DB in NJ Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 What's good? What is worth getting elsewhere for more money? What do I need to bring with me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 What's good? What is worth getting elsewhere for more money? What do I need to bring with me? :lol: You need special equipment to shop at Aldi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I don't know about what is good/bad, but I do know you need to bring your own bags/boxes and a quarter to get a cart (you'll get it back when you return your cart). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) :lol: You need special equipment to shop at Aldi? Umm...apparently you do. See Kristin's and Jennifer's helpful responses :) Edited October 9, 2012 by DB in NJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Bring a quarter for the cart. Once inside, enjoy the cheap prices!!! I usually go there for our "snack" items. Chips, salsa, cheese, crackers, watermelon. I tried their fish once and found it, well, yucky!!! But, my sister likes it. Maybe it's changed. I dunno. But, I'm willing to skip it and pay more for something better. Let me know if you find something has changed. Oh yeah - bring your own bags. If you forget, you can pay 10 cents each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 I don't know about what is good/bad, but I do know you need to bring your own bags/boxes and a quarter to get a cart (you'll get it back when you return your cart). Ok thank you! btw, dh is from Burlington, Iowa. Small world! Hope you're feeling better, too :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I went there for the first time on Saturday after moving to the other side of the country and hearing people on here rave about it. I went in, looked around, and left totally unimpressed. There was hardly anything in there I regularly buy and since I'd just come from an international market, the things I would buy seemed expensive. But I may just be weird because I did the same thing the only time I went in a Trader Joe's store. I'm still looking for something to replace Winco. Aldis isn't it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I love Aldi! They have a lot of products imported directly from Europe, and they have great seasonal items as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Your own bags or you can be prepared to purchase bags from them. They are cheap and you can reuse them. $0.25 refunded for cart rental. I will list all we've tried and liked before our gluten free vegan days and what we still purchase if it fits our specialty diet. Salsa Knock off velveeta Tortilla chips - blue corn, triangle, & rounds Corn chips Popcorn Pretzels Sugar Flour Canola oil Vegetable oil Dried fruits Nuts Knock off cheeze it crackers Round snack crackers Peanut butter Baking powder Baking soda Vanilla extract Seasonings Pickles Relish Mustards Black olives Ketchup Canned beans Canned tomatoes Dry beans Dry rice Corn tortillas Flour tortillas Taco shells Sponges Frozen seafood - Shrimp, Tilapia, & Salmon Potatoes Onions Most produce Ground turkey rolls Pizza Chicken nuggets Frozen juice Frozen corn Frozen California medley French fries Whole chicken Cream of soups Dry gravy mix Ramen style noodles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Are they cash only or do they take credit cards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) cash or debit cards only. Edited October 9, 2012 by Jennifer in MI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclecticschooler Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Debit or cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Losing winco feels like losing a limb. I love that store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didadeewiththree Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I used to love Aldi's, but now I am wary because so many of their products seem to be made with genetically modified ingredients. I have been doing too much research! Here's a list of ingredients to stay away from there, and everywhere... http://wholefoodsmarket.com/about-our-products/quality-standards/unacceptable-ingredients-food http://truefoodnow.org/shoppers-guide/supermarkets-and-ge-foods/ Just some food for thought:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpoy85 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 They take foodstamps too ;) I like them for Boxed and Canned goods but thats about it ONLY because i feel like the selection of meats/veggies/etc is not as good as Save A Lot or IGA. I prefer Save A Lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I *think* they are owned by the same company as Trader Joe's? We buy almost all of our produce there, all canned stuff, and all dairy. Their meat is not that great of a deal, although they did have chicken breasts for $1.69 last week. In the summer I buy tons of seasonal fruit and freeze it, their peaches were so good this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teeniebeenie6 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I like them for canned goods, specialty cheeses, chocolate (when I could eat it), milk (ours is hormone free). I stay away from their eggs because I've heard of more then one person getting sick from them. Before I became allergic to wheat I adored their single serving frozen chicken breasts stuffed with broccoli and cheese. Mmmm. Not sure what they are called. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Aldi has become my new weekly shopping place. I can fill up a whole cart of stuff and pay less than $100 where in a standard supermarket here I'd pay $200. I find the quality of the food excellent. I bring a bunch of my own bags, a quarter for the cart, and they only take cash or debit cards. Here's my main Aldi list: Almonds Cashews Pistachios Cereal Black tea Green tea Butter Milk 1/2 & 1/2 Cottage cheese Vanilla yogurt Vinaigrette Apples, oranges, grapes, melons, bananas Frozen veg (broccoli, string beans, corn) Drink mix powder Frozen blueberries, peaches, strawberries Romaine hearts Bag of spinach Mixed greens Tomatoes Celery Whole-grain crackers Pita chips Onions Peppers Baby carrots Whole wheat bread Muenster cheese Tuna Canned chicken Avocados Olive oil Deodorant Sponges Toilet Paper Napkins Coffee Bag of chicken cutlets 2 bags of fish Bag of shrimp We also go to 2 other supermarkets each week (quick trips) for meat, good bread, and cold cuts and I go to Costco once a month for eggs, vitamins, and most non-food items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyrobynne Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Every time I go to Aldi, I leave amazed at how much I got for so little. And the cashiers are freakishly quick, yet still friendly. It's small enough that bringing my children isn't a painful experience. I used to do the double-coupon-plus-sales thing at our area grocery stores and spent hours weekly figuring it out and now it's cheaper and faster. I would say that Aldi is now my primary grocery store, however I obtain food via the following: Beef from a local farmer Most other meat from my local butchershop Trader Joes: organic milk, organic yogurt, some cereal, produce if we need it, and whatever the free samples entice me to buy Bimonthly organic dry goods that get shipped to my house: all nuts, dried fruit, flours, some other odds and ends Bimonthly Frontier order: all paper products, cleaning supplies, coffee, vitamins Produce co-op: most produce I also can jam, all tomato products, a lot of fruit, applesauce, beans, and pickles from my garden and the farmers' market and I have backyard chickens for eggs. That leaves pasta, some canned vegetables, frozen vegetables and fruit, cheeses, milk and yogurt if we're desperate, bread, ice cream, occasional meat, peanut butter, and some snacks for Aldi. Aldi offers some natural/organic options such as peanut butter and now cheese but not tons. I buy the stuff there that I either don't care whether it's organic or am unwilling to pay double the price to obtain the organic version. For something like yogurt, a 6 oz generic label cup costs 39 cents, I think, at Aldi. If I'm at our standard grocery store, I'd get Yoplait or Dannon where they usually cost 79 cents but often can be obtained for about 50 cents on sale or with a coupon. It doesn't occur to me to get the 50 cent generic yogurt at the standard grocery store. But all of those taste blah to me compared to the full-fat yogurt at Trader Joe's, which is $3.00 for a 6 pack of 4 oz cups. My kids will grab a yogurt twice a day if I don't stop them and I'm fine with the smaller cups. They won't have more cups if the cups are smaller. So my preference is to get the TJ 50 cent yogurts made with actual sugar and fat if I can get to the store. But if that isn't feasible, paying less at Aldi is my 2nd choice. If you don't have bags (or forget them like I did today), it's usually possible to use empty product boxes left around the store. I'll leave the 2 last boxes of cereal on the stack and nab the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Maybe I'm the odd person out, but I went into an Aldi exactly once, and was extremely unimpressed. It looked very no-frills, and there were almost no name brands sold there whatsoever. It seemed very cut-rate and my dh even said, "Why would anyone shop here?" Maybe other Aldi stores are nicer than the one we visited -- I was expecting a large, nice store, and this place was TINY for a grocery store, and although it was clean, I was hesitant to buy off-brand food. I didn't pay much attention to the produce or dairy, though, so I can't comment on those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 The reason to go is that they are small and carry off brands most of the time. That is why it is cheaper. No frills means lower costs. The milk is hormone free. I get veggies and fruits, ground beef, ground chicken, I got a wonderful and super cheap Brisket! ($5!!!! And it was enough for two meals for 4 and then some.) Crackers, canned beans, frozen fruit....we eat fewer premade meals when we shop