Aldi, how I love thee!
One of the many ways we save in our monthly budget is by shopping at Aldi. They are a smaller chain grocery store, but still offer all the essentials you would expect to find in a typical grocery store. Like all places, I have my rules of “must buys,” which I’ll share below, and Aldi does have a few quirks you should know about before hand. Aldi does NOT accept coupons, and they do NOT price match – they have just everyday crazy good prices.
For example, if you plan on using a grocery cart, you will need to bring a quarter! All of Aldi’s carts are kept chained together (like you see rentable strollers at the mall) and you deposit a quarter to borrow the cart for your shopping trip, then you get the quarter back when you return the cart. Also, you should bring your own reusable shopping bags or plan on paying per bag you need at the store. They offer paper bags for 6 cents each or large plastic bags for 10 cents each. I don’t really mind paying for a couple of the plastic bags because they are nice, oversized bags and I never really need more than 2-3. You also need to know that there are no baggers at Aldi. Once you’ve paid for your groceries, they have a counter where you bag everything yourself. A little inconvenient, but it does keep the checkout line moving and I rarely have more than a handful of things anyway. Most importantly, Aldi does NOT accept credit cards or checks. They are cash, debit or EBT only. You can’t even run your debit card as “credit” there – you have to enter a pin number. So much to remember, but it is worth it! Check out these tips for Aldi first-timers.
If you’re hesitant to try anything from ALDI, just check out their double guarantee. If you aren’t happy with a product, not only will they refund your money, they will also replace the product. I’ve never had to use this feature, since everything I’ve tried there has been great!
Aldi does offer some organic fruits, organic veggies and some organic meats, but the selection is not as large as a traditional store.
Here are a few of my “must buys” from Aldi:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – $2.99 for 16 oz
- Pesto – always $1.49-1.99/jar
- Guacamole – $2.99 a box
- Shredded Cheese – $2.99 for 16oz
- Parmesan Cheese – $1.99 for 8oz
- Organic milk (half gallon) – $1.99-2.49
- Butter $1.99-$2.49 per pound
- Spices – almost any variety .99
- Whole Wheat Bread – $1.99/loaf
Plus many more items that I quit buying at traditional grocery stores altogether because I just cannot beat Aldi’s price or quality. Check them out!
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