What are your favorite items from Aldi grocery store?

[1GirlTwinBoys]

I've been picking up some basics there the last couple of weeks. Just curious what some of your favorite items are...

 

 

[Slache]

The crackers made from seeds. I don't remember what they're called but they're in a green bag.

Please buy 100 bags and have them overnighted to me. Thank you.

[Slache]

Real fruit popsicles!

[Just Kate]

I’ve just started shopping at ALDI some myself. So far, my favorites are: berries, fancy cheeses (they sell a cranberry cheddar cheese at Christmas time that I love!), heavy whipping cream, milk, butter, eggs, apple sauce, and sprouted bread. 
 

I’d like to do more aldi shopping, so can’t wait to read others’ lists!

[MercyA]

We just discovered DYE-FREE versions of Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms at Aldi. Such a treat for my cereal-loving girl.

We also like their pretzel crisps, peanut butter pretzels, European chocolate, organic cheese puffs, gluten-free bagels, natural Christmas cookies and treats, and cheap wine.

I admit I go to Aldi mostly for natural snacks. 😊

 

[KungFuPanda]

Tortilla chips are less than a dollar.  That alone is worth going to Aldis.  I get a lot of other stuff there like Aldi brand of triscuits, cheese spreads, bagged salads, fresh veggies, gyro kit, shredded cheeses, cola, canned tomatoes, flour tortillas, baked goods, meats, milk, eggs, and plants.  I stop by about once every week or so.  Still, tortilla chips for less than a dollar are what screams Aldi for me, because every other store wants to charge close to $5 and I'm done with that.

[Slache]

Y'all are making me cry.

[KungFuPanda]

We just got our Aldi's a year or two ago.  Rumor has it we're getting a Lidl in the near future.  I'm interested in comparing.  Dd has one near her campus and does most of her shopping there because it's so budget friendly.

[Meriwether]

Nothing...yet. We are getting an Aldi. Sometime. The lot has been ready for almost a year. The groundwork has all been done, and it just sits there mocking me when I drive by because I want it to be built so badly.

[Carrie12345]

I actually really like their uncured beef franks. 

For me it’s mostly about the deals and I try to ignore the “fun” stuff but their chocolate end cap does get me sometimes, lol. No specific recommendation; they’re all good!  Also, their corn chips are almost spot on for Fritos. Their crunchy cheese curls? Not so much.  Yes on the tortilla chips!

[marbel]

We buy a lot at Aldi. I like all the dairy products, including the store brand cheeses like cheddar, swiss, etc. Their more "special" cheeses are really great too, but their cheap cheddar works fine for me for quesadillas, etc.  Eggs are always a good deal. 

Nuts and dried fruits are a good deal there. Breads are good. They have a great chicken tikka masala simmer sauce and good salsas. Prices on canned beans can't be beat. 

Their "Clancy" brand chips taste stale to me; I do like one line of tortilla chips, the one that's in a bag that looks kinda like Mission brand.  (If that  means anything to anyone! I think  Mission is a national brand?)

I'm sure there are other things. Oh, chia and flax seeds, canola oil, white sugar, brown sugar, turbinado. Fresh fruit and vegetables are hit or miss, but the cilantro is cheap even if it's not all usable. 

I think I am going to pick up some ghee next trip for a recipe I want to try. 

Obviously I could go on and on.

Edited January 28, 2020 by marbel

[ScoutTN]

Chocolate! 

and imported cheese.

We buy lots of basics there too, crackers, nuts, dried fruit, bread, eggs (when my source of inexpensive,  local, pastured eggs runs out), condiments (seconding the tikki masala simmer sauce) salsa, chips, canned tomatoes, canned beans, marinated artichoke hearts, canned salmon, pasta, TP, ziploc bags, yogurt, hot cereal, frozen veggies, sliced cheese. 

Produce can be iffy, but is usually fine at my Aldi. Best to go early in the day!

I don't buy meat there except for organic, grass fed  ground beef. Occasionally some "never any" chx.

There is just no better store to stretch your grocery dollars. * See the teen boy thread!

 

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by ScoutTN

[73349]

I don't know what's wrong with our Aldi--they have hardly anything of interest. DS likes the gfree mac and cheese.

[Miss Tick]

Aldi is my first grocery stop because generally things are cheaper than what I can get elsewhere. Fruit is tricky there because of how they do their business (it is usually pre-bagged and obviously ordered way ahead of the season, so sometimes not ripe). I then head to another local store for a deal on fruit (if possible) and other, more obscure items like dish gloves or tahini.

I prefer grocery shopping to be pretty transactional. I make a menu and a list, I go get the stuff, I don't have to do that again for a week or two.

Some of my staples are their dry beans, split peas (when they carry them), "triscuits", Graham crackers, plain yogurt, whole grain cereals, Olive oil. I try to keep it a bit boring!