there, more homemade dinners because the fresh stuff is so cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Maybe I'm the odd person out, but I went into an Aldi exactly once, and was extremely unimpressed. It looked very no-frills, and there were almost no name brands sold there whatsoever. It seemed very cut-rate and my dh even said, "Why would anyone shop here?" Maybe other Aldi stores are nicer than the one we visited -- I was expecting a large, nice store, and this place was TINY for a grocery store, and although it was clean, I was hesitant to buy off-brand food. I didn't pay much attention to the produce or dairy, though, so I can't comment on those. The bolded part is sort of the point of Aldi. It is definitely no frills...you have to bring a quarter just to use a cart :lol: which you will get back if you return the cart (so they don't have to have someone from the staff do it). You also have to bring your own bags or buy some there. In addition they do not take coupons or credit cards (cash or debit cards only). And it is smaller than a regular grocery store because they have a small inventory. But they do have many inexpensive options when you are on a budget. Most of the stuff is their own label, although they will usually have some name brand items at a discount, things that didn't sell elsewhere or was just overbought. We have a list of staples that we buy there, and then fill in with things at TJs and the regular grocery. It would be hard to do all shopping there, as the inventory rotates depending on what they get and they just don't have everything you would need there. Sometimes the produce is amazing and super cheap, other times, eh. Milk is cheap (not organic of course, but we had to cut that out a couple years ago due to cost) and most of the other dairy products are a good deal, too. I also buy cereal, crackers, snacks, pasta, things like that. It is similar to what I would be buying at the regular grocery (I don't buy all natural or organic for these things) at more than half the cost. I also buy a lot of frozen items (veggies, fruits mostly) and sometimes meat when it is on sale (a couple of weeks ago the extra lean ground beef was super cheap so I stocked up). Like someone else mentioned, it is easier to shop at Aldi then to spend a lot of time trying to find coupons and sales at other stores to get similar prices. I really don't care if my items are name brand. I almost always buy generic because that is what our budget allows. It may seem weird the first time you go in the store, but now I don't even notice that everything is in boxes and it isn't "fancy". Totally worth it to me to save the money. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durriyyah Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I would love it if I could shop at just one store because I just don't have time to go to multiple stores every other week, so I go on and off with shopping at Aldi. We watch for MSG, aspertame, high fructose corn syrup, shellac (yes, what you use for wood... Check off brand of m&m's, or anything a little crunchy and a bit of shine like sprinkles), food coloring, etc. Plus, various people in our family are Gluten free, dairy free, nut free, no bananas, or other mold/fungus type foods. Trying to avoid these things makes shopping at Aldi not as quick and easy as it aims to be. Still, typically their produce is pretty good (though we buy some things always organic), their pastas and dried beans are fine, and I get frozen veggies from there also. Dh likes some junk cereals, so I'll get him a box from Aldi so he doesn't buy it full price from the main supermarket. We are trying their almond and soy milk to see what we think because it is half the price of the supermarket. They really have the best prices you can find anywhere. Sometimes when we need it, I just suck it up and choose not to look at the labels because we just need to save the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) The bolded part is sort of the point of Aldi. It is definitely no frills...you have to bring a quarter just to use a cart :lol: which you will get back if you return the cart (so they don't have to have someone from the staff do it). You also have to bring your own bags or buy some there. In addition they do not take coupons or credit cards (cash or debit cards only). And it is smaller than a regular grocery store because they have a small inventory. But they do have many inexpensive options when you are on a budget. Most of the stuff is their own label, although they will usually have some name brand items at a discount, things that didn't sell elsewhere or was just overbought. We have a list of staples that we buy there, and then fill in with things at TJs and the regular grocery. It would be hard to do all shopping there, as the inventory rotates depending on what they get and they just don't have everything you would need there. Sometimes the produce is amazing and super cheap, other times, eh. Milk is cheap (not organic of course, but we had to cut that out a