Aldi

[Elizabeth86]

I keep seeing this store mentioned as a great way to save money. I had always said, well we don't have one because we didn't. I just checked and our "city" we visit monthly-ish now has has one. So, what are the big money saving items here?

[SparklyUnicorn]

I buy the milk, almond milk, heavy cream, nuts, coffee, eggs, olive oil, butter, half and half, cheese, low carb bars, and some of the produce.

 

I don't find everything I want there, but many of the basics.  I basically go there first and whatever they don't have I get at the regular grocery store. 

[Jaybee]

I get frustrated at the produce and sometimes the meats at ours (as in the quality and sometimes they don't have what I'm looking for). But pretty much any packaged food is cheaper, and in my opinion, comparable in quality. Crackers, cookies, cereals, chips, and so on, in addition to the things Sparkly mentioned.

[regentrude]

Everything at our local Aldi is cheaper than at the other grocery stores.

 

You have the biggest savings when you buy imported cheese; it's about half of what other stores would charge (and a much better selection than what I can get locally)

Also imported Christmas baked goods and sweets from Germany.

 

You find most staples, lots of organics. Fresh produce seems to vary between stores; ours is excellent. Pretty much the only things I buy elsewhere are Thai curry paste, coconut milk, whole wheat flour, tea, certain specific vegetables, a certain kind of yoghurt because we prefer it, and meat (except for Aldi's organic grass fed ground beef, which is cheaper than at any other store in town.)

 

ETA: And I don't buy their eggs; they are dirt cheap (some weeks 29 ct/dozen) but factory farmed.

Edited November 1, 2017 by regentrude

[SparklyUnicorn]

I sometimes get frustrated with the produce too.  If I don't plan to use it immediately or it's not something that can last a long time, I just don't buy it.  I've bought heads of cabbage that were rotten in the middle, fruit that rotted by the next day, etc.  I don't buy fruit at all there anymore. 

 

I do think it is my nearest Aldi though.  There is one further that I go to sometimes, and I have much better results with the produce.  So it could be individual management or something.

 

[foxbridgeacademy]

Veggies are much cheaper at ours compared to all the other stores, you just have to check for freshness, some stores are better than others.  Cheese, eggs, milk, cream, bread are all cheaper.  Plus they have their own brand of specialty items that are better priced then name brands.  Gluten free stuff is well priced too.

 

 

 

[solascriptura]

Pretty much everything is cheaper. I was initially turned off because as soon as you go in, all you see is chips, candy, sugary cereals, cookies, and junk. You need to look carefully and slowly and then you’ll see all the great deals and gems.

[BarbecueMom]

Almost every week I buy (going in order from front of store to end): GF pretzels, peanut butter (natural, but not the peanut+salt health-blob), GF cranberry cashew granola, ketchup (organic), canned pumpkin (seasonal, but so are the meals I use it for), applesauce w/o added sugar, canned tomatoes and paste, dry pinto/black beans, habanero jack cheese, shredded Parmesan, salami (no one here likes any other kind), almond milk, orange juice (only DH drinks it, no idea if it's good or not), coffee creamer (real sugar kind), whole milk plain yogurt, bread, GF bread, and most of our produce except bananas and bell peppers. Those come from Costco.

 

The chocolate almond milk is really good. They have Taco Bell mild sauce a couple times a year at a stock-up price (we go through tons of it, maybe more than ketchup). When they have popcorn kernels, I buy a bunch. They were $1.49 for a 2lb. bag last week. Costco is probably cheaper, but the container is unwieldy. And it's the only place I've ever found gluten free French fried onions. They haven't had them for a couple months but will hopefully be back soon for Thanksgiving. Making onion straws is a PITA (sorry Pioneer Woman). I bought a bunch of arborio rice for $2 per jar there too (marked down and discontinued special buy). It's like $7 a jar at the regular store.

 

I'm sure it drives some people nuts, but I love that non-staple things are limited time only. I love going in every week and seeing what cool new or weird stuff they have. Last week they had hot and Italian seasoned ground sausage as a special buy. I bought one of each, and I'm going to combine them tonight for Zuppa Toscana soup. I'd rather find it once in a blue moon at Aldi and pay $3 than spend $6.50 a pound but buy it whenever I want.

