Author Topic: Shopping at Aldi's  (Read 165647 times)

MrsW

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 10
Shopping at Aldi's
« on: August 11, 2015, 09:15:16 AM »
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!

Basenji

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1031
  • Location: D.C.-ish
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2015, 09:24:57 AM »
Following because an Aldi is reportedly coming close to us...

MrsPete

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3505
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2015, 09:38:16 AM »
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




Random Hangers

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 128
  • Location: FL
  • I'm Christine, nice to meetcha
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2015, 09:40:26 AM »
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.

wienerdog

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 587
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2015, 09:57:48 AM »
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.

katesilvergirl

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 45
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2015, 09:58:42 AM »
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.

teen persuasion

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1226
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2015, 10:26:50 AM »
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.

desk_jockey

  • CM*MW 2023 Attendees
  • Bristles
  • *
  • Posts: 326
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2015, 11:09:49 AM »
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. 

Money Mouse

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 61
  • Location: IL
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2015, 11:21:36 AM »
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!

jackiechiles2

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 124
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2015, 11:43:02 AM »
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.
 

Bourbon

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 253
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2015, 11:51:19 AM »
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. 

Davids

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 977
  • Location: Somewhere in the USA.
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2015, 11:58:50 AM »
I love ALDI. However the one item i do not like from there is their mayo, it has a weird taste.

rubybeth

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1390
  • Location: Midwest
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2015, 12:06:03 PM »
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.

Healthandwealth

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 24
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2015, 12:07:24 PM »
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.

lizzzi

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2150
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #14 on: August 11, 2015, 12:17:39 PM »
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.

brainfart

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 182
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #15 on: August 11, 2015, 01:10:59 PM »
> the restroom is immaculate

American ALDIs have a loo?!?

acroy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1697
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Dallas TX
    • SWAMI
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #16 on: August 11, 2015, 01:14:39 PM »
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 ;)

StacheInAFlash

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 137
  • Location: Midwest
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #17 on: August 11, 2015, 01:15:22 PM »
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!!

Jack

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4725
  • Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #18 on: August 11, 2015, 01:26:45 PM »
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!

Cpa Cat

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1692
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #19 on: August 11, 2015, 01:28:22 PM »
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.

G-dog

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 19201
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #20 on: August 11, 2015, 01:37:41 PM »
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....

teen persuasion

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1226
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #21 on: August 11, 2015, 01:41:07 PM »
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.

velocistar237

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1424
  • Location: Metro Boston
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #22 on: August 11, 2015, 01:48:22 PM »
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/

cashstasherat23

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 244
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #23 on: August 11, 2015, 01:57:54 PM »
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!


MillenialMustache

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 265
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #24 on: August 11, 2015, 01:58:50 PM »
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/

MrsW

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 10
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #25 on: August 11, 2015, 02:12:19 PM »
thanks all!! very helpful

steveo

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1928
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #26 on: August 11, 2015, 03:25:06 PM »
Aldi is where we shop every week. It saves us a tonne of money.

Mrs. Crackin' the Whip

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 30
    • Crackin' The Whip
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #27 on: August 11, 2015, 03:28:46 PM »
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!

katesilvergirl

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 45
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #28 on: August 11, 2015, 03:35:50 PM »
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.

Jack

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4725
  • Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #29 on: August 11, 2015, 03:45:42 PM »
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.

Dee18

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2216
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #30 on: August 11, 2015, 05:00:46 PM »
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.

seattlecyclone

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7262
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Seattle, WA
    • My blog
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #31 on: August 11, 2015, 05:27:46 PM »
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!

fredcanfly

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 11
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #32 on: August 11, 2015, 05:38:51 PM »
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.

MsPeacock

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1571
  • Location: High COL
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #33 on: August 11, 2015, 07:56:20 PM »
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 +++


bsmith

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 166
  • Location: Texas
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #34 on: August 11, 2015, 07:56:46 PM »
Avocados. Canned vegetables.

Thinkum

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 725
  • Location: SoCal
  • Life is Good
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #35 on: August 11, 2015, 07:59:04 PM »
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!

FLA

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 575
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #36 on: August 11, 2015, 08:39:17 PM »
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?

N

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1401
  • Location: Chicago
  • You must change your life. -Rainer Maria Rilke
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #37 on: August 11, 2015, 10:27:19 PM »
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.

JLR

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 503
  • Location: Australia
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #38 on: August 12, 2015, 12:51:11 AM »
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.

Rural

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5051
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #39 on: August 12, 2015, 03:14:57 AM »
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.

kite

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 906
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #40 on: August 12, 2015, 05:12:39 AM »
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. 

dantownehall

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 152
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #41 on: August 12, 2015, 07:02:00 AM »
And their ski gear.

Haha, yeah.  Never know what you'll find when you go in there.  I've definitely bought some Aldi furniture.

charis

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3163
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #42 on: August 12, 2015, 07:23:02 AM »
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.

rubybeth

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1390
  • Location: Midwest
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #43 on: August 12, 2015, 07:25:49 AM »
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.

alsoknownasDean

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2849
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Melbourne, Australia
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #44 on: August 12, 2015, 07:50:30 AM »
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.

Stachetastic

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 769
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #45 on: August 12, 2015, 07:51:12 AM »
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.

ZiziPB

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3417
  • Location: The Other Side
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #46 on: August 12, 2015, 08:59:20 AM »
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.

velocistar237

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1424
  • Location: Metro Boston
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #47 on: August 12, 2015, 09:34:38 AM »
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.

MrsW

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 10
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #48 on: August 12, 2015, 09:49:53 AM »
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!

2Cent

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 745
Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #49 on: August 12, 2015, 09:50:25 AM »
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.