aldi.love

Aldi.  Can I tell you how much I'm in love with Aldi?  It's my newest favorite place to shop.  I've been doing a lot of Aldi talk lately, and I couldn't be more impressed with their business model and products on the whole. 

My main reason for loving Aldi is their prices.  They are so much cheaper than even the big box stores.  Why?  They don't carry everything...just the basics.  No frills.  We are extremely fortunate to have a brand new Aldi near our shopping area, and I believe it was my friend, Stacy, that turned me onto it.  Thank you!!

Like I said, there is nothing fancy about Aldi.  Here are some things that you need to be prepared for when you shop:
1.  Bring a quarter for your shopping cart.  (You'll get it back when you return it, but they don't pay anyone to collect carts in the parking lot.
2.  Bring your own bags.  (I think you can buy them there for 5 cents each if you forget your own.)
3.  You will bag your own groceries.  (This is actually something that I love.  I can't believe how horribly they bag my groceries at the regular grocery store.)
4.  A super-low grocery bill.  (You will be in complete shock when you fill your cart and spend $100 or less.)

Here are some of my favorite things to buy at Aldi (along with a few prices that I can remember...or come close to...off the top of my head):

• nuts
• tortilla chips ($1.19)
• pretzels
• oyster crackers
• graham crackers
• animal crackers ($0.99)
• granola bars ($1.29)
• trail mix bars ($1.59)
• peanut butter (I'm not a fan of the Aldi brand, but my kids don't mind...AND I use it for baking.)
• honey
• cereal (most $1.99 a box or less)
• flour ($1.19 for 5 lbs.)
• sugar
• oil
• brown sugar
• powdered sugar
• chocolate chips
• marshmallows
• raisins
• canned fruit
• apple juice
• canned tomatoes/sauce/paste
• canned veggies
• string cheese
• shredded cheese
• bar cheese
• cream of chicken/mushroom
• sour cream
• cream cheese
• milk ($1.89 per gallon...it was on sale last week for $1.49!  Wow.)
• eggs
• garlic toast
• produce (not the best selection, but they usually have whole Del Monte or Dole pineapples for around $2 each!!)

There are a few things that I've decided that I don't like (tortillas, spaghetti sauce, and their Fit and Active brand (their "healthy" brand) come to mind immediately).  However, I think their products are worth a try, especially if you aren't particular about a certain brand. 

I seriously feel like they're not charging me enough every time I check out!  I try to guess (based on the amount of groceries in my cart) what my final bill will be.  I even try to guess low, and I'm still usually about $10-$20 too high. 

So, when I go grocery shopping, I go to Aldi first.  Then, I hit the other store.  It's brought our grocery bill down immensely.  I think I'm easily saving $0.50 per item (if not more).  I haven't done an actual comparison, but I really would love to (if I had the time and energy). 

Basically, what I'm trying to say is this:  If you haven't at least tried Aldi, please do!!  And report back to me, and we'll be giddy together.  :)