couple years ago due to cost) and most of the other dairy products are a good deal, too. I also buy cereal, crackers, snacks, pasta, things like that. It is similar to what I would be buying at the regular grocery (I don't buy all natural or organic for these things) at more than half the cost. I also buy a lot of frozen items (veggies, fruits mostly) and sometimes meat when it is on sale (a couple of weeks ago the extra lean ground beef was super cheap so I stocked up). Like someone else mentioned, it is easier to shop at Aldi then to spend a lot of time trying to find coupons and sales at other stores to get similar prices. I really don't care if my items are name brand. I almost always buy generic because that is what our budget allows. It may seem weird the first time you go in the store, but now I don't even notice that everything is in boxes and it isn't "fancy". Totally worth it to me to save the money. :) I don't use coupons or look for sales on food, and I have certain brands I always buy, so I guess that's why my dh and I were so leery of Aldi. It seemed so... plain or something. I can't quite come up with the word I'm looking for, because no-frills doesn't quite cover it. Who knew I was a grocery snob? :D I know it's probably stupid to only buy certain brands, because when there are big food recalls, there are just as many name brands as off-brands on the lists, but it would just feel sort of weird for me to buy discount generic food, unless I was with someone who regularly bought the stuff and could tell me which things were worth getting. I am not a grocery risk-taker. I am a food wimp. I did buy one thing when I was in there, though -- I needed to take some medicine for a headache and I couldn't take it on an empty stomach, so I bought a box of saltines for 89 cents, which I considered to be suspiciously cheap, since I usually pay close to $4.00 a box for our regular brand -- and come to think of it, those saltines from Aldi were GOOD. :) I remember that my dh was laughing at me for buying the saltines. "Picked the safest possible thing, didn't you?" he said. (Personally, I think he was just hoping I'd pick some cookies or something he would have liked, but he wouldn't admit it!) Edited October 9, 2012 by Catwoman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpoy85 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 so I bought a box of saltines for 89 cents, which I considered to be suspiciously cheap, since I usually pay close to $4.00 a box for our regular brand $4 a BOX! :eek: Thats so expensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 $4 a BOX! :eek: Thats so expensive! Tell me about it. :glare: I didn't know any better until I saw the 89 cent box at Aldi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Well, it's the only place I shop so I guess we find everything ok :lol:. Here it is cheaper than Walmart which is my only other close choice. I can feed our family for $150 ish a week there. (budget varies since I stock up some weeks, etc). Our Aldi prices whatever product is on sale at the other store at the same level so I don't need to stress that I'm missing a deal. I was told prices at various Aldis varies by area and what other local stores are pricing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) Maybe I'm the odd person out, but I went into an Aldi exactly once, and was extremely unimpressed. It looked very no-frills, and there were almost no name brands sold there whatsoever. It seemed very cut-rate and my dh even said, "Why would anyone shop here?" Because some of us couldn't care less about the name on a box? Honestly, I almost never buy name brand anything, anyway, no matter where I shop. Why would I pay more because some corportation has slapped a label on something? I love Aldi for staples like nuts, frozen fruit, oil, baking soda, pasta, tomato paste, etc. They usually have nice fruits and veggies for much less than I pay anywhere else, too. (Sometimes, not. Every now and then I'll hit on a bad day.) I don't buy meat or much dairy (just cheddar for my husband). So, I can't speak to that. And I buy few packaged goods. But the snack things we've tried have been good, too, and so much less expensive! Edit: I also think it's misleading to call Aldi's stuff "off brands." They package their own lines of foods. I saw a piece about their test kitchens on the CBS Sunday news show not long ago. And Kristen from the Frugal Girl blog has written quite a bit about Aldi: http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2011/10/my-aldi-trip-part-deux/ http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2011/10/an-aldi-qa/ Edited October 9, 2012 by Jenny in Florida Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I can't afford to be picky so I love Aldi! In fact I'm going there today. I buy most everything there. They have the best animal crackers EVER! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I know it's probably stupid to only buy certain brands, because when there are big food recalls, there are just as many name brands as off-brands on the lists, but it would just feel sort of weird for me to buy discount generic food, unless I was with someone who regularly bought the stuff and could tell me which things were worth getting. Well, just to muddy the waters for you even more: Pretty much all of the generics and store brands you see in regular grocery retailers are actually manufactured and packaged in the exact same processing facilities, using the same ingredients as the name brands. Sometimes, they literally put a different label on the package. Honestly, I've bought generics and store brands my entire adult life (going on three decades) and never had an issue of any kind. It feels insane to me to pay more for an item because it has a different label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Oh yeah - bring your own bags. If you forget, you can pay 10 cents each. I don't bother with that, usually, I just take their boxes. I shop there because it's cheap and a small store. I went through a period a couple years ago when the giant stores were overwhelming me. Aldi felt cozy! I don't by some of their stuff because it has too many chemicals or high fructose corn syrup or whatever (like jam, applesauce, peanut butter, even the yogurt all has gelatin), but I have bought their milk, cream cheese, baking stuff (flour, chocolate chips), some crackers, ice cream bars (the little small ones with like coconut and mango are *really* good), and canned pumpkin. Their cereal is generally waaaay too sugary. They have very low prices on baking goods in the fall (the only time of year when regular people seem to bake). I don't buy their bakery items or meat/seafood, and I haven't bought much of their produce because I have even cheaper places I go for that. :lol: It is totally the sort of place some people will sniff at. It is very no frills. It is sort of like a regular food store version of Trader Joe's, with a warehouse environment. Lots of prepared food, store brand/random brand, very limited choices (one type of pudding in two flavors, two kinds of chocolate chips, one kind of flour, a couple kinds of jam, etc). It is also a bit like Sam's Club or Big Lots or something in that the merchandise changes. I've gone back looking for something I liked, and they no longer have it. The good thing about their stuff is that it has a guarantee. The bad news is that it is waaaay across town from where I live. I had a pack of cream cheese that hadn't been sealed correctly and got moldy but I never bothered to return it. Oh well. 89c down the drain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I don't use coupons or look for sales on food, and I have certain brands I always buy, so I guess that's why my dh and I were so leery of Aldi. It seemed so... plain or something. I can't quite come up with the word I'm looking for, because no-frills doesn't quite cover it. Who knew I was a grocery snob? :D I know it's probably stupid to only buy certain brands, because when there are big food recalls, there are just as many name brands as off-brands on the lists, but it would just feel sort of weird for me to buy discount generic food, unless I was with someone who regularly bought the stuff and could tell me which things were worth getting. I am not a grocery risk-taker. I am a food wimp. I did buy one thing when I was in there, though -- I needed to take some medicine for a headache and I couldn't take it on an empty stomach, so I bought a box of saltines for 89 cents, which I considered to be suspiciously cheap, since I usually pay close to $4.00 a box for our regular brand -- and come to think of it, those saltines from Aldi were GOOD. :) I remember that my dh was laughing at me for buying the saltines. "Picked the safest possible thing, didn't you?" he said. (Personally, I think he was just hoping I'd pick some cookies or something he would have liked, but he wouldn't admit it!) Well, apparently I'm a food snob too. I went once and I also was not impressed. I looked at labels because I have to since Dd has multiple food allergies. I remember that I was turned off after looking at them, but I can't remember why. I also remember thinking that some of their deals weren't all that great, but maybe I am not remembering correctly or maybe I was looking at specific items. This thread is making me think about trying another Aldi trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Bring a quarter for your shopping cart (I keep one in the van for Aldi's) and plenty of bags to bag up your groceries. We love Aldi's! We buy as much as we can from Aldi's. I can pack three large, cloth grocery bags for about $30! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I also find Aldi most useful as a stocking up destination. I go and get a bunch of various things, and then return in about 4 months. I forgot to say, I've also tried their shampoo, body wash, and paper goods (toilet paper, paper towels, tissues). Their lipstick was horrible! But it only cost $1. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Big Aldi Family here. Yes, it took awhile for me to switch from Miracle Whip & Heinz to their whipped salad dressing & ketchup . . . but I've saved THOUSANDS of dollars. Also, I have never once lost any of my 5 children (in the store), and we've been shopping there for 18 years. There are only 4 aisles! Only one kind of ketchup to choose from! I spend $300 there once every 3 weeks, and it only takes about 30 minutes to get through the whole process. Yes, we've had some food we disliked. They cheerfully refund AND replace it. I guess I just read so many WTM threads about folks needing to squeeze more money from their budget, and beginning to shop at Aldi is really a logical solution. At first, we mixed the generic ketchup with the Heinz ketchup (half-and-half) until we realized it really wasn't that big of a deal. And it cost less than half the name brand. Everyone's grocery situation is radically different. But Aldi really has helped MILLIONS of families with budget contraints. Also, we just drive the cart out to the van and load the food directly into Rubbermaid boxes (& coolers) in the back of the van. Consider it an adventure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I am in the not impressed club. We don't eat a lot of processed food and that is mainly what ours is. I can go to the local farmer and get my produce cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I guess for me, Aldi wouldn't help much with saving money. To save money we've had to cut out almost all packaged foods, whether they're name brand or not. We just don't buy crackers or mayonnaise or cans of anything except tomato paste. I shop in bulk to cut down on food prices. So when I went into Aldi last week, I wasn't impressed when I saw mostly packaged foods and small sizes of things like sugar. It doesn't really do what I need it to do to help me save money. The east coast needs a store with a decent, inexpensive bulk section. Or I need to find it. Maybe it exists. What I need help with is produce and since I don't have an Aldi in my town, I'm better off shopping for produce at an international market that I have to drive to anyway because it's cheaper and there's a wider selection than Aldi had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Ours isn't that close, but three things I love to buy there are milk (about $1.25 cheaper per gallon--we buy 3 gallons a week, so there's $3.75 saved!) giant chocolate bars for Christmas stockings (bigger than the Cadbury-type, cheap!) dried spices (dirt cheap! I've found ethnic stores are cheaper, too) I pop in when I'm in Woodbridge--that's where we get our cheaper gas, and where the thrift store is that sells books and good furniture. Aldi's also has random non-food items for sale, depending on the season, such as pots and pans, storage items, office supplies, lawn chairs--that sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I would love it if I could shop at just one store because I just don't have time to go to multiple stores every other week, so I go on and off with shopping at Aldi. We watch for MSG, aspertame, high fructose corn syrup, shellac (yes, what you use for wood... Check off brand of m&m's, or anything a little crunchy and a bit of shine like sprinkles), food coloring, etc. They really have the best prices you can find anywhere. Sometimes when we need it, I just suck it up and choose not to look at the labels because we just need to save the money. I wonder if the ingredients mentioned above are what turned me off when I checked out Aldi? I try my best to avoid them and have the brands figured out at our local supermarket ( For example, only one brand of canned tomatoes does NOT have corn syrup added). Does Aldi's food typically have nut warnings and contain a lot of fillers or above ingredients? Does the ground beef contain the pink slime that was all over the news a while back? Just trying to figure out if another trip is worth it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I guess for me, Aldi wouldn't help much with saving money. To save money we've had to cut out almost all packaged foods, whether they're name brand or not. We just don't buy crackers or mayonnaise or cans of anything except tomato paste. I shop in bulk to cut down on food prices. So when I went into Aldi last week, I wasn't impressed when I saw mostly packaged foods and small sizes of things like sugar. It doesn't really do what I need it to do to help me save money. Maybe this is why I wasn't impressed. My memory is getting really bad! The east coast needs a store with a decent, inexpensive bulk section. Or I need to find it. Maybe it exists. What I need help with is produce and since I don't have an Aldi in my town, I'm better off shopping for produce at an international market that I have to drive to anyway because it's cheaper and there's a wider selection than Aldi had. Now I really feel like i need to go again, just so I can figure out why I didn't think it would work for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikdeb Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 We love Aldi. We avoid artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, and preservatives. So we can't buy everything. But we get their semi-sweet chocolate chips (with real vanilla, not vanillin....but cheap anyway!). We get canned veggies, cheese, hummus, we LOVE their refrigerated pizza. We get a lot of non-convenience stuff. The 2 things I can remember that I would not buy again are their chocolate syrup (man that was gross) and their frozen chicken breasts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 We are now a gluten free vegan/vegetarian family and still shop Aldi's. we can't have ANYTHING that has even been processed in a facility with wheat or milk..so most of what we use to purchase we can't now. We also stay away from FD&C colors, BHT & BHA...and we don't get anything with questionable ingredients. If we don't know what it is, we don't get it. Simple as that. As gluten free vegans we still purchase from Aldi's Salsa Blue corn chips Round tortilla chips Corn tortillas Corn taco shells Dry beans Produce Frozen vegetables Frozen juices Canned goods Spices/seasonings Black olives Ketchup - their ketchup has the SAME ingredients as Whole Foods brand EXCEPT whole foods brand is processed in a facility with wheat & milk! Seafood - for my vegetarian dh & kids Eggs - for my vegetarian dh & kids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I wasn't impressed when I saw mostly packaged foods and small sizes of things like sugar. Their bulk foods are nothing impressive, I agree, but mine has white sugar and flour in 5 lb bags, and brown sugar in 1 or 2 lb bags (I forgot), but the sizes normal stores usually stock. I've never seen tiny containers of anything much in mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 #1 reason to shop at Aldi Holiday Chocolates! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 We have tried Aldi a few times but always leave unimpressed. The one time I bought something I really liked, they didn't have a week later. We do a lot of our shopping at bulk stores (Sam's/Costco), so many times prices even out (or get really close!) per oz or whatever. Even milk at Sam's is the same price as at Aldi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southcarolinamom Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 We love our Aldi in Greenville! Especially at Christmastime - I stock up on ground ginger, 5-6 jars to last throughout the year. Their spices are about $1 a jar. Our grocery bill is much cheaper at Aldi's, compared to Walmart or Bi-lo. Aldi's does not accept manufacturer's coupons. ** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Their bulk foods are nothing impressive, I agree, but mine has white sugar and flour in 5 lb bags, and brown sugar in 1 or 2 lb bags (I forgot), but the sizes normal stores usually stock. I've never seen tiny containers of anything much in mine. 5 pounds of sugar is small to me. ;) I'm weird, I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 5 pounds of sugar is small to me. ;) I'm weird, I know. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Well, just to muddy the waters for you even more: Pretty much all of the generics and store brands you see in regular grocery retailers are actually manufactured and packaged in the exact same processing facilities, using the same ingredients as the name brands. Sometimes, they literally put a different label on the package. It's true that many of the generics are made by the same manufacturers as the name brand products, but it's also true that they are often using lesser quality ingredients, like a lower grade of vegetables in the canned vegetables, or fewer raisins in the cereal, or fewer chocolate chips in the cookies. I'm not saying it's not OK to eat the generic stuff, but I am saying that they are not all the same quality as the name brand products. I guess it's a trial and error thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 It's true that many of the generics are made by the same manufacturers as the name brand products, but it's also true that they are often using lesser quality ingredients, like a lower grade of vegetables in the canned vegetables, or fewer raisins in the cereal, or fewer chocolate chips in the cookies. I don't like Aldi's cereals, almost without exception. They are very sugary. Bleh. They also have only one type of applesauce, and it is (surprise) high fructose corn syrup-sweetened. I like unsweetened. So I don't buy a lot of this sort of stuff. I bake my own baked goods. I haven't noticed anything weird about their brown sugar or powdered sugar, but then I don't always buy Domino's brand sugar, I do buy the store brand a good amount of time. Their salt also seems unremarkably normal. I also think for what it's worth, many people like Trader Joe's stuff, and it's all their "store brand." (That is why my mom doesn't like TJ's very much.) I find Aldi is a sort of seasonal shopping destination for me, rather than a weekly one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.