[madteaparty]

I don’t have any favorites as such, I just get whatever staples I can find there bc cheaper than elsewhere. So, all the organic produce I can find, some cheeses, whatever dry beans they have, olive oil, their steaks are great and sometimes they have organic chicken (not a fan of the pork), sometimes they have my detergent etc. oh recently I bought huge house plants for $12-something. That’s an incredible price. I mean i propagate them myself but these were huge. 
ETA that I seem to think they had a lot more German brand items than they do now. Which is kind of a bummer. 

Edited January 28, 2020 by madteaparty

[Sneezyone]

EVOO, Euro cheeses and sausages are big for us. I picked up a couple sous vide pork bellies too. So.freaking.good! Our store is very small so they carry a lot of specialty items that our closest grocery store does not.

Edited January 28, 2020 by Sneezyone

[madteaparty]

1 hour ago, happysmileylady said:

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't buy anything at Aldi.  Here, the milk and eggs are more expensive at Aldi than they are at Meijer, the flour and other baking stuff is all the exact same price, the produce always goes bad way too fast, and although people have recommended their cheese to me over and over, it just tasted plastic-y to me, plus the big block of cheese at Costco is actually cheaper per pound.  There's just not enough there for me to bother making the extra trip.  

I agree that’s it’s not all that. 

[umsami]

We love their frozen lasagna. It's around $3...and is a traditional bechamel style lasagna.  I'll buy a bagged Caesar salad and call it a night.  It serves four well, but sometimes I'll cook two depending on how many teens are at home that night.

Buy berries there... strawberries, raspberries, etc.

My kids like their chocolate croissants that are where the bread is. 

At Christmas, they had cute snowman and reindeer ice cream bars.  

[Stacia]

I almost never go to Aldi (it's not very convenient) but I do go out of my way to get their fair trade, organic coffee beans.

It's great coffee.

[kbutton]

Everything, but especially the chocolate and dark chocolate baking chips. 

Their steaks are good--we buy a half a steer locally, but we had their steaks once, and they were amazing. 

I like their seasonal and infrequent items quite a lot. I am always sad if I'm not there the right week to get something I've been waiting on, such as canned tart cherries or blueberries (not pie filling). I can't resist the GF cheesecake when they have it. 

Veggies and fruit varies in quality by store, region, and season.

[cintinative]

1 hour ago, happysmileylady said:

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't buy anything at Aldi.  Here, the milk and eggs are more expensive at Aldi than they are at Meijer, the flour and other baking stuff is all the exact same price, the produce always goes bad way too fast, and although people have recommended their cheese to me over and over, it just tasted plastic-y to me, plus the big block of cheese at Costco is actually cheaper per pound.  There's just not enough there for me to bother making the extra trip.  

 

That is so interesting. The milk at my Aldi (in Cincinnati) is WAY cheaper than Meijer.  The eggs go back and forth. Sometimes Meijer is cheaper.  But for baking goods like flour it is cheaper than Meijer every time.  It's so interesting that there are such huge variations in nearby geographic area.

For us, we buy the Gluten free bread; baking supplies like baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, etc.; Fajita meat (thin sliced steak for carne asada); occasionally pot roast meat if it is cheaper than Kroger; dairy like spray whipped cream, heavy whipping cream, sour cream, milk, buttermilk and butter; frozen strawberries (and  peaches when they had them); produce; bread; the fake pringles (they are gluten-free!); the rice cereal (also gluten-free!); occasionally other cereals (we are not in a cereal phase right now); the ice cream toppings like hot fudge (in the summer); and my fave: the 85% dark chocolate, which is rarely in stock and when it is I buy five bars.  LOL. They recently had GF glazed donuts. My son loved them. Unfortunately they no longer have them.

ETA: I forgot--yes, my non GF family members love their coconut cookies (girl scout knock off).

Edited January 28, 2020 by cintinative

[marbel]

Grocery shopping is so hard to compare. Prices and quality are so different everywhere. And of course taste: I think the Aldi brand non-imported blocks of cheese are fine; many others characterize them as plastic-y; we are none of us wrong! 🙂 

Wegman's is a very nice grocery store chain, but there are some things that are as inexpensive as Aldi.  But there are some Aldi items that we still like better than Wegman's. I think that's why grocery shopping is so dang hard.

Coscto has the best prices on most cheese, but most is in too large a quantity for us. It goes bad, especially now that the kids are gone all school year.  In the summer I buy feta, but in winter when we don't use it as much, it's more economical overall to buy it at Trader Joe's because we can eat it all.  (Aldi feta doesn't taste that great to me, now that I'm thinking of it.)  I don't like frozen cheese.