[Guest]

Everything is so cheap there it is staggering. I agree about the produce; hit or miss. I have bought a bag of excellent oranges in season, but I have also bought onions that were half rotten.

 

It’s great for condiments, pastas, gf things. Milk is so dirt cheap. Things like pickles, olives, salsa. I did not like the paper towels. Some of the knock-off cookies and cereals were not tasty at all.

[happypamama]

All the basic condiments, snack foods, baking goods, pastas, cheese, cream, etc. Saving ten to fifty cents per item adds up.

 

I love their cheese selections, especially this time of year. They also have other imported and specialty foods like pasta sauces and such which rotate and are fun. I LOVE their Indian-style simmer sauces.

 

Meats — varies. I buy some there.

 

Produce — deals are usually really good. Strawberries go moldy quickly.

[popmom]

In addition to the above, I get the big bag of frozen tilapia fillets and gulf shrimp (but those are small bags). My Aldi must be a good one. I get great produce there. Except bananas. They are usually too ripe. 

 

The little containers of Little Salad Bar chipotle chicken salad are yummy. :) not the healthiest choice, but yummy.

[Chris in VA]

I buy the milk, almond milk, heavy cream, nuts, coffee, eggs, olive oil, butter, half and half, cheese, low carb bars, and some of the produce.

 

I don't find everything I want there, but many of the basics.  I basically go there first and whatever they don't have I get at the regular grocery store. 

That's exactly what I do. 

 

Aldi milk is 99cents a gallon, eggs are about 45 cents a dozen (but we get organic--and they are still 2 dollars less than at our grocery store), cheese is less, produce is less....

[Garga]

Most of the food there is their own brand, so don't go in expecting to see brands you've seen before. But their brand is really good. I tell people it's like you don't go to McDonalds and ask for a Whopper. At Aldi, you buy Aldi food.

 

Everything at Aldi is cheaper than my Walmart. Everything. Sometimes by a few pennies, and sometimes by near a dollar or more. If you're buying the week's groceries, it adds up.

 

Note: Aldi doesn't have everything you'd find in a regular grocery store. When I shop there, I get what they have there first, then I have to pop over to Walmart and finish up (they're in the same lot where I am.).

 

I first went in there and thought it was a dinky looking store with weird food, but that's sort of the point. They keep the store small, have a limited supply, and use their own brand for almost everything.

 

There have been a couple of misses with their version of certain cereals, but other than that, I've not noticed anything tasting much different from the brands I bought before I went to Aldi. I wish I'd started going sooner, as I save a ton of money there.

[6packofun]

I like to go into Aldi and just be surprised.  LOL  We do get some regular things every time I go and I also like to get some convenience/snacky type items that are cheap enough that I feel less guilty about it.  lol  (Turkey sausage sticks, beef jerky, fruit cups with or without jello, trail mix, etc.)

 

Check EVERY freezer, by the way!  Ours has a couple freezer units for specialty, once in a blue moon things that can be really yummy!

[duckabell]

I do 90-95% of my shopping at Aldis. Things we buy often include:

 

• Snacks: Pretzels, cheese crackers, peanut butter, jelly, almonds, granola bars, cereal bars
• Dairy/Deli: Milk, almond milk, grated cheese, cheese blocks, hummus, lunch meat
• Meat: Sausage, kielbasa, turkey bacon, ground beef, chicken
• Produce: Apples, grapes, bananas, lettuce, peppers, cilantro, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon (in season), potatoes, onions, etc
• Canned: Unsweetened applesauce, green beans, corn, canned beans, salsa, tomatoes
• Cereal: Generic honey nut oats, raisin bran, frosted flakes
• Baking: Canned pumpkin, chocolate chips, brownie mix, flour, sugar, spices, etc
• Paper: Toilet paper, paper towels, baby wipes (so much cheaper than other places), disinfectant wipes
• Freezer: Frozen blueberries and strawberries, frozen vegetables, frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, ravioli
• Other: Tortillas, tortillas chips, bottled water, bread

There's other stuff that we usually get as well. I love Aldis because I'm in and out very quickly because it's small and I know exactly where everything is. For the most part our produce is good, but some of the stuff you do need to eat quickly.

 

A few things we haven't liked at Aldis are: chicken nuggets (only one of my kids will eat it), soy sauce (they changed the recipe), green beans,

 

There are some specialty items I can't get at Aldis or they don't have exactly what I'm looking for like sunbutter, chicken base, diced green chilis, green enchilada sauce, stir fry vegetables mix, etc. But for the most part I hit Aldis every week (sometimes twice a week) and go to another store a couple of times a month.

[SamanthaCarter]

We've not been impressed with cookies ad crackers and such, to the point where if it says Benton or Millville on it, my kids won't touch it. I found that the fivedoolars or so I save is eaten up in impulse buys. Not worth the extra errand.

 

 

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[Element]

The frozen fruits and bagged leafy greens are cheaper than anywhere else I've seen. Produce is cheap, but you have to be willing to buy whatever they have. (You can't get a spaghetti squash in May, and you can never just buy one zucchini. Most of the produce is pre-bagged.) I particularly look for their gluten-free baking mixes, prunes & dried fruits, chips, almond milk, vanilla extract, tuna, meat, bagged frozen shrimp, fruit leather strips, knockoff Larabars, granola, and half the stuff in the "OH MY, I didn't realize I needed this random item" aisle. 

[Element]

 

 

There are some specialty items I can't get at Aldis or they don't have exactly what I'm looking for like sunbutter,

 Right? Come on, ALDI. It's awesome and I'm tired of paying $6 at Kroger for it. 

[BarbecueMom]

Oh, and whatever you do, do not buy the bars of dark chocolate in the red packaging right there by the entrance. Because they make excellent rewards for getting through bad days. And suddenly every day is a bad day, then you have a second chunk because it's an extra bad day. And extra bad days become the new normal days, but it's okay because more chocolate...

 

Then you remember you aren't supposed to eat chocolate because of reflux and your DH asks why you are looking so pale and you try to lie but you have chocolate on the corner of your mouth... it's just best not to buy them at all.

[Crimson Wife]

There is an Aldi’s by my parents’ home and I really don’t get the hype. What is the point of going if it is totally hit-or-miss whether you will actually find what you are looking for? It is the same reason I hardly ever shop at Grocery Outlet where I live. Having to go to multiple stores makes it not worth the price savings

 

 

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[Garga]

There is an Aldi’s by my parents’ home and I really don’t get the hype. What is the point of going if it is totally hit-or-miss whether you will actually find what you are looking for? It is the same reason I hardly ever shop at Grocery Outlet where I live. Having to go to multiple stores makes it not worth the price savings

 

 

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It's not hit or miss for me.  Aldi simply doesn't stock as much variety.  What that means is that I know I can always get the stuff I get at Aldi, but I will have to pop over to Walmart for the things Aldi doesn't stock. 

 

I will *always* be able to get my flour, my sugar, my chips, my beef, my chicken, my veggies, my cheese, my eggs, my milk, my pasta, etc, etc.   A solid 80% of my grocery items are from Aldi.

 

But I will not be able to get my green enchilada sauce or my Capt Crunch or the only taco sauce my son will eat or the whipped yogurts we like for desserts.   That's the 20%.  

 

Once in a while Aldi has some sort of special item for a limited time and maybe more people buy those and then are sad when they can't get them again, but I tend to stick with the same list every time I go and it's rare that I head to Aldi for something on my list and it's not there.

 

You may still not want to have to pop over to another store for the odds and ends that aren't at Aldi, but the savings makes it worth it to me.  It's a LOT of savings.  

 

ETA:  I didn't used to get the hype either until I created a list at Walmart of every single item I normally buy and wrote down the price.  Then another day I headed to Aldi and wrote down the Aldi price for the same items.  The savings is well into the double digits for me on a week's worth of groceries.  That's hundreds per year.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Garga

[Ottakee]

I love Aldi. I like that choices are limited as it make shopping so much faster.

 

If you ever don't like something or get bad produce you just tell the cashier and they give you your money back AND give you a replacement for free.

[BarbecueMom]

I admit, I have never in my life only shopped at one store. My mom didn't either. Some weeks I don't get to Costco, but I've always had 2-3 stores in regular rotation, plus Target.

 

Grocery shopping is weekly me time, so I'm not rushing it! I want to browse every clearance aisle and markdown shelf I can find.

 

(I also never shopped in a store that bagged your groceries for you until college. That was a weird thing to get used to.)

[Reefgazer]

Aldi's is cheaper all around than most grocery stores.  I've gotten good prices on meat and produce there.

[umsami]

I always go to the Aldi near my Mom's house when we want stuff that she typically doesn't buy....say pancake syrup, baking stuff, etc.  It's great for milk and cheese, and as others say produce is hit or miss.  

 

Near Christmas, it's chocolate heaven.

 

You have to put a quarter in a slot to get a shopping cart....and it's bag your own stuff (and bring your own bags)..

 

I usually do better at the other brother's chain, Trader Joe's.....and I save a bunch shopping there as well.  Compared to Publix, probably 30% off.  Of course, both are great at enticing me with impulse buys. 

 

 

[2_girls_mommy]

Aldi is the reason I can afford to stay home, and I am only barely kidding. I shop there for over 90 percent of our groceries and household stuffs. It isn't hit or miss for me. The produce selection is small, but I can get all of the basics there that we need on a weekly basis between the frozen and fresh most of the time. The savings are on everything. I have a few things we get at Walmart regularly like our pet food, conditioner (for some reason, Aldi doesn't have any shampoo or conditioner except Pantene which is too expensive for us. The kids go through it way too fast, ) and while there I can always pick up bananas or something if Aldi was out that week. I love their special buys too. I get so many great things, so watch the ads for those. I hate to run out of milk or eggs and have to run to Walmart because it is like twice as high. I go a few miles out of my way to Aldi once a week, and beat myself up if I forget something and have to go to the corner store (Walmart for me.) 

[2_girls_mommy]

I sometimes get frustrated with the produce too.  If I don't plan to use it immediately or it's not something that can last a long time, I just don't buy it.  I've bought heads of cabbage that were rotten in the middle, fruit that rotted by the next day, etc.  I don't buy fruit at all there anymore. 

 

I do think it is my nearest Aldi though.  There is one further that I go to sometimes, and I have much better results with the produce.  So it could be individual management or something.

Sounds like it is your local one, because I have never had those issues. The only produce issues are they run out of the sale items (but with the prices for strawberries or blueberries in the summer, I understand!) or that you can only buy say sweet potatoes or something seasonally, and I might be craving them before then and need to get them elsewhere.  But I can usually do our regular weekly menus with what they have and try to stock up on the sale items because the prices are so good. 

[Guest]

Oh, and whatever you do, do not buy the bars of dark chocolate in the red packaging right there by the entrance. Because they make excellent rewards for getting through bad days. And suddenly every day is a bad day, then you have a second chunk because it's an extra bad day. And extra bad days become the new normal days, but it's okay because more chocolate...

 

Then you remember you aren't supposed to eat chocolate because of reflux and your DH asks why you are looking so pale and you try to lie but you have chocolate on the corner of your mouth... it's just best not to buy them at all.

LOL! #IBSprobs. #btdt

[Guest]

I admit, I have never in my life only shopped at one store. My mom didn't either. Some weeks I don't get to Costco, but I've always had 2-3 stores in regular rotation, plus Target.

 

Grocery shopping is weekly me time, so I'm not rushing it! I want to browse every clearance aisle and markdown shelf I can find.

 

(I also never shopped in a store that bagged your groceries for you until college. That was a weird thing to get used to.)

Yeah. I don’t have a one-stop shopping concept in my life, either. I like store A’s produce and deli dept. , but they are more expensive overall, so I don’t shop entirely there. Store B has great prices overall, butI hate their deli. Store C has special procudcts I eventually need, like SLS-free toothpaste for a kid who gets mouth sores otherwise, or really magnificent wild-caught salmon. And so on.

 

I have a very erratic manner of obtaining groceries, actually.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I go to multiple stores.  I can't seem to find one store that has the prices I want to pay on the various items or they flat out don't have some stuff I want.  It does get rather annoying at times though.

 

 

[mom@shiloh]

I'm not willing to pay far more for groceries for the convenience of getting everything in one place.  I buy almost everything at Aldi, filling in the holes with a WalMart stop every once in awhile.  

 

When I was a teenager, I worked at a grocery store.  This was back in the day when we actually punched the prices into the cash register by hand.  I knew the price of everything in that store and it's left me with an uncanny ability to memorize prices, so I always know exactly how much I'm saving by shopping at Aldi. 

[Laura Corin]

I go there regularly but it's more variable when Husband shops.  My favourites:

 

- sliced meats and nice cheeses

- cereals, crackers, biscuits (cookies)

- gin

- interesting frozen grain and veg mixes for when I am feeling lazy

- wild bird seed

- dog chewies

- their higher priced pizzas and pies

- veg - this has improved a lot recently

Edited November 2, 2017 by Laura Corin

[SparklyUnicorn]

Sadly, mine has no booze.  Not even beer. 

 

Dab nabbit....

 

 

[teachermom2834]

I have gotten so spoiled by Aldi that I am almost at the point that if we can't get it there, I often opt to just go without. The things I routinely have to pick up elsewhere are Worcestershire sauce and Buffalo wing sauce and sugar snap peas. So I go once in a while elsewhere and pick those up. I sometimes have to go elsewhere for something like muffin papers. I could get things like toothpaste and shampoo cheaper elsewhere but I usually go ahead and pick them up at Aldi for convenience.

 

My dh can actually do our family shopping at Aldi because there are so few options. He can pick up coffee without having to choose a variety or brand.

 

The latest good find at Aldi is how good some of their baking mixes are. I used to do everything homemade but some of their mixes are pretty good. They have a pumpkin cookie mix now that we like and I made mini muffins out of the chocolate muffin mix and they are surprisingly tasty. Dh is enjoying the various salad kits they carry and takes those to work with him. I like the package of 4 heads of artisan lettuce. Those seem to last a long time before I cut them up. They sell the exact package in Publix for more than double the price.

 

I get sucked into the seasonal impulse buys there but less than I would elsewhere. I bought a $4 candle there a couple of weeks ago that, in my opinion, was as nice as a Yankee candle.

 

We just love Aldi and work our food choices around what they offer just because we hate going anywhere else. Huge budget saver with a big family.

 

The only downside for us is that we eat some junk from there that I wouldn't have bought elsewhere but buy there because it is cheap. Things like frozen taquitos.

[2_girls_mommy]

Yes, their gluten free brownie mixes are the best I have ever found! Dh loves them. The rest of us that aren't gluten free like them too. That is not usually the case, lol. 

 

I just packed lunch for my dd's preschool co-op today- Aldi beef jerky, a treat once in awhile instead of just sandwiches, their brand of baby bel cheeses- a staple here. We love them. their version of triskets, a bag of apples from them, and a bag of their veggie chips.  If I am feeling really nice to the kids I sometimes pick up their juice boxes or the little drink mix packets they can pour in their water bottles, but I didn't last time.  

 

 

[Laura Corin]

Sadly, mine has no booze.  Not even beer. 

 

Dab nabbit....

 

Our one has good craft beers and has just started stocking decent ciders.  Plus award winning gins and whiskies..... http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/aldi-whisky-world-best-ranking-glen-marnoch-speyside-single-malt-scotch-glenlivet-a7896116.html

[kewb]

I was so excited when one opened near me. I was less than impressed. I got some good deals but the produce was past it's prime and based on unit price I didn't think the prices were all that. Much of the stuff was in smaller than standard size. For example, pasta was in a 12oz bag. I would have to buy 2 to make enough for my family. Negating the savings when a 16oz package will do the job. TBH,with the right sale I do better at ShopRite.

[mumto2]

I love Aldi! I tend to simply buy whatever I need there. It's the only place I buy pesto, low fat hummus, and artichokes. Sounds odd but we eat quite a bit of all three and they are so much cheaper at Aldi.

[rjand6more]

I shop at Aldi once/week.  Costco 2 times per month.  Meijer 1 time per month.

 

I can find 90% of what I need at Aldi.  And the quality is very good.  Actually, I can afford to buy BETTER quality food BECAUSE I shop at Aldi.  The organics are similar prices to non organics at other stores.

 

I love their whole milk organic yogurt-large size is $2.99

Their organic milk is full fat(super hard to find around here).  It is cheaper than the low fat from Costco and the taste is SO much better.

I buy lots of dairy.  Love the imported cheeses!

I love the organic chicken broth in the carton-$1.69

My family begs me to buy the sliced Brioche.

Most of the time the produce is excellent.

 

If you go into the store with a specific list, you may be disappointed.  When you figure out what's there, then make a list. 

[vonfirmath]

We just had a Aldi open up in our city today! I can't wait for the crowds to die down to check it out!

[Meadowlark]

We've not been impressed with cookies ad crackers and such, to the point where if it says Benton or Millville on it, my kids won't touch it. I found that the fivedoolars or so I save is eaten up in impulse buys. Not worth the extra errand.

 

 

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Really? I think their version of Wheat Thins is 10x better than the actual Wheat thins. And the mint chocolate cookies taste just like, or better than Girl Scout Thin Mints!

[rjand6more]

Really? I think their version of Wheat Thins is 10x better than the actual Wheat thins. And the mint chocolate cookies taste just like, or better than Girl Scout Thin Mints!

 

The coconut caramel cookies ARE better than GS cookies!

 

My kids prefer Aldi animal crackers over all others.

[historically accurate]

I do most of my shopping at Aldi - I follow up weekly with a quick small trip to Walmart. There's no such thing as a quick trip to Walmart. I only go to a different store if I have an awesome coupon deal.

 

Things I don't buy at Aldi even though they carry it:

• chocolate chips
• frozen pizza (although their refrigerated pizza isn't bad, but it's too big to store)
• ice cream
• toilet paper
• kleenex

[knoxinsox]

Looking at my grocery book:

 

Prior to 2013: tiny kids 3 and 7, $200/month budget, Aldi and a little shopping at Walmart and Sams

2013 to 2015:  bigger kiddos, $550ish/month, no Aldi, shopped at Sams, Albertsons, HEB

2015 to now: kids 8 and 12, $300ish/month, Aldi, meat from HEB, occasionally a stop at Walmart

 

Price books will tell you the story--I write things down as I go. 

Just a couple of items since we purchase everything but meat--I like the beef and pork from HEB, also cheese..I don't like the little bitty packages at Aldi.

Whole milk plain or vanilla  organic yogurt $2.99 at Aldi, Stoneyfields is approx $6. 

Butter: $1.79 at Aldi, $3.99 at HEB

Milk has been $1.28, vs $2.68 at Walmart 

My bananas are always on the green side, and our produce is generally great.  The store is sold out often of items....they have people shopping from 20 miles away.  All my neighbors drive there to shop since its so much cheaper than HEB. Their products are made by national brands, for example, I keep an eye out on recalls, and the last time a bagged salad recall from Dole was out, the Aldi salad was on the list.  

 

For a long time my daughter believed that the chocolate bars were only for adult PMSing women.  No idea where that idea came from...LOL  

 

 

[FriedClams]

I buy as much produce, almond milk, organics, eggs, frozen fruit, and baking supplies from Aldi as I can. I also but their "never any" chicken and grass fed ground beef. I have a few things I don't like there, but it's minimal.

[SamanthaCarter]

I am slowly coming to the realization that I am very picky about my ingredients. I didn't think I was until reading some threads like this. The best chocolate chips are Hershey's special dark in our taste tests, so that's what I buy. I'm a King Arthur flour fan, so that's what I buy. I want cane sugar. I want cheap cheese that tastes good (i.e. not Aldi), DH has his favorite brand of almond milk and says that Aldis is only an okay substitute. I buy chicken from a farmer and beef from my dad, local milk and cage free eggs at Kroger (never seen them at Aldi). DH has his favorite toilet paper. Things I like at Aldi are the little jars of "European" jam, the 4 head box of lettuce, the organic whole milk yogurt, the nuts, and that white chocolate coconut bar; the Never Any cold cuts and frozen fish fillets are decent. The single serve whole milk yogurts, the goldfish knock offs, the chocolate animal cookies and the tortellini were downright nasty.

 

I think I'm a food snob. [emoji15]

 

 

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Edited November 3, 2017 by SamanthaCarter

[SparklyUnicorn]

Oh yeah forgot about the broth.  Best price around on that.

 

My husband likes some of the German imported candy/cookies.  The cheesecake.  For a large cheesecake sampler $8.99 which goes for $14.99 at the other store in the city. 

[Chris in VA]

I shop at Aldi once/week.  Costco 2 times per month.  Meijer 1 time per month.

 

I can find 90% of what I need at Aldi.  And the quality is very good.  Actually, I can afford to buy BETTER quality food BECAUSE I shop at Aldi.  The organics are similar prices to non organics at other stores.

 

I love their whole milk organic yogurt-large size is $2.99

Their organic milk is full fat(super hard to find around here).  It is cheaper than the low fat from Costco and the taste is SO much better.

I buy lots of dairy.  Love the imported cheeses!

I love the organic chicken broth in the carton-$1.69

My family begs me to buy the sliced Brioche.

Most of the time the produce is excellent.

 

If you go into the store with a specific list, you may be disappointed.  When you figure out what's there, then make a list. 

Yes, this is really true for us. We can eat organic, free-range eggs because we shop at Aldi. 

[Zinnia]

I am slowly coming to the realization that I am very picky about my ingredients. I didn't think I was until reading some threads like this. The best chocolate chips are Hershey's special dark in our taste tests, so that's what I buy. I'm a King Arthur flour fan, so that's what I buy. I want cane sugar. I want cheap cheese that tastes good (i.e. not Aldi), DH has his favorite brand of almond milk and says that Aldis is only an okay substitute. I buy chicken from a farmer and beef from my dad, local milk and cage free eggs at Kroger (never seen them at Aldi). DH has his favorite toilet paper. Things I like at Aldi are the little jars of "European" jam, the 4 head box of lettuce, the organic whole milk yogurt, the nuts, and that white chocolate coconut bar; the Never Any cold cuts and frozen fish fillets are decent. The single serve whole milk yogurts, the goldfish knock offs, the chocolate animal cookies and the tortellini were downright nasty.

 

I think I'm a food snob. [emoji15]

 

 

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Everyone has their favorite brands. I didn't used to like Also cheese, but now I prefer it (it changed). I hate Kraft, though, and the only other brand I like is Kroger.

 

I only like Dukes mayo, but my Aldi carries that, because everyone does.

 

I don't eat Aldi tortillas. BleCH. I eat El Milagro.

 

White Lily flour.

 

We don't eat choc chips but like once a year, so I don't care. We all have our stuff, though.

 

And there is plenty at Aldi that I *do* like to make it worthwhime to me. I am far from a one stop person, which makes a difference, too.

Edited November 3, 2017 by Zinnia

[G5052]

I like Aldi, but the stores do vary. The one closest to me is poorly managed and usually doesn't have some of things I can buy at one further away when I'm in that area. I'm not going to make a special trip just to shop at Aldi, but I do hit the one I don't like when I make my monthly Costco run. That Aldi doesn't have very many of the imported items that I enjoyed at the other one.

 

Now there is a Lidl literally across from Costco, so I may shift my discount shopping to them. I've only been once, and it was during the first week they were open. It's a much nicer store, and the prices were about equivalent.