62.49. I wont have to buy any meat next week, just veges, eggs, and fruit.
I really like their business model and the one by me isnt all that depressing at all haha. There are definitely people from all walks of life and social classes there.
edit: the most expensive item was a tub of cashews for 11.99...but nuts are expensive regardless.
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Aldi is opening new stores all the time. I've tried about six different locations (hit them up when we're in the area). I would say that two of them are depressing (because they're in economically depressed areas) and the other four are downright "swanky." Either way, it doesn't matter. I always find something of value there.
I won't list everything I buy, because it varies, but I cannot tell you the number of times I've taken a cheese plate, or (sparkling!) wine, or some sort of veg concoction to a party and get asked where I got it because it's "fabulous." I just shrug and say, "Aldi."
+1 for the European/imported foods -- especially for wines that meet DOCG requirements. The product is far superior for the money. My Italian-imported (DOCG) sparkling wine I bought for $7/bottle for NYE was better tasting than it's $17/bottle American imposter at my local grocery. My girlfriends loved it.
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Wine is <$3. And we get everything else there too.
$100/person/month plus $100 total for restaurants
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Resurrecting this thread to say that now Aldi is taking more forms of credit cards. Ours locally only took Discover, but now accepts Visa and MasterCard. I swear I saw on a flier that our local one was taking AmEx, too, but the Nat'l website doesn't say that it will, so I may have misread that.
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Resurrecting this thread to say that now Aldi is taking more forms of credit cards. Ours locally only took Discover, but now accepts Visa and MasterCard. I swear I saw on a flier that our local one was taking AmEx, too, but the Nat'l website doesn't say that it will, so I may have misread that.
I danced for joy when the local Aldi's started taking credit cards. I cannot tell you how much easier this makes my life.
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Well shoot! On this page of the site it says they do accept AmEx. I'll have to ask today when I go.
https://www.aldi.us/en/customer-service/faqs/method-of-payment/
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Mine (central CT) accept all credits cards as of a couple of months ago. I use Fidelity Amex for 2% back.
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Good to know! I'll find out shortly if mine accepts AmEx.
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They now have their own version of a clif bar there, for those who occasionally eat clif bars.
They are sold 6 in a box for like 4 dollars, so decent savings compared to the usual $1 each that you'll pay for a clif bar.
They also now have their own kind bar packaged similarly.
I've noticed they are slowly removing added sugar and reducing the amount of salt in snack foods. Smart company.
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They now have their own version of a clif bar there, for those who occasionally eat clif bars.
They are sold 6 in a box for like 4 dollars, so decent savings compared to the usual $1 each that you'll pay for a clif bar.
They also now have their own kind bar packaged similarly.
I've noticed they are slowly removing added sugar and reducing the amount of salt in snack foods. Smart company.
I think it helps that Aldi and Trader Joe's is owned by the same family. They know what works.
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I recently started shopping at our neighborhood Aldi and there are pluses and minuses. I agree with the comments upthread that the store is incredibly depressing - and also poorly organized; like is often not grouped with like and you have to slowly walk down the (cramped) aisles looking for where they might've hidden something you need. I always go without Boyfriend because he has a lot lower tolerance for wandering grocery stores hunting for things; he needs to be in and out quickly or I can actually see the steam coming out of his ears. This is an Aldi in a rough-ish neighborhood, though. I go there because it's an easy walk and doesn't involve public transport/carrying full granny cart up and down train station stairs.
On the plus side, it is saving us a LOT of money especially on milk, cheese, greek yogurt, almond milk, and similar. Also baking staples and things like oatmeal and nuts. I love goat cheese and got a few logs for $2 each where the same thing is $5 or more at "normal" chain grocery stores here. Their French roast coffee is not too bad, I can get big things of spices for 99 cents, and their produce is often good. I treat it the same as our local cheap produce market - rather than going in with a list of what produce I want, I see what looks good and is on sale and buy that.
I don't buy a lot of processed foods but on the occasion that I have bought some at Aldi (protein bars or crackers or similar) they have been uniformly AWFUL.
Now, when we go to the "normal" grocery store and I buy staples or dairy, I'm horrified at the prices.
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I don't buy a lot of processed foods but on the occasion that I have bought some at Aldi (protein bars or crackers or similar) they have been uniformly AWFUL.
:D
Here in Germany Aldi North and South just ranked 1st and 3rd in Mozzarella cheese.
I have no idea about the US, but here the discounters like ALDI are often very strong on their house brands and with about a 50% chance also in "use daily" products. The other 50% is mostly a never-again.
Example: Mars, MilkyWay, Snickers and such (if you have that names in the US) - I consider ALDI variant 1 OK, 1 better then the original and 2 only fit for throwing away.
The price difference is smaller here in Germany though, a lot. In this example its maybe 30% and that is high. Staples like milk differ - if at all - only by 10 cents to "normal" supermarket chains. And ALDI is pushing into the "high" brands, which resulted in Kaufland (big supermarket chain) not getting a few big brands on the shelves from now on because they didnt get the same prices as ALDI.
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I fell in love with Aldi's BBQ and Sour cream & onion chips when I lived in New York for awhile. I've been waiting 6 years for them to open up in California (news articles say in March!). Those chips were cheap and packed with flavor and way better than the Lays versions.
The one I went to was kind of small and not as bright/shiny with gleaming waxed floors as the big brand grocery stores, things were piled on pallets on the ground instead of nice shelves, but it didn't bother me much. I'd rather have the cheaper prices. It did suck that they didn't provide any bags so I had to carry things out by hand, but I could get used to bringing my own bags.
hint: cotton bags cost 0-2$, can be folded so that you can carry one or even two per pocket and last you years.
The last time I had to buy a bag because I forgot mine is years back. Ever thought about the cost savings compared to buy one or two each time, even if that costs just a few cents?
Or do you get the plastic bags "for free" in the US?
And I wont even mention the environment.
you can also use the free boxes that Aldi sets things out in allover the store just pull the chips out and set them on top and take the box
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Aldi and the grocery store 2 minutes from my house are basically the only places we buy groceries. I look at the weekly flyer to see whats on sale at the local store and try to stick to buying those there. everything else comes from aldi
i've never had produce or meat issues with Aldi. and their avocado sale prices cant be beat. range from 29-39c. Fresh meat special buys are awesome.(though i have to take off at lunch to go get these b/c they fly off all the aldi's around me shelves) i have almost eliminated my deep freeze needs by just buying exactly whats on sale as far as meat goes either at aldi or my local store. fresh meat comes out much more tender when cooked.
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I miss Aldi. I hope they come to the PNW eventually.
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For those recommending the chocolate from ALDI, may I ask what the brand name is, so that I can try it? Is it the "Choceur" stuff? (Generally I am leery of buying budget chocolate, having had a few bad experiences with bars of what seemed to be about 50% paraffin wax. But I'm willing to give this a go!)
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Yep, used my credit card, an AmEx at my Aldi shopping trip.
Also saw my mustachian aunt there. Nice to see her and all the other old(er) ladies.
Also saw a young mom smack her kid in the face when he said something she didn't like. That was disturbing (and I've never had that experience before at Aldi).
Pretty sure the psychological aspect of the credit card usage affected me, or it's because we are going out of town soon, but I spent $95 instead of my usual $75 dollars. !!!
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Our Aldi here takes Amex, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Chase Freedom has 5% cashback on grocery store purchases this quarter. DD is very picky, she drinks Organic Valley milk and Aldi organic milk only, she couldn't tell the difference, but she could with other brands. So I get milk from Aldi, it's $2.95 compared to $4.39 for Organic Valley at Whole Foods.
Our Aldi is not cramped, you'd know where things are, they're very obvious actually. They sometimes have great deals on non-grocery stuff, like garden sprayers this week for $5 each compared to triple the price at the big box home improvement stores. Their food in packages are a little scary to me sometimes, that they have a ton of ingredients I don't understand, so I don't buy those.
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I find their crackers to be great. I always buy them if we are having a party. I've bought a couple of different house brands of the chocolate and they've been delicious. I don't generally like cheap chocolate, either. One of the things I like about Aldi is that I am in and out of there in far less time than the normal supermarket. I can't get everything I need there and ours is a little far away. I tend to go once a month, but would go more if there were one closer.
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For those recommending the chocolate from ALDI, may I ask what the brand name is, so that I can try it? Is it the "Choceur" stuff? (Generally I am leery of buying budget chocolate, having had a few bad experiences with bars of what seemed to be about 50% paraffin wax. But I'm willing to give this a go!)
The quality is excellent. It's made in Europe -- either Germany or Switzerland. They don't do crappy chocolate.
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For those recommending the chocolate from ALDI, may I ask what the brand name is, so that I can try it? Is it the "Choceur" stuff? (Generally I am leery of buying budget chocolate, having had a few bad experiences with bars of what seemed to be about 50% paraffin wax. But I'm willing to give this a go!)
The quality is excellent. It's made in Europe -- either Germany or Switzerland. They don't do crappy chocolate.
There are different "styles" of chocolate. Choceur is more... Cadbury-like, I guess, which can be a bad thing if you prefer (e.g.) Hershey's.
Personally, I think Choceur tastes weird, but the Moser Roth (Aldi's higher end Lindt/Godiva-competitive brand) stuff is great.
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The Aldis closest to me has fabulous produce, is always clean, has the fastest cashiers in town and always opens up new lanes if the line backs up. The one just 5 miles away is always poorly stocked and generally an unpleasant experience.
Favorite items this week included 39 cent avocados, eggplant, oranges, grapefruit, goat cheese, hummus, Chex cereal and walnuts.
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I'd like to say how jealous that I am of 39 cent avocadoes. The local Aldi has them on special for $1.49, and they're often $2-3 each at the big two. :(
There's a few things that Aldi don't sell which gets annoying (tortillas are hard to find there). Aldi wine and beer is decent enough, although the beer is mostly just lager. They were selling South African products not so long ago, I bought quite a few packets of biltong. :)
They've taken credit cards and PayWave for a while here. It's a 0.5% credit card surcharge, but I get 2% back with the card anyway. Aldi has been very successful in Australia, they've got a 12% marketshare nationally (despite not being available in two (until recently three) states) and 15.5% in my state.
The Aldi Weet-Bix equivalent is actually quite nice. I buy their dishwasher powder because pretty much all of the other brands have shifted to tablets (which are more expensive and stick together after a while). Their cheese, sour cream and milk are good. I'd rather go to the fruit and vegetable shop down the road for produce, and their meat can be a bit hit and miss.
Still puzzles me why they'll sell a tin of tomatoes imported from Italy for $0.59, but their Australian tinned tomatoes are sold for $0.95.
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My Aldi's has nicer produce than the big grocery store does, at half the price. Anything we don't get from the CSA, we fill in from Aldi's.
It is mostly prepackaged, but that's true of the grocery store as well.
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Your Aldis sell booze? Huh. Mine doesn't. (but then, this seems endemic to the city; the CVS in our old neighborhood sold booze but the one near us now and the one by work does not. Maybe it's got something to do with how hard it is to get a liquor license here.)
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Also saw a young mom smack her kid in the face when he said something she didn't like. That was disturbing (and I've never had that experience before at Aldi).
Sorry, exactly how is what you saw in any way related to being at Aldi? Bad/frustrated parenting happens at stores everywhere. Are you blaming Aldi for something completely beyond their control? What, only bad parents shop at Aldi, or shopping at Aldi will make you a bad parent?
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I went to another Aldi I don't normally go to, and found that they sell coffee beans, $10.99 for 1kg of medium roast beans. That's what I've been paying for 250g of beans elsewhere.
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Also saw a young mom smack her kid in the face when he said something she didn't like. That was disturbing (and I've never had that experience before at Aldi).
Sorry, exactly how is what you saw in any way related to being at Aldi? Bad/frustrated parenting happens at stores everywhere. Are you blaming Aldi for something completely beyond their control? What, only bad parents shop at Aldi, or shopping at Aldi will make you a bad parent?
Uhh...no. I was just relating my shopping trip. I love my Aldi, and I was stating that sort of behavior is really out of character for the shoppers at Aldi. Usually I see sweet little old ladies there and it's an incredibly enjoyable experience. I was just shocked (and it happened at Aldi) and I was telling about my Aldi shopping experience that day.
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Your Aldis sell booze? Huh. Mine doesn't. (but then, this seems endemic to the city; the CVS in our old neighborhood sold booze but the one near us now and the one by work does not. Maybe it's got something to do with how hard it is to get a liquor license here.)
Ours does.
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haven't read entire thread but i've noticed aldi employee's are a lot happier (uk) probably has something to do with them getting paid above minimum wage unlike everywhere else
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Follow-up report: this weekend I picked up a bar of Moser Roth milk chocolate at ALDI, and my family and I can confirm it is every bit as good as Lindt! Thanks for the tip, MMM community!
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There's an Aldi distribution center nearby that was built in the last year and a half, and I saw a huge improvement in the quality of the produce since the DC opened. To the point that I couldn't justify buying any at that point, to it now being my first stop for certain produce (sweet peppers, baby carrots, bananas, broccoli, and berries).
I've never seen them, but the bevel-edge chisels distributed at Aldi are supposed to be really good for as cheap as they are. I think I bought a set from the same chinese factory at harbor freight, but I check the flier every week to see if they'll be stocking chisels.
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Our Aldi has wide aisles, so it's not cramped at all. It's also very clean. Also, +1000 for Moser Roth chocolate, especially at $1.99 for 4 oz. It's made in Germany, and I've even switched from 70% to 85%. Best stuff ever. Right now they're stocked up on camping stuff; lots of pictures in the flyer - it's always interesting what their latest non-food item theme is.
I saw an Aldi Sonicare toothbrush for $7. I have a co worker who is having terrible problems with his teeth and am considering getting him one.
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Our Aldi has wide aisles, so it's not cramped at all. It's also very clean. Also, +1000 for Moser Roth chocolate, especially at $1.99 for 4 oz. It's made in Germany, and I've even switched from 70% to 85%. Best stuff ever. Right now they're stocked up on camping stuff; lots of pictures in the flyer - it's always interesting what their latest non-food item theme is.
I saw an Aldi Sonicare toothbrush for $7. I have a co worker who is having terrible problems with his teeth and am considering getting him one.
That an automatic, right?
It needs about 10 days to get used to them. Its a pain until that but I can heavily recommend the automatics over manuals. A lot easier to get to the smaller areas and you dont get a tennis arm after you are done ;) Also faster/better in same time
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I've been using Sonicare for decades. I know the amazing effect it has on plaque and gum health. ( I haven't flossed for decades, yet in the dentist chair I'm told I have zero plaque.)
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I shop at aldi occasionally.
and quite frankly I don't get the appeal. I buy the exact same things weekly.
Boneless chicken breasts (unless not on sale- then pork- if not on sale- then black beans)
2-4 dozen eggs
tomatoes
green peppers
onions (ever 2-3 weeks)
Greek Yogurt
Granola (lasts a month)
black berries (lasts a month)
carrots (lasts 2-3 weeks easily)
For starters - I don't buy meat at aldi- b/c it's never been on sale.
Their produce isn't much less expensive- if at all (roma tomatoes average 1.49-1.99/pound for example)- which is the same cost as Shop Rite.
And. I can't the same volume as I want- they have very wasteful packaging.
AND- MORE egregious to me- the produce goes bad- within days- like 2-3. So I cannot buy my weekly stock of product. I would have to make multiple trips- so I guess... I just don't get it.
It's only semi convient- and the only true upside to me is that it's not swamped when I go.
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I haven't had that problem with Aldi produce going bad any faster than produce from other stores.
In my neck of the woods (Chicago),the produce prices at Aldi are typically much much less than at the other chain grocery stores (Jewel, Marianos, Trader Joes, or <gasp> Whole Foods.)
The produce at Aldi is typically 30-50% less expensive than the prices at Jewel.
Jewel may occasionally have a sale on meat that is slightly better than Aldi's normal prices (maybe 20 or 30 cents a pound). However, the normal prices for meat at Aldi are generally about half the price of the same cuts of meat at Jewel.
I guess everything is dependent upon what you normally buy. One thing I did notice is, premium cut bacon at Aldi isn't much cheaper than Jewel's sale price (which seems to be a perpetual sale.) Of course if you hit one of the rare times when bacon is not on sale at Jewel, it's way more expensive than at Aldi.
For staples like cereal, flour, sugar, rice, beans, bread, butter, milk, eggs, pasta... Aldi wins every time.
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Aldi has AMAZING sales. Today I got avocados for 15 cents each! Made a boatload of guacamole and froze it in ziplock bags. Freezes beautifully when you push the air out.
I also partook of their half price steak sale. Top sirloin for $2.50 pound, when it's $9.99 pound at our local store. I froze a lot of those. And I got 10 loaves of multigrain bread that normally costs $1.69 a loaf for only 69 cents!
Our chest freezer is very full.
Aldi is also good for their markdowns. I have a stash of boneless chicken thighs that were half price and am just finishing up some delicious frozen eggplant parmesan that was originally $2.50 but I got 15 for only 99 cents each. This poor lady came up after I loaded my cart with all of the marked down eggplant parm and asked timidly "Can I just have one?" LOL! I was kind and gave her two.
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The apostrophe is killing me! It's Aldi, just Aldi.
And here I go bringing the thread back to the top of the stack.
To contribute to the conversation, we buy:
fresh fruits and veggies
chips, chips, and more chips
breads, especially bagels
sour cream, cream cheese, regular cheese
shrimp. The 12 oz. bag is perfect for a meal for our family of 4.
breakfast bars
some of the crackers. The fake Triscuits don't cut it. Fake Cheez-Its are pretty good.
milk
chicken breast @ $1.49 a pound
-PoF
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I love the Aldi's in my area. My weekly grocery bill goes down about 40% if I shop there compared to Meijer. My wife always avoids the meats at Aldi but otherwise I can get almost everything there.
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The apostrophe is killing me! It's Aldi, just Aldi.
And here I go bringing the thread back to the top of the stack.
To contribute to the conversation, we buy:
fresh fruits and veggies
chips, chips, and more chips
breads, especially bagels
sour cream, cream cheese, regular cheese
shrimp. The 12 oz. bag is perfect for a meal for our family of 4.
breakfast bars
some of the crackers. The fake Triscuits don't cut it. Fake Cheez-Its are pretty good.
milk
chicken breast @ $1.49 a pound
-PoF
Aldi shrimp is the same price as a 12 oz. bag of cooked, deveined and tail-removed shrimp at HEB, so I buy the shrimp there since I'm getting a tiny bit more shrimp for the same price and bonus don't have to remove the #@!$ tails. But most everything else on your list I buy at Aldi. :)
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I love the Aldi's in my area.
You killed PhysicianOnFIRE, you really did it!!! :(
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I love the Aldi's in my area.
You killed PhysicianOnFIRE, you really did it!!! :(
LOL!
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I'm in Michigan, too - so I shop at Aldi's, not Aldi. Those of you in the rest of the country will either have to accept that or ban the Michiganders from this thread.
http://michiganradio.org/post/story-behind-michigan-s#stream/0
Yesterday I went to Aldi's for the last day of the banana sale (29¢/lb). Got two bunches of them, a couple avocados, two bags of oranges - and then discovered their whole grain english muffins were 29¢ a package! I took all I could fit in my bike bag for freezing (9 packs) then biked home in the light rain - then turned around and biked back for more (7 miles round trip).
Someone had bought the rest by then, so I went home empty handed. Then I went to upload my receipt for the avocado rebate - and discovered they didn't charge me for the two avocados. Normally I'd go back and offer to pay - but at that point I'd already done a 20 mile ride to kmart plus the 14 miles in aldi trips, and really wasn't looking to up the aldi runs to 21 miles.
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I love the Aldi's in my area.
You killed PhysicianOnFIRE, you really did it!!! :(
I love the Aldi's in my area. My weekly grocery bill goes down about 40% if I shop there compared to Meijer. My wife always avoids the meats at Aldi but otherwise I can get almost everything there.
But then he came back to life.
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I'm in Michigan, too - so I shop at Aldi's, not Aldi. Those of you in the rest of the country will either have to accept that or ban the Michiganders from this thread.
http://michiganradio.org/post/story-behind-michigan-s#stream/0
Yesterday I went to Aldi's for the last day of the banana sale (29¢/lb). Got two bunches of them, a couple avocados, two bags of oranges - and then discovered their whole grain english muffins were 29¢ a package! I took all I could fit in my bike bag for freezing (9 packs) then biked home in the light rain - then turned around and biked back for more (7 miles round trip).
Someone had bought the rest by then, so I went home empty handed. Then I went to upload my receipt for the avocado rebate - and discovered they didn't charge me for the two avocados. Normally I'd go back and offer to pay - but at that point I'd already done a 20 mile ride to kmart plus the 14 miles in aldi trips, and really wasn't looking to up the aldi runs to 21 miles.
Ha! I'm in Missouri and it is Aldi's for me. I also call crayons 'crowns'.
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I'm in Michigan, too - so I shop at Aldi's, not Aldi. Those of you in the rest of the country will either have to accept that or ban the Michiganders from this thread.
http://michiganradio.org/post/story-behind-michigan-s#stream/0
Yesterday I went to Aldi's for the last day of the banana sale (29¢/lb). Got two bunches of them, a couple avocados, two bags of oranges - and then discovered their whole grain english muffins were 29¢ a package! I took all I could fit in my bike bag for freezing (9 packs) then biked home in the light rain - then turned around and biked back for more (7 miles round trip).
Someone had bought the rest by then, so I went home empty handed. Then I went to upload my receipt for the avocado rebate - and discovered they didn't charge me for the two avocados. Normally I'd go back and offer to pay - but at that point I'd already done a 20 mile ride to kmart plus the 14 miles in aldi trips, and really wasn't looking to up the aldi runs to 21 miles.
I shop at Aldi's too! Also in Michgian.
Our Alidi's also has great options for a stepchild with celiacs. Basically tons of gluten free options at very affordable prices.
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Just bought a tomato cage for $1.50, a full dollar cheaper than what I got at Lowe's earlier in the day. Quality is about the same too.
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As with the cheap produce market in my city, I'm learning what's good and not-so-good to buy at Aldi. Mushrooms: never again. Bought them one afternoon, intending to cook them the next day. Nope. Mushy and moldy already. That's the second time that happened. Not doing that again unless my intent is cooking them as soon as I get them home from the store. Ditto their avocadoes. But I've been REALLY happy with their raspberries and strawberries.
I noticed the tomato cages too - I don't need any more right now but it was a good price and Aldi is way closer to me than any garden center or Home Depot.
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The mushrooms at my Aldi's are fabulous and fresh! Avocados in Ohio are always a gamble - will they ripen properly or not? I'm a lot more willing to take that gamble when they are 49 cents each, though.
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As with the cheap produce market in my city, I'm learning what's good and not-so-good to buy at Aldi. Mushrooms: never again. Bought them one afternoon, intending to cook them the next day. Nope. Mushy and moldy already. That's the second time that happened. Not doing that again unless my intent is cooking them as soon as I get them home from the store. Ditto their avocadoes. But I've been REALLY happy with their raspberries and strawberries.
I noticed the tomato cages too - I don't need any more right now but it was a good price and Aldi is way closer to me than any garden center or Home Depot.
aldi stands behind their produce if it really went bad that fast just return it and they will give you your money back.
avocados are typically never ripe at aldi and have to sit for a few days before you can use them
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I've been converted to Aldi. Now that they take credit cards at my store, I do most of my shopping there and pick up odds and ends at the Food City closer to my house.
It's cheaper than doing all the online rebate app stuff. Ibotta went down the toilet by reducing the value of their Any Brand rebates...
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We have an Aldi near us that we pass often. I eat healthy and am vegan and honestly there is very little in there I would actually consider food. It is like a dollar store, with some token sad old produce in the back. Like one table of old cheap veggies that look like the dregs left at the end of a farmers market. Everything was boxed processed crap with a smattering of dollar store esque sundries.
The prices were good I guess, but for similar prices I can get actual food, fresh produce and ready to go meals from Trader Joes.
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We have an Aldi near us that we pass often. I eat healthy and am vegan and honestly there is very little in there I would actually consider food. It is like a dollar store, with some token sad old produce in the back. Like one table of old cheap veggies that look like the dregs left at the end of a farmers market. Everything was boxed processed crap with a smattering of dollar store esque sundries.
The prices were good I guess, but for similar prices I can get actual food, fresh produce and ready to go meals from Trader Joes.
Our Aldi's has a much higher percentage of the store that is fresh or frozen produce/meat than other local stores and is also a lot cheaper.
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Just got back from an Aldi shopping trip. As usual, good luck for the most part...like others, I choose my fresh fruits and vegetables carefully at Aldi...sometimes I buy them there, sometimes I don't. Other than some laundry and dishwashing products, paper products, and sponges, I don't buy any non-food items at Aldi. I make a list carefully, and always go to Aldi first. If there is anything I can't find or substitute for at Aldi, I will pick it up at the "regular" grocery store. The price difference is astoundingly favorable at Aldi, but I do buy the basics and mostly cook whole foods from scratch.
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Just FYI I just saw next week (5/29)'s store ad, and they appear to have the infamous Aldi chisels for sale next week for 6.99. I'm gonna get myself a set.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki8tt-VjwqI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki8tt-VjwqI)
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Just got back from an Aldi shopping trip. As usual, good luck for the most part...like others, I choose my fresh fruits and vegetables carefully at Aldi...sometimes I buy them there, sometimes I don't. Other than some laundry and dishwashing products, paper products, and sponges, I don't buy any non-food items at Aldi. I make a list carefully, and always go to Aldi first. If there is anything I can't find or substitute for at Aldi, I will pick it up at the "regular" grocery store. The price difference is astoundingly favorable at Aldi, but I do buy the basics and mostly cook whole foods from scratch.
Aldi's gardening stuff is REALLY nice. Over the years we've bought quite a bit of yard stuff there. Two years ago we bought the "garden arch" (and planted grapes to climb it) and it is extremely solid and well made.
We look at Aldi's first, and there is a certain cycle of their nonfood merchandise, and only buy elsewhere if we can't wait any longer.
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We have an Aldi near us that we pass often. I eat healthy and am vegan and honestly there is very little in there I would actually consider food. It is like a dollar store, with some token sad old produce in the back. Like one table of old cheap veggies that look like the dregs left at the end of a farmers market. Everything was boxed processed crap with a smattering of dollar store esque sundries.
The prices were good I guess, but for similar prices I can get actual food, fresh produce and ready to go meals from Trader Joes.
I've had horrible luck with Trader Joe's produce. It's just not that good - under/over ripe and doesn't last very long. And the pricing does not compare with Aldi. It's a lot more expensive at TJ's than Aldi in Nashville!
Sprout's Farmers Market is one of my favorites, but since I moved, it's not close. Aldi has all my basic produce staples, and they last for a few weeks which means a lot less waste for me.
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As with the cheap produce market in my city, I'm learning what's good and not-so-good to buy at Aldi. Mushrooms: never again. Bought them one afternoon, intending to cook them the next day. Nope. Mushy and moldy already. That's the second time that happened. Not doing that again unless my intent is cooking them as soon as I get them home from the store. Ditto their avocadoes. But I've been REALLY happy with their raspberries and strawberries.
I noticed the tomato cages too - I don't need any more right now but it was a good price and Aldi is way closer to me than any garden center or Home Depot.
aldi stands behind their produce if it really went bad that fast just return it and they will give you your money back.
avocados are typically never ripe at aldi and have to sit for a few days before you can use them
Or I could just go to the store where I know they don't sell over ripped produce and save myself a trip of returning produce. Because my time is worth more than the 2$ I spent and didn't save.
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As with the cheap produce market in my city, I'm learning what's good and not-so-good to buy at Aldi. Mushrooms: never again. Bought them one afternoon, intending to cook them the next day. Nope. Mushy and moldy already. That's the second time that happened. Not doing that again unless my intent is cooking them as soon as I get them home from the store. Ditto their avocadoes. But I've been REALLY happy with their raspberries and strawberries.
I noticed the tomato cages too - I don't need any more right now but it was a good price and Aldi is way closer to me than any garden center or Home Depot.
aldi stands behind their produce if it really went bad that fast just return it and they will give you your money back.
avocados are typically never ripe at aldi and have to sit for a few days before you can use them
Or I could just go to the store where I know they don't sell over ripped produce and save myself a trip of returning produce. Because my time is worth more than the 2$ I spent and didn't save.
pretty small sample size to base your future purchases on... i bought xyz once at any location could end up with similar results.
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As with the cheap produce market in my city, I'm learning what's good and not-so-good to buy at Aldi. Mushrooms: never again. Bought them one afternoon, intending to cook them the next day. Nope. Mushy and moldy already. That's the second time that happened. Not doing that again unless my intent is cooking them as soon as I get them home from the store. Ditto their avocadoes. But I've been REALLY happy with their raspberries and strawberries.
I noticed the tomato cages too - I don't need any more right now but it was a good price and Aldi is way closer to me than any garden center or Home Depot.
aldi stands behind their produce if it really went bad that fast just return it and they will give you your money back.
avocados are typically never ripe at aldi and have to sit for a few days before you can use them
Or I could just go to the store where I know they don't sell over ripped produce and save myself a trip of returning produce. Because my time is worth more than the 2$ I spent and didn't save.
The quality and variety of fresh produce at my Aldi has improved significantly over the last year or so. However, as with any store, I inspect the packages pretty carefully and if something doesn't look right, I don't buy it.
If you just grab the first package that comes to hand and put it into your cart without looking at it, you can end up with moldy strawberries or mushrooms at any store :-)
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The quality and variety of fresh produce at my Aldi has improved significantly over the last year or so. However, as with any store, I inspect the packages pretty carefully and if something doesn't look right, I don't buy it.
I've noticed the same trend at my Aldi in terms of produce. It used to be I would need to pick up multiple things each week at Harris Teeter because the quality was iffy at Aldi. Now I rarely need to get any produce there except bananas. The bananas at Aldi are still pretty weird :P
I love that they've really been upping their organic game lately also! It's so nice to be able to count on getting about 90% of what I need from the grocery store there.
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I love that they've really been upping their organic game lately also! It's so nice to be able to count on getting about 90% of what I need from the grocery store there.
Good on you for saving money, but there's no way in hell I'd ever shop at a grocery store that was missing about 10% of the stuff I need.
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I love that they've really been upping their organic game lately also! It's so nice to be able to count on getting about 90% of what I need from the grocery store there.
Good on you for saving money, but there's no way in hell I'd ever shop at a grocery store that was missing about 10% of the stuff I need.
I guess I should clarify that I'm shopping for 1 person and my grocery average so far for the year is a whopping $33 per week, so 10% of what I need is 1 or 2 things usually...plus the other store is a mile down the road from Aldi :) If I had to go out of my way it would be different but all the grocery stores in my small town are on the same strip of road so there's really no reason I couldn't go to two stores each time.
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I love Aldi. I bought a basil plant there a few years ago to keep in my window. I clipped and used leaves from it until a couple months ago when I accidentally dropped a window fan on it. Whoops. Fun fact, basil will grow into a tiny tree-looking thing if you have no clue what you are doing! I miss that plant. Three-odd years worth of basil is not bad for $2.99 and a few drips of plant food.
I did recently buy its replacement, also at Aldi. Here's to many more years!
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I love that they've really been upping their organic game lately also! It's so nice to be able to count on getting about 90% of what I need from the grocery store there.
Good on you for saving money, but there's no way in hell I'd ever shop at a grocery store that was missing about 10% of the stuff I need.
I guess I should clarify that I'm shopping for 1 person and my grocery average so far for the year is a whopping $33 per week, so 10% of what I need is 1 or 2 things usually...plus the other store is a mile down the road from Aldi :) If I had to go out of my way it would be different but all the grocery stores in my small town are on the same strip of road so there's really no reason I couldn't go to two stores each time.
It just means traveling 2 places, going through the checkout twice, etc etc etc. It would annoy the crap out of me.
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It just means traveling 2 places, going through the checkout twice, etc etc etc. It would annoy the crap out of me.
This is pretty much what I do, except for me it's 3 places. I hate it but it's the only way we can keep costs down. Aldi for staples, dairy, some produce. Local produce market (cheaper than Aldi) for other produce (depending on what they have on severe markdown that week). Regular grocery store (Jewel or Marianos, both increasingly pricey) for stuff the other 2 don't carry.
And I don't have a car so this is all on foot or public transport, with stops home in between to unload my cart. It sucks but the major chains here have just gotten so expensive that it's impossible to stay on budget.
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There's a Woolworths right next to my nearest Aldi. If Aldi doesn't have it, I can walk a minute to Woolies.
Although I tend to shop at three or four stores to get the best value for money. The fruit and vegetable shop ten minutes drive away is significantly cheaper than the Woolworths or the Aldi, etc.
I still wish that Aldi sold tortillas.
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Aldi in Chicago sells "El Milagro" corn tortillas... For years it's been 33 cents for the 12pk of tortillas. I buy them almost every week.
I don't know if "El Milagro" is just a local thing around Chicago though, but I love their tortillas.
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My Aldi (capital region NYS) sells packs of small and large wheat tortillas. None for 33 cents, though!
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Aldi in Chicago sells "El Milagro" corn tortillas... For years it's been 33 cents for the 12pk of tortillas. I buy them almost every week.
I don't know if "El Milagro" is just a local thing around Chicago though, but I love their tortillas.
My Aldi (capital region NYS) sells packs of small and large wheat tortillas. None for 33 cents, though!
They do sell wraps which work OK (tbh they probably are wheat tortillas, just sold under a different name and larger), and you can buy 'El Tora' branded Old El Paso-style 'soft taco kits' with everything in a box, but if I just want a packet of 6-8" tortillas to use in tacos, I'll head to the other supermarket (where a packet of 12 is about $3).
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There is a surprising lot of variation in Aldi's mix, regionally - the Aldi's in Tampa had a ton more "Hispanic" foods than mine does, but mine always carries lasagne noodles, and the one in Florida didn't.
No matter where I shop, there's always a few things that I want from somewhere else. I just keep a running list and make an extra stop once/month or so.
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Just tried Aldi oagai or the first time in a while.
Good price on eggs, milk, booze. Bread was fair. Produce was pretty good. The meat looked pretty gross so couldn't buy any :(
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Love the produce and random organic items, like ketchup. Milk isn't great, and they don't carry organic peanut butter, salad dressing, or not-from-concentrate apple juice. We shop here weekly, with a monthly trip to the pricier grocery store. I like the lack of options for single items, makes it so much easier to find what I need and get out fast.
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I don't buy a massive amount at Aldi's. We do shop at 4-5 stores over a week to get our groceries. None are out of our way and we do save money so the time investment is worth it for us. I find sales cycle through and different things are cheap at different stores depending on the sales.
We do pretty consistently buy eggs (love 99 cent eggs) and milk from Aldi's. Their 1/2 gallon milk dropped to $0.69! (Couldnt understand the other shoppers grabbing the gallon jug next to it for $1.89). I also found coconut oil cooking spray for $2.99 last trip and was pleased. Everywhere else I looked was asking $7-8.
Sometimes they have the cheapest meat, sometimes not. I have been finding independents to have better meat prices.
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Love the produce and random organic items, like ketchup. Milk isn't great, and they don't carry organic peanut butter, salad dressing, or not-from-concentrate apple juice. We shop here weekly, with a monthly trip to the pricier grocery store. I like the lack of options for single items, makes it so much easier to find what I need and get out fast.
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Our Aldi here just started carrying organic peanut butter like 2 weeks ago, so keep an eye out for it there!
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there is a good chance it is my area... but the Aldi's here sucks. Granted, so does the local economy and there is much shoplifting in the area. Premium items are rarely stocked and often stolen everywhere, to the extent that things like lobster, crab, and shrimp are kept behind the counter at the grocery.
They only really sell processed and packaged food, with a token selection of overpriced meat and produce that is equal or less in quality to the regular supermarket. Mostly they seem to sell boxes of crackers, cookies, cereals, and promo seasonal garbage.
The store is laid out as a one way rat maze. There is literally only one way through the store, and once inside you MUST complete the entire route to leave. You may not leave through the entrance. You must go through checkstand. Didn't buy anything, too bad. There is no bypass lane, you must wait in line to leave.
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I found half sour refrigerated pickles yesterday for three bucks! *does happy dance*
First time I've seen them. Probably should have picked up extra.
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My local Aldi was closed yesterday for the holiday. Although this was inconvenient for me personally, it actually made me feel good that the company lets its workers enjoy a national holiday. That's so rare when you work retail.
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My local Aldi was closed yesterday for the holiday. Although this was inconvenient for me personally, it actually made me feel good that the company lets its workers enjoy a national holiday. That's so rare when you work retail.
The only two grocery stores in my area that are closed for Thanksgiving are Publix and Aldi's. I worked in retail briefly once upon a time, and now I make a point to support businesses that treat their employees like humans. There is no price low enough to justify treating a person the way WalMart treats its employees.
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there is a good chance it is my area... but the Aldi's here sucks. Granted, so does the local economy and there is much shoplifting in the area. Premium items are rarely stocked and often stolen everywhere, to the extent that things like lobster, crab, and shrimp are kept behind the counter at the grocery.
They only really sell processed and packaged food, with a token selection of overpriced meat and produce that is equal or less in quality to the regular supermarket. Mostly they seem to sell boxes of crackers, cookies, cereals, and promo seasonal garbage.
The store is laid out as a one way rat maze. There is literally only one way through the store, and once inside you MUST complete the entire route to leave. You may not leave through the entrance. You must go through checkstand. Didn't buy anything, too bad. There is no bypass lane, you must wait in line to leave.
Good heavens! Where do you live?
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there is a good chance it is my area... but the Aldi's here sucks. Granted, so does the local economy and there is much shoplifting in the area. Premium items are rarely stocked and often stolen everywhere, to the extent that things like lobster, crab, and shrimp are kept behind the counter at the grocery.
They only really sell processed and packaged food, with a token selection of overpriced meat and produce that is equal or less in quality to the regular supermarket. Mostly they seem to sell boxes of crackers, cookies, cereals, and promo seasonal garbage.
The store is laid out as a one way rat maze. There is literally only one way through the store, and once inside you MUST complete the entire route to leave. You may not leave through the entrance. You must go through checkstand. Didn't buy anything, too bad. There is no bypass lane, you must wait in line to leave.
Good heavens! Where do you live?
When I went to Costco in the early 2000s, it was a one way maze, is it still?
Aldi here also has designated entrance and exits, but it has aisles like any other store.
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My local Aldi was closed yesterday for the holiday. Although this was inconvenient for me personally, it actually made me feel good that the company lets its workers enjoy a national holiday. That's so rare when you work retail.
The only two grocery stores in my area that are closed for Thanksgiving are Publix and Aldi's. I worked in retail briefly once upon a time, and now I make a point to support businesses that treat their employees like humans. There is no price low enough to justify treating a person the way WalMart treats its employees.
Ours was closed yesterday too. And they have a sign for open cashier positions paying $12.75 an hour which is what Costco pays (min wage is $9.60 in CT). It's good to see business treat their employees semi-decently.
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I'm always amazed at how the Aldi cashiers are allowed to sit. You never see that anywhere else, and it's a small thing that makes a big difference. Why don't other stores allow this?
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I'm always amazed at how the Aldi cashiers are allowed to sit. You never see that anywhere else, and it's a small thing that makes a big difference. Why don't other stores allow this?
Former cashier, and I don't know why that is! I love it. Although standing is helpful if you are bagging, and aldi's cashiers don't bag, so maybe that's part of it.
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I'm always amazed at how the Aldi cashiers are allowed to sit. You never see that anywhere else, and it's a small thing that makes a big difference. Why don't other stores allow this?
Former cashier, and I don't know why that is! I love it. Although standing is helpful if you are bagging, and aldi's cashiers don't bag, so maybe that's part of it.
Maybe that's due to the fact that it is a German company? Cashiers sit at most of Europeans grocery stores.
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All. At least here in Germany.
You know, having Unions DOES have its good points.
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All. At least here in Germany.
You know, having Unions DOES have its good points.
i personally dont think unions serve a purpose anymore. they used to. now there are federal regulation in place and local municipality ragulations in most 1st world countries.
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All. At least here in Germany.
You know, having Unions DOES have its good points.
i personally dont think unions serve a purpose anymore. they used to. now there are federal regulation in place and local municipality ragulations in most 1st world countries.
Oh boy, don't even get started on that in this thread. I'm a union employee and could say so much. If you want to start a thread that's anti-union and your personal opinions about it, I say go ahead, but saying something like this in a thread about a grocery store? Please.
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All. At least here in Germany.
You know, having Unions DOES have its good points.
i personally dont think unions serve a purpose anymore. they used to. now there are federal regulation in place and local municipality ragulations in most 1st world countries.
Oh boy, don't even get started on that in this thread. I'm a union employee and could say so much. If you want to start a thread that's anti-union and your personal opinions about it, I say go ahead, but saying something like this in a thread about a grocery store? Please.
Just responded to a post about them in the same thread.
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All. At least here in Germany.
You know, having Unions DOES have its good points.
i personally dont think unions serve a purpose anymore. they used to. now there are federal regulation in place and local municipality ragulations in most 1st world countries.
Oh boy, don't even get started on that in this thread. I'm a union employee and could say so much. If you want to start a thread that's anti-union and your personal opinions about it, I say go ahead, but saying something like this in a thread about a grocery store? Please.
Just responded to a post about them in the same thread.
Why try to bait someone on this when you could just drop it and get back on topic?
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All. At least here in Germany.
You know, having Unions DOES have its good points.
i personally dont think unions serve a purpose anymore. they used to. now there are federal regulation in place and local municipality ragulations in most 1st world countries.
Oh boy, don't even get started on that in this thread. I'm a union employee and could say so much. If you want to start a thread that's anti-union and your personal opinions about it, I say go ahead, but saying something like this in a thread about a grocery store? Please.
Just responded to a post about them in the same thread.
Why try to bait someone on this when you could just drop it and get back on topic?
So what was the point of your comment and then what was the point of his comment. Both were more a bait comment than mine.
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The prices were good I guess, but for similar prices I can get actual food, fresh produce and ready to go meals from Trader Joes.
Which is basically the same company.... Well, technically it's the other brother's business, that also has ALDI('s) in other countries and the Northern part of Germany.
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i personally dont think unions serve a purpose anymore. they used to. now there are federal regulation in place and local municipality ragulations in most 1st world countries.
From what I have read about your countries labour laws and the way corporations work you, you definitely need unions.
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That quote is from boarder42. LennStar is from Germany.
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i personally dont think unions serve a purpose anymore. they used to. now there are federal regulation in place and local municipality ragulations in most 1st world countries.
From what I have read about your countries labour laws and the way corporations work you, you definitely need unions.
There are lots of things wrong with this post you fix it
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I love Aldi; I shop there once a week, as it's only a block from my condo. Despite what I've read here, I find the produce to be better, longer lasting and cheaper than my local grocery stores. The fresh meat has always been good. The only things I don't care for are the much loved take and bake pizzas (walmart's are much better imo), and the peanut butter (has a weird, slightly off taste).
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I got a pound of strawberries for $1.49 today. I've been eating so many that I'm going to look like a strawberry. I've tried the grass-fed, organic ground beef for the second time--it sounds a little precious and fancy pants, but I found (surprise) I like it better than the "regular" ground meat.
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I love Aldi; I shop there once a week, as it's only a block from my condo. Despite what I've read here, I find the produce to be better, longer lasting and cheaper than my local grocery stores. The fresh meat has always been good. The only things I don't care for are the much loved take and bake pizzas (walmart's are much better imo), and the peanut butter (has a weird, slightly off taste).
Huh! I'm actually surpriesed to read this about Aldi's peanut butter. I just bought a large can of it this week because it is cheaper then buying the normal Kroger smaller jar.
I wanted to say the peanut butter tasted exactly the same as Kroger's brand.
My kids didn't notice the difference either.
Wonder what others think of it.
My family loves the 1 pound bag of lunch meats you can get there for 3.49 a pound. At Kroger I pay for the off-brand/kroger brand usually 4 to 6 bucks for a pound of it.
I have to shop at Aldi twice a month so I can stay within my food budget :)
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I got a pound of strawberries for $1.49 today. I've been eating so many that I'm going to look like a strawberry. I've tried the grass-fed, organic ground beef for the second time--it sounds a little precious and fancy pants, but I found (surprise) I like it better than the "regular" ground meat.
This meat you write about, what kind specifically, ready made burgers, or just meat that you have to prepare whatever way you want? Also how much did they charge for this?
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My family loves the 1 pound bag of lunch meats you can get there for 3.49 a pound. At Kroger I pay for the off-brand/kroger brand usually 4 to 6 bucks for a pound of it.
Boneless/skinless chicken breasts are often $1-2/lb and you can bake and slice them for even cheaper (and often healthier) lunch meat.
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Aldi is great. I wish we had one in our town. I shoot em' an email about opening one every now and then, but they just reply about their locations that are about 45 minutes away.
We really like their chips, chocolate, and pesto sauce.
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I got a pound of strawberries for $1.49 today. I've been eating so many that I'm going to look like a strawberry. I've tried the grass-fed, organic ground beef for the second time--it sounds a little precious and fancy pants, but I found (surprise) I like it better than the "regular" ground meat.
This meat you write about, what kind specifically, ready made burgers, or just meat that you have to prepare whatever way you want? Also how much did they charge for this?
It was a one-pound block of ground beef, that could be used however you would want. I think it was $5.84--not all that cheap, but it was good. I got four meals (for myself--one person) out of it--sauteed the ground beef with onion, garlic, salt, pepper...threw in a drained can of mixed vegetables and one cup of gravy--used it as a meat pie filling. I made my own crust from scratch to go on top of the meat pies.
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We just got an Aldi. I'll have to re-read this thread! I had a frozen pizza that was pretty good for $4. DH was impressed with a steak he bought. More reports to come...
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They had pints of blueberries for 60 cents this week. I bought two for myself and two for my daughter. They were good, too--yum.
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They had pints of blueberries for 60 cents this week. I bought two for myself and two for my daughter. They were good, too--yum.
Ahhh this is a good deal! I want to dehydrate them sometime and 60 cents a pint would have been really good pricing.
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They had pints of blueberries for 60 cents this week. I bought two for myself and two for my daughter. They were good, too--yum.
Ahhh this is a good deal! I want to dehydrate them sometime and 60 cents a pint would have been really good pricing.
Our Aldi almost always has some sort of fruit on sale, so we eat whatever that is. My favorite are the super cheap blueberries and strawberries. Oh, and the rare times they have cherries for 1.99 or less.
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They had pints of blueberries for 60 cents this week. I bought two for myself and two for my daughter. They were good, too--yum.
Ahhh this is a good deal! I want to dehydrate them sometime and 60 cents a pint would have been really good pricing.
I've never tried blueberries but I have dehydrated redcurrants and bilberries (kind of like blueberries but smaller). Verdict? It's not worth it. Takes a long, long time and they're weren't really very nice because once the water is gone, there's just not much left. Kind of similar to my experience drying raspberries, which I had thought I would love. The dried ones you can buy are usually freeze-dried, which is a totally different process (there's a fancy chocolate shop here that sells dark chocolate covered dried raspberries, they are one of the most delicious things ever!). Strawberries are so far the only berries I've had good results with in the dehydrator.
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I like Aldi for the most part. Their employees seem curt or snippy sometimes though. I know there are only a few employees in the store at one time, and probably have alot on their plate, but still. I prob wouldn't seek an Aldi out if it wasn't as close (I can see it from my condo) as mine is, but they are generally cheaper than standard grocery stores. Trader Joes I would, and do, seek out.
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Posting to follow. Recently started shopping there and saving lots of money on grocery. The staff is efficient and friendly and I like that I can easily find my staples without having to wade through a million items.
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Employees at my local Aldi are noticeably nicer, warmer, kinder, seem happier than employees at the local Giant Eagle grocery--who are OK, too--usually acceptably courteous-- but can be kind of a mixed bag, and never, ever seem happy.
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Employees at my local Aldi are noticeably nicer, warmer, kinder, seem happier than employees at the local Giant Eagle grocery--who are OK, too--usually acceptably courteous-- but can be kind of a mixed bag, and never, ever seem happy.
Perhaps it's just my location that has snippy employees. They constantly chastise folks in line who "aren't with the Aldi program" with comments and dirty looks. Last week, for example, I was in my Aldi, and an employee dropped a pallet of food in the middle of the isle I was coming down, blocking the whole isle; the employee gave me a "too bad" look, and walked off. I'll try another nearby one and see if it's any different.
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Perhaps it's just my location that has snippy employees. They constantly chastise folks in line who "aren't with the Aldi program" with comments and dirty looks. Last week, for example, I was in my Aldi, and an employee dropped a pallet of food in the middle of the isle I was coming down, blocking the whole isle; the employee gave me a "too bad" look, and walked off. I'll try another nearby one and see if it's any different.
That sounds extremely off-putting. Have you brought this up to the manager? What about corporate?
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Employees at my local Aldi are noticeably nicer, warmer, kinder, seem happier than employees at the local Giant Eagle grocery--who are OK, too--usually acceptably courteous-- but can be kind of a mixed bag, and never, ever seem happy.
Perhaps it's just my location that has snippy employees. They constantly chastise folks in line who "aren't with the Aldi program" with comments and dirty looks. Last week, for example, I was in my Aldi, and an employee dropped a pallet of food in the middle of the isle I was coming down, blocking the whole isle; the employee gave me a "too bad" look, and walked off. I'll try another nearby one and see if it's any different.
I would get with corporate. The fact that Aldi goes the extra lengths, such as paying higher wages and letting their cashiers sit down at the register, makes me think employee satisfaction is very important. If their people are acting like rude fools, corporate would want to know. Everyone at my store is always friendly and smiling, and has been for years.
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Employees at my local Aldi are noticeably nicer, warmer, kinder, seem happier than employees at the local Giant Eagle grocery--who are OK, too--usually acceptably courteous-- but can be kind of a mixed bag, and never, ever seem happy.
Perhaps it's just my location that has snippy employees. They constantly chastise folks in line who "aren't with the Aldi program" with comments and dirty looks. Last week, for example, I was in my Aldi, and an employee dropped a pallet of food in the middle of the isle I was coming down, blocking the whole isle; the employee gave me a "too bad" look, and walked off. I'll try another nearby one and see if it's any different.
I would get with corporate. The fact that Aldi goes the extra lengths, such as paying higher wages and letting their cashiers sit down at the register, makes me think employee satisfaction is very important. If their people are acting like rude fools, corporate would want to know. Everyone at my store is always friendly and smiling, and has been for years.
Yep - the long-term employees at Aldi are top-notch. I'd say something. I wouldn't say mine are always smiling, but they are always fast and efficient.
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Just checked out our local Aldi's this weekend. Some great prices on milk, cheese, eggs and produce. We got a gallon of milk for 75 cents and a dozen eggs for 68 cents.
Also, I saw people say cash only a lot on this thread. They accepted credit at the one we shopped at.
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Just checked out our local Aldi's this weekend. Some great prices on milk, cheese, eggs and produce. We got a gallon of milk for 75 cents and a dozen eggs for 68 cents.
Also, I saw people say cash only a lot on this thread. They accepted credit at the one we shopped at.
That is a relatively recent (within the last year) development and is now in all stores. I may or may not have done a happy dance when that happened.
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Just checked out our local Aldi's this weekend. Some great prices on milk, cheese, eggs and produce. We got a gallon of milk for 75 cents and a dozen eggs for 68 cents.
Also, I saw people say cash only a lot on this thread. They accepted credit at the one we shopped at.
That is a relatively recent (within the last year) development and is now in all stores. I may or may not have done a happy dance when that happened.
I took my first free trip this summer (airfare and car rental) courtesy of Chase Sapphire cc, just paying my monthly bills/groceries. I danced a jig!
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I've probably been reading too many articles about how sitting down is making us very fat and sick, BUT when I read the comments about the "perk" of sitting down, all I could think was "yea, those cashiers can die like the rest of us."
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My pet peeve at Aldi is how they wrap their bananas in plastic. All too often, they are overripe and rotting in those plastic bags and I just pass them by, despite the cheap price.
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i personally dont think unions serve a purpose anymore. they used to. now there are federal regulation in place and local municipality ragulations in most 1st world countries.
From what I have read about your countries labour laws and the way corporations work you, you definitely need unions.
There are lots of things wrong with this post you fix it
Nice punctuation! The destruction of the unions in the U.S. correlates with the loss of decent paying semi-skilled jobs. Being against unions in principal, is most likely your position. Looking at U.S. history probably would not lead you to that opinion, however. In more bad news for you, Ted Cruz lost the nomination. At least you got to see the Ted Wedding (for the GOT fans) at the convention.
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My pet peeve at Aldi is how they wrap their bananas in plastic. All too often, they are overripe and rotting in those plastic bags and I just pass them by, despite the cheap price.
Huh what? The bananas at my Aldi are just bound together with that bizarre logo tape (usually Chiquita) that is used at all groceries in our area. Tell the manager at your Aldi or send in a complaint to Aldi corporate. https://www.aldi.us/en/customer-service/contact-us/
I'm rather surprised at some of the regional differences between Aldi locations.
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My pet peeve at Aldi is how they wrap their bananas in plastic. All too often, they are overripe and rotting in those plastic bags and I just pass them by, despite the cheap price.
Same here. I buy bananas at the regular grocery store. Sometimes Aldi bananas are green AND rotting. How is that possible? Yuck.
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My pet peeve at Aldi is how they wrap their bananas in plastic. All too often, they are overripe and rotting in those plastic bags and I just pass them by, despite the cheap price.
Same here. I buy bananas at the regular grocery store. Sometimes Aldi bananas are green AND rotting. How is that possible? Yuck.
Simply. They arrive at the grocery green, get gassed and ripe. At Aldi they often get gassed way too much and change from green to yellow-black (where the gas was thickest) in one day.
Interesting that this is the only thing common in US and EU Aldis :D
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My pet peeve at Aldi is how they wrap their bananas in plastic. All too often, they are overripe and rotting in those plastic bags and I just pass them by, despite the cheap price.
Same here. I buy bananas at the regular grocery store. Sometimes Aldi bananas are green AND rotting. How is that possible? Yuck.
Simply. They arrive at the grocery green, get gassed and ripe. At Aldi they often get gassed way too much and change from green to yellow-black (where the gas was thickest) in one day.
Interesting that this is the only thing common in US and EU Aldis :D
Poor bananas. :/
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My pet peeve at Aldi is how they wrap their bananas in plastic. All too often, they are overripe and rotting in those plastic bags and I just pass them by, despite the cheap price.
Huh what? The bananas at my Aldi are just bound together with that bizarre logo tape (usually Chiquita) that is used at all groceries in our area. Tell the manager at your Aldi or send in a complaint to Aldi corporate. https://www.aldi.us/en/customer-service/contact-us/
I'm rather surprised at some of the regional differences between Aldi locations.
And then yesterday, for the first time at my Aldi, the bananas were all in bags. NO!! WHY?! I bought super-green ones and tore off the bags the moment I got home. They seem to be ripening normally on the counter right now...
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Oh! Guys! I got the frozen (cooked) sushi at Aldi the other day and it is delicious! I was expecting it to be just okay, but I am so happy! I am no connoisseur, but I like it! I have tried the "spicy crab" sushi (made with pollock, not crab). I went back and got 7 boxes. At mine it is $4.99 for a box of 15 pieces. I find 7 or 8 makes a light meal (official serving size is 5 pieces). It is a special, but the cashiers tell me that Aldi has had it before and it is really popular.
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Oh! Guys! I got the frozen (cooked) sushi at Aldi the other day and it is delicious! I was expecting it to be just okay, but I am so happy! I am no connoisseur, but I like it! I have tried the "spicy crab" sushi (made with pollock, not crab). I went back and got 7 boxes. At mine it is $4.99 for a box of 15 pieces. I find 7 or 8 makes a light meal (official serving size is 5 pieces). It is a special, but the cashiers tell me that Aldi has had it before and it is really popular.
I saw the sushi at my store and I opted to not buy it, just cuz I was a little scared.
If its there on my next trip I plan to try some, thanks for the tip.
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Oh! Guys! I got the frozen (cooked) sushi at Aldi the other day and it is delicious! I was expecting it to be just okay, but I am so happy! I am no connoisseur, but I like it! I have tried the "spicy crab" sushi (made with pollock, not crab). I went back and got 7 boxes. At mine it is $4.99 for a box of 15 pieces. I find 7 or 8 makes a light meal (official serving size is 5 pieces). It is a special, but the cashiers tell me that Aldi has had it before and it is really popular.
I saw the sushi at my store and I opted to not buy it, just cuz I was a little scared.
If its there on my next trip I plan to try some, thanks for the tip.
I tried it. Not to downplay Herrings opinion, but it was just barely passable to me. I'm used to decent fresh sushi though.
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Oh! Guys! I got the frozen (cooked) sushi at Aldi the other day and it is delicious! I was expecting it to be just okay, but I am so happy! I am no connoisseur, but I like it! I have tried the "spicy crab" sushi (made with pollock, not crab). I went back and got 7 boxes. At mine it is $4.99 for a box of 15 pieces. I find 7 or 8 makes a light meal (official serving size is 5 pieces). It is a special, but the cashiers tell me that Aldi has had it before and it is really popular.
I saw the sushi at my store and I opted to not buy it, just cuz I was a little scared.
If its there on my next trip I plan to try some, thanks for the tip.
I tried it. Not to downplay Herrings opinion, but it was just barely passable to me. I'm used to decent fresh sushi though.
As I said, I am no connoisseur, so no offense taken. My experience previously is mostly the local Asian buffet and the to-go boxes at Wegmans. For $5, I think it is worth a shot if one is on the fence and has similarly uneducated tastes.
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Oh that's so unfair!!!! Down here, in downunder, the best we get in potentially freshly prepared food at Aldi is buns and bread rolls - oh so you lucky people in the US get sushi - aren't you GRAND!!!
(of course, I'm also watching football, and thinking, don't drink and post... don't drink and post ....
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I'm experiencing extreme cognitive dissonance every time I read the words "frozen cooked sushi".
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It's not as bad as "frozen sushi" might sound. It's def worth a shot, esp if you want to keep sushi on hand. I bought another variety last night to try.
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Hmm... the power of reading things properly. I'll have to have a look, my local ALDI might have frozen 'fresh sushi' after all (I know nobody cares, but my team lost >: ).
My local full blown supermarket does sell fresh made-on-the-spot sushi where you can watch someone putting it together and into containers when you are there, and the idea that an ALDI anywhere would do that, was a bit mind-blowing.
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Hmm... the power of reading things properly. I'll have to have a look, my local ALDI might have frozen 'fresh sushi' after all (I know nobody cares, but my team lost >: ).
My local full blown supermarket does sell fresh made-on-the-spot sushi where you can watch someone putting it together and into containers when you are there, and the idea that an ALDI anywhere would do that, was a bit mind-blowing.
I think something is getting lost in translation, so to speak. The sushi is just frozen sushi in a box, shipped in just like frozen pizza or something.
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Haha, yeah, nothing is prepared fresh at my Aldi. But Faramund did mention the drinking and that things weren't read properly.
My local supermarket (not a Wegmans, *sigh*) also does fresh sushi, but I know how lax their standards in other fresh food are, so I wouldn't touch their sushi.
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Well, I'm sober again now <: ??
We do seem to have a small selection of fresh rolls/buns/mini-pizzas (say 10-16 cm (4-6 in)s across) at the 2 Aldi's that I go to.
I think I have about 10 Aldi's within about 50km, so I think they have a deal with a bakery somewhere, that then distributes daily to multiple Aldi's. But I'd say that counts as the only fresh non-staple food at my local ALDIs.
Although, thinking about it, there's obviously milk/fruit/vegetables/staple bread/eggs and even things like flavoured chicken kebabs - so there's other fresh/non-frozen/preserved food as well.
I probably think of it this way - because for many years they didn't have the fresh rolls/buns/mini-pizzas but then about a year or 2 ago they started getting them - so they seem distinct to me. They're also in a separate part of each store - which adds to their apparent uniqueness.
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DH is going to Aldi tomorrow. I'll ask him to pick up some frozen sushi :) We like sushi and are completely fine with passable sushi :)
I saw in our flyer that they have a small food processor on sale for $14.99. Thoughts? I haven't used a food processor in years and years and lost a critical piece on my full-sized one (that I got for my wedding nearly 20 years ago). Debating whether it will be a useful addition to my kitchen. Especially since my magic bullet died. I'm thinking things like shredding cheese, shredding potatoes, mincing piles of garlic (to freeze and use in single serving portion), and maybe as a blender if it can handle it?
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I don't have their food processor, but we have been more than happy with their ice cream maker, blender, and air popcorn popper.
What brand is your full-size one? You might still be able to find a replacement part online.
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DH is going to Aldi tomorrow. I'll ask him to pick up some frozen sushi :) We like sushi and are completely fine with passable sushi :)
I saw in our flyer that they have a small food processor on sale for $14.99. Thoughts? I haven't used a food processor in years and years and lost a critical piece on my full-sized one (that I got for my wedding nearly 20 years ago). Debating whether it will be a useful addition to my kitchen. Especially since my magic bullet died. I'm thinking things like shredding cheese, shredding potatoes, mincing piles of garlic (to freeze and use in single serving portion), and maybe as a blender if it can handle it?
I kilt my beloved 20 yr old Vitamix deader than dead with a hunk of frozen parmesan cheese. Replaced it with a $35 Ninja thing, which I like a lot. I wouldn't be afraid to try Aldi's blender though, because you can always return anything you buy there.
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I love my local Aldi, and pretty much shop there exclusively. That said, I don't buy much of their processed foods (which makes up a LOT of what they sell, just like every other grocery store). But I love their prices on beans (dried and canned), rice, quinoa, bananas, etc. And I do like that they sell a lot of GF foods and label their allergens. It's really nice that I don't have to make a trip to Whole Paycheck and spend $7 on a GF mix, just to have a birthday cake.
The turnover in an urban location means that produce is usually fresh (although sometimes tomatoes and berries don't pass muster). I bought 20 lbs of bananas last week when they were $0.29/lb, and they were perfectly ripe in bags.
I will sometimes supplement with the local produce market if I'm not thrilled by the price/selection of produce that week. Plus there are certain things that they don't sell that I like to eat, like eggplant and tuscan kale and dried chickpeas (for falafel and chickpea flour).
It can get super-crowded at times (especially the first Saturday/Sunday morning after everyone gets their food stamps refilled), but I just try to go off-peak.
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Oh god, the bananas at my Aldi are so gross! I don't buy bananas often and I think yesterday was the first day I actually looked at them at Aldi. Yes - both green and brown at the same time. Yuck.
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It's really interesting to read about Americans and other English speaking peoples experiences with ALDI.
I grew up on their food. It's nearly every Germans go to place for staples etc.
My first computer was from there.
The reason why every ALDI store is so different is because they Taylor it towards the local consumers. They test a full range of products for 2-3 weeks and what ever sells fast they stock again, and what does not sell, never comes back. So you might find that people in one area are happy to buy lower quality fresh produce than others just a few blocks away.
Their cashiers are the fastest in the world. Aided by the 360 bar code and not having to bag the groceries.
When both Aldi and Lidel came to the uk everyone made fun of them. Now they are in the process of killing Tesco.
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For the past several months, my shopping list for Aldi has been essentially the same. I just keep the list in my phone (in the same order I encounter the items in the aisles of the store.)
pecan halves
fresh broccoli
fresh cauliflower
eggs
heavy whipping cream
avocados
polish sausage
bacon
onions and garlic
green/red peppers
olive oil
spices
blocks of pepper jack and sharp cheddar cheese
fresh meat (beef, pork, or chicken)
frozen broccoli and baby brussels sprouts
I don't really spend much time in the sections of the store that have the boxed/processed foods. 90%+ of the stuff I get is from the fresh veggies, dairy, and meat sections.
I can easily keep my budget under $40/week for just myself, and I feel I eat very well!
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My wife and youngest have become huge Aldi fans. It's awesome how much you can get there for such a decent, low price.
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I've been doing some mystery shopping lately, which has taken me to areas of town (Milwaukee) I rarely go to. I've gone to two new Aldi's enroute to/from the shopping and found that they have:
wider aisles - makes getting around other shoppers a LOT easier
bigger and dedicated bakery and liquor sections - the bakery was quite tempting
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My Aldi in Minnesota expanded last year. I've read it's now the biggest Aldi in the US. They massively grew their organic produce section, and I recently noticed they have grass fed beef (!) and no antibiotic chicken (!) so have tried both. I was very impressed with the grass fed beef--it cooked like a dream (made it for tacos). The chicken I couldn't tell much difference, so will probably just buy their regular chicken tenders. I like that they are fresh, not frozen, so I can opt to freeze them or not, if I'm planning to cook with them soon.
I've shifted most of my shopping to Aldi in the last year and have been very happy. There are still just a few things I buy at other places, but not very many.
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We did Aldi's for a while because of their cheap produce, dairy, and eggs. But then we would go to the local Walmart neighborhood market because they had a larger selection on a lot of other things. Then we noticed the Walmart started matching Aldi's prices on produce, dairy, and eggs, so now we just mostly shop there because it's easier to just make one stop. We get our eggs for 43 cents a dozen, milk for the youngin for $1.04 and things like bananas are 27 cents/lb. We still do go to Aldi's for diapers though, they are really affordable and work perfectly for our toddler. When we make those trips we usually check out their weekly sales and pickup a few things here and there.
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That's good to know, HipGnosis; sounds like they are improving one of the more frustrating aspects of Aldi, with their new stores. Both the one in my old neighborhood (kind of seedy and high-crime) and the one in my new neighborhood (nicer) are tiny and cramped. The new neighborhood store has its aisles at weird angles and it's sometimes impossible to get a cart through.
The stores are for sure different in quality. The produce is better at my new one. Still not *great*, but better. I don't eat meat but Boyfriend said the chicken from Old Aldi was awful. Not sure I can convince him to try the new Aldi's meat.
I've been pleasantly surprised at the quality and price of their garden stuff too. Like, I needed landscape cloth to put under a raised bed. $24.99 at Home Depot, *$1.99* at Aldi. For a smaller quantity, but that's actually better as the garden centers always sell things in huge quantities which are more than I need. Also got a perfectly nice raised bed and organic garden soil for $2.99 per huge bag (which they unfortunately sold out of).
Unfortunately neither Aldi sells booze, but that seems to be a function of what ward the store's in and what the liquor ordinances are there. All the stores are that way; like, some Walgreens and CVS in the city have booze and some don't. That's too bad; I'd be curious as to what booze Aldi carries and its pricing. It's not even in our ad papers here.
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Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(
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My Aldi in Minnesota expanded last year. I've read it's now the biggest Aldi in the US. They massively grew their organic produce section, and I recently noticed they have grass fed beef (!) and no antibiotic chicken (!) so have tried both. I was very impressed with the grass fed beef--it cooked like a dream (made it for tacos). The chicken I couldn't tell much difference, so will probably just buy their regular chicken tenders. I like that they are fresh, not frozen, so I can opt to freeze them or not, if I'm planning to cook with them soon.
I've shifted most of my shopping to Aldi in the last year and have been very happy. There are still just a few things I buy at other places, but not very many.
Which store is this?
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Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(
Mine did at one point, but now that you mention it, I think they stopped. I haven't needed to buy it in months, but you've prompted me to look next time I go.
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Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(
I bought ww flour from aldi once. It was terrible! It was very course and didn't bake well at all. It was ground to the consistency of wheat germ or similar, so I had to get creative to use it up. I also noticed they stopped carrying it at my aldi, so I figured it didn't go over so well. When I bake I'll spend the $$ on king arthur ww flour and I'm honestly not a food snob at all.
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My Aldi in Minnesota expanded last year. I've read it's now the biggest Aldi in the US. They massively grew their organic produce section, and I recently noticed they have grass fed beef (!) and no antibiotic chicken (!) so have tried both. I was very impressed with the grass fed beef--it cooked like a dream (made it for tacos). The chicken I couldn't tell much difference, so will probably just buy their regular chicken tenders. I like that they are fresh, not frozen, so I can opt to freeze them or not, if I'm planning to cook with them soon.
I've shifted most of my shopping to Aldi in the last year and have been very happy. There are still just a few things I buy at other places, but not very many.
Which store is this?
I'd prefer not to say on a public forum. Are you in Minnesota? If so, feel free to PM me.
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Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(
I bought ww flour from aldi once. It was terrible! It was very course and didn't bake well at all. It was ground to the consistency of wheat germ or similar, so I had to get creative to use it up. I also noticed they stopped carrying it at my aldi, so I figured it didn't go over so well. When I bake I'll spend the $$ on king arthur ww flour and I'm honestly not a food snob at all.
That's funny. The consistency was one of the things I loved about it. It made for a very wholesome seeming loaf of bread. When I want softer consistency, I use KA white wheat.
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Unfortunately neither Aldi sells booze, but that seems to be a function of what ward the store's in and what the liquor ordinances are there. All the stores are that way; like, some Walgreens and CVS in the city have booze and some don't. That's too bad; I'd be curious as to what booze Aldi carries and its pricing. It's not even in our ad papers here.
They sell beer and wine at my Aldi. I didn't pay attention to the wine, but the beer selection has some American standards and their own brand. Example-they sell both Blue Moon, and their own version of Belgian wheat ale. Not a connoisseur or anything, but 6 bucks for a 6 pack of fake Blue Moon was pretty good by me.
Side note, some of their sizes are kinda odd. Their beer didn't come in standard 12 oz bottles, but 11.2 oz. Slices of cheese are 7 oz instead of 8 oz. Other products are similar. Not everything is like this, a bit random and sometimes annoying. Hard to do math with odd numbers like this, and makes it feel like I'm being cheated with numbers that are intentionally hard to mentally compare on the fly. "Food 4 Less has cheese for $2.50 for 8 oz, here it's $2.25 for 7 oz. Fuck, lemme whip out the calculator app. Not doing this 5 times. Maybe it's because they are using European standard measurements for their own product, not sure.
*****
By the way, anyone looking for King Arthur flour at decent prices, Wally World has it.
*****
Things I like and dislike about Aldi so far-
Like:
Small, fast, easy to navigate. They don't have an entire aisle for coffee. Or soap. Or toothpaste. I love that I personally can get out of there in about 15 minutes with a week's worth of stuff.
Meat. Well priced and clean. My SO loves the fact that she can season it inside the little container instead of dirtying up another dish. Also, 4 bucks off stickers on 4 pounds of pork chops is lolisthisforreal!?
Checking out. These people are amazingly fast.
Dislike:
Sometimes don't have essentials. Broke your spatula? Most groceries have basic cooking utensils-not Aldi.
Meat. Not a whole lot of variety.
Produce. They will gladly sell a whole bag of onions, with one or two bad ones. Ugh. I want to pick 3 or 4, not be forced to buy 8 in a bag. Also, they do a crap job of repleneshing. Come at the wrong time and whats left is empty boxes or wilted/bruised produce. Pretty unacceptable at major grocers.
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I just looked it up on their site and there are only a handful of Aldis in Chicago that sell booze. One I could get to, but it'd be a long haul on the bus (I don't have a car), while my local Aldi is maybe a 10-minute walk.
From their website: "We have to obtain special licenses to sell beer and wine on a store-by-store basis. The process takes longer in some municipalities than others. Rest assured that it’s our desire to provide each ALDI store with our complete product line and we will continue working to achieve this. " That makes sense; it is really hard to get a liquor license in Chicago.
I've had the bad-onion experience too. As well as the container of spinach that outwardly looked fine, but you open it up and all the spinach in the center is gross. They have a talent for hiding the bad produce in the bag or container so you can't see it, for sure.
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The 7 super fruit organic 100% juice may be the best thing I've ever tasted. #1 ingredient is pomegranate juice but it tastes like strawberries. I might like it better than beer. It's $3.89 for a liter but we go through that in a week or two so it's not a budget buster. If you like pomegranate, blueberry or acai juice and love strawberries then try this. Not sure you'll ever go back to a bland beverage again.
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The Aldi in my area have recently remodeled to slightly larger and more items (gluten free, random housewares, etc). They are largely unchanged, just nicer looking signs and such.
The Aldi in the Netherlands in my experience, were nicer and a bit fancier than the ones in the US, with more fresh items like baked goods. It was a bit less of a bargain chain in atmosphere.
Have never seen frozen sushi at Aldi store.
Wish mine carried alcohol. Maryland has fairly restrictive alcohol laws. The stores in VA carry alcohol and I've swung in on the occasion that I happen to be in the area.
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In Australia, Aldi has a policy of getting some (not many) artisan Australian products and they are very good. For instance, their cheese has won several awards over the past few years.
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I shopped with wild abandon yesterday -- no list, some impulse buys (corned beef! chocolate!), a beautiful bouquet of flowers -- and I STILL came in under budget. :)
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I love Aldi's.
One really weird observation: Fellow Shopper's are amazing. It's very common for someone to "pay forward" a shopping cart..no worry about the quarter. Not a big deal, it's just a quarter. Another interesting observation-I usually buy less than 20$ worth of food and almost always people offer to let me cut in line. I've never had such an offer at a mainstream grocery store. Always amazes me and I usually decline.
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^Yep! I agree - was just thinking this the other day. I've had carts with quarters given to me the past two times; I just kept passing on the cart. Heck, maybe it's the same cart both times and it just keeps getting paid forward. LOL.
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Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(
I bought ww flour from aldi once. It was terrible! It was very course and didn't bake well at all. It was ground to the consistency of wheat germ or similar, so I had to get creative to use it up. I also noticed they stopped carrying it at my aldi, so I figured it didn't go over so well. When I bake I'll spend the $$ on king arthur ww flour and I'm honestly not a food snob at all.
?? I found that strange. Can your Capitalists sell you whatver they want as whatever type?
Here in Communistic Germany on every flour package there is a number that says what type of flour it is. Like: For bread baking you take 1050, for white bread 550 and 405 for cakes.
And of course whole grain flour is big and clumpy and the bread just breaks to pieces if you don't mix it with e.g. 1050 for the glue stuff.
In my case I stopped buying four for making bread because the only shop who had more then cake's 405 has upped the prices so much that in the end you can get completed bread 2 aisles away for the same price (not to mention time, energy and cleaning if you make your own). I don't make own bread if that is more expensive and more time consuming.
@Johnez:
Maybe it's european standards, yes. But maybe it's just strategy. Here in Germany with the big competition in prices the not-store-brands have started to do prequent "bonus" rounds. Means for 2-3 month you get like 10% "extra" (with lot of advertising) and then it goes back to the old size or not or a completely new one - and nobody knows the old price anymore. You can bet it is not cheaper then at start.
I always look at the (Communit EU again) mandatory unit prices - means for 100g or 1kg.
Sometimes don't have essentials. Broke your spatula?
Because cooking utensils is not an essential. Wll, it is, but you don't buy it every week. Shelf space costs money, so the discounters don't have stuff that does not get sold fast. That is the core of the business model compared to supermarkets after all.
They have a talent for hiding the bad produce in the bag or container so you can't see it, for sure.
I blame survivor bias ;)
The Aldi in the Netherlands in my experience, were nicer and a bit fancier than the ones in the US, with more fresh items like baked goods. It was a bit less of a bargain chain in atmosphere.
Have never seen frozen sushi at Aldi store.
Not only ALDI but also LIDL etc. are nicer in the Netherlands. And Jumbo... very very nice but often more expensive ;)
Sushi is new here, too. ALDI started it I think about a year ago and now everyone has it.
The logic goes like this I think:
Not many buy it. But those who do buy go the shop that has Sushi. So if there is only one shop, they go there - and make the rest of their shoppig there, too. It may only be 1 in 1000 people, but thats 0,1% lost sales at same expenses. So it's cheaper to make half a meter of Sushi in one of the freezers.
The Sushi is bad and expensive though. The only not disgusting one (in a TV show test so who knows what reality is) was LIDL, even with a bit strange ingredients (I think paprika).
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WW flour is a "seasonal" item at aldi's - it rotates in about once/year. I usually buy a couple of bags and stick them in the freezer. It seems fine to me; I use it for bread.
My aldi's is remodeling. It will be quite a bit bigger, which will be great, but I may lose my mind before it's done, because it has made a small store really difficult to navigate in the process and there is almost no frozen stuff in the store at the moment. Poor me! I'm hoping that they'll have scored a liquor license and we can buy wine there.
We're getting a Lidl nearby, and I'll be interested to see how that compares.
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The Aldi in the Netherlands in my experience, were nicer and a bit fancier than the ones in the US, with more fresh items like baked goods. It was a bit less of a bargain chain in atmosphere.
That's amazing! I wish Aldi would introduce fresh baked goods here in the US. I don't remember them having that in the Netherlands, is that a recent development?
I have to say Aldi stores over here (at least in my area) are pretty great, not less nice or worse than European Aldi stores which I've always regarded as pretty bare bones (which I'm perfectly fine with, anything to keep the price down;) ).
In addition to staples (rice, beans, produce, meats, etc.) I love Aldi for its rotating selection of specialty items like decent cheeses (although Trader Joe's is even better in that regard), smoked salmon, sausages etc. I can't wait for Lidl to expand further into the US either.
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I love Aldi's but the one closest just closed for a month to remodel :( They have some awesome deals on meat if you catch em at the right time. My guilty pleasure is their frozen pizza, for only $2 it'll do just fine. I also like you have to bring your own bags or pay for theirs. It helps me get in the habit of bringing my own and not having to deal with a million plastic bags.
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Still love Aldi, but then again I'm someone who is overwhelmed when faced with 39 choices of TP, I just want soft TP with no dust, so gimme one choice, maybe two and Aldi has perfected that. Plus I like surprises, so when I come across a special deal, especially if it's imported from Europe, I pounce on it.
Yesterday I picked up some awesome gardening items:
- Suncast 50 gallon Rain Barrel, made in the US for $50. Found regularly for $75 at other stores
- Compost bin, I think it was $40!
- Garden edging, $9.99 for ten feet. It looks like stone work and I needed to replace the edging in the front beds
- Rattan-look deck boxes. I forget how much they were, but we had one for two years prior, only replacing because we had a massive hail storm that ripped holes in it
They also had different stakes, cages, etc., that I need to go back and get as well.
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Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(
I have never seen whole wheat flour at Aldi - one of my big disappointments. The bread is pretty dismal too.
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Our Aldi has the standard bread offerings, but they also have a regional bread offering, Turano bakery, out of Chicago, so we get this awesome 2 lb loaf of pane turano sliced bread, which I throw in the freezer and pull slices out as needed.
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Does anyone like the fresh chicken they get there? I bought it once and it was injected with so much salt that even after cooking in in the pressure cooker and draining off the liquid, it was so briny it ruined the meal it was in.
I don't seem to have that problem with their frozen chicken breasts.
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I've only been once as it was on vacation. Favorite buy was the coffee. Cheap and strong just the way I like it.
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Boyfriend had that same issue with the fresh chicken. Too salty; he hated it and will not buy it again.
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Does anyone like the fresh chicken they get there? I bought it once and it was injected with so much salt that even after cooking in in the pressure cooker and draining off the liquid, it was so briny it ruined the meal it was in.
I don't seem to have that problem with their frozen chicken breasts.
Fooducate.com rates their frozen chicken breasts and tenders pretty high there (and Kroger's frozen chicken parts as well). I usually get the frozen stuff because I like the ability to just thaw it any time I want chicken and use the resealable bag to marinate the chicken in before cooking.
I would steer clear of the fresh stuff if they do inject them with salt/brine solution. That's disappointing to hear.
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Side note, some of their sizes are kinda odd. Their beer didn't come in standard 12 oz bottles, but 11.2 oz..
11.2 oz is 1/3 liter, so a standard size for beverages in Europe or other metric countries. But yes, I agree, it feels weird. Just like the 354 ml cans we have here sometimes (that is 12 oz).
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WW flour is a "seasonal" item at aldi's - it rotates in about once/year. I usually buy a couple of bags and stick them in the freezer. It seems fine to me; I use it for bread.
My aldi's is remodeling. It will be quite a bit bigger, which will be great, but I may lose my mind before it's done, because it has made a small store really difficult to navigate in the process and there is almost no frozen stuff in the store at the moment. Poor me! I'm hoping that they'll have scored a liquor license and we can buy wine there.
We're getting a Lidl nearby, and I'll be interested to see how that compares.
My Aldi is also under renovation and the last store in my state that was renovated had to close for 3 weeks during the major construction. I think that there is another Aldi not far from my work if I take an alternate route home. I cannot go with out my Aldi shopping! It saves me bundles on groceries!!!
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Aldi is opening this week in my area. I look forward to the canned goods, which I've been getting at Walmart. Costco has been good for most other things, including great produce, and Aldi prices mentioned here don't seem any better. We also have a couple of local produce places that are at the lower end of what the other stores charge.
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Our Aldi has the standard bread offerings, but they also have a regional bread offering, Turano bakery, out of Chicago, so we get this awesome 2 lb loaf of pane turano sliced bread, which I throw in the freezer and pull slices out as needed.
I use this bread a lot. Yes, it is a huge loaf--keep it frozen and just pull out what you need. It is a solid, substantial bread--good on top of French onion soup, and makes good croutons, too. It makes wonderful bread pudding if you are trying to use it up.
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Has anyone mentioned their awesome return policy? Last year, I bought some Contigo-type water bottles from them. When we brought them home, we discovered something was wrong with them and they were impossible to drink out of. A month or two later, we brought them back to the store (with no receipt as we couldn't find it!) and they refunded us IN CASH.
A few months ago, I bought their little mini food processor for something like $10-15. It worked well for a few months but then for some reason stopped working. We brought it back (again with no receipt - this is a BAD habit!) and again, they refunded us in cash.
I love shopping at Aldi :)
As for favourite buys:
- sprouted grain bread....so yummy
- Simple Truth products...have liked most things I have tried, but especially their original BBQ sauce. That sauce blew us all away.
- spray cans of cooking oil....way cheaper than anywhere else I have seen
- eggs
- milk
- cream cheese
- butter
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Aldi is great but does anyone else find the flat noodles are terrible? Like egg noodles and lasagna? They seem to break into tiny pieces very easily.
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Has anyone mentioned their awesome return policy?
I've returned a couple things such as cheese that got moldy before the date. You get your money back plus new cheese, so it's essentially free at that point. Good business model creating a loyal customer.
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I spent some time in our new store a few days ago. I found nothing to compete with my usual from Costco (most of it), Walmart (canned goods), local produce places, and Amazon (spices/herbs and specialty items like Tahini).
One exception: I bought Aldi's premium dry dog food, $5.99 for 4 LB, which, according to wags on DogFoodAdvisor.com, is half the cost of comparable from pet stores. I had been wanting to upgrade the little guy's diet, but at this price I can well afford to cook for him. Per pound, it costs more to feed him than us!
I do appreciate the cheery and efficient human cashiers, like Trader Joes'.
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Okay, we've got a new Aldi's and I've seen multiple people say their wine was pretty decent.
We tried the cheapest (Winking Owl) in both a red and a white and... it was just awful. We are NOT wine snobs by any measure. We mostly drink inexpensive box wines. Any recommendation on what Aldi wines are good?
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I'm actually fine with the Winking Owl, but I put ice cubes in my wine, so...
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Aldi's has not become a regular thing for me yet. Tried it several times, very hit or miss. The potato chips were fine, the English muffins, they could have been mistaken for cardboard. Cheese we get at Costco, wife is particular about cheddar, though Aldi's seems to have great prices on that. Bulk spices were cheap. The high end chocolate was good, but I don't buy that weekly. Vegetables and fruit were less than appealing the couple of times I have checked.
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I'm actually fine with the Winking Owl, but I put ice cubes in my wine, so...
We loving Winking Owl, too. :)
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I'm actually fine with the Winking Owl, but I put ice cubes in my wine, so...
We loving Winking Owl, too. :)
My names Paul and I'm so cheap my friends have called me dirtPaul and I would say $4-5 red wine is disgusting. Much better to have it half as often and buy a good $10-$12 bottle. Might I recommend 19 crimes Red Blend from Australia. Normally around $11 a bottle. My sister owns a bar so I get it wholesale but would gladly pay $11. Chardonnays and Pinot Grigio a can be pretty good in the $6-7 range. But if you can palate it then good for you.
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Aldi is great but does anyone else find the flat noodles are terrible? Like egg noodles and lasagna? They seem to break into tiny pieces very easily.
Do you mean when dry or cooked? Dry, their egg noodles break as easily as egg noodles from any other store for me. Their lasagna seems to have the ruffled edge break off in one long strip, but that isn't a problem for us (and I don't recall how other stores' lasagna noodles behave).
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The produce I've bought there has been fine. I was not a fan of the beef or cheese, though. I mainly just get canned food there, though, since I don't like to spend time cooking.
I like their policy of not using plastic bags. I can stuff a dozen cans in my own cloth bag and not have to worry about it breaking, and my bags zip shut so stuff won't roll around in the car.
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Aldi is great but does anyone else find the flat noodles are terrible? Like egg noodles and lasagna? They seem to break into tiny pieces very easily.
Do you mean when dry or cooked? Dry, their egg noodles break as easily as egg noodles from any other store for me. Their lasagna seems to have the ruffled edge break off in one long strip, but that isn't a problem for us (and I don't recall how other stores' lasagna noodles behave).
Dry they're not any different, but I've had a bag of egg noodles turn to crap and a box of lasagna noodles too when cooked.
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Aldi is great but does anyone else find the flat noodles are terrible? Like egg noodles and lasagna? They seem to break into tiny pieces very easily.
Do you mean when dry or cooked? Dry, their egg noodles break as easily as egg noodles from any other store for me. Their lasagna seems to have the ruffled edge break off in one long strip, but that isn't a problem for us (and I don't recall how other stores' lasagna noodles behave).
Dry they're not any different, but I've had a bag of egg noodles turn to crap and a box of lasagna noodles too when cooked.
Whaaaat? How does that even happen? I am assuming you are doing standard cooking things, like shortening the cooking time and salting the water...
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DW saw a list of ALDI olive oils that are blended with veggie oils and other oils. Haven't fact checked.
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Whaaaat? How does that even happen? I am assuming you are doing standard cooking things, like shortening the cooking time and salting the water...
Yeah, I know. I have no idea but it's happened twice now. Never had issues with any other noodles so it's not something I'm doing. As they cooked they basically turned into what you might think a bag noodles that had been crushed would look like. Except, they looked normal going into the water??
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DW saw a list of ALDI olive oils that are blended with veggie oils and other oils. Haven't fact checked.
Wouldn't surprise me. From what I've read, "adulteration" is rampant in the imported olive oil biz. Even if the retail brand owner believes they're buying the real deal, who knows what the upstream suppliers are up to? These days I generally buy domestic (California) EVOO, preferably from a brand that's closely tied to the source.
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DW saw a list of ALDI olive oils that are blended with veggie oils and other oils. Haven't fact checked.
Wouldn't surprise me. From what I've read, "adulteration" is rampant in the imported olive oil biz. Even if the retail brand owner believes they're buying the real deal, who knows what the upstream suppliers are up to? These days I generally buy domestic (California) EVOO, preferably from a brand that's closely tied to the source.
I read somewhere that some Co.s even ship EVOO from other countries to Italy and then to the US so they can put 'From Italy' on the label.
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Can someone explain how returns work? Do you go to a cashier?
Husband and SIL had the following winking owl reviews:
Chardonnay: OK. SIL would buy again
Cabernet sauvignon: it was fine for a $3 wine
Shiraz: poured down the sink. Undrinkable.
I don't think DH will be willing to drink any of them again.
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Can someone explain how returns work? Do you go to a cashier?
In my experience, yes, you have to get in line and return to a cashier.
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Can someone explain how returns work? Do you go to a cashier?
Yep, we just went up to a cashier. One time the cashier had to get a manager but overall, its very smooth. I was so impressed with how easy and hassle-free they made it. Makes me much more likely to buy stuff from there because I can trust they will take care of me if something goes wrong. I loved that little food processor I had to return - waiting for them to come back in stock!
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Can someone explain how returns work? Do you go to a cashier?
Yep, we just went up to a cashier. One time the cashier had to get a manager but overall, its very smooth. I was so impressed with how easy and hassle-free they made it. Makes me much more likely to buy stuff from there because I can trust they will take care of me if something goes wrong. I loved that little food processor I had to return - waiting for them to come back in stock!
Same here. Get in line for a cashier, say "I have a return," and (if you still have it) hand over your receipt and the item. I would recommend that you go at a less-busy time, if possible, as the return process takes longer than a purchase and will make people behind you impatient.
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No idea when a less busy time is... I've never seen the parking lot anything but packed.
I tried 2:00 on a work day and it was still full. I had an unhappy baby, so decided the $3 wasn't worth it and threw it away. :(
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No idea when a less busy time is... I've never seen the parking lot anything but packed.
I tried 2:00 on a work day and it was still full. I had an unhappy baby, so decided the $3 wasn't worth it and threw it away. :(
Aww, I'm sorry. I think it is the first Friday in the month that is most busy around here. Also, any time near lunch or when people just start getting out of work. It's always at least somewhat busy, but sometimes it is just CRAMMED with people near the evening rush hour, lunch hours, and that one Friday. So, if I were to aim for a less-busy time, I would try the morning of a Tuesday or something.
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The best times for any store just about is around 9:30am - 11:30 am. Most folks are at work and you can get in and out with no troubles. It's mostly older folks or moms with toddlers/babies around that time - but very, very light.
After that, you're going to run into folks trying to get stuff done on their lunch break, then all the mom/dads that pick up their kids after school and are trying to get the weekly shopping done, and then through the early evening hours you'll have the after work crowds hit. I would not venture into a store between noon-8pm unless absolutely necessary, or I didn't have any specific plans to be anywhere anyway.
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I just want to say that I bought a cool looking diaper bag today for $15! It came with a lot of nifty compartments, one with the silver lining for insulation, a pocket for and with a plastic wipes box, a large changing pad and even a random clear carrying case. I like how it has extra long straps if you prefer! :-D I definitely want to check out their Little Journey baby wipes because they are cheap. $1.29 for 72 wipes. I don't even need to coupon. Their diapers are cheap, too, but I already couponed for Huggies.
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I did a bit of stocking up since my Aldi is closing this week for a month while it is under reno. But at the register I was given coupons, usable at another Aldi, while mine is closed. I think I can find an alternate route home from work to pass one of them.
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Bought some cashmere/wool jumpers ($30) and leather gloves for winter.
My local Aldi ran out of my usual El Toro tempranillo wine ($5). Instead, found a bargain - Taylor's 1L shiraz for $6. Buying a dozen next time I pay a visit. Eminently drinkable table wine.
Can't complain :-)
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all the organic stuff at Aldi is pretty nice
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I rarely make it to Aldi, but I go there from time to time.
One particular disappointment was the toasted oats cereal. I've had several generic brands from various stores, but Aldi's were the first ones I didn't like.
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I'm actually fine with the Winking Owl, but I put ice cubes in my wine, so...
We loving Winking Owl, too. :)
My names Paul and I'm so cheap my friends have called me dirtPaul and I would say $4-5 red wine is disgusting. Much better to have it half as often and buy a good $10-$12 bottle. Might I recommend 19 crimes Red Blend from Australia. Normally around $11 a bottle. My sister owns a bar so I get it wholesale but would gladly pay $11. Chardonnays and Pinot Grigio a can be pretty good in the $6-7 range. But if you can palate it then good for you.
You should have your friends do a blind taste test of differently priced red wines. Let them bring some of their more expensive ones. Give everyone a scorecard where they rate each wine 1-10 and write notes.
Both times I've done this with different groups Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck cab won by a wide margin :)
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You should have your friends do a blind taste test of differently priced red wines. Let them bring some of their more expensive ones. Give everyone a scorecard where they rate them 1-10 and write notes.
Both times I've done this with different groups Two Buck Chuck cab won by a wide margin :)
Indeed. I ignore wine opinions unless they're based on blind tastings. Even then your palate can sometimes vary night to night more than flavor can wine to wine. I go cheap and only drink it when I'm in the mood for wine.
For reference though, I feel like I'm wasting money when I buy $4 wine instead of the $3. The way I see it if saving $1 on 5lbs of potatoes is a big deal, then so is saving $1 on wine.
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You should have your friends do a blind taste test of differently priced red wines. Let them bring some of their more expensive ones. Give everyone a scorecard where rate each wine 1-10 and write notes.
Both times I've done this with different groups Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck cab won by a wide margin :)
We've done this. My parents friends brought some really really fancy wines. I think the winner was a $500 (at the time of purchase, costs much more now) bottle that someone pulled out of an extensive collection. Then two-buck chuck (which costs like $4 now?) was a close second.
I don't drink wine and thought they all tasted like crap.
Winking Owl cab got a "not too bad" at our house; but the Shiraz was poured down the drain. The Chardonney was voted the best of the Winking Owls.
I think overall my husband decided he's rather pay a few dollars more and not go with the Winking Owl. (Trader Joes opens up soon, so we'll see what we think of that). But Aldi beers have been pretty well received.
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I'm a wine drinker and I mostly drink the $2.89 Winking Owl Merlot from Aldi. I hate how wine drinking is so pretentious and people look down on what is basically good table wine. Basically, how Winking Owl and cheaper wines like Trader Joe's 3 buck chuck produce the stuff so cheaply is by buying mass quantities of grapes from multiple vineyards and then make the wine in huge stainless steel barrels. This wine is completely acceptable. It's just cheap because of economy of scale and a good business is passing on savings to you.
My work hosted us at a fancypants wine bar once. I was able to try $100+ bottles of wine (in 3 oz servings). Yeah, I can taste the difference and it was a cool experience. But is the extra $97 worth it? Only if you have some void or deficiency in your life or you just like being an obnoxious prick I guess. Sometimes I splurge and get a $10 bottle of wine. Next time someone makes fun of your wine, suggest hosting a blind tasting where a few people each bring 2 bottles of the same varietal. The cheaper wines often win out, or it's a draw at best.
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You should have your friends do a blind taste test of differently priced red wines. Let them bring some of their more expensive ones. Give everyone a scorecard where they rate each wine 1-10 and write notes.
Both times I've done this with different groups Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck cab won by a wide margin :)
We've done this. My parents friends brought some really really fancy wines. I think the winner was a $500 (at the time of purchase, costs much more now) bottle that someone pulled out of an extensive collection. Then two-buck chuck (which costs like $4 now?) was a close second.
I don't drink wine and thought they all tasted like crap.
Winking Owl cab got a "not too bad" at our house; but the Shiraz was poured down the drain. The Chardonney was voted the best of the Winking Owls.
I think overall my husband decided he's rather pay a few dollars more and not go with the Winking Owl. (Trader Joes opens up soon, so we'll see what we think of that). But Aldi beers have been pretty well received.
Two buck chuck is actually $2 here in TX and has been for awhile. Maybe it's a loss leader to get you into TJ's so you'll spend more on higher profit margin items.
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You should have your friends do a blind taste test of differently priced red wines. Let them bring some of their more expensive ones. Give everyone a scorecard where they rate each wine 1-10 and write notes.
Both times I've done this with different groups Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck cab won by a wide margin :)
We've done this. My parents friends brought some really really fancy wines. I think the winner was a $500 (at the time of purchase, costs much more now) bottle that someone pulled out of an extensive collection. Then two-buck chuck (which costs like $4 now?) was a close second.
I don't drink wine and thought they all tasted like crap.
Winking Owl cab got a "not too bad" at our house; but the Shiraz was poured down the drain. The Chardonney was voted the best of the Winking Owls.
I think overall my husband decided he's rather pay a few dollars more and not go with the Winking Owl. (Trader Joes opens up soon, so we'll see what we think of that). But Aldi beers have been pretty well received.
Two buck chuck is actually $2 here in TX and has been for awhile. Maybe it's a loss leader to get you into TJ's so you'll spend more on higher profit margin items.
My understanding is that most of the price variation is due to state (and/or local) taxes and regulations. I guess Texas must be better than average in that regard?
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I like Aldi ok, and shop there about once a week. I will say though, that my local Aldi is full of angry folks; the customers, and sometimes the employees as well. I almost feel like I need to pack my Glock when I go there, the shoppers are so pissy and ill towards each other.
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I like Aldi ok, and shop there about once a week. I will say though, that my local Aldi is full of angry folks; the customers, and sometimes the employees as well. I almost feel like I need to pack my Glock when I go there, the shoppers are so pissy and ill towards each other.
That's funny; mine has the nicest people in it - I'd take the staff and the customers any day vs. the Whole Foods crowd. (The folks at Trader Joe's are also pretty nice!)
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I like Aldi ok, and shop there about once a week. I will say though, that my local Aldi is full of angry folks; the customers, and sometimes the employees as well. I almost feel like I need to pack my Glock when I go there, the shoppers are so pissy and ill towards each other.
Does yours have the giant carts? Ours switched from normal carts to giant carts and suddenly people became more pushy and rude. I think the fact that you can barely pass another cart in some aisles makes people frustrated. We've actually had conversations with the manager about it.
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I love, love, LOVE Aldi's Caramel Coconut Fudge cookies. They taste EXACTLY how I remember Caramel DeLites (aka Samoas, depending on region) tasting back in my Girl Scout days. These days, I can't stand the actual current Samoas/Caramel DeLites--they've definitely changed the recipe, and not for the better. But the Benton's version (Aldi store brand) is spot on.
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At this point I’m in a committed long-term relationship with Aldi and I find myself getting a bit offended by any disparaging remarks. Please respect our love ;)
I have saved so much money by making Aldi my first stop. There’s one close to my work and close to my home. I have never had the issues with produce that people have discussed but I try to check it careful before I buy. They can definitely have limited choices and sometimes they are completely out of the things I’m looking for. The lines can be long and other customers can be difficult but I try to mentally prepare myself beforehand. Their low prices bring in all kinds. But I’m devoted to Aldi, so I try to be forgiving, patient, and grateful.
The Aldi near my house was recently remodeled and they sent out coupons for their re-opening. So for this summer I have gotten 2 sheets of 8 (16 total) “$10 off $40” coupons and I’ve been careful not to let any go unused. That’s $160 of free groceries from my favorite store! I've used them to stock up on non-perishables. Plus I use my AMEX for the points. Such a great deal.
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I love, love, LOVE Aldi's Caramel Coconut Fudge cookies. They taste EXACTLY how I remember Caramel DeLites (aka Samoas, depending on region) tasting back in my Girl Scout days. These days, I can't stand the actual current Samoas/Caramel DeLites--they've definitely changed the recipe, and not for the better. But the Benton's version (Aldi store brand) is spot on.
Those were the only girl scouts cookies I ever liked. Haven't had them in years, though. I'll try to remember that the next time I make my way to Aldi.
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We have been doing our weekly shopping at Aldi for about 12 months now. There have been very few disappointments other than the frozen scallops which we tried twice but they smelled too fishy. Of course we still ate them :)
Onion rings (when they have them) ++
Egg rolls ++
Potato salad ++
Frozen breaded fish filets ++
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I love, love, LOVE Aldi's Caramel Coconut Fudge cookies. They taste EXACTLY how I remember Caramel DeLites (aka Samoas, depending on region) tasting back in my Girl Scout days. These days, I can't stand the actual current Samoas/Caramel DeLites--they've definitely changed the recipe, and not for the better. But the Benton's version (Aldi store brand) is spot on.
They also sell a dead-ringer version of thin mints. Which, umm, is not necessarily a good thing, given that my only defense against thin mints is the fact that they come around only once a year.
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I love, love, LOVE Aldi's Caramel Coconut Fudge cookies. They taste EXACTLY how I remember Caramel DeLites (aka Samoas, depending on region) tasting back in my Girl Scout days. These days, I can't stand the actual current Samoas/Caramel DeLites--they've definitely changed the recipe, and not for the better. But the Benton's version (Aldi store brand) is spot on.
They might actually be the old version of the Samoas. Oftentimes, food companies will sell their old recipes to the store-brand producers when they switch to a newer recipe.
Source: used to work for a large food company
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I love, love, LOVE Aldi's Caramel Coconut Fudge cookies. They taste EXACTLY how I remember Caramel DeLites (aka Samoas, depending on region) tasting back in my Girl Scout days. These days, I can't stand the actual current Samoas/Caramel DeLites--they've definitely changed the recipe, and not for the better. But the Benton's version (Aldi store brand) is spot on.
I dislike Samoas. I like Caramel deLights.
I love Aldi's version. And their Thin Mint version too. OMG, so good. They have a knock off of Peanut Butter patties/Tagalogs too- but I don't like peanut butter so I've never tried them.
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My biggest problem with Aldi is the unreliability of their supplies. I go in there sometimes and there is literally almost nothing on the shelves. Produce cases can be empty or nearly empty. I cannot rely on Aldi, therefore, for most of my shopping many weeks, and am then forced to go to Giant or ShopRite etc. to pick up the items that Aldi does not have in stock. This wouldn't be a problem if I were not still working, but I don't currently have unlimited time for shopping. Also, packing their bananas in plastic makes them often mushy and overly ripe. I sent them an e-mail about this and got a canned response that had no relation to my comments.
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If Aldi had bread flour they might be a one stop shop for me. But they don't. Which is sad.
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Frankly, after shopping for produce at Aldi's, I have a hard time paying the prices other stores want. It a tremendous value..especially if you stick to the 'on sale' items.
Many people tend to say Aldi's has 'bad produce'. However, remember that a skeleton crew runs each store in a very efficient manner. They often don't have time to pick out the 'bad' items in each palette. In most higher-end grocery stores ( HyVee for instance ), there are clerks constantly 'prettying up' the shelves, picking out bad items, etc...
Edit : Someone mentioned the unreliability of shopping at Aldi's. I have noticed that too. It might be worth some investigation to determine on what day(s) of the week the restock trucks arrive at your store. I managed to hit one of our stores right after resupply and the produce quality was quite a bit better than other times.
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Frankly, after shopping for produce at Aldi's, I have a hard time paying the prices other stores want. It a tremendous value..especially if you stick to the 'on sale' items.
Many people tend to say Aldi's has 'bad produce'. However, remember that a skeleton crew runs each store in a very efficient manner. They often don't have time to pick out the 'bad' items in each palette. In most higher-end grocery stores ( HyVee for instance ), there are clerks constantly 'prettying up' the shelves, picking out bad items, etc...
Edit : Someone mentioned the unreliability of shopping at Aldi's. I have noticed that too. It might be worth some investigation to determine on what day(s) of the week the restock trucks arrive at your store. I managed to hit one of our stores right after resupply and the produce quality was quite a bit better than other times.
Yeah I've noticed at least the local Walmart Neighborhood Market, has attempted to beat Aldi's prices on produce, meat, milk, and eggs. Our Aldi's had strawberries on sale for $1.29/lb this week and we happened to swing by the Neighborhood Market and they had them for 99 cents/lb. Gotta love competition :)
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Aldi had $1 milk for awhile (Target has been 99 cents for almost a year)- so Walmart finally lowered their milk to $1 about 2 months ago. Last time I was at Aldi it was $1.25, so they aren't even close to the lowest anymore.
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Aldi had $1 milk for awhile (Target has been 99 cents for almost a year)- so Walmart finally lowered their milk to $1 about 2 months ago. Last time I was at Aldi it was $1.25, so they aren't even close to the lowest anymore.
The thing is...I'm not sure those prices are sustainable at Wally's and Target. Seems like a desperation move. Aldi's prices are low because their stores are run so efficiently. Aldi's is also a quick in/out compared to the bigger stores. I think it is a winning combination. In fact, this type of store is what Amazon is supposedly going for ( but with more automation ).
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Aldi had $1 milk for awhile (Target has been 99 cents for almost a year)- so Walmart finally lowered their milk to $1 about 2 months ago. Last time I was at Aldi it was $1.25, so they aren't even close to the lowest anymore.
The thing is...I'm not sure those prices are sustainable at Wally's and Target. Seems like a desperation move. Aldi's prices are low because their stores are run so efficiently. Aldi's is also a quick in/out compared to the bigger stores. I think it is a winning combination. In fact, this type of store is what Amazon is supposedly going for ( but with more automation ).
They are loss leaders for sure. Target's has been that low for a LONG time. With Cartwheel, milk was 95 cents.
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Aldi had $1 milk for awhile (Target has been 99 cents for almost a year)- so Walmart finally lowered their milk to $1 about 2 months ago. Last time I was at Aldi it was $1.25, so they aren't even close to the lowest anymore.
The thing is...I'm not sure those prices are sustainable at Wally's and Target. Seems like a desperation move. Aldi's prices are low because their stores are run so efficiently. Aldi's is also a quick in/out compared to the bigger stores. I think it is a winning combination. In fact, this type of store is what Amazon is supposedly going for ( but with more automation ).
They are called loss leaders. Aldi's efficiency doesn't change what they have to pay for the product. In fact if anything I would bet Target and Walmart pay less for Milk because they buy more than Aldi's does. Aldi's is not making money or even breaking even on milk, I can almost guarantee that. I've seen a much larger grocers #s and I know what they pay for 2% milk (retail cost) and it was $2.50/gallon last I saw (6 months ago).
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My biggest problem with Aldi is the unreliability of their supplies. I go in there sometimes and there is literally almost nothing on the shelves. Produce cases can be empty or nearly empty. I cannot rely on Aldi, therefore, for most of my shopping many weeks, and am then forced to go to Giant or ShopRite etc. to pick up the items that Aldi does not have in stock. This wouldn't be a problem if I were not still working, but I don't currently have unlimited time for shopping. Also, packing their bananas in plastic makes them often mushy and overly ripe. I sent them an e-mail about this and got a canned response that had no relation to my comments.
Not all the stores are alike. There are three of them about the same distance from me. They are very different. Some of them don't carry some of the things I buy. The price of their eggs is different.
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My biggest problem with Aldi is the unreliability of their supplies. I go in there sometimes and there is literally almost nothing on the shelves. Produce cases can be empty or nearly empty. I cannot rely on Aldi, therefore, for most of my shopping many weeks, and am then forced to go to Giant or ShopRite etc. to pick up the items that Aldi does not have in stock. This wouldn't be a problem if I were not still working, but I don't currently have unlimited time for shopping. Also, packing their bananas in plastic makes them often mushy and overly ripe. I sent them an e-mail about this and got a canned response that had no relation to my comments.
Not all the stores are alike. There are three of them about the same distance from me. They are very different. Some of them don't carry some of the things I buy. The price of their eggs is different.
The older one near me has mostly unrefrigerated produce cases, and the produce purchased there generally doesn't last long. The new one is fine.
I've never seen milk at less than a dollar a gallon anywhere. It's considerably more at Aldi and at Walmart near me.
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If Aldi had bread flour they might be a one stop shop for me. But they don't. Which is sad.
You might buy a big sack of vital wheat gluten at a bulk store and then just add a teaspoon of gluten for every cup of Aldi AP flour when you are baking. :)
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I don't buy dairy milk and can't comment on the Aldi price for that ... plus I know that Pennsylvania has a minimum that stores are allowed to sell milk for, and I think most stores strive for that price. But their price on almond and soy milk is pretty much the best I can find, except on occasion when Grocery Outlet or the more local "grocery salvage" store has found a great deal. That is catch-as-catch-can, however, so generally I get my plant milk at Aldi. We can't buy wine at Aldi or Trader Joe's (yet) in Pennsylvania. They just changed the law recently, and a few grocery stores, such as Wegmans, are now carrying wine, but it's spotty at best. Aldi doesn't carry tofu or tempeh or much of any plant-based meat alternatives that I have ever seen; every once in awhile, they will have vegan burgers. Vegan burgers and breaded, frozen eggplant slices fly out of the freezer case on the occasions when Aldi has them.
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Eggs were 18 cents a dozen this past week at one of the local ALDI around me!
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I shop at Aldi regularly but have two recent disappointments to report:
- bagged apples - they didn't have the Jonagolds I like so I bought a bag of Galas. The first one tasted decidedly moldy. I thought it may have been just a bad apple, but the second one was just as bad. Clearly a storage issue. I brought them back and they gave me a new bag but I haven's tasted them yet.
- TP - I usually buy Kirkland brand at Costco but didn't want to buy that huge package so I bought one of the "premium" selections at Aldi. As soon as I took a roll from the package I realized it was at least an inch narrower than a standard roll! So narrow it looks ridiculous on the TP holder. And I'm not even going to describe the issues with using it :-(
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I shop at Aldi regularly but have two recent disappointments to report:
- bagged apples - they didn't have the Jonagolds I like so I bought a bag of Galas. The first one tasted decidedly moldy. I thought it may have been just a bad apple, but the second one was just as bad. Clearly a storage issue. I brought them back and they gave me a new bag but I haven's tasted them yet.
- TP - I usually buy Kirkland brand at Costco but didn't want to buy that huge package so I bought one of the "premium" selections at Aldi. As soon as I took a roll from the package I realized it was at least an inch narrower than a standard roll! So narrow it looks ridiculous on the TP holder. And I'm not even going to describe the issues with using it :-(
I've noticed their onions and potatoes don't last very long either ... bad, since it's just the two of us at home and we can't go through a five-pound bag of potatoes or larger bag of onions that quickly. I've had to learn to pick and choose what things I can buy there and what things I can't. They are very good about accepting bad items back, but that doesn't help when you go to make dinner and all of your onions are rotten.
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I shop at Aldi regularly but have two recent disappointments to report:
- bagged apples - they didn't have the Jonagolds I like so I bought a bag of Galas. The first one tasted decidedly moldy. I thought it may have been just a bad apple, but the second one was just as bad. Clearly a storage issue. I brought them back and they gave me a new bag but I haven's tasted them yet.
- TP - I usually buy Kirkland brand at Costco but didn't want to buy that huge package so I bought one of the "premium" selections at Aldi. As soon as I took a roll from the package I realized it was at least an inch narrower than a standard roll! So narrow it looks ridiculous on the TP holder. And I'm not even going to describe the issues with using it :-(
I've noticed their onions and potatoes don't last very long either ... bad, since it's just the two of us at home and we can't go through a five-pound bag of potatoes or larger bag of onions that quickly. I've had to learn to pick and choose what things I can buy there and what things I can't. They are very good about accepting bad items back, but that doesn't help when you go to make dinner and all of your onions are rotten.
My Aldi always has trouble with red onions, but the white & yellow variety is always good.
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I think the produce suppliers vary regionally, because my aldi's often has produce grown in state in the summer months. (And labeled as such.)
I don't buy apples in August. They've been in storage forever, or shipped around the world, and we're only a month away from the new crop. This is the time for peaches!
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My Aldi had Rainier cherries for $1.49 a pound this summer. I thought surely they were rotten leftovers but they were perfect.
I find their employees consistently cheerful and helpful, even going out of their way to help me, like recently searching for dried lentils, which they quit carrying to my disappointment.
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I find their employees consistently cheerful and helpful, even going out of their way to help me, like recently searching for dried lentils, which they quit carrying to my disappointment.
Dried lentils are seasonal at my Aldi, so maybe you'll see them again!
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I think the produce suppliers vary regionally, because my aldi's often has produce grown in state in the summer months. (And labeled as such.)
I don't buy apples in August. They've been in storage forever, or shipped around the world, and we're only a month away from the new crop. This is the time for peaches!
Peaches seem scarce this year. And honestly I haven't had a decent peach in years anyway.
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I think the produce suppliers vary regionally, because my aldi's often has produce grown in state in the summer months. (And labeled as such.)
I don't buy apples in August. They've been in storage forever, or shipped around the world, and we're only a month away from the new crop. This is the time for peaches!
Peaches seem scarce this year. And honestly I haven't had a decent peach in years anyway.
I buy peaches at the Farmers Market. We're right on the edge of peach growing here - if there's a late freeze we don't get any, but this year they are fabulous!
I think the trouble with commercial peaches is that they are picked while they are pretty far from ripeness, so that they ship better and last in the stores, but then sometimes they never ripen at all. So peaches are another thing that I prefer to enjoy locally and seasonally.
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I think the produce suppliers vary regionally, because my aldi's often has produce grown in state in the summer months. (And labeled as such.)
I don't buy apples in August. They've been in storage forever, or shipped around the world, and we're only a month away from the new crop. This is the time for peaches!
Peaches seem scarce this year. And honestly I haven't had a decent peach in years anyway.
I buy peaches at the Farmers Market. We're right on the edge of peach growing here - if there's a late freeze we don't get any, but this year they are fabulous!
I think the trouble with commercial peaches is that they are picked while they are pretty far from ripeness, so that they ship better and last in the stores, but then sometimes they never ripen at all. So peaches are another thing that I prefer to enjoy locally and seasonally.
Every time Aldi had peaches listed for sale in the weekly flyer, I'd go in and they wouldn't have any ... so I stopped looking for them. Their supplies are very inconsistent. It's my single biggest problem with Aldi.
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Aldi is launching a pilot program to deliver Aldi products, in as little as one hour.
The pilot program launches later this month in Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles — more cities could be added soon.
from: http://clark.com/story/aldi-grocery-delivery-instacart
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Problems w/ UK Aldi's
If you shopped at Aldi stores in the Midlands on either August 4 or 7 then you would have been charged twice for your shopping.
A second payment was taken from accounts on August 24
https://www.unilad.co.uk/news/aldi-shoppers-warned-to-check-their-bank-statement-immediately/
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I'm actually fine with the Winking Owl, but I put ice cubes in my wine, so...
We loving Winking Owl, too. :)
My names Paul and I'm so cheap my friends have called me dirtPaul and I would say $4-5 red wine is disgusting. Much better to have it half as often and buy a good $10-$12 bottle. Might I recommend 19 crimes Red Blend from Australia. Normally around $11 a bottle. My sister owns a bar so I get it wholesale but would gladly pay $11. Chardonnays and Pinot Grigio a can be pretty good in the $6-7 range. But if you can palate it then good for you.
You should have your friends do a blind taste test of differently priced red wines. Let them bring some of their more expensive ones. Give everyone a scorecard where they rate each wine 1-10 and write notes.
Both times I've done this with different groups Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck cab won by a wide margin :)
My friends definitely have the mental game where the wine tastes better if they think its expenssive. My wife swears to be the $120 bottle at a fancy Vegas restaurant was amazing. 1.) it really is $30 bottle of wine in the store, 2.) i highly doubt she would've said that in blind taste test.
When hosting I usually have 1-2 bottles of "nice" wine (a $10 bottle of wine with a random name that people can't immediately price). This should be enough for 1.5 glasses of wine and then I usually play host "Say nah, Ill grab you another glass" while then busting out the winking owl. Never heard any complaints.
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Right on, Marty. Another trick to play with Winking Owl is to have a horizontal tasting. Buy Winking Owl and 2 other wines of the same varietal (Merlot works great). Then, decant all 3 bottles. But, also make a decanter containing 70% Winking Owl and 30% one of the other wines. Now you have 4 glasses of wine for a blind taste. Winking Owl will perform well, especially the blend that you make.
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When hosting I usually have 1-2 bottles of "nice" wine (a $10 bottle of wine with a random name that people can't immediately price). This should be enough for 1.5 glasses of wine and then I usually play host "Say nah, Ill grab you another glass" while then busting out the winking owl. Never heard any complaints.
Well, I wouldn't complain either -- that would be a dick move when you're a guest in someone else's home. Doesn't mean I like the wine.
I happen to love one particular type of red that is, unfortunately, expensive. Not *because* I know it's expensive, but because I find most reds virtually undrinkable (and that is just as true for $200 French wines as it is for Two-Buck Chuck). I'd rather just not drink red wine that often and then enjoy one of the bottles I love for a special occasion, vs. trying to learn to like one of the cheap alternatives so I can have a glass every night. A random Tuesday is what beer is for. :-)
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I always find wine discussions fascinating. From my point of view, it's just 'adult grape juice'! (I'm only half joking).
However, I will admit that everyone has a different palate and luckily, many of the cheap wines appeal to me. I also like to try a variety of different wines so having vendors like Aldi/Trader Joes around helps with that.
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Occasionally I jump back on this thread and read backwards to see what people have been saying. I do think you have to know your own Aldi--get to know the products--to know what is best to buy in your particular store, and what it may be better to pick up elsewhere. I shop at two Aldis--one in my NY neighborhood, and another down here in the Heartland when I'm here. I've had very good luck at both of them, but do buy my produce in the smallest amounts I can get...and look at it closely...and eat it up quickly. An annoyance for me is that neither of my Aldis is licensed to sell wine...what a bummer. I get envious reading the discussions about Aldi wine. The staff are generally cheerful and helpful in both stores, although I did run into one crabtree in the Heartland--must have been having a bad day--he probably won't last long with that attitude.
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I was at Aldi the other day and saw a couple standing in front of the refrigerated miscellany section. Before them was a little plastic log that looked like liverwurst. I ran up excitedly to grab it, but then saw it was labeled "braunschweiger" instead. But the lady told me that is the German word for liverwurst, so I bought it! Wikipedia seems to disagree with her, but this tastes exactly like the liverwurst I know and love.
Price? $2 for the one-pound log! For comparison, the other grocery in the area sells liverwurst for $4.40 to $5 per pound.
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When hosting I usually have 1-2 bottles of "nice" wine (a $10 bottle of wine with a random name that people can't immediately price). This should be enough for 1.5 glasses of wine and then I usually play host "Say nah, Ill grab you another glass" while then busting out the winking owl. Never heard any complaints.
Isn't this why the Miracle at Cana was such a major thing? Because who would ever save the good wine for when people had already been drinking?
Winking Owl has performed both "okay" and horribly in my house. From "okay, I'd drink that again" to "oh my god, I'm just pouring it out I'll have water". Depends on the variety.
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Laura33, can you please tell us what Red wine you consider wonderful? I like red wine but can seem to only drink one glass before getting heartburn. White wine no issues.
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I recently have discovered the joys of Aldi after one opened up a mile from my house. I go there weekly to get produce, some snacks and gluten free foods. I definitely won't be using it exclusively, but it will definitely save us money on much of what we buy each week. I have tried some of the block cheddar cheese and was disappointed in the lackluster taste and rubbery consistency. I tried again on the "fancier" cheeses, and liked them much better. I am admittedly a bit of a wine snob (hanging my head in shame...), so I'm a little scared to try some of their wines. I have enjoyed their Belleti Prosecco, but tried one of their "award winning" Pinot Noirs, and was not impressed especially since it wasn't exactly dirt cheap, like lots of their other wines. I find that I am more tolerant of a lower quality white wine than I am a red (red wine being my favorite, so guess I'm more picky), so perhaps I'll try a few more of those bargain bottles.
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Our Aldi's still doesn't have an alcohol license, so I can't comment on that. But I've got my grocery shopping down to a very satisfactory system: I keep a running list through the week in the back of my notebook. Then I tear out the page and go to Aldi to pick up everything I like from there--and to scope out any special buys that sound good. Then I do a quick five-minute run into the Dollar Store next door to Aldi's and get things like steel wool or personal products--maybe seasonal decorations--and then it's back into the car for the run to the "regular" (but not the fancy pants) grocery--for the products I need but don't like at Aldi or can't get at Aldi or the Dollar Store. I've got it down to a routine, and am finding that I only need to grocery shop every ten days or so. I spent a total of $123.83 two days ago, and am embarrassed to say I over-bought. This batch of food (I'm cooking as I write this) will feed me and the dog for two weeks. I drink mostly almond milk, which keeps much longer than fresh cow's milk, and buy cans of evaporated milk for 69 cents at Aldi for my tea and coffee--it keeps well and the 12 ounce cans are small enough for one person to use up before they go bad. I buy the big loaf of Aldi's Pane Turano, and keep it in the freezer (lasts a month) --so I don't have to trudge out for those annoying milk and bread runs.
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Our Aldi's still doesn't have an alcohol license, so I can't comment on that. But I've got my grocery shopping down to a very satisfactory system: I keep a running list through the week in the back of my notebook. Then I tear out the page and go to Aldi to pick up everything I like from there--and to scope out any special buys that sound good. Then I do a quick five-minute run into the Dollar Store next door to Aldi's and get things like steel wool or personal products--maybe seasonal decorations--and then it's back into the car for the run to the "regular" (but not the fancy pants) grocery--for the products I need but don't like at Aldi or can't get at Aldi or the Dollar Store. I've got it down to a routine, and am finding that I only need to grocery shop every ten days or so. I spent a total of $123.83 two days ago, and am embarrassed to say I over-bought. This batch of food (I'm cooking as I write this) will feed me and the dog for two weeks. I drink mostly almond milk, which keeps much longer than fresh cow's milk, and buy cans of evaporated milk for 69 cents at Aldi for my tea and coffee--it keeps well and the 12 ounce cans are small enough for one person to use up before they go bad. I buy the big loaf of Aldi's Pane Turano, and keep it in the freezer (lasts a month) --so I don't have to trudge out for those annoying milk and bread runs.
Lizzie, don't you find that cold/frozen food are in the car a long time while you go make your other stops? I am always tempted to stop for non-Aldi things at the grocery store on the way home but I worry how long things are in the car then, especially in the summer months. Do you bring a cooler bag?
I haven't checked this thread in a while and I'm surprised to see so many complaints about Aldi. I love Aldi. I find it easy to shop there, the store being smaller also helps make it faster imo. Yes there are things I want that they don't sell and I do end up going to another store once every few weeks to get those items but Aldi saves me a fortune. I usually spend about $70/week for groceries for 2 people and that includes a lot of extras.
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I have some great cooler bags from Costco and Trader Joes with their logos on the bags. I love the Trader Joe ones because they are flat on the bottom and oblong so you can fit meat and stack the stuff nicely, like those plastic square salad containers. The Costco ones are huge and when filled they can weigh a ton. But both are great. However, you can find insulated bags just about anywhere. They are always in my car to bring into the store.
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Our Aldi's still doesn't have an alcohol license, so I can't comment on that. But I've got my grocery shopping down to a very satisfactory system: I keep a running list through the week in the back of my notebook. Then I tear out the page and go to Aldi to pick up everything I like from there--and to scope out any special buys that sound good. Then I do a quick five-minute run into the Dollar Store next door to Aldi's and get things like steel wool or personal products--maybe seasonal decorations--and then it's back into the car for the run to the "regular" (but not the fancy pants) grocery--for the products I need but don't like at Aldi or can't get at Aldi or the Dollar Store. I've got it down to a routine, and am finding that I only need to grocery shop every ten days or so. I spent a total of $123.83 two days ago, and am embarrassed to say I over-bought. This batch of food (I'm cooking as I write this) will feed me and the dog for two weeks. I drink mostly almond milk, which keeps much longer than fresh cow's milk, and buy cans of evaporated milk for 69 cents at Aldi for my tea and coffee--it keeps well and the 12 ounce cans are small enough for one person to use up before they go bad. I buy the big loaf of Aldi's Pane Turano, and keep it in the freezer (lasts a month) --so I don't have to trudge out for those annoying milk and bread runs.
Lizzie, don't you find that cold/frozen food are in the car a long time while you go make your other stops? I am always tempted to stop for non-Aldi things at the grocery store on the way home but I worry how long things are in the car then, especially in the summer months. Do you bring a cooler bag?
I haven't checked this thread in a while and I'm surprised to see so many complaints about Aldi. I love Aldi. I find it easy to shop there, the store being smaller also helps make it faster imo. Yes there are things I want that they don't sell and I do end up going to another store once every few weeks to get those items but Aldi saves me a fortune. I usually spend about $70/week for groceries for 2 people and that includes a lot of extras.
Right now--February in New York--keeping the food cold between Aldi/Dollar Store/Regular grocery isn't an issue. Also, the Aldi/Dollar Store and the Regular Grocery are only minutes apart--and then my apartment is 5 minutes from the Regular Grocery. I have it down to a system where I am very quick--and the time and distances are fairly minimal anyway. In the warm weather season, I make sure I have insulated bags and/or take my cooler and ice packs with me in my vehicle. I am careful to keep my cold stuff cold. Since I'm only shopping for one person, even a "big" shopping is not that huge compared to what larger families buy. So it's not difficult to manage the cold items on the way home.
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I've only ever paid with credit at all the aldi stores I've been to. Weird that some places don't have that.
I wait for their $.69/lb deals and stock up on chicken drumsticks there. Also the $.50/lb ham after holidays. Eggs can be as low as $.39, and they're pretty clear a bout the sorts of ingredients they exclude from all their products, which is cool.
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@With This Herring - about the Braunschweiger liverwurst - that was one of their German week specials. Braunschweiger refers to a type of liverwurst, specifically how it is traditionally made in the city of Braunschweig in Germany.
There are many different varieties of liverwurst, some fine, some coarse, some with specific spices or with extra ingredients like onion. There is also fresh and smoked ...
We regularly shop at Aldi, the one around the corner from us, the one near Mr. R.s work about an hour away and the one by my son's house. If they have something we particularly like I stock up and often find one Aldi has very little or none and the other is fully stocked.
Most of their "Select" items are great and their canned peaches, actually in a big glass jar, is the best ever, tastes like they just harvested them off the tree.
We like their weekly specials, both food and non-food and love their German and Italian week, their organic and health food line is expanding and the quality is undeniable.
Quite happy with some of their fresh baked breads too.
I enjoy the ever-changing product line but we too have experienced weeks of hit and miss, but the staff is always friendly.
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Mushrooms, brussels, onions, eggs, greek yogurt, rice, canned stuff (beets, pickles, beans), salad dressings, salad/greens, whatever their produce pick of the week is (recents include 10 Kiwis for $2, $1.49 large strawberries, $.99 blueberry pints, Butternut squash $1.49/each for huge ones, etc), bread (I like the fit & active one that's 45 cal/slice, cheese, cold cuts $3.19/lb for ham/turkey, frozen hash browns, fat free and $1.49 for a large bag. Hummus, guacamole, chips, salsa, reese's PB cups 8 for $1. Eggs (usually cheaper than any other supermarket).
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I've got my grocery shopping down to a very satisfactory system:
I... go to Aldi...
Then I do a quick five-minute run into the Dollar Store...
and then... the "regular" (but not the fancy pants) grocery
My grocery list has 'aldi items' on the top. 'Regular items' go from the bottom up.
I usually only go to either store when I need something or there's a sale. It's nice to have both lists with me as sometimes I can delay the next trip.
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I'm having major Aldi withdrawal as I haven't been able to shop at one since mid December. We've been in south Texas the last eight weeks where there isn't a store. Hoping to get to one in about two weeks as we move north to the Austin, TX area. My list is ready! In the mean time we will work on eating up what we have to make room for the new stuff.
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Ugh, you guys, I know hardly anything's in season right now but I've got to say the produce at my Aldi has been especially bad lately. Even the oranges don't taste good. :(
The cranberry white cheddar was back, though. Yum!
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Ugh, you guys, I know hardly anything's in season right now but I've got to say the produce at my Aldi has been especially bad lately. Even the oranges don't taste good. :(
We've had bad luck with their oranges the past couple of weeks, too. And I've about given up on their bananas, they stay green for a week and then go to yellow and brown in the span of a day. Still love my Aldi, though. Their lettuce and apples have been great lately.
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My local Aldi closed down last fall for remodeling and re-opened a couple of months later. Sure, it has more products than it used to (they added square footage as well), but the produce section has really tanked. It used to be so small, and everything was good and fresh. Now it's larger, has more products, but so many things are just crappy. A couple of weeks ago, the peppers were a produce pick of the week. My kids eat those like apples, think they're the food of the Gods. So when they go on sale, I buy 3 packs that week and plan for lots of stir fries. But the peppers were a picked over mess - they had a couple of tricolor packs left, that were obviously damaged, and the rest of the box was a 3 pack with 2 reds and a yellow, all seriously undersized. And that's just typical of how the produce has been since the remodel. The strawberries are half white, the onions are soft, etc. Can you tell I'm annoyed by it?
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I also had moldy soft potatoes in the middle of the bag, pastel raspberries that tasted like nothing, (do they purposely arrange them in the pack so you can't see the light-colored sides?), and unpleasantly textured honeycrisp apples.
The peppers have been OK, though, especially the mini ones, and I like their spinach/arugula mix though it's really been too cold for salads lately.
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I had the most amazing tomatoes and basil from Aldi this weekend.
I also had to buy flowers for a thing, and I usually hate buying cut flowers- but I was happy with their price. 6 roses for $4.
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I have mixed results with Aldi produce. I usually get some produce at Aldi and some at the regular grocery. But at this time of year, nothing is in season anyway. I got grapes at Aldi last week, and some strawberries and blueberries at the regular grocery. None of it tasted good, even with sugar. I looked for my favorite Golden Delicious apples at Aldi, but they didn't have any, so I bought a few at the regular grocery. They are adequate. At this time of year I should probably just buy some canned fruit.
I prefer warm, cooked vegetables in the winter--hate all that crunchy-crunchiness of fresh vegetables when it is freezing outside. So Aldi is no problem for potatoes, onions, carrots...celery is OK although I can't seem to use it up. (Need some celery recipes.) Bags of frozen vegetables...I make a lot of soup, or just a dinner plate full of cooked vegetables with a piece of fish or chicken on top.
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Thanks for the liverwurst info, @Rosy!
I have found that this time of year the full-size oranges are dry no matter which grocery store sells them. However, those little mandarins in the net sacks are generally great!
Getting there early in the day definitely helps avoid the picked-over produce, but sometimes it seems the entire batch is blah.
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But the peppers were a picked over mess - they had a couple of tricolor packs left, that were obviously damaged, and the rest of the box was a 3 pack with 2 reds and a yellow, all seriously undersized.
So you got all the red ones? Ours were all yellow and a few orange, and very tiny. I got them anyway ... went to do my Post-Aldi Kroger Fill-In and they had lots of big, nice ones packaged in the discount produce 3/$1. So now I have 9 peppers. Sigh
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i'm a big fan of Aldi as well. just discovered them a few months ago and i am in love with all the new easy to make vegan/plant-based items they have: veggie burgers, chick-un patties and tenders, meatless balls (italian and regular), faux hot dogs, and of course i love their organic almond milk!
i've not had an issue with their produce and usually buy what is on sale plus a few boxes of their organic spring mix and lots of broccoli.
some of my favorite things: organic tomato-basil soup, popcorn kernels, whole wheat pita bread, organic croutons, and their trail mixes are pretty darn good, too!
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My son is in kindergarten and is responsible for bringing snack once a month for the class. I love the prepackaged teddy grahams, mini cheese or PB crackers, goldfish crackers, hull less popcorn. So easy and it's not all complete junk, like Little Debbies or pop tarts. (Though I wouldn't necessarily call it health food.) I also put together little snack bags for his teacher, aide, and therapists when it's his snack day, just as a little extra thanks. Everything comes from Aldi, and I love trying new things. I've done the 100 calorie cookie or nut packs, trail mix, organic granola bars, tea, hot chocolate, seasonal candies. I like to use different things each month to keep them guessing.
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I have mixed results with Aldi produce. I usually get some produce at Aldi and some at the regular grocery. But at this time of year, nothing is in season anyway. I got grapes at Aldi last week, and some strawberries and blueberries at the regular grocery. None of it tasted good, even with sugar. I looked for my favorite Golden Delicious apples at Aldi, but they didn't have any, so I bought a few at the regular grocery. They are adequate. At this time of year I should probably just buy some canned fruit.
I prefer warm, cooked vegetables in the winter--hate all that crunchy-crunchiness of fresh vegetables when it is freezing outside. So Aldi is no problem for potatoes, onions, carrots...celery is OK although I can't seem to use it up. (Need some celery recipes.) Bags of frozen vegetables...I make a lot of soup, or just a dinner plate full of cooked vegetables with a piece of fish or chicken on top.
I have found that produce qualityat Aldi's is entirely dependent on having knowledge about when they restock. Because they do not 'pick through' it nearly as much as most stores...bad produce can remain on the shelves much longer. I find that if I get there soon after restock, it is a *much* better experience.
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I just learned that inferior (and actually fake) honey from China and asia is a spreading problem in Europe and the USA.
I'm glad to say my honey from Aldi's is/has 'True Source Certified'.
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I just learned that inferior (and actually fake) honey from China and asia is a spreading problem in Europe and the USA.
I'm glad to say my honey from Aldi's is/has 'True Source Certified'.
Fake honey???
As in "Sugar with paint"?
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I just learned that inferior (and actually fake) honey from China and asia is a spreading problem in Europe and the USA.
I'm glad to say my honey from Aldi's is/has 'True Source Certified'.
Fake honey???
As in "Sugar with paint"?
Pretty much.
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I'm kinda sad to report a negative thing about Aldi's.
This weeks Aldi's sale flyer has Fusion (brand) Asian frozen chicken for $5.29.
I was miffed, as I had just bought some last week. Then, I realized I got it for $5.29. I confirmed this with the receipt (I leave em in the bottom of my reusable shopping bag until there's a handful).
This means that just because something is in their flyer, it isn't always a 'sale' price.
I wonder how many things I've bought thinking it was on sale...
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I have enjoyed their Belleti Prosecco, but tried one of their "award winning" Pinot Noirs, and was not impressed especially since it wasn't exactly dirt cheap, like lots of their other wines. I find that I am more tolerant of a lower quality white wine than I am a red (red wine being my favorite, so guess I'm more picky), so perhaps I'll try a few more of those bargain bottles.
We like that Prosecco if we want something a little fun with dinner. The Aldi at my store has occasionally had decent bottles of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio (can't remember brands), so those might be worth trying.
Regarding other stuff: we buy probably half of our groceries at Aldi. The cage-free organic eggs and grass-fed ground beef are slightly cheaper at Costco, but Aldi is great for other dairy, deli meats, frozen seafood, chicken broth, gluten-free pasta, basmati and jasmine rice, jarred pesto and olives, fancy cheeses, canned tomatoes, boxed chicken broth, facial tissues, foil and plastic wrap, dark chocolate bars, etc. Sometimes I can find good deals on laundry detergent and oxyclean. In winter, they usually sell 4-lb bags of delicious navel oranges for $2; those keep well, as do the bags of lemons and limes and vegetables such as celery, carrots, scallions, winter squash, cabbage, bagged salad greens, garlic, and cauliflower.
We've had iffy results with bagged onions, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
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Picked up a 14$ Japanese maple tree at my Aldi today. Yeah it’s small but what a great price. I wanted one before but gave up after seeing how much they cost. Hope it survives, I’ve got a perfect spot for it.
Other favorites are their copycat Girl Scout cookies, chips and dip, imitation sodas. So cheap but taste good. A gallon of milk is 1.39, eggs have been as low as .17 cents but lately closer to a dollar. They had English muffins for .79 a six pack and I ran to Walmart after for a fan and saw Thomas’s English muffins for 2.98. What a difference. I love Aldi.
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I'm kinda sad to report a negative thing about Aldi's.
This weeks Aldi's sale flyer has Fusion (brand) Asian frozen chicken for $5.29.
I was miffed, as I had just bought some last week. Then, I realized I got it for $5.29. I confirmed this with the receipt (I leave em in the bottom of my reusable shopping bag until there's a handful).
This means that just because something is in their flyer, it isn't always a 'sale' price.
I wonder how many things I've bought thinking it was on sale...
I have noticed this, as well.
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I'm kinda sad to report a negative thing about Aldi's.
This weeks Aldi's sale flyer has Fusion (brand) Asian frozen chicken for $5.29.
I was miffed, as I had just bought some last week. Then, I realized I got it for $5.29. I confirmed this with the receipt (I leave em in the bottom of my reusable shopping bag until there's a handful).
This means that just because something is in their flyer, it isn't always a 'sale' price.
I wonder how many things I've bought thinking it was on sale...
I have noticed this, as well.
I'm pretty sure this is standard fare, I'd venture to guess at least 75% of their flyer is just showing their regular prices. I've always considered their flyer to be more of a reminder they exist for the local population than an actual display of sale prices...they are already perpetually discounted!
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Eggs at my Aldi have been up to $1.99 for several weeks. I've been getting them at Walmart in the meantime for about a dollar per dozen.
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Eggs at my Aldi have been up to $1.99 for several weeks. I've been getting them at Walmart in the meantime for about a dollar per dozen.
My Aldi has had them for .99/dozen for the past 2 weeks, and posted a sign apologizing for the price increase.
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I'm kinda sad to report a negative thing about Aldi's.
This weeks Aldi's sale flyer has Fusion (brand) Asian frozen chicken for $5.29.
I was miffed, as I had just bought some last week. Then, I realized I got it for $5.29. I confirmed this with the receipt (I leave em in the bottom of my reusable shopping bag until there's a handful).
This means that just because something is in their flyer, it isn't always a 'sale' price.
I wonder how many things I've bought thinking it was on sale...
I have noticed this, as well.
I don't think this is much different from any other grocery store flier. Aldi has a slightly different sales cycle than the other grocery stores around me. I have noticed that sometimes I'll get the sale price a few days earlier than when the fliers officially say the sales start.
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I have only been to Aldi's a few times and have not found anything outstanding. Maybe mine doesn't do a good job stocking up. The produce area always seems to have nothing and what is left looks unappealing. I bought this 'thing' that looked really good and looked like a filet mignon wrapped in bacon. We cooked it and it was a tough as a boot. I don't buy cookies or sweet cereals so that doesn't interest me. I did buy some frozen fruit. It was okay. I also bought one of their pizza's in the refrigerated section and it was very good. Other than that, I am not a fan. But I do admire those of you who seem to find some good stuff there.
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Eggs at my Aldi have been up to $1.99 for several weeks. I've been getting them at Walmart in the meantime for about a dollar per dozen.
Are you in the Midwest? My Aldi had signs that they are having issues with their supplier and that means they have to charge more for eggs. Ours are something like $1.87 a dozen right now.
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I'm kinda sad to report a negative thing about Aldi's.
This weeks Aldi's sale flyer has Fusion (brand) Asian frozen chicken for $5.29.
I was miffed, as I had just bought some last week. Then, I realized I got it for $5.29. I confirmed this with the receipt (I leave em in the bottom of my reusable shopping bag until there's a handful).
This means that just because something is in their flyer, it isn't always a 'sale' price.
I wonder how many things I've bought thinking it was on sale...
Sorry to say it that bluntly, but this is simply and only your sdupidity. I have never ever seen a sales flyer (not only ALDI but everyone) saying that all items shown are cheaper then usual.
And yes, the discounters like ALDI do show their reduced prices in their flyers - but since they can be as big as 20 pages, of course not all if it can be reduced goods.
Not to mention that most "reduced" prices (again everywhere), or more correctly slashed prices, are just a psycological trick.
They did a test once, made a (clearly visible) slashed price for 0,99$ and the new price 1,99$ and people still bought it like hell.
One of my favorite psychological experiments :D
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Grocery stores do many deceptive things. They will put a 'sale' item next to a non sale item. Sometimes the wording on the can is a little different but the packaging is very similar. They hope you will pick up the wrong one that is not on sale.
When you buy tomatoes on the vine, you are paying for VINE and tomato. The vine you will throw in the garbage and you have paid for it.
Brand names get eye level shelving because the big companies pay for it. Other, just as good products, but are not brand name, get ankle shelving or very high and inconvenient shelving.
Butchers used to be known to leave their knives on the scale and you would get gyped by paying more for your meat due to the extra weight of the knife.
The stores are all laid out so the most shopped for items like milk bread and dairy are in the far corner of the store, thus making you walk thru the whole store to get to the two items you went in for. This multiplies the chances you will buy MORE items than you planned to get.
Sale items are displayed on end caps which makes finding them easier but also sets you up to pick up more than you planned for.
Holiday's are another story. They set up all the holiday crap right as you walk in the door to remind you to BUY. Plus, the holiday crap is spread out thru the store so it hits you in the face every step you make.
Walmart will have the next holiday stuff displayed months in advance. It is just one revolving holiday season after another. They have it all figured out!
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When you buy tomatoes on the vine, you are paying for VINE and tomato. The vine you will throw in the garbage and you have paid for it.
But there is the reason why you buy tomato on the Vine; they hold the taste better for longer. Also sometimes you can throw in the vine and scoop in out later, for flavour.
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I have only been to Aldi a few times and have not found anything outstanding.. I bought this 'thing' that looked really good and looked like a filet mignon wrapped in bacon. We cooked it and it was a tough as a boot.
I buy most of my meat at Aldi, and I have never purchased that hockey puck of a looking thing. It is far too inexpensive to be a real filet/tenderloin, and I've heard other people find out that there are multiple pieces in that wrapped bacon section. It's really just the scraps of meat that they wrap with bacon and form into a puck. Try other meats, and I don't think you'll be disappointed!
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I knew it wasn't a filet mignon but someone I knew told me that they had bought it and it was SOOOO good! OMG, it is a hockey puck of shoe leather! I am glad you and others have had good luck at Aldi's but the 5-6 times I have been there have not turned me on. I find what I like at my usual stores. I wish I had a better first impression but didn't. I hear so many good reviews of Aldi.
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Eggs at my Aldi have been up to $1.99 for several weeks. I've been getting them at Walmart in the meantime for about a dollar per dozen.
My Aldi has had them for .99/dozen for the past 2 weeks, and posted a sign apologizing for the price increase.
This is so funny. I wish Aldi was a friend of mine. I mean seriously apologizing for .99 cent eggs. I was surprised at the price and heard few people talking about how they were glad they didn’t need eggs right now.
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I'm kinda sad to report a negative thing about Aldi's.
This weeks Aldi's sale flyer has Fusion (brand) Asian frozen chicken for $5.29.
I was miffed, as I had just bought some last week. Then, I realized I got it for $5.29. I confirmed this with the receipt (I leave em in the bottom of my reusable shopping bag until there's a handful).
This means that just because something is in their flyer, it isn't always a 'sale' price.
I wonder how many things I've bought thinking it was on sale...
I have noticed this, as well.
I don’t see this as a negative thing and it doesn’t bother me. Aldi does so many things right but can’t you please everybody and if this is a way they make money then so be it. It’s a business. I just enjoy the store so much and how they treat their employees, they are always so friendly and knowledgeable. The prices are really great etc. it would take a lot to upset me.
I get my groceries at Costco, base commissary and Aldi. Certain things I’ll buy only at each one and I wish I had shopped at Aldi years ago but only added that in the last year when I became single and my kids left the nest. It’s perfect now.
I do enjoy a good Publix or Heb store. But those are only in the south and I’m in the Midwest. Even then I mostly browsed at the massive selection and stuck to specialty things like guacamole, fire chicken, coffee and key lime pie. Could never afford, or feel good about it, a full cart of food from just one of those stores.
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A lot of stuff in the Aldi flyer is "special offer" - it's not on sale, but when it's gone, it's gone. I pay close attention, because I want to stock up on some of that stuff when it does come through.
My Aldi had blueberries for .75 and cantaloupe for .99 this week, cheaper than the prices in the flyer!
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The stores are all laid out so the most shopped for items like milk bread and dairy are in the far corner of the store, thus making you walk thru the whole store to get to the two items you went in for. This multiplies the chances you will buy MORE items than you planned to get.
Generally dairy/ milk is in the back of the store because that's where the refrigerated sections exist. And the reason they do that is so that the delivery trucks can deliver to the BACK of the store, which is closest to the refrigerated cases. And milk is one of those things that you want to be FIFO, so that you are loading the milk cases FROM THE BACK so that the customers pick up the older milk that is in the front.
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The stores are all laid out so the most shopped for items like milk bread and dairy are in the far corner of the store, thus making you walk thru the whole store to get to the two items you went in for. This multiplies the chances you will buy MORE items than you planned to get.
Generally dairy/ milk is in the back of the store because that's where the refrigerated sections exist. And the reason they do that is so that the delivery trucks can deliver to the BACK of the store, which is closest to the refrigerated cases. And milk is one of those things that you want to be FIFO, so that you are loading the milk cases FROM THE BACK so that the customers pick up the older milk that is in the front.
Yep. In our local Aldi, the rear-loaded egg and dairy cases are furthest from the public doors because the stockroom and loading docks are at the back corner of the building while the public doors are in the opposite front corner. The other refrigerated cases in our local store are the ones closest to the stockroom doors. Non-refrigerated but perishable produce is next, while non-perishable items are furthest away (i.e., closest to the public doors). It makes sense from a stocking/logistics perspective. And one can always shop with a list and just walk right through the aisle of snacks and cereal.
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Grocery store secrets: https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/more-shopping-storing/grocery-store-layout#canned-goods
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When you buy tomatoes on the vine, you are paying for VINE and tomato. The vine you will throw in the garbage and you have paid for it.
But there is the reason why you buy tomato on the Vine; they hold the taste better for longer.
The vines, yes. The tomatoes: not.
Why you buy vines now? Because people started to think they are tastier with vines and sellers realized you can get more money by using the vines too. It is the same reason why you sometimes get potatoes or other stuff that has a natural protection in plastic foil: It looks "better" and you can get more money for the same product.
Generally dairy/ milk is in the back of the store because that's where the refrigerated sections exist.
Nah, that is generally in the back because that is where everyone goes to - the milk junkies and the frozen pizza guy.
Unfortunately I don't know the english terms, but I coudl tell you pages of the tricks in German ;)
The stopping zone - the "green" stuff (of course under red light) at the front where people need time and subsequently slow down the rect of their shopping too - means they have more time to "fully realize their shopping potential" as it is called.
The music - carefuly selected and played based on time of day and majority customers at that time.
The smells that are brought to your noses.
The "carelessy" placed palettes.. and so on.
A modern supermarket is more stylized then an opera and more researched then most illnesses.
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The vines on tomatoes make it look more home grown than hot house tomatoes. I am guilty of buying them! However, my Mom was a smart cookie and would pull off the vines and leave them behind.
Yes, the grocery stores have it all figured out. However, I despise the Christmas music because we are forced to listen to it everywhere we go. Plus, they start with the music it seems right after Halloween! Give me a BREAK!
I'd say if you need milk and bread go to one of the chain drug stores or a gas station market to avoid all the temptation of the grocery stores. IN and OUT!
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Eggs have been up at my Aldi's too. $1.99 when I was getting them in the 0.65-0.99 range. Bummer. Still slightly cheaper than the grocery store but almost negligible.
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I'm in Pa. Went to my Aldi's yesterday. Cantaloupe was $1.99. It is $1.19 sometimes. Didn't get one. Too high. What I did get was avocado 60 cents. 12 grain bread $1.79 for one loaf. Split chicken breasts $1.79 per pound, minus $2 off due to exp date. They cooked up pretty tough and flavorless, unfortunately. A pound bag of pretzels is 79 cents. Taste pretty good, too. 1 pound frozen bag of small scallops is $4.99. They are good. 1 pound bag of salmon fillets is $3.79, but they taste bad, so I won't get them again. Milk is $1.73 per half gallon.
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Yeah, the chicken breasts are generally very tough and flavorless. I've found that you can't just cook them up with oil, salt, pepper.... Instead, I add a lot of condiments to it, puree'd mix of tomatoes/onions/garlic/herbs to cook the chicken inside a bunch of things to give it flavor.
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I quit buying meat at Aldi early on. It has a weird texture, especially the chicken breasts.
Most recent discovery: the little bottles of pesto sauce, both with (red) and without tomatoes (green). Excellent flavor. I use them in my minestrone soup - fabulous, and at less than $2.00, I'm a happy camper.
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I quit buying meat at Aldi early on. It has a weird texture, especially the chicken breasts.
Most recent discovery: the little bottles of pesto sauce, both with (red) and without tomatoes (green). Excellent flavor. I use them in my minestrone soup - fabulous, and at less than $2.00, I'm a happy camper.
If I'm thinking about the same thing, the green is traditional basil pesto and the red is pesto made from sun dried tomatoes. Both are cheap and delicious.
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What part of the store do you find these pesto's?
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What part of the store do you find these pesto's?
They had to pull it from the shelves for relabeling because it has "nuts". They'll have it back in the pasta sauce area soon.
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What part of the store do you find these pesto's?
When they were in stock I'd find them by the pasta sauces in the canned goods, chips, pasta aisle.
Today I got milk for $1.35/gallon And a large loaf of Pane Turano Italian bread $1 off for $2.69 it makes fantastic grilled cheese and french toast.
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When you buy tomatoes on the vine, you are paying for VINE and tomato. The vine you will throw in the garbage and you have paid for it.
But there is the reason why you buy tomato on the Vine; they hold the taste better for longer.
The vines, yes. The tomatoes: not.
Why you buy vines now? Because people started to think they are tastier with vines and sellers realized you can get more money by using the vines too. It is the same reason why you sometimes get potatoes or other stuff that has a natural protection in plastic foil: It looks "better" and you can get more money for the same product.
Generally dairy/ milk is in the back of the store because that's where the refrigerated sections exist.
Nah, that is generally in the back because that is where everyone goes to - the milk junkies and the frozen pizza guy.
Unfortunately I don't know the english terms, but I coudl tell you pages of the tricks in German ;)
The stopping zone - the "green" stuff (of course under red light) at the front where people need time and subsequently slow down the rect of their shopping too - means they have more time to "fully realize their shopping potential" as it is called.
The music - carefuly selected and played based on time of day and majority customers at that time.
The smells that are brought to your noses.
The "carelessy" placed palettes.. and so on.
A modern supermarket is more stylized then an opera and more researched then most illnesses.
https://www.npr.org/2014/08/01/337034378/everyone-goes-to-the-store-to-get-milk-so-whys-it-way-in-the-back
While yes, there is the added benefit of getting people to walk through the store, the original purpose is to keep the cold chain cold. Saves money. Less time. Less labor.
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Not grocery buys, but we do buy their special buys somewhat often. For example, I bought my mom's hanging basket for her mother's day flowers that I planted myself for $5. Nice metal one with a Coco liner included. I found glass beverage bottles for half off, $3, so I bought 2. Bought stainless steel bottles also half off for $3.50. My son needed summer sandals but I wanted extra toe protection, Aldi had kids summer clogs for $5 each, so I bought a pair for this summer & a pair for next summer. We bought our metal patio set there a year ago, use it all the time and it's still going strong, $75 for a collapsible metal table and 4 stackable metal chairs including cushions.
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Their gardening stuff is terrific.
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Agree on the garden stuff - I bought my raised bed there, and their organic potting soil was so cheap and still good. Unfortunately, it goes fast, and I missed out on it this year because I have no car and my wheeled cart that I haul stuff home in was already full of groceries. Went back and it was all gone already. Oh well.
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Their gardening stuff is terrific.
Agreed!
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We stayed at a friend's lake house over the weekend, and their guest bed had an extremely comfortable mattress. I mentioned that I liked it, and she said "I got it at Aldi for 250 bucks - can you believe it?" So, yeah, I'm going to have to start checking out the Aldi to see if they come back in stock.
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I LOVE Aldi! So easy on the wallet and they actually treat their employees well/pay good prices. Love the eggs, cheese, pasta, canned goods, meats, baked goods, yogurt, frozen veggies etc. Pretty much the only thing we don't get there is fresh produce, although sometimes they have avocados and apples that are decent. I tend to go to Lucky's Market for fresh produce - it's fabulous and cheaper than the local grocery store. Plus you can order a beer when you shop if you want!
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I am a former LIVE TO EAT person slowly transitioning to an EAT TO LIVE person.
I still enjoy good food, but I simply value my time/energy too much to drive multiple places just for food. It's amazing that we have so so many choices, and I feel so lucky that I can easily buy good well-rounded meal ingredients... I don't need to allow it to creep into a time-consuming task. Homemade pizza, rice and veggies, or salad with broiled teriyaki tuna is perfectly good and I'm lucky to have it!!... I don't need to be daydreaming about deli sushi, Lara Bars, or Halo Top ice cream because none of those things really serve my life goals.
I shop 100% at Aldi and go once every week. I do order two dry good items 2x/year from amazon in bulk, so I guess maybe I shop 99% at Aldi?
I'm a pescatarian but only eat fish maybe once a month. I buy Aldi meat because I cook my dogs food from scratch, so I can't speak to the meats (the seafood is fine and doesn't make me sick). I find everything else I need there, and if it's not there, oh well... I can't have it. Sure, Kroger has a great selection of alternative sweeteners, but Aldi has honey and agave and that's fine.
Aldi has the food that I can survive and thrive on.
It's good enough; I'm not dancing down the grocery aisles in there, but I like most of what I buy there, and the rest is just rounding out proper nutrition for me.
It took me maybe a year or two to fully shift to this mindset, but it's been a great weight lifted off of my shoulders.
Aldi is usually the cheapest.
Aldi usually has what I want.
... and that's good enough. I throw that crap in my cart, put it in my fridge, and move on with my day. I can spend that extra hour reading on my front porch, kayaking, or walking my dog.
:)
I love Aldi.
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^^^ We love our Aldi around here.
The other night my son and I were leaving Walmart passing people with full carts of food and I commented they could save so much money shopping at Aldi and it was right across the street. He asked me if I could get everything I needed at Aldi only and I said I could but I don’t want to. Costco takes most of my money for meats, toiletries and laundry supplies and a few other things, I love the quality and prices are the same or better. The rest is split between the commissary and Aldi. Surprisingly the commissary isn’t lower than Aldi but it’s name brand. I’m ok getting names I don’t know because it’s usually just as good. My weakness is snack food and I love chips and dip. Commissary will have lays for 2.50 if I’m lucky and helluva good dip for 1.52. But Aldi chips are .80 cents and their dip is .99 cents. Big difference.
I don’t work so going out shopping is no big deal to me.
I got one of their queen mattresses last summer. So far so good. 200$
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My Aldi sent me a $5 off mailer but it isn't valid for a couple more days. I went today to do regular shopping and was getting excited to come back to spend that $5 lol
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I haven't seen an Aldi coupon in about two years. It was a $10 off $xx purchase.
I haven't seen mention of their Journey to India brand Tikka Masala jarred sauce to make a dish very similar to butter chicken. Often during the school year for lunches I'll sous vide a week's worth of chicken breasts, shred them, and stir it all up in this delicious sauce. Poured over cauliflower this makes a delicious low carb meal.
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I haven't seen an Aldi coupon in about two years. It was a $10 off $xx purchase.
I haven't seen mention of their Journey to India brand Tikka Masala jarred sauce to make a dish very similar to butter chicken. Often during the school year for lunches I'll sous vide a week's worth of chicken breasts, shred them, and stir it all up in this delicious sauce. Poured over cauliflower this makes a delicious low carb meal.
I use that Tikka Masala sauce every week almost.
Simmer chicken in it. Serve over rice that I cook with indian spices and raisins mixed in........hnnnnngggg
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Never had it. What does it taste like?
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Never had it. What does it taste like?
My take is a tomato based, creamy sauce with indian spices including garam masala (which is a mixture of cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, pepper and cloves). It's delicious, especially the Aldi brand. I've tried some other brands, including one at Aldi made in Poland (???), none as good as the Journey to India brand.
What do you say, 2birds?
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My only complaint with Aldis is the 9am opening time. If they opened at 6am i would do close to 100% of my shopping there but as far as value , you cant beat it. Since they dont open at 9am and like to shop in the mornings I find i buy eggs somewhere else unless there under a buck because someone always has them near me for that. I buy meat on sale and plan meals around that so alot of that two is bought elsewhere. They have great turkey burgers and alot of places around me now have the same deal on pizzas so wherever i can get 5 for 10$ is usually where i buy them for the kids. There are two Aldis stores opposite direction of me but both within 5 miles so if it works out cuz they are really nice and have the bakerys in them I will stop. I never go out of my way to grocery shop.
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Glad to hear so many of you like Aldi's. I have been in ours maybe 6-7 times and picked up odds and ends. However, I can't feel the love a lot of you find there! I bought some meat that kind of looked like bacon wrapped filet mignon and it was worse than shoe leather. There is no butcher in the store and the fresh veggies are often picked over and what is left looks limp. I don't buy any sweetened cereals or cookies. What products do you buy that you swear by?
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I agree @esq !
It's definitely a tomato/cream sauce with Indian spices and has a sweetness and spice to it that's hard to describe in words. VERY delicious.
I saw the convo on eggs upthread, our aldi did temp bump eggs all the way to $1.99/dozen a month or so ago, but they are back to $.88/dozen when I went yesterday.
They also tend to have great prices on meat, especially close dated. I got chicken drumpsticks for $.99/lb and the package had a $1 off sticker on it because it was 2 days till expiry. Snagged a few and froze them.
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I've started shopping some at Aldi.
We ysedto live near a Kroger and I miss it. They always had tons of about to expire stuff discounted that kept my bill low.
Now we've moved and I don't have a great normal grocery. I shop some at Costco and some at the coop. Both have only a certain selection, like Aldi.
I will say I've had several misses from Aldi. Just tried the enchilada sauce and it was awful. About ten times more salt than the regular brand at the normal grocery. Definitely won't buy it again.
There is one near my office though, so it is nice to run out over lunch and grab a few things. I've found their bagged salad kits are awesome for potlucks. Slightly fancy, no effort, can stick in work fridge and throw together with almost no effort or advance planning, and have a semi-healthy option.
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How big are the bagged salad kits and what did you pay for them. I get a very large salad kit at my local Stop & Shop. I think it is a Dole product and is around 28 oz. It costs $4.99 and depending on kit, one has bacon and seeds and maybe some Chinese noodles. I love the salads. There only seems to be two choices though. One is a sesame Asian salad and the other is called southwest.
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Glad to hear so many of you like Aldi's. I have been in ours maybe 6-7 times and picked up odds and ends. However, I can't feel the love a lot of you find there! I bought some meat that kind of looked like bacon wrapped filet mignon and it was worse than shoe leather. There is no butcher in the store and the fresh veggies are often picked over and what is left looks limp. I don't buy any sweetened cereals or cookies. What products do you buy that you swear by?
I feel like I’ve answered this before (I definitely remember the complaint about the bacon-wrapped meat but I don’t buythings like that), but here goes: bacon, pork shoulder, grass-fed ground beef, chicken, frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, frozen seafood (the wild-caught salmon fillets are excellent), canned tomatoes and beans, rice, dry beans, masa harina (for tortillas), paper products, half-and-half, eggs, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, hard cheese, butter, deli meat, olives, mayonnaise, coffee beans, tea bags, sugar, baking powder/soda, dried herbs/spices, mustard, hot sauce, tortilla chips, salsa, pesto, gluten-free pasta (best I’ve found), wine, pistachios, citrus fruit (amazing navel oranges in winter), apples, bagged spinach, scallions, cabbage, onions, cilantro (fresher here than at other local grocers), carrots, celery...
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The only meat i buy at Aldi is bacon and Black Forest ham. The fresh meat just seems to have a weird texture to me.
Eggs seem to have settled at $1.39. Last year around this time they were around 89 cents. Eating low carb we go through a lot of eggs.
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I get cold cuts (honey ham $3.19/lb), cheeses ($1.99/8oz), mixed greens ($.89/package), dry rice, dry beans, eggs, ice cream bars ($1.99/12), Plain FF Greek yogurt (use instead of sour cream, super high protein), Fit & Active whole gain bread, 80/20 ground beef, chicken drumsticks (they taste fine to me, I BBQ them with dry rub), guacamole, butternut squash, their BBQ sauces, Tikka Masala simmering sauce, ketchup/mustard, pickles, olives, jalapeno peppers, fresh mushrooms, baby carrots, cucumbers.
Their hummus isn't bad (but not great)
Then they rotate a "produce of the week" which can be a great deal. I usually stock up on one or two of those items. Last week it was sweet corn @ $.15/ear, this week 16oz strawberries for $.99, etc.
We also get some sweets there. I like PB cups when I MTB and they are $1.25 for 8. They have rotating seasonal imported chocolates and other goods too.
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I've almost bought the Tikka Masala sauce so many times. Would someone post how they prepare it? How much chicken, how you cook it, etc? I would really appreciate it. Love the idea of serving over cauliflower!
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I've almost bought the Tikka Masala sauce so many times. Would someone post how they prepare it? How much chicken, how you cook it, etc? I would really appreciate it. Love the idea of serving over cauliflower!
I keep the sauces on hand for days I don't feel like cooking anything fancy. I'll cook up some brown rice or cauliflower rice, then add in some cut up chicken (either leftovers from previous chicken meals or canned) I usually do a bag of steamed veggies (cali blend, or broccoli/cauli) according to directions, then dump that into the rice/chicken mix. Then I dump in the jar of Tikka sauce and add about a quarter cup of water to swish around to get every last bit of sauce out of the jar (sometimes I'll use a half cup of coconut milk if I have some to use up), either heat on low on stovetop or if microwave safe dish, nuke it covered for about 2 minutes. Stir, make sure there's no hot/cold spots and eat. I tend to add in extra spices but it's pretty good for a jarred sauce as far as a quick meal.
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I use it like a pizza sauce on top of their soft corn taco shells. I'll put the sauce on the shells, dice up some veggies (you could add meat too) to throw on top, and maybe add some cheese. 4 of them at 415-425 degrees for ten minutes and I've got dinner.
I also bake garbanzo beans until they're crunchy, then add a bunch of veggies I've simmered up in a pan and toss them with the sauce and sometimes cubed crispy salmon. So good.
It's honestly the best Tikka Masala in a jar that I've ever had. I tried some from Kroger not too long ago and it was SO GROSS.
I've almost bought the Tikka Masala sauce so many times. Would someone post how they prepare it? How much chicken, how you cook it, etc? I would really appreciate it. Love the idea of serving over cauliflower!
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Tikka Masala at Aldi's tastes like it was freshly made at an Indian restaurant. I cook chicken breast, cut it into bite size pieces, mix it with the sauce and add sautéed onions and peppers and pour that over rice.
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My SO Qlready make her own Tikka masala from scratch and you guys are tempting me here. Only problem for me is we cook like 5 lbs of chicken at a time so probably not that economical...
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Glad to hear so many of you like Aldi's. I have been in ours maybe 6-7 times and picked up odds and ends. However, I can't feel the love a lot of you find there! I bought some meat that kind of looked like bacon wrapped filet mignon and it was worse than shoe leather. There is no butcher in the store and the fresh veggies are often picked over and what is left looks limp. I don't buy any sweetened cereals or cookies. What products do you buy that you swear by?
I bought those things from another grocery store and they were terrible there as well. Almost smelled spoiled but they were within the sell by date. I wonder if they use that meat glue. In fact I've never had a good steak from one of those individually sealed plastic packs. I think they use the packaging to hold it together so that it looks like a shapely steak when it's really just meat scraps.
Timing is everything on the vegetables, go first thing in the morning.
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The Tikka Masala sauce at Aldi is the best from the jar Tikka sauce I've had. Great way to put over chicken and sautéed vegetables for a quick dinner.
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Glad to hear so many of you like Aldi's. I have been in ours maybe 6-7 times and picked up odds and ends. However, I can't feel the love a lot of you find there! I bought some meat that kind of looked like bacon wrapped filet mignon and it was worse than shoe leather. There is no butcher in the store and the fresh veggies are often picked over and what is left looks limp. I don't buy any sweetened cereals or cookies. What products do you buy that you swear by?
I bought those things from another grocery store and they were terrible there as well. Almost smelled spoiled but they were within the sell by date. I wonder if they use that meat glue. In fact I've never had a good steak from one of those individually sealed plastic packs. I think they use the packaging to hold it together so that it looks like a shapely steak when it's really just meat scraps.
Timing is everything on the vegetables, go first thing in the morning.
I go first thing Saturday morning, and my Aldi has nice produce than the expensive grocery store.
We don't buy a ton of meat, but the ground beef and the frozen chicken tenders (which we grill) have been fine.
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I get cold cuts (honey ham $3.19/lb), cheeses ($1.99/8oz), mixed greens ($.89/package)
Then they rotate a "produce of the week" which can be a great deal. I usually stock up on one or two of those items. Last week it was sweet corn @ $.15/ear, this week 16oz strawberries for $.99, etc.
When we moved out of the Midwest, I actually had dreams about Aldi.
This week, at our Kroger, I've paid $2/lb for strawberries, $.40/ear for sweet corn -- and mixed greens are $3 for a small package. No Aldi in my area.
And the Kroger here carries those bacon-wrapped filets. They're awful, even at the higher price point.
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If you have a baby, the little puffs and yogurt bites are way cheaper at Aldi than the Gerber brand available elsewhere. I think Gerber is normally $2.49 or $2.99 (for one freaking ounce), and it was $1.39 at Aldi.
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Today’s Aldi stop: I spent $22.99 on a pack of bratwurst sausages, a quart of half-and-half, several pounds of yellow onions, a bunch of celery, a can of stewed tomatoes, a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, a bottle of dry rosé wine, and a six-pack of hard cider. The booze alone would have been almost as much at another grocery store.
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So, a few months ago I purchased a deep fryer from Aldi for $14.99. It has since proved to be both the best AND worst decision of my life. The fryer works surprisingly well. I think Aldi does push some crappy products sometimes, but the fryer heats up fast and does the job.
Since my purchase I've been making French fries nearly every weekend (hell, a bag of potatoes is so cheap at Aldi and then I feel obligated to eat them all) and made onion rings finally this weekend (using cheap eggs from Aldi and homemade bread crumbs from their cheap bread). I've tried pricing out what it costs me to make a batch of fries but honestly it's so fucking cheap, what's the point? Best I can tell each batch costs maybe ten or fifteen cents? So I guess I'm indefinitely eating French fries and onion rings every weekend and drinking Aldi Winking Owl Merlot and Pinot Grigio for the rest of my life. Thanks, Aldi! My health will suffer but it tastes so fucking good!
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I'm in CT and Our Aldi does not sell booze.
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I'm in CT and Our Aldi does not sell booze.
I'm in Ohio, and some Aldi stores have booze, but alas, mine does not. (Liquor licenses have to be voted on.)
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If you have a baby, the little puffs and yogurt bites are way cheaper at Aldi than the Gerber brand available elsewhere. I think Gerber is normally $2.49 or $2.99 (for one freaking ounce), and it was $1.39 at Aldi.
Also their baby food pouches. They beat every other brand I've seen at only 79 cents a pouch. Even Plum Organics at Costco, which only gets you two flavors. I like that I can get 12 different flavors at Aldi. (Our daughter doesn't eat much "baby food" but it's nice to have on hand when she is still hungry after we've exhausted all easy to chew real food options.)
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When we moved out of the Midwest, I actually had dreams about Aldi.
Ditto this. We moved to CO last fall and I miss Aldi SO much. The same items, mostly generic, at King Soops cost us about $100 more per month.
Aldi was really the only place we needed to grocery shop. We loved Aldi brands and found almost everything to be as good or better than other name brands and we spent wayyyy less. I never had any issues with produce going bad prematurely like some have mentioned. It may have helped that my Aldi was *always* busy so that particular store seemed to have good turnover.
I also loved the lack of brand choices. Ha. Maybe it's just my ADD but I struggle at King Soopers having to choose between 17 brands of Olive Oil or whatever, having to compare price, size, quality, etc. It was so much easier without the choice. But I get that that isn't for everyone.
And that middle aisle of new housewares, etc every week... I probably spent more than I should have but we had good luck with things we got ($12 blender, small electric dril, lots of kitchen items) and if you watched each week you could catch things on clearance for even more savings.
Alas, we have no Aldi in CO. I have written them a few times practically begging for them to come here though so I guess one can always hope. Cherish your Adi, folks... :)
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https://clark.com/news/aldi-new-items-2018-expansion/
Aldi will soon be adding these items
Organic chicken breasts
Marinated cilantro lime chicken breasts
Veggie noodles
Ready-to-eat sliced fruits, such as mango, pineapple and watermelon spears
Kale and quinoa crunch burgers
Chickenless patties and tenders
Single-serve guacamole
Organic hummus
Fresh fruit and vegetable snack packs
Organic salsa
Antipasti salad
Gourmet olives
Calzones
Strawberry kefir
Kombucha
Quinoa bowls
Premium pasta sauces
Meatless hot dogs and sausages
White and whole wheat pita breads
Sourdough loaves
Gluten-free bagels
Private-label milk alternatives (coconut, almond, soy)
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https://clark.com/news/aldi-new-items-2018-expansion/
Aldi will soon be adding these items
Organic chicken breasts
Marinated cilantro lime chicken breasts
Veggie noodles
Ready-to-eat sliced fruits, such as mango, pineapple and watermelon spears
Kale and quinoa crunch burgers
Chickenless patties and tenders
Single-serve guacamole
Organic hummus
Fresh fruit and vegetable snack packs
Organic salsa
Antipasti salad
Gourmet olives
Calzones
Strawberry kefir
Kombucha
Quinoa bowls
Premium pasta sauces
Meatless hot dogs and sausages
White and whole wheat pita breads
Sourdough loaves
Gluten-free bagels
Private-label milk alternatives (coconut, almond, soy)
I saw that! My only concern/hope is that they are still committed to ultra-low prices, and the move into this vegetarian / vegan space, they don't jack up pricing on everything else.
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https://clark.com/news/aldi-new-items-2018-expansion/
Aldi will soon be adding these items
Organic chicken breasts
Marinated cilantro lime chicken breasts
Veggie noodles
Ready-to-eat sliced fruits, such as mango, pineapple and watermelon spears
Kale and quinoa crunch burgers
Chickenless patties and tenders
Single-serve guacamole
Organic hummus
Fresh fruit and vegetable snack packs
Organic salsa
Antipasti salad
Gourmet olives
Calzones
Strawberry kefir
Kombucha
Quinoa bowls
Premium pasta sauces
Meatless hot dogs and sausages
White and whole wheat pita breads
Sourdough loaves
Gluten-free bagels
Private-label milk alternatives (coconut, almond, soy)
I saw that! My only concern/hope is that they are still committed to ultra-low prices, and the move into this vegetarian / vegan space, they don't jack up pricing on everything else.
They didn't seem to jack up prices on other products when they expanded their gluten-free selection, which was encouraging. Personally, I'm hoping that "gourmet olives" means the really tasty jarred olives that they sold during the Thanksgiving/Christmas season 2 years ago but not last year. Those were so good that I gave them as gifts in food baskets.
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Huge Aldis fan here! I can’t spend more than $100 there even with getting meat/chicken for the week.
There is one going in 1 mike from my house too, super excited to bike there....and maybe a good side job to downshift too.
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They've had some of those things at least seasonally - I hope the fake chicken shows up more regularly!
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Recent disappointment with Aldi. Two products I frequently purchase there, both of which seemed to have declined dramatically in quality, to the point where I don't want them anymore.
Heavy whipping cream. The last few times I've bought it, the cream has been extremely thin -- almost like it was just plain whole milk, instead of actual heavy whipping cream.
Soy sauce. Something changed with how they're making it. The bottle looks exactly the same, but the stuff inside is much lighter in color, and the flavor is missing much of the umami flavor you expect from soy sauce. It now seems more like it is just saltwater with some food coloring to make it appear darker. Blech.
I recently looked closer at the bottles remaining in the store right now (to check if last time was just from a one-off "bad batch"), but nope, it still looks substandard.
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Soy sauce. Something changed with how they're making it.
Which brand is that? Not Kikkoman I guess.
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No. I believe it is Aldi's private label brand, but the name eludes me right now. It's in a glass bottle with a red plastic cap.
Edit: I just checked and the brand is “Fusia”
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Soy sauce. Something changed with how they're making it.
Which brand is that? Not Kikkoman I guess.
They used to have a sign in my store bragging that the Aldi brands were actually national brands relabeled (which makes sense, Aldi is not in the soy sauce business). I guess they switched their supplier.
Also, about the veggie noodles: Their spiralizer has been marked down to $7.99. It works GREAT, although kind of bulky for small kitchens. But if this is something you do often, worth a try.
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I haven't noticed any difference in the soy sauce (we use the lower sodium version) but every once in a while they obviously change suppliers for various things. For a while the soy sauce was in plastic bottles and then it went back to glass.
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I just made a dish consisting of heavy use of soy and had a brand new bottle bought last week (light/low sodium). It tasted fine. Was the glass bottle Fusia one tho, so if they switched, I hadn't noticed.
Y'all do know if you don't like something, you can return it no questions asked for a full refund, and exchange any store brand for a double back - get a free product replacement plus your money back? Best return policy out there actually. Won't help if they don't have an alternate or better choice, but if you know they carry the name brand or it just happens to be a bad batch, you can get the product for free essentially for your trouble.
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Soy sauce. Something changed with how they're making it.
Which brand is that? Not Kikkoman I guess.
They used to have a sign in my store bragging that the Aldi brands were actually national brands relabeled (which makes sense, Aldi is not in the soy sauce business). I guess they switched their supplier.
What is a national brand? I guess you don't mean government-issued ;)
Discounters like Aldi often have the same product as "big name brands" in their house brand. But more often it is produced in the same factory bit with (slightly) different ingredients or mixture. Cheaper.
And often several discounters get their basic stuff (like "their" Salami) from one and the same producer, and here also it may be the same stuff or slightly different.
For example there is a big (650g), cheap Salami that you can find in Aldi, Kaufland, Netto, LIDL and probably other places too. Seems to be always the same stuff, just with different package/name. (In part you know that because I have never seen a 650g one that is not store brand, and they all have exact same size.)
(Of course all German info, can't say for US)
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In the US national brand means recognizable brand name you can get anywhere across the nation. Like Coca Cola, Kellogs, etc
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Recent disappointment with Aldi. Two products I frequently purchase there, both of which seemed to have declined dramatically in quality, to the point where I don't want them anymore.
Heavy whipping cream. The last few times I've bought it, the cream has been extremely thin -- almost like it was just plain whole milk, instead of actual heavy whipping cream.
Soy sauce. Something changed with how they're making it. The bottle looks exactly the same, but the stuff inside is much lighter in color, and the flavor is missing much of the umami flavor you expect from soy sauce. It now seems more like it is just saltwater with some food coloring to make it appear darker. Blech.
I recently looked closer at the bottles remaining in the store right now (to check if last time was just from a one-off "bad batch"), but nope, it still looks substandard.
Heavy cream I purchased early last week for a pasta dish seemed normal.
Only difference in Soy Sauce I notice is low sodium vs regular. I can REALLY tell the difference there in unami flavor.
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The stores are all laid out so the most shopped for items like milk bread and dairy are in the far corner of the store, thus making you walk thru the whole store to get to the two items you went in for. This multiplies the chances you will buy MORE items than you planned to get.
Our local big grocery store has smaller quantities bread and milk just beyond the cash registers for the quickie needs folks. And no, the price is the same - I thought of that. ;)
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We love the Tikka Misala from Aldi! We keep a few jars on hand, because it's so easy. The recipe I made up usually goes something like this:
1.5lbs chicken breast (~2 breasts), cubed
2 medium red/yellow bell peppers (green works too, but not as authentic), cut into decent sized chunks (maybe 3/4" squares)
1 large onion, or 2 small onions, cut to same size as peppers
1 Tbs minced garlic *optional*
1 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
1 tsp salt or to taste
1-2 tsp ground ginger, to taste *optional*
1 Tbs peanut oil, enough to thoroughly coat your wok
Add oil to a large wok at medium-high heat.
Once heated, add chicken, salt, black pepper and garlic.
When the chicken is about halfway done cooking, add chopped onion and ginger.
When the chicken is done, add the chopped bell pepper.
Drain any remaining liquid out of the wok.
Continue cooking at medium/high heat for 2-3 more minutes.
Reduce heat to low, add Tikka Masala. Simmer for an additional 5-8 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Also have some white basmati rice cooking during all of this.
Makes 4-8 servings, depending on how hungry you are. Total time, 30 minutes, including prep time.
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We also love the Tikka Misala. We just pour it on steamed vegetables and white rice.
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Last week, for the first time, we found tofu at our local Aldi. We have not tried it yet.
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The Aldi hummus and greek yogurt is good enough that I've stopped making my own most of the time. Our biggest disappointment is they changed suppliers for their [Ritz/Jatz] crackers so now they are consistently underbaked and shatter when you look at them.
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Also, about the veggie noodles: Their spiralizer has been marked down to $7.99. It works GREAT, although kind of bulky for small kitchens. But if this is something you do often, worth a try.
Very yes to the spiralizer, or as we call it in our house now, the turnip twaddler (http://www.oocities.org/enchantedforest/2175/opustv.jpg). Picked it up for $6.99 figuring it was worth the risk at that price, and has quickly become one of the most used items in the kitchen. And we've actually discovered that turnips are amazing as a pasta substitute. Had it with pesto this evening, and the sauce stuck and wasn't near as watery as using spaghetti squash or zucchini spirals. Had an al dente quality to it. Kind of a life-changing moment for us, as we discovered an enjoyable purpose for turnips in our house that replaced a long missed thing.
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I'm annoyed that they haven't had the unsweetened vanilla almond milk in quite awhile. They still have the "original," and they have the sweetened almond milk in vanilla. This happens to me all the time at Aldi - items I consistently buy just disappear and often never return. I found shelf-stable tofu a couple of years ago, but when it was gone, it never returned. Vegan Italian sausages have disappeared now too.
We do like the German-ground fair trade coffee and I hope that doesn't disappear from the shelves.
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They had regular tofu in the cold case this morning! Very exciting, as we have to make a special trip for that. I hope they stock it regularly.
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Finally, one is opening near me! Happened by a 'Coming Soon' banner yesterday a 5 minute drive/bike ride away; previously one opened up about a 15-20 minute drive away a year or so ago, but that's further than we're willing to drive for regular grocery trips. Might have to spend some time reading this thread to get some tips beyond the quarter/bring your own bags. It looks like they now accept credit cards?
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Finally, one is opening near me! Happened by a 'Coming Soon' banner yesterday a 5 minute drive/bike ride away; previously one opened up about a 15-20 minute drive away a year or so ago, but that's further than we're willing to drive for regular grocery trips. Might have to spend some time reading this thread to get some tips beyond the quarter/bring your own bags. It looks like they now accept credit cards?
Yes on the credit cards. They do Apple Pay at my store, too.
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Hmmm.... Another thing I noticed during my last Aldi trip... Several items that I typically buy... were now in smaller packages with smaller amounts/weights... but for the same price as before. Still a better deal than other stores, though.
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Also, about the veggie noodles: Their spiralizer has been marked down to $7.99. It works GREAT, although kind of bulky for small kitchens. But if this is something you do often, worth a try.
Very yes to the spiralizer, or as we call it in our house now, the turnip twaddler (http://www.oocities.org/enchantedforest/2175/opustv.jpg). Picked it up for $6.99 figuring it was worth the risk at that price, and has quickly become one of the most used items in the kitchen. And we've actually discovered that turnips are amazing as a pasta substitute. Had it with pesto this evening, and the sauce stuck and wasn't near as watery as using spaghetti squash or zucchini spirals. Had an al dente quality to it. Kind of a life-changing moment for us, as we discovered an enjoyable purpose for turnips in our house that replaced a long missed thing.
Well you all just have more fun than a tornado in a trailerpark up there in cow country, don't you IP? :-)
Shana Tova, friend.
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Also, about the veggie noodles: Their spiralizer has been marked down to $7.99. It works GREAT, although kind of bulky for small kitchens. But if this is something you do often, worth a try.
Very yes to the spiralizer, or as we call it in our house now, the turnip twaddler (http://www.oocities.org/enchantedforest/2175/opustv.jpg). Picked it up for $6.99 figuring it was worth the risk at that price, and has quickly become one of the most used items in the kitchen. And we've actually discovered that turnips are amazing as a pasta substitute. Had it with pesto this evening, and the sauce stuck and wasn't near as watery as using spaghetti squash or zucchini spirals. Had an al dente quality to it. Kind of a life-changing moment for us, as we discovered an enjoyable purpose for turnips in our house that replaced a long missed thing.
Well you all just have more fun than a tornado in a trailerpark up there in cow country, don't you IP? :-)
Shana Tova, friend.
Yup.
Shana tova umetuka, and gut yontiv.
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I just purchased a BEAUTIFUL Mum with Burgundy flowers on it for $3.99!
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You were robbed! Mums are $2.99 at my Aldi!
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Finally, one is opening near me! Happened by a 'Coming Soon' banner yesterday a 5 minute drive/bike ride away; previously one opened up about a 15-20 minute drive away a year or so ago, but that's further than we're willing to drive for regular grocery trips. Might have to spend some time reading this thread to get some tips beyond the quarter/bring your own bags. It looks like they now accept credit cards?
Go to the grand opening! They gave out a bunch of freebies at mine if you were in the first 100. I was, and it was awesome.
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Yes to the freebies - all very useful stuff including a huge cloth Aldi shopping bag with a plastic insert to stabilize the wide bottom. Wasn't in the first 100 though:(
But, if I get a chance I'll try to go for the gift cards.
Returned a chainsaw some time back - no hassle at all. Instant money back.
I hope they have the same great bags of apples they had last year - it's the season for apple pie etc.
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Our Aldi now requires a reciepts for returns. Which makes it slightly more of a pain.
They are starting curbside pickup. It better have a fee, as I don't want to pay the associated cost through an overall price rise.
They won't even bag, but now they'll.load your car for you without you getting out? It doesn't make sense
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Their Belgian beer is pretty good. I forget the name, but it doesn't matter. It's beer and it's good.
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I'm annoyed that they haven't had the unsweetened vanilla almond milk in quite awhile. They still have the "original," and they have the sweetened almond milk in vanilla. This happens to me all the time at Aldi - items I consistently buy just disappear and often never return. I found shelf-stable tofu a couple of years ago, but when it was gone, it never returned. Vegan Italian sausages have disappeared now too.
We do like the German-ground fair trade coffee and I hope that doesn't disappear from the shelves.
I find the opposite at my Aldi - I'm always looking for the unsweetened original almond milk - and they have anything but for weeks and weeks ... Anytime I see they have it, I pick up 2 or 3 of them to be safe.
Did your price go up? For a long time they were $1.99, but now they're $2.29
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I'm annoyed that they haven't had the unsweetened vanilla almond milk in quite awhile. They still have the "original," and they have the sweetened almond milk in vanilla. This happens to me all the time at Aldi - items I consistently buy just disappear and often never return. I found shelf-stable tofu a couple of years ago, but when it was gone, it never returned. Vegan Italian sausages have disappeared now too.
We do like the German-ground fair trade coffee and I hope that doesn't disappear from the shelves.
I find the opposite at my Aldi - I'm always looking for the unsweetened original almond milk - and they have anything but for weeks and weeks ... Anytime I see they have it, I pick up 2 or 3 of them to be safe.
Did your price go up? For a long time they were $1.99, but now they're $2.29
I won't do premade almond milk anymore, nor will I go through the trouble of making it from scratch, either. What's coming is not an Aldi tip, but useful tip for almond milk people none-the-less, such as @coppertop and @Lauran75 here.
What I do is buy some bulk Bob's Red Mill almond flour (not meal, but blanched flour) from Sam's Club using a guest pass (https://help.samsclub.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/279/), and throw 1/8th of a cup of it and 8-16oz of water along with a pinch of salt into a cheap smoothie blender and run that for about 30 seconds, let it sit for a few minutes, and run it again for another 30 seconds.
Best almond milk ever, and it's literally made on demand - though you could probably do larger batches to refrigerate if you wanted. You can even control and add your own sweetener, a little oil, or flavors in small batches, too. No cheesecloth filtering, no soaking, just almond milk in a couple minutes. And if you want thicker almond milk, toss in a half teaspoon of unflavored fiber supplement at the same time. The psyllium does wonders to thicken.
Technically, 1/8c to 16oz gives you a similar calorie profile to unsweetened premade. At that ratio, even with the 10% premium for non-members, $15.40+tax and that 3lb sack gives you around 12.25 gallons of shelf stable almond milk mix, or $1.26/gallon, or 63¢/half gallon. Even if you double the almond flour (which I do), it's still cheaper than the cheapest almond milk on the market - and far richer and tastier.
Walmart also has a 4lb. bag of almond flour from Nature's Eats for $20 (so less hassle than trying to get it from Sam's without the membership), but the quality of almond flour just isn't the same. The Bob's makes a far creamier and less stale tasting milk.
Last tip for a treat:
Almond Flour Chocolate Mint "Milkshake"
1.5 C water (cold)
1/4 C almond flour
1 tsp ground psyllium fiber
pinch salt
sweetener to taste (stevia, agave, honey, sugar, whatever)
1 rounded tbsp dutch cocoa
fresh mint leaves (or splash mint extract)
1 tbsp oil (grapeseed works well)
Blend for 30 seconds, let sit for 2-5 minutes or until the foam visibly rises to the top. Blend for 30 seconds again, let sit another 2-5 minutes. Much less foam should rise to the top this time. Blend another 30 seconds. Drink.
This recipe also makes a decent sorbet if you have a churn.
EDIT: I was trying to think of a way to loop this post back around on topic, and I think I've got it.
Don't have a blender to work this magic with? Don't bother with buying some fancy Vitamix or whatever. Aldi should still have in stock a personal smoothie blender for something like $16 with a three year warranty. You should see an ROI on your almond milk costs with this thing before the bottom of the first bag of almond flour, even at their own almond milk prices.
HA! HA! HA! Cookies on dowels (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8ID1KJQxB8) Back on topic!
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Oh my goodness Daley, you are a genius.
Edit to clarify: I never get through 1L of Almond/Oat/Rice milk in time and am waaaaay too lazy to make my own from scratch so this is the solution I am looking for!
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Daley: I agree - you are genius!!! I am going to have to hunt for a source of almond flour
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You can order almond flour directly from Bob's Red Mill. I'm currently using a bag of Diamond brand almond flour that I bought from Costco (although for baking, not milk) and I'm happy with the quality so that may be worth trying.
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I'm annoyed that they haven't had the unsweetened vanilla almond milk in quite awhile. They still have the "original," and they have the sweetened almond milk in vanilla. This happens to me all the time at Aldi - items I consistently buy just disappear and often never return. I found shelf-stable tofu a couple of years ago, but when it was gone, it never returned. Vegan Italian sausages have disappeared now too.
We do like the German-ground fair trade coffee and I hope that doesn't disappear from the shelves.
I find the opposite at my Aldi - I'm always looking for the unsweetened original almond milk - and they have anything but for weeks and weeks ... Anytime I see they have it, I pick up 2 or 3 of them to be safe.
Did your price go up? For a long time they were $1.99, but now they're $2.29
I think it's still $1.89 here in southeastern Pennsylvania. The vanilla has reappeared for now. I grab one every time I'm in so I have a small stockpile.
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I'm excited about the cheese and wine advent calendars which I believe come out Nov 1. I hope my Aldi stocks them.
Anyone try their mini cucumbers? I am addicted. Also love the big boxes of triple washed spinach and arugula.
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I bought a gigantic pumpkin for $2.99 this weekend. It would have been more than twice that much anywhere else i shop.
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Right now, our local Aldi has 3-packs of red and yellow bell peppers for $1.69. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen them that cheap. I bought two packs and am thinking I might buy a few more this week and dice them for freezer storage. They also had really beautiful cilantro for $0.49 and multipacks of jalapeños for $0.59. I foresee a batch of chili this week.
I will definitely have to look for the wine and cheese Advent calendars! I’m also hoping they stock the fancy jarred spicy olives again for Thanksgiving/Christmas. My mom and I were mildly obsessed with them a couple of years ago.
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I'm excited about the cheese and wine advent calendars which I believe come out Nov 1. I hope my Aldi stocks them.
Whatttt? Our Aldi can't sell alcohol but a CHEESE ADVENT CALENDAR?? I need that in my life. XD
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I'm excited about the cheese and wine advent calendars which I believe come out Nov 1. I hope my Aldi stocks them.
Whatttt? Our Aldi can't sell alcohol....
Same. It's one of the only drawbacks of living in MN
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I'm excited about the cheese and wine advent calendars which I believe come out Nov 1. I hope my Aldi stocks them.
Whatttt? Our Aldi can't sell alcohol....
Same. It's one of the only drawbacks of living in MN
You must be kidding. You have mosquitoes the likes of which I have never experienced anywhere. Gigantic, blood draining droves of mosquitos.
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I'm excited about the cheese and wine advent calendars which I believe come out Nov 1. I hope my Aldi stocks them.
Whatttt? Our Aldi can't sell alcohol....
Same. It's one of the only drawbacks of living in MN
You must be kidding. You have mosquitoes the likes of which I have never experienced anywhere. Gigantic, blood draining droves of mosquitos.
Haha ok, that's true, but no deadly snakes/spiders, and we have a reasonably low cockroach population compared to you southerners.
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Just got back from Aldi run. I'm freaking out and giggling manically...
100% grass-fed organic ground beef: $1.39/lb. I bought them out. I now have 21 pounds of magnificent tasty beef in my freezer. I have lucked across it before on clearance but never that cheap. I think this may just be the most epic score I've ever made, but I'd have to go back and compare the Pork Tenderloin Deal of 2017 (and yes, that was worth making a note of, and using capital letters).
Also, they are selling insanely huge pumpkins for $1.99 each.
Also also, I am sad I missed the $10 Halloween inflatables. They were freaking adorable and I'm doing a haunted pumpkin patch this year and they had a ghost and a stack of pumpkins I somehow didn't notice in the sales paper.
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Damn that's a good deal on that beef. It's 5.99/lb here.
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I'm excited about the cheese and wine advent calendars which I believe come out Nov 1. I hope my Aldi stocks them.
Anyone try their mini cucumbers? I am addicted. Also love the big boxes of triple washed spinach and arugula.
The Aldi nearest me doesn't sell booze. In my city it appears to vary by ward; there are also some CVS's and Walgreens that have booze and some that do not. Must be some weird liquor license thing. I'm looking forward to the cheese one for sure!
I love their spinach/arugula mix and it takes FOREVER to go bad, unlike pretty much any other bagged/boxed greens I have bought anywhere.
FrankiesGirl, how did the beef end up being? I don't eat meat, but Boyfriend has tried meat a couple times from Aldi and found it to be horrifyingly bad. I haven't seen organic/grass-fed at my Aldi, but to be fair, we haven't been looking that hard since the Gross Chicken Incident occurred. It would be great if he didn't have to make a separate meat grocery run.
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In Pennsylvania, Aldi, Trader Joe's etc. can't sell alcohol because you have to have a "cafe" in order to do so. We have a very provincial liquor control board here, so we miss out on this type of deal, sad to say. The state is in the business of selling wine and spirits in its own stores, and it controls prices.
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In CT no booze is sold in Aldi either.
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I'm excited about the cheese and wine advent calendars which I believe come out Nov 1. I hope my Aldi stocks them.
Anyone try their mini cucumbers? I am addicted. Also love the big boxes of triple washed spinach and arugula.
The Aldi nearest me doesn't sell booze. In my city it appears to vary by ward; there are also some CVS's and Walgreens that have booze and some that do not. Must be some weird liquor license thing. I'm looking forward to the cheese one for sure!
I love their spinach/arugula mix and it takes FOREVER to go bad, unlike pretty much any other bagged/boxed greens I have bought anywhere.
FrankiesGirl, how did the beef end up being? I don't eat meat, but Boyfriend has tried meat a couple times from Aldi and found it to be horrifyingly bad. I haven't seen organic/grass-fed at my Aldi, but to be fair, we haven't been looking that hard since the Gross Chicken Incident occurred. It would be great if he didn't have to make a separate meat grocery run.
The organic beef is fine; it is much less fatty than the regular GB and the texture is different so it took me some getting used to but I can tell the difference in flavor from the organic to the regular (and it's the same manufacturer/distributor as other store/chains - the packaging is the same they just change the labels).
We love their pork tenderloin, but we also follow the revised temp for doneness and let them be a bit pink on the inside so they are not dried out and stay tender. Plain and teriyaki are the faves but we'll take the mesquite and peppercorn and wash them off - those two are too much seasoning for us as is. Lemon pepper is too weird so we avoid that one even if it is on sale/clearance (couldn't get rid of the overly artificial lemon flavor no matter what sauces were used). Pork tenderloin is as lean as any cut of chicken, low in carbs (or zero if you get the plain no seasoned) and super high in protein, and goes in a variety of dishes as well.
I don't usually buy their chicken parts, but the whole chickens in the past were decent and I do remember getting some wings once that were nice. Their chicken breasts weren't as good so I don't buy them much. There was a discussion on another forum I recall that mentioned chicken breasts in general that had white striations - like most of the cheapy chicken deals in all stores - tend to taste weird and are tougher due to the chicken raising techniques/packing or something to that effect.
We are addicted to their prepared chicken tho. There is a limited run every few months of a product called Fit & Active Grilled Chicken Bites. We buy them out every time and even go hit additional stores. They are basically naked, no carb chicken nuggets with lowish sodium and decent flavor (there are an occasional oddly strong flavored CHICKEN one, but overall they are great). They are pre-cooked so it's amazingly easy to add them to anything chicken-y. Just ~3 minutes in the microwave and you have decent protein without having to cut up/deal with raw chicken. I use them with low carb bbq or horseradish sauces on the side, or toss them into rice/sauce blends for a fast meal.
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Just got back from Aldi run. I'm freaking out and giggling manically...
100% grass-fed organic ground beef: $1.39/lb. I bought them out. I now have 21 pounds of magnificent tasty beef in my freezer. I have lucked across it before on clearance but never that cheap. I think this may just be the most epic score I've ever made, but I'd have to go back and compare the Pork Tenderloin Deal of 2017 (and yes, that was worth making a note of, and using capital letters).
Also, they are selling insanely huge pumpkins for $1.99 each.
Also also, I am sad I missed the $10 Halloween inflatables. They were freaking adorable and I'm doing a haunted pumpkin patch this year and they had a ghost and a stack of pumpkins I somehow didn't notice in the sales paper.
So jealous, the bragging about that kind of score is almost worth more than the savings. I'd much rather find a 20lb bag of rice for $1 (true story) than find a $10 bill on the ground (rice is a little over $.50/lb for me). After all, I'm still talking about that rice from 10+ years ago...
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I don't usually buy their chicken parts, but the whole chickens in the past were decent and I do remember getting some wings once that were nice. Their chicken breasts weren't as good so I don't buy them much. There was a discussion on another forum I recall that mentioned chicken breasts in general that had white striations - like most of the cheapy chicken deals in all stores - tend to taste weird and are tougher due to the chicken raising techniques/packing or something to that effect.
We are addicted to their prepared chicken tho. There is a limited run every few months of a product called Fit & Active Grilled Chicken Bites. We buy them out every time and even go hit additional stores. They are basically naked, no carb chicken nuggets with lowish sodium and decent flavor (there are an occasional oddly strong flavored CHICKEN one, but overall they are great). They are pre-cooked so it's amazingly easy to add them to anything chicken-y. Just ~3 minutes in the microwave and you have decent protein without having to cut up/deal with raw chicken. I use them with low carb bbq or horseradish sauces on the side, or toss them into rice/sauce blends for a fast meal.
Good to know - Boyfriend eats a lot of chicken and he thought it was gross and tasted weird and (TMI) was extremely flatulent afterwards. I think that was his one experience with Aldi meat.... and, well, my feeling is that if he must eat meat, I would rather he was eating good quality stuff. I don't want him eating scary meat.
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I regularly buy the Aldi chicken breasts, and I have not had the problem with overly tough and stringy chicken from Aldi.... But the last package of chicken breasts I bought from Jewel-Osco (Albertsons) certainly had that problem, and it was absolutely disgusting! I haven't bought chicken from Jewel ever since that.
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I've seen the stringy chicken from other stores. I don't think it's so much the store as wherever they happen to source the chicken. I tend not to buy meat at Aldi though as it's one area where around here they generally are more expensive as compared to the local grocery stores' loss leaders for the week..
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I've never had a problem with chicken from Aldi. I usually buy the antibiotic/hormone-free packages. Our local store also carries 1-lb packages of organic grass-fed ground beef for a regular price of about $5/lb. As this is the same price/lb as Costco, I don't have a preference for either store on this item as the quality is the same.
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Just an FYI...
they just recently (like in the last day or so) tweaked their store return policy.
Returns are still "twice as nice" for ALDI brand food items, WITH a receipt. You can not return something and get a replacement and refund without the receipt. Used to be they'd honor it no matter since it was obvious what was Aldi stuff, but apparently they've been seeing lots of issues/losses so they're cracking down.
And to return national brand stuff or ANY non-food item (even if it is their store brand), you can't get money back without a receipt. Only store credit. And in the case of the non Aldi stuff, they can outright refuse to give you anything back, not even store credit.
And some stores are being told by their GMs that despite the wording on the new policy cards at the registers (light blue/white cards reading "twice as nice" to explain the new policy) that they are not allowed to do any returns - in direct opposition to the written corporate rules... so that's going to be fun to challenge. :(
So save your receipts if you had gotten lax - I had, and of course had something I'd have liked to return and can't now...
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I'm annoyed that they haven't had the unsweetened vanilla almond milk in quite awhile. They still have the "original," and they have the sweetened almond milk in vanilla. This happens to me all the time at Aldi - items I consistently buy just disappear and often never return. I found shelf-stable tofu a couple of years ago, but when it was gone, it never returned. Vegan Italian sausages have disappeared now too.
We do like the German-ground fair trade coffee and I hope that doesn't disappear from the shelves.
I find the opposite at my Aldi - I'm always looking for the unsweetened original almond milk - and they have anything but for weeks and weeks ... Anytime I see they have it, I pick up 2 or 3 of them to be safe.
Did your price go up? For a long time they were $1.99, but now they're $2.29
I won't do premade almond milk anymore, nor will I go through the trouble of making it from scratch, either. What's coming is not an Aldi tip, but useful tip for almond milk people none-the-less, such as @coppertop and @Lauran75 here.
What I do is buy some bulk Bob's Red Mill almond flour (not meal, but blanched flour) from Sam's Club using a guest pass (https://help.samsclub.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/279/), and throw 1/8th of a cup of it and 8-16oz of water along with a pinch of salt into a cheap smoothie blender and run that for about 30 seconds, let it sit for a few minutes, and run it again for another 30 seconds.
Best almond milk ever, and it's literally made on demand - though you could probably do larger batches to refrigerate if you wanted. You can even control and add your own sweetener, a little oil, or flavors in small batches, too. No cheesecloth filtering, no soaking, just almond milk in a couple minutes. And if you want thicker almond milk, toss in a half teaspoon of unflavored fiber supplement at the same time. The psyllium does wonders to thicken.
Technically, 1/8c to 16oz gives you a similar calorie profile to unsweetened premade. At that ratio, even with the 10% premium for non-members, $15.40+tax and that 3lb sack gives you around 12.25 gallons of shelf stable almond milk mix, or $1.26/gallon, or 63¢/half gallon. Even if you double the almond flour (which I do), it's still cheaper than the cheapest almond milk on the market - and far richer and tastier.
Walmart also has a 4lb. bag of almond flour from Nature's Eats for $20 (so less hassle than trying to get it from Sam's without the membership), but the quality of almond flour just isn't the same. The Bob's makes a far creamier and less stale tasting milk.
Last tip for a treat:
Almond Flour Chocolate Mint "Milkshake"
1.5 C water (cold)
1/4 C almond flour
1 tsp ground psyllium fiber
pinch salt
sweetener to taste (stevia, agave, honey, sugar, whatever)
1 rounded tbsp dutch cocoa
fresh mint leaves (or splash mint extract)
1 tbsp oil (grapeseed works well)
Blend for 30 seconds, let sit for 2-5 minutes or until the foam visibly rises to the top. Blend for 30 seconds again, let sit another 2-5 minutes. Much less foam should rise to the top this time. Blend another 30 seconds. Drink.
This recipe also makes a decent sorbet if you have a churn.
EDIT: I was trying to think of a way to loop this post back around on topic, and I think I've got it.
Don't have a blender to work this magic with? Don't bother with buying some fancy Vitamix or whatever. Aldi should still have in stock a personal smoothie blender for something like $16 with a three year warranty. You should see an ROI on your almond milk costs with this thing before the bottom of the first bag of almond flour, even at their own almond milk prices.
HA! HA! HA! Cookies on dowels (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8ID1KJQxB8) Back on topic!
@Daley Thank you! I will have to give this a try.
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Okay, I never shop at Aldi and have been there maybe 5 times and never was impressed with anything. The store in my town just had a major renovation and is having a grand reopening this week. They sent me a $5 coupon and I can only use it if I spend $30. I can go to any grocery store and spend $30 without blinking my eyes but my question is what would you buy at Aldi's if you were not a regular shopper and just want to get stuff that is healthy. I don't want cereal and I had a horrid experience with a piece of meat with bacon wrapped around it. It was like shoe leather, BLEH! One time I bought some frozen fruit. Just not feeling the love for Aldi's. I want to love it and so many people praise it but in the past the produce was either non existent or really not fresh looking. Ho Hum or I just let the coupon go...
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Do you bake? Granola bars (they have a wide variety.) Frozen vegetables? Fresh vegetables? They have grass fed ground beef which tastes fine to me. Plain yogurt? Almond butter? Scented candles are on special this week.
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I had a horrid experience with a piece of meat with bacon wrapped around it. It was like shoe leather, BLEH! One time I bought some frozen fruit. Just not feeling the love for Aldi's. I want to love it and so many people praise it but in the past the produce was either non existent or really not fresh looking. Ho Hum or I just let the coupon go...
When did you have the meat experience? Aldis had poor (to bad) meat and produce years ago. They have improved vastly. I now don't hesitate to buy anything at Aldis other than bags of produce that would spoil before I could consume it.
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The bad meat experience was around 2 years ago. Someone told me Aldi's has these small steaks with bacon wrapped around the outside. They looked a bit like fillet mignon. They were tough as shoe leather.
I suppose I should go there and see what looks good. The only thing I bought there that I did like was there fresh prepared pizza's.
I am making home made yogurt in my Instant Pot so I guess I could look for frozen fruit and nuts.
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Back when eggs were as low as 39 cents a dozen at Aldi's I used to go all the time. Now not so much. My wife and I like their $4 Savignon Blanc ok so that alone makes it worth it. The Wal-mart nearby thats closer to my house pretty much price matches them weekly so there's less reason to go. I agree about the red meat, it's not very good. We only eat red meat once a week anyway. The small amount of non-fruit produce is good and the cheapest I have found. Stay away from the bagged lettuces they are basically half-slimy compost. Actually better to stay away from bagged lettuce in general.
We buy organic but only the dirty dozen. I'm not convinced the rest matter.
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Our Aldi does not sell wine or anything alcoholic!
Maybe people who have kids find stuff cheap there like cereal, crackers, cookies, snack foods. The bigger grocery stores have beautiful displays of fresh fruit and veggies. I found Aldi had bare baskets of picked over vegetables and not much to choose from. I find it weird there is no fresh cut meat or a butcher there. Glad others find good stuff there but we have a store in CT called Big Y and it has just about everything I want and if not, there is a Stop & Shop that is bigger and has everything.
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The bad meat experience was around 2 years ago. Someone told me Aldi's has these small steaks with bacon wrapped around the outside. They looked a bit like fillet mignon. They were tough as shoe leather.
Those little fake fillet things are terrible no matter where you buy them. I don't know what they are, I doubt they're even a consistent cut. It seems like they just take some scrap meat, wrap it in a slice of bacon, and smash it into a round package so that it has the filet shape. I've had them from 2 different stores and they were both awful.
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The bad meat experience was around 2 years ago. Someone told me Aldi's has these small steaks with bacon wrapped around the outside. They looked a bit like fillet mignon. They were tough as shoe leather.
Those little fake fillet things are terrible no matter where you buy them. I don't know what they are, I doubt they're even a consistent cut. It seems like they just take some scrap meat, wrap it in a slice of bacon, and smash it into a round package so that it has the filet shape. I've had them from 2 different stores and they were both awful.
LOL! Funny because the person who told me about the meat thingies said "they were SOOO good"! BLEH!
Here you go, $1 steaks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tIHicqWJoc
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Items like 1-lb packs of organic grass-fed ground beef, eggs, coffee beans, canned beans and tomatoes, pasta, rice, jarred pesto, jarred olives, basic condiments, and baking supplies are always good values at Aldi. Non-food items like aluminum foil, parchment paper, cling wrap, and tissues are also good buys.
Aldi is also advertising their holiday special buys, which usually include good fancy cheeses. Hopefully they’ll also have packages of smoked salmon.
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Eggs USED to be a good deal. Last week they were $1.39/ dozen which is not a great deal. I buy the 5 dozen boxes at walmart for 97 cents a dozen. Yeah....we eat a lot of eggs. My wife eats 5 hard boiled egg whites every day so we go through them pretty quickly. You are right about the grass fed beef though. I've recently been converted to the idea of eating grass fed after reading enough about the corn and crap fed cows. We just eat smaller portions of it. It's reasonably cheap at Aldi. Cant speak for all the processed crap (cookies, crackers, cereal). We won't buy it.
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The cranberry white cheddar, which I believe is a holiday item, has arrived at my Aldi. YUM!
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Had my first Aldi trip last week! I was impressed. Not everything was super cheap, but there was plenty that was. The fruit I got was pretty good (the mandarin oranges/Cuties weren't great, but it's a name brand and it's not quite the season for them now, so I'm not blaming Aldi for that. The 39 cent mangoes were fantastic.
Really trying to sell DW on it, who does most of the grocery shopping. I think if we could use Aldi to replace the majority of Albertson's runs (still would have to pick up some stuff at Target and Sam's Club), it might save us as much as a couple hundred bucks a month. Last weekend, she went back to Albertson's because she 'didn't have enough time to try the new store and wasn't sure what she could get there.' Hopefully this weekend I can get her to Aldi. She seems open to it, unlike the MIL ("I hate Aldi. I'm very brand-loyal"). MIL can do what she wants, but for my groceries, I'm interested in saving money!
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The cranberry white cheddar, which I believe is a holiday item, has arrived at my Aldi. YUM!
Yay! I need to pick up a couple of things today. A wheel of that cheddar might find its way into my basket.
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Actually I just went back to Aldi this past weekend, first time in a long time. Produce has been very fresh. I cooked up a whole head of cabbage with some sliced kielbasa, really great. Also noticed a lot of their meat is vacu-sealed. I got a ribeye, cooked it up in Kerrygold butter with a chopped onion and a little can of mushrooms. Fantastic, better quality steak than the grocery or even Costco.
They also had a frozen duck (with a packet of orange sauce). Purchased but have yet to try.
Aldi now takes Amex, so I get my 4% cash back on groceries.
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The cranberry white cheddar, which I believe is a holiday item, has arrived at my Aldi. YUM!
Yay! I need to pick up a couple of things today. A wheel of that cheddar might find its way into my basket.
Sadly, the holiday cheeses have not yet arrived at my store. But I did get several hard squashes for $0.59/lb, organic chicken stock for $1.49/quart, and 10-oz. bags of pecan halves for $4.99.
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I just want to share my LOVE for Aldi's! I shop there first to get as much stuff as possible, then go to Meijer for the rest of it.
It has definitely made major improvements over the past few years. They have a TON of organic and natural foods that are far cheaper than competitor stores. I do buy the Never Any chicken and have never had an issue. Can't say much about the beef because I buy a quarter cow.
Things I always buy there: organic tortilla chips, organic salsa, almond milk, organic ketchup, almond and peanut butter, cheeses, some fruit/veg's -- always have the best avocados, whole wheat pasta, marinara (1 kind that doesn't have added sugar), Never Any chicken, Never Any chicken sausage, canned tomatoes, organic spices, Kerrygold butter, dark choc. covered espresso beans, dried beans, oats when I'm out of Costco ones, riced cauliflower, the list really just goes on!
Side note- I stopped by Aldi on Wednesday after work to check out the Advent calendars. They said the wine one sold out in minutes and they had a line of 30 people out the door. The cheese one sold out by the afternoon. Bummed!!
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So it turns out that the Aldi near my house is a smaller store and doesn't always get stocked with everything. There's a newer, larger Aldi about 6 miles away that had all of the fancy smoked salmon and meats and many types of fancy cheese, including a sage Derby cheese that my father-in-law absolutely loved. I think I know where I'm stocking up for Christmas entertaining.
The store near me did have a very good pitted olive blend in the cold case. I'll need to stock up on those too.
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I don't know if its just by me but as an Aldi's lover i have noticed compared to the other stores in the area there prices are going up at a faster rate.
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I don't know if its just by me but as an Aldi's lover i have noticed compared to the other stores in the area there prices are going up at a faster rate.
Bummer! I haven't noticed that yet in my area, where Aldi prices are still on par with Save-a-Lot and better than the other chains. However, the prices at my local Meijer stores have increased to the point that it's only worth shopping there when they have major sales or if I need a rare product that I can't easily find elsewhere (almost never, as the local Kroger has expanded yet again and offers good Plus Card deals).
One thing that these forums have definitely taught me is that grocery prices/selection are extremely location-dependent.
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I don't know if its just by me but as an Aldi's lover i have noticed compared to the other stores in the area there prices are going up at a faster rate.
Raisin bran went up from $1.99 to $2.19 a box (18 ounces) at my eastern Pa Aldi's !
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I don't know if its just by me but as an Aldi's lover i have noticed compared to the other stores in the area there prices are going up at a faster rate.
Raisin bran went up from $1.99 to $2.19 a box (18 ounces) at my eastern Pa Aldi's !
There have been other such increases as well on the items I buy the most, including their High Pulp Orange Juice, which not only went up in price per jug, but each jug now contains seven ounces less juice.
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If you live in an area where they have several Aldi stores, it might pay to check them all out. There are huge price differences in my area Aldi stores depending on the neighborhood. I know to never expect to get a good deal on milk/eggs/staples from the one near my gym because it's always at least 50¢ to a full dollar higher than the one near my house. And one in a densely populated area near a huge amount of apartments for some reason is always super cheap compared to any of the others.
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Been loving the new Aldi. Finally got DW to go after two previous unsuccessful attempts, and I think she was largely impressed. I've been getting the family to try out various Aldi brands, and mostly they've been fine with the substitutions. One big win with this trip was the discovery of their house brand flavored water for the kids. DW has been adamant about giving them this stuff, but has been buying these Aquaball drinks that are extremely pricey, much to my chagrin.
They love the Aldi flavored water, and the price per ounce is about 1.6 cents, rather than the ~11 cents we were paying. I'm definitely a fan of an 85% price drop!
Hoping with Aldi and a few other changes I've made, we'll get our grocery bill for four from its current $850 to perhaps $650 or so. Still not what many around here manage, but on the right track!
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I went to Aldi Saturday because they were advertising 2.99/lb chuck roast. I get there, and there is no signage for this deal, or even this cut of meat. I was pretty annoyed. Then I noticed a label on a piece of meat that said "Chuck Roast" - I flip it over, and it's the advertised price. So I grabbed the 4 largest (put 3 in the freezer).
I've never noticed this with any other meat, but I thought I'd mention to double-check for the deal price even if you don't see the label on the shelf.
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I went to Aldi Saturday because they were advertising 2.99/lb chuck roast. I get there, and there is no signage for this deal, or even this cut of meat. I was pretty annoyed. Then I noticed a label on a piece of meat that said "Chuck Roast" - I flip it over, and it's the advertised price. So I grabbed the 4 largest (put 3 in the freezer).
I've never noticed this with any other meat, but I thought I'd mention to double-check for the deal price even if you don't see the label on the shelf.
Argh! I looked for this deal yesterday and didn't spot it. I'll try again tomorrow. Thanks.
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One big win with this trip was the discovery of their house brand flavored water for the kids. DW has been adamant about giving them this stuff, but has been buying these Aquaball drinks that are extremely pricey, much to my chagrin.
They love the Aldi flavored water, and the price per ounce is about 1.6 cents, rather than the ~11 cents we were paying. I'm definitely a fan of an 85% price drop!
Good on your for dropping the pricey flavored water, but . . . seriously, flavored water? Whatever happened to just water-flavored water? It makes up 60% of your body! It quite literally tastes like life itself!
But, I get it -- baby steps. And let none of us be judged by our kids' ridiculous tastes in food and beverage.
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Aldi is a great choice. As a very unscientific comparison, the total damage at "Sprouts" yesterday was $50 higher than the grocery bill at Aldi from a couple of weeks ago, for approximately the same amount of food. Obviously not the same items, etc., but still significant.
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One big win with this trip was the discovery of their house brand flavored water for the kids. DW has been adamant about giving them this stuff, but has been buying these Aquaball drinks that are extremely pricey, much to my chagrin.
They love the Aldi flavored water, and the price per ounce is about 1.6 cents, rather than the ~11 cents we were paying. I'm definitely a fan of an 85% price drop!
Good on your for dropping the pricey flavored water, but . . . seriously, flavored water? Whatever happened to just water-flavored water? It makes up 60% of your body! It quite literally tastes like life itself!
But, I get it -- baby steps. And let none of us be judged by our kids' ridiculous tastes in food and beverage.
Preacher, meet choir.
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I don't know if its just by me but as an Aldi's lover i have noticed compared to the other stores in the area there prices are going up at a faster rate.
Bummer! I haven't noticed that yet in my area, where Aldi prices are still on par with Save-a-Lot and better than the other chains. However, the prices at my local Meijer stores have increased to the point that it's only worth shopping there when they have major sales or if I need a rare product that I can't easily find elsewhere (almost never, as the local Kroger has expanded yet again and offers good Plus Card deals).
One thing that these forums have definitely taught me is that grocery prices/selection are extremely location-dependent.
One of the employees told me that each Aldi's location has to price compare to the competition within a certain Mileage of there store. Thats why the two i go to the prices are sometimes alot different other than whats advertised in there mailer. But I have noticed things we get for the kids lunches like chips last year were a 1.19 a bag and now there 1.79. Cheese has gone up. There Chicken has gone way up and its not as clean as the other store I go to so I dont buy that at Aldis anymore. Dairy I find you still cant beat. But definitely cheaper but not as big as a gap as a couple years ago, at least by me.
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One big win with this trip was the discovery of their house brand flavored water for the kids. DW has been adamant about giving them this stuff, but has been buying these Aquaball drinks that are extremely pricey, much to my chagrin.
They love the Aldi flavored water, and the price per ounce is about 1.6 cents, rather than the ~11 cents we were paying. I'm definitely a fan of an 85% price drop!
Good on your for dropping the pricey flavored water, but . . . seriously, flavored water? Whatever happened to just water-flavored water? It makes up 60% of your body! It quite literally tastes like life itself!
But, I get it -- baby steps. And let none of us be judged by our kids' ridiculous tastes in food and beverage.
Preacher, meet choir.
The struggle is real. We've spent an unconscionable amount on mini Babybel cheeses over the years.
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I have been running a fundraiser this holiday season selling homemade spiced/candied nuts and puppy chow. I am donating all of the supplies/ingredients, and Aldi has saved me SO much. I buy the rice chex and almonds by the case, not to mention peanut butter, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, mixed nuts, and peanuts. I've checked every store in my city, and none can come close to Aldi prices.
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This week our Aldi slashed the price of a 10-lb bag of potatoes in half. We picked up two, figuring we can process one whole bag (hashbrowns, etc.) and freeze before they go bad. They also have 3-lb bags of sweet potatoes for 99 cents. My son is the only one who really loves them, but he's 12 going on 20 and eats EVERYTHING. These can be pureed and frozen, as well, for a casserole, etc.
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Our Aldi had a one-day only sale on beef tenderloin - trimmed USDA choice for $9.99/lb. Even my wife got excited about it for Christmas dinner, and went to work late in order to pick one up. There was a line of people waiting for it a la Black Friday, and Aldi was planning on metering them out throughout the day. She got the last one they put out at store open; phew!
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This week our Aldi slashed the price of a 10-lb bag of potatoes in half. We picked up two, figuring we can process one whole bag (hashbrowns, etc.) and freeze before they go bad. They also have 3-lb bags of sweet potatoes for 99 cents. My son is the only one who really loves them, but he's 12 going on 20 and eats EVERYTHING. These can be pureed and frozen, as well, for a casserole, etc.
I am 99% sure you aren't supposed to freeze fresh potatoes....
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I was unsure of this but looks like you can freeze potatoes if blanched:
https://www.wikihow.com/Freeze-Potatoes
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I was unsure of this but looks like you can freeze potatoes if blanched:
https://www.wikihow.com/Freeze-Potatoes
Yes. We peeled, shredded and placed in a bowl of water with a little white vinegar in it to keep them from turning. Flash froze and then bagged and put them in the freezer. Some we vacuum-sealed. We plan to do the same with some slices using the mandolin, and dicing others. PITA, but super convenient during the week when you're in a hurry.
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If you are lazy like me sometimes, when you grow tomatoes and you have too many and don't feel like doing anything with them at the time, did you know you can wash them, dry them off, take off the stem cut out any black spots and throw them in a ziplock bag whole, then freeze. When you want to make sauce out of them, you can thaw them a little and drop them in hot water to take skins off. Or, you could just blend them all up when thawed and incorporate the peels into the sauce. This does take up some space in your freezer if you have a lot of tomatoes but when laziness hits, have to do what we have to do!
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I was unsure of this but looks like you can freeze potatoes if blanched:
https://www.wikihow.com/Freeze-Potatoes
Yes. We peeled, shredded and placed in a bowl of water with a little white vinegar in it to keep them from turning. Flash froze and then bagged and put them in the freezer. Some we vacuum-sealed. We plan to do the same with some slices using the mandolin, and dicing others. PITA, but super convenient during the week when you're in a hurry.
Well! Color me impressed! I had no idea.
I also didn't realize you could flash freeze at home, but a Google search learned me that as well! And I thought I wouldn't learn anything today!
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If you are lazy like me sometimes, when you grow tomatoes and you have too many and don't feel like doing anything with them at the time, did you know you can wash them, dry them off, take off the stem cut out any black spots and throw them in a ziplock bag whole, then freeze. When you want to make sauce out of them, you can thaw them a little and drop them in hot water to take skins off. Or, you could just blend them all up when thawed and incorporate the peels into the sauce. This does take up some space in your freezer if you have a lot of tomatoes but when laziness hits, have to do what we have to do!
I do this too when I have an abundant tomato crop. I usually make tomato soup with it over the winter (and I keep the skin on). Nothing like garden fresh tomatoes in the middle of winter :)
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If you are lazy like me sometimes, when you grow tomatoes and you have too many and don't feel like doing anything with them at the time, did you know you can wash them, dry them off, take off the stem cut out any black spots and throw them in a ziplock bag whole, then freeze. When you want to make sauce out of them, you can thaw them a little and drop them in hot water to take skins off. Or, you could just blend them all up when thawed and incorporate the peels into the sauce. This does take up some space in your freezer if you have a lot of tomatoes but when laziness hits, have to do what we have to do!
I do this too when I have an abundant tomato crop. I usually make tomato soup with it over the winter (and I keep the skin on). Nothing like garden fresh tomatoes in the middle of winter :)
Oh, cool! You are the first person I have heard that does this! My aunt, God rest her soul, who lived in KY consulted with the Farm Bureau or some organization and they said it was an approved way to store tomatoes. I haven't done it in a while but when I did I still found it 'weird' to pull out whole garden tomatoes out of the freezer but they were always excellent!
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I like our Aldi's, but we don't shop there all that often. The prices seem a little better on average, plus it's the closest store (other than the Dollar Tree). The downside though that keeps us from going there most times is the selection. You go to "normal" grocery stores to buy what you want for your planned meals. Aldi's selection is so hit or miss you can't go in with a plan of what you want. You have to go in, buy what's available and then make your meal plans around what you were actually able to get.
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I plan my meals around what Aldis has! And then I fill in a few things from other places occasionally.
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No Aldi where we live, but several near our rentals, which are seven hours drive from home. I googled one along the way and we stopped in for provisions. I like the compact footprint and focused selection. My usual grocery loop is 99 Only-Grocery Outlet-Costco, with a very occasional side of Winco for bulk items. I wasn't overly impressed with the pricing at Aldi, but it was fun to have a completely different selection within the same price range. The exceptions were avocados for 39 cents and post-Christmas spiral cut ham marked down to 95 cents a pound. Bought thrree of the former and none of the latter. I suspect this was a higher priced store, despite being located in a less expensive area. The store was spotless and the staff helpful.
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I just joined this forum yesterday...so maybe one of the posts brought it up previously.
I WANT to shop at Aldi for all my grocery shopping needs. I and my wife don't have fancy diets so it would probably work fine...
EXCEPT Giant offers gas points, and store coupons, which "addicts" you to Giant.
Has anyone done a cost comparison? In the end it is probably cheaper to shop at Aldi and pay full price for gas, but maybe not???
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Shop at Aldi and bike everywhere, eliminating the need for gas.
:-)
For cost comparisons, at least where I live Aldi is much cheaper than the regular grocery store. It also beats out Walmart and Target. Not on everything, mind you; you do have to pay attention. In my experience the staples, produce specials, and almost all of the store brand stuff is cheaper. Sometimes the store brand isn't cheaper than, say, a bulk purchase from Sam's Club or Costco, though.
Just returned from a bike trip to Aldi to shore up our groceries for the week.
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I think it would be dependent on how much gas you buy every week?
Here, the gas station at the grocery store is more expensive to begin with, and we’d probably save $2 or $3 a week shopping at the more expensive store for the discount on the more expensive gas.
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Here, the gas station at the grocery store is more expensive to begin with,
Thats interesting!
Here if there are "shop-run" gas stations (on or right besides the parking lot), they are always cheaper to lure customers in.
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So I bought the Winking Owl Shiraz for a party. I swear I drank over a bottle of it and didn't feel even a buzz. At 13% alcohol, this isn't normal. Anyone else notice this?
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Here, the gas station at the grocery store is more expensive to begin with,
Thats interesting!
Here if there are "shop-run" gas stations (on or right besides the parking lot), they are always cheaper to lure customers in.
That's the difference between a grocery store with gas and a gas station with groceries
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Here, the gas station at the grocery store is more expensive to begin with,
Thats interesting!
Here if there are "shop-run" gas stations (on or right besides the parking lot), they are always cheaper to lure customers in.
That's the difference between a grocery store with gas and a gas station with groceries
Ah, so the "gas station at the grocery store" did not meant a gas station (made by) the grocery store, but two completely different entitites? Then I have misunderstood that.
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I just joined this forum yesterday...so maybe one of the posts brought it up previously.
I WANT to shop at Aldi for all my grocery shopping needs. I and my wife don't have fancy diets so it would probably work fine...
EXCEPT Giant offers gas points, and store coupons, which "addicts" you to Giant.
Has anyone done a cost comparison? In the end it is probably cheaper to shop at Aldi and pay full price for gas, but maybe not???
I'm very curious about this too, as Aldi, Lidl, AND Kroger are almost precisely the same distance from my home, but only Kroger offers fuel points.
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I just joined this forum yesterday...so maybe one of the posts brought it up previously.
I WANT to shop at Aldi for all my grocery shopping needs. I and my wife don't have fancy diets so it would probably work fine...
EXCEPT Giant offers gas points, and store coupons, which "addicts" you to Giant.
Has anyone done a cost comparison? In the end it is probably cheaper to shop at Aldi and pay full price for gas, but maybe not???
How much do you "earn" in gas savings when shopping at Giant? From my comparisons with Giant Eagle and their "Fuel Perks" I'd increase my weekly spending ($80 to about $120) by switching over and only save about receive one free tank of gas ($25-35) per month. The math doesn't seem to work for me.
I'm very curious about this too, as Aldi, Lidl, AND Kroger are almost precisely the same distance from my home, but only Kroger offers fuel points.
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I just joined this forum yesterday...so maybe one of the posts brought it up previously.
I WANT to shop at Aldi for all my grocery shopping needs. I and my wife don't have fancy diets so it would probably work fine...
EXCEPT Giant offers gas points, and store coupons, which "addicts" you to Giant.
Has anyone done a cost comparison? In the end it is probably cheaper to shop at Aldi and pay full price for gas, but maybe not???
I'm very curious about this too, as Aldi, Lidl, AND Kroger are almost precisely the same distance from my home, but only Kroger offers fuel points.
How much does the gas savings really save you? Even if you end up with like $0.30 off per gallon, and you put in 20 gallons, that's only $6... I save over $6 per week on lettuce alone at Aldi between their organic spring mix and Caesar salad mixes vs traditional grocers...
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At Christmas time I bought "fancy crackers," is this a seasonal thing that I need to worry about stocking up on next year?
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Has anyone's Aldi started carrying the 80s cheese yet?
https://thetakeout.com/aldi-cheese-80s-songs-grammys-1832466435
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At Christmas time I bought "fancy crackers," is this a seasonal thing that I need to worry about stocking up on next year?
Maybe. The price tag at Aldi will tell you if it's seasonal or not. i think they call them "Seasonal Favorites" or something like that.
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I'm in love with the 6 bacon wrapped Sea Scallops for $6.99 in my NE Ohio area Aldi's. They are a seasonal item.
I bake them in the oven and add a bag of frozen Brussels sprouts to the pan so the bacon grease flavors the sprouts. Delicious.
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I would like to get my grocery costs down in 2019 so I’m thinking I need to branch out from my most convenient nearby stores. Does Aldi have decent quality detergent, dish soap, trash bags, household stuff like that?
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I would like to get my grocery costs down in 2019 so I’m thinking I need to branch out from my most convenient nearby stores. Does Aldi have decent quality detergent, dish soap, trash bags, household stuff like that?
Yes. But with certain exceptions so you'll need to do some price comparisons and decide if you like their store brand products. If you don't, just make sure you save your receipt and you can return them no problem. They have an excellent return policy and shouldn't give you any problem with returning most things if you're unhappy.
They aren't great for some things like toothpaste since they don't take coupons, and I can find better deals at say, Target since I stack red card discount with cartwheel discount and then can use a coupon and get a few tubes of crest complete for like 75¢/6.2 oz tube... but we do get things like Omeprazole or deodorant or pads/tampons there now that they're making store brand stuff for WAY cheaper.
I use their trash bags (both draw string and the even cheaper flappy tie it off yourself) and like them. Laundry detergent - both the super plain stuff and the Gain-knockoff for about a buck more. I really really like that. The dishwasher liquid stuff and the pod knockoffs are good, and I LOVE their liquid handwash dishsoaps (they do seasonal scents and end up marking them down for super cheap after sales).
They do have name brand stuff for less but not a wide variety - they carry Tide and Gain in laundry detergent and Dawn dishwashing liquid for instance.
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I would like to get my grocery costs down in 2019 so I’m thinking I need to branch out from my most convenient nearby stores. Does Aldi have decent quality detergent, dish soap, trash bags, household stuff like that?
Paper products (paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, kleenex) are all fine. I also like their plastic food storage bags, plastic cling wrap, aluminum foil, and parchment paper. I wasn't impressed with the dishsoap.
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Re: the dish soap. My local one carries Dawn dish soap. Also some brand name laundry detergent too.
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My Aldi has Dawn and name-brand dishwasher detergent. I HATED their store brand of dishwasher detergent. Household stuff like trash bags, ziplocs, TP, foil seem fine.
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I buy Dawn and the Aldi's dish soap, and mix them together. I also have a small bottle of Dawn (that I refill from big bottles) at the sink for 'as needed'.
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i don't think mine carries their own brand of powder dishwasher detergent which is scientifically the best at cleaning dishes - only liquid, so i use Up&Up brand for my dishwasher.
Their dishwashing liquid (Radiant) has worked out just fine for me. If someone isn't getting clean i usually bust out barkeepers friend or let it soak, so the liquid isn't a big deal if it's dawn or radiant or w/e.
i also use all their paper products, and i do complain about their Willow "kleenex" but it's better than using toilet paper as tissue for guests, and not nearly as expensive as Kleenex itself.
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I think aldi’s dish soap is fine. I like their trash bags better than the name brand.
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I love Aldi cling plastic wrap. I think that's the only thing I've bought from that section of the store since I avoid plastic bags for the most part and make my own soaps.
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The other day I saw a bag of almond flour at Aldi for $5.99. I don't use it myself but that seems like a pretty good price - I once had a recipe that called for it but ended up not buying any because it was like 9 bucks for a little bag of it at Jewel. Wanted to pass that along for any gluten free/paleo folks.
Also bought some "mixed berry" paleo granola that was, I think, $2-something for the bag. It's pretty good.
Also bought a 3-pack of mini pizza crusts, also for $2-something. They were AWFUL. Cardboardy and tasteless. And they stuck to the baking sheet. I used homemade sauce rather than the sauce packets that came with it, so can't speak to the quality or lack thereof of that. Oh well.
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The other day I saw a bag of almond flour at Aldi for $5.99. I don't use it myself but that seems like a pretty good price - I once had a recipe that called for it but ended up not buying any because it was like 9 bucks for a little bag of it at Jewel. Wanted to pass that along for any gluten free/paleo folks.
Also bought some "mixed berry" paleo granola that was, I think, $2-something for the bag. It's pretty good.
Also bought a 3-pack of mini pizza crusts, also for $2-something. They were AWFUL. Cardboardy and tasteless. And they stuck to the baking sheet. I used homemade sauce rather than the sauce packets that came with it, so can't speak to the quality or lack thereof of that. Oh well.
I did see the almond flour on my last trip. If I didn't have a full bag from Costco, I'd stock up. That's a very good price.
The Aldi gluten-free selection is mostly good, and they're great with labels. The GF pasta is very good, the bread and wraps are decent, and the black sesame-brown rice crisps are so good that we would buy them even if I didn't have celiac disease. For frozen pizza, though, I stick with the Costco gluten-free cheese pizza.
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Yes! We are not GF but we try to limit white flour, and the brown rice and quinoa pastas are staples in our house. They're pretty good, though I find they get dry and gluey if I cook the whole bag and refrigerate what I don't eat. The sweet chili crackers are pretty good too. Haven't tried the black sesame ones, but I'm going later today and may pick some up on your recommendation!
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Just went to Aldi today - Man, I love that place. What's particularly impressive is how fast they can go through your groceries at the checkout line without the need to pack the bags. Wow, they are impressive.
I've been keeping a price per unit spreadsheet lately and Aldi wins vs TJs, Walmart, and Kroger most of the time.
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This morning’s Aldi flier is advertising avocados for $0.35 each this week. Excuse me while I make an extra trip to stock up...
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I went to the nicer Aldi near me (which, oddly, is in a worse neighborhood - go figure!) and finally found some of the 80s cheese. Girls Just Want to Have Fontina. The label has a cow dressed like Cyndi Lauper on it. The cheese is good, nothing special, but it makes me laugh. (Realizing now that I didn't make a note of the price; oh well.)
Also got a large thing of blueberries for $1.39. They probably taste like sand as they are out of season. I guess I'll find out; if they're terrible then I'll just stick them in oatmeal or muffins or something.
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I got blueberries yesterday, and they were delicious!
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$.49 avocados today, stocked up on 6
They have had cheap avocados this winter, and they are PHENOMENAL! We've been eating a ton of avocado toast, guacamole, and adding them sliced to cold cut sandwiches.
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I got blueberries yesterday, and they were delicious!
Yeah, I had some today and they are not bad, considering they're not in season!
I have never had luck with Aldi avocadoes, though. They go right from hard as a rock to mushy and brown and gross with no good-to-eat stage in between.
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Dang, that sucks.
Admittedly the "perfect" window only seems to last ~48 hours from my experience. We check them 2-3 days after purchase and that's been the sweet spot for us. I've only gotten a few brown ones among the 100's we've bought there since the summer.
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Yeah, Aldi produce and meat quality definitely varies by region. Most stores in my area have good produce and meat (the closest one is usually great for both), but I’ve heard complaints from people who live in other areas. Store management also makes a difference; there’s one Aldi in a 5-mile radius of my house that doesn’t have decent produce, and the meat case had an odd smell. Needless to say, I don’t shop there.
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The Aldi stores in my area have frozen bay scallops for $4.99 per lb. this week. The ones I bought for tonight’s dinner were great, so I think I’m going to stock up.
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I'm eagerly waiting for the organic potting soil to show up at my Aldi. It's still pretty early here though since it is still freaking cold. $4 per big bag, and my plants did well in it. Should've bought more; I don't have a car so I stuffed my granny cart full of a few bags, walked it home, went back, and poof, all gone.
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The Aldi stores in my area have frozen bay scallops for $4.99 per lb. this week. The ones I bought for tonight’s dinner were great, so I think I’m going to stock up.
How did you prepare them?
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The Aldi stores in my area have frozen bay scallops for $4.99 per lb. this week. The ones I bought for tonight’s dinner were great, so I think I’m going to stock up.
How did you prepare them?
I used this recipe (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/221266/bay-scallops-with-garlic-parsley-butter-sauce/), although I added the heavy cream (see note at the end of the recipe) and some parmesan cheese because husband had made a comment about wanting alfredo sauce. If you add the cream, I'd strongly suggest reducing in in a saucepan with the wine before adding it to the skillet because the skillet cook times weren't long enough (too much risk of overcooking the scallops). Next time I'll probably just make it as written.
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Our local store has been routinely scanning honey crisp apples as McIntosh apples at $0.99/lb. The honey crisps are $2.50/lb :-)
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The Aldi stores in my area have frozen bay scallops for $4.99 per lb. this week. The ones I bought for tonight’s dinner were great, so I think I’m going to stock up.
How did you prepare them?
I used this recipe (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/221266/bay-scallops-with-garlic-parsley-butter-sauce/), although I added the heavy cream (see note at the end of the recipe) and some parmesan cheese because husband had made a comment about wanting alfredo sauce. If you add the cream, I'd strongly suggest reducing in in a saucepan with the wine before adding it to the skillet because the skillet cook times weren't long enough (too much risk of overcooking the scallops). Next time I'll probably just make it as written.
That looks amazing. Thanks!
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We just gotta brand new Aldi in a strip mall. It’s nice and larger than the other two freestanding locations not too far away. I can drive to all three within 30 minutes.
The town I’d like to relocate to someday just got their first one, now if they’d just get an ikea I’d be set.
My son lives in Lubbock, he has a Costco which is great but an Aldi would be nice for pantry items.
I still only buy my meats from Costco. Produce is a hit or miss but I just plan to eat it ASAP and that seems to work.