We are getting a Lidl here this week. I've only been twice, and have been blown away by their bakery, but not much too much else. We'll see... my daughter and I are going to check it out. When my kids were little we loved grocery store openings: samples, coupons, balloons!   LOL memories. 

Edited January 28, 2020 by marbel

[unsinkable]

How is Lidl pronounced?

 

TIA!

[BarbecueMom]

We buy all our produce there except shredded carrots; applesauce, canned goods (I make my own coffee creamer so we go through lots of sweetened condensed milk), dry pinto/black/northern beans, apple/orange juice, gluten-free pretzels, strawberry jelly (we don't use enough to warrant a Costco-sized jar), rice chex/rice krispies for making muddy buddies/treats, taco shells, jarred garlic, baking powder, powdered/granulated sugar, chocolate chips, espresso-roast coffee, butter (I have about 25# in my freezer from holiday prices), milk, sour cream, eggs, sliced cheese (DH LOVES the habanero jack), block/specialty cheeses, GF Hot Pockets (for "oh no, the leftovers are gone!" lunches).

Seasonally, I stock up on popcorn kernels, molasses, arborio rice, no-crap-added ground sausage, and GF specialty items when they have them 2-3 times a year.  I used to buy toasted sesame oil when they had it, but I have a sesame allergy now and can't use it.

The chocolate almond milk is better than any I've ever had, like melted ice cream.  I can't find an equivalent in any other store brand or name brand.  It's a very infrequent treat (like yearly or less) because I already drink enough sugar in my coffee.

The only things they carry that I don't buy there are gluten-free pasta (I buy Barilla in bulk on Amazon), things that are not GF-labeled or cross-contaminated (corn tortillas, nuts, lentils, certain spices, etc.) and the stuff I need Costco-sized quantities of (rice, oils, plain Cheerios, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, frozen fruit/veggies/quick foods, meat, spices).

[lynn]

French baggett, crescent rolls,  chips, French dip, I prefer their unsweetened almond milk over any others, Greek yogurts, and at Christmas their German stollen

[Lady Marmalade]

4 hours ago, myblessings4 said:

Lots of things!

Their version of some "Girl Scout" cookies are better than the real thing.  Tortilla chips.  French salad dressing.  Big bag of Jasmine rice.  Olive oil.  Protein bars.  I could go on.

 

I don't shop at Aldi very often, but when I do, I always buy a few packages of cookies. They also have one that is like Pecan Sandies that we all think tastes better than the real ones.

If I need to buy pre-made hummus and guacamole, Aldi is the place.  They both taste like they were freshly made and have great textures. 

[cintinative]

34 minutes ago, lynn said:

 at Christmas their German stollen

 

This is good to know! My grandmother used to make it and it was SO good, but i haven't had it since the 80s. I will have to buy some next year.

[ashfern]

Their almond milk is the best. I get cereal and bagels. Pasta sauce, canned beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, cheese sticks (gouda for me). We moved and the Aldi closest to us (30 min away) isn't as good as the one where we used to live. I find myself getting more things at Costco that I used to get at Aldi since it's the same distance away.

[May]

I have a couple close by but have never been in one. After reading these recommendations, I might have to check them out. Grocery shopping isn’t something I really enjoy so I’m more of a one stop shopper. When DH comes along, shopping takes so much longer🙄He likes to read the labels😊

[Sneezyone]

Just now, happysmileylady said:

Every time I have been into the Aldi here, the milk was running $1.89.  It's $1.29 at Meijer, and often goes as low as 99c in the summer.  And eggs, they are 49c at Meijer, but I haven't found them cheaper than 89c at Aldi.  Flour, $1.19 for the 5lb bag at both places. And it goes on sale often enough at Meijer or Kroger that I just stock up when it's like 89c or 99c, which is usually the same sale price at Aldi at the same time.   And you mentioned butter....it's going to be $1.99 at Kroger this weekend, I will just grab 5 at that point, and toss some in my freezer.  Sometimes Aldi goes that low too, but after I stock up at Kroger I don't need to hit Aldi for it, ya know lol

Good Lord, are you next door to dairyland? I’ve never seen milk priced at $1.29/$.99 a gallon.

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, unsinkable said:

How is Lidl pronounced?

 

TIA!

In German, LEE-dle.  Who knows how Americans will pronounce it...

[unsinkable]

1 minute ago, Matryoshka said:

In German, LEE-dle.  Who knows how Americans will pronounce it...

I'm glad I asked. 

I would have said lih-DELL.

There is a business called Takl, it's an app for handy man type jobs. They pronounce it "tackle" like *tackle the quarterback. "

But every time I see it, my eyes see "TALK."

[Matryoshka]

5 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't buy anything at Aldi.  Here, the milk and eggs are more expensive at Aldi than they are at Meijer, the flour and other baking stuff is all the exact same price, the produce always goes bad way too fast, and although people have recommended their cheese to me over and over, it just tasted plastic-y to me, plus the big block of cheese at Costco is actually cheaper per pound.  There's just not enough there for me to bother making the extra trip.  

I was all excited when we finally got an Aldi within driving distance, after reading all the great things here.  I was sooo disappointed.  It seems that unlike Trader Joe's (owned by another branch of the Aldi family), which has a pretty standard stock nationwide, as far as I can tell, the Aldis differ a lot.  I was looking forward to a lot of the German stuff I thought they'd have.  Nothing good.  My dd was excited too and had to check it out, but when we went a second time, my first impression, sadly, was only confirmed.  It's not super-close by, so definitely not worth the trip for me.

TJ's has way more German stuff (and they just started stocking German pretzels - swoon!).  And even back when they had less and there were none near me, I'd drive 45 min each way and fill up bags and coolers.  So many cool things I can't even get elsewhere.  I literally walked out of the Aldi - both times - with not a single item.  I have no idea why yours are all better!

Edited January 28, 2020 by Matryoshka

[OH_Homeschooler]

11 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

I was all excited when we finally got an Aldi within driving distance, after reading all the great things here.  I was sooo disappointed.  It seems that unlike Trader Joe's (owned by another branch of the Aldi family), which has a pretty standard stock nationwide, as far as I can tell, the Aldis differ a lot.  I was looking forward to a lot of the German stuff I thought they'd have.  Nothing good.  My dd was excited too and had to check it out, but when we went a second time, my first impression, sadly, was only confirmed.  It's not super-close by, so definitely not worth the trip for me.

TJ's has way more German stuff (and they just started stocking German pretzels - swoon!).  And even back when they had less and there were none near me, I'd drive 45 min each way and fill up bags and coolers.  So many cool things I can't even get elsewhere.  I literally walked out of the Aldi - both times - with not a single item.  I have no idea why yours are all better!

 

The thing about Aldi is they rotate stock. They have special finds, and feature different themes at different times. There are certain times of the year that Aldi features a lot of German products. I believe Oktoberfest time is one of them, and at Christmas there are a lot of German treats. 

I've been in TJs but I do not have one near me, which is sad. 

 

[Bambam]

I'm not really a fan of our Aldi's. All the chips we've tried have a funny aftertaste. I do like their specialty cheeses that they have at Christmas time (Kerrygold, I get them other times of the year from our regular grocer, but Aldi's has them cheaper). My DH likes their dark chocolate. My youngest likes their hummus. 

[Garga]

9 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

 

For me it’s mostly about the deals and I try to ignore the “fun” stuff...

This is me. We have a bunch of sensory-issue eaters here, so we stick to a very basic menu. I don’t bother with much of anything that is “special.”  I get canned beans, loaves of bread, cheese, chicken, etc.  Almost nothing that’s pre-prepared, unless you count things like spaghetti sauce.  We try not to eat too many treats, so I mostly walk past the treats on the shelves and ignore them so I’m not tempted by them. 

My grocery bill dropped by a considerable amount when I started shopping at Aldi first and then hit the regular grocery store to get any odds and ends that Aldi doesn’t carry.

Edited January 28, 2020 by Garga

[BarbecueMom]

4 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

I was all excited when we finally got an Aldi within driving distance, after reading all the great things here.  I was sooo disappointed.  It seems that unlike Trader Joe's (owned by another branch of the Aldi family), which has a pretty standard stock nationwide, as far as I can tell, the Aldis differ a lot.  I was looking forward to a lot of the German stuff I thought they'd have.  Nothing good.  My dd was excited too and had to check it out, but when we went a second time, my first impression, sadly, was only confirmed.  It's not super-close by, so definitely not worth the trip for me.

TJ's has way more German stuff (and they just started stocking German pretzels - swoon!).  And even back when they had less and there were none near me, I'd drive 45 min each way and fill up bags and coolers.  So many cool things I can't even get elsewhere.  I literally walked out of the Aldi - both times - with not a single item.  I have no idea why yours are all better!

This is me with Trader Joe's.  I've tried at least six times, but I always walk out confused and empty handed.  The employees are always kind, but it feels like I'm, um, socially outclassed, haha.  It's a bit awkward.

[KatieJ]

My past experience with produce has not been good, (worms in my bagged salad kind of not good) so,I rarely shopped there. I am not fond of the quality of the flour, ketchup, nuts  and many other staples, etc. we can taste the difference in Orange  juice, sour cream etc

this week I bought plain Greek yogurt that I like. 

But as empty nesters who love Costco, I find myself in Aldi shopping for a bigger variety of veggies in the amounts  we will eat before they go bad. We do have a brand  new store and the selection is pretty good, the veggies are mostly refrigerated and overall it’s better. 

I like the sprouted wheat bread, and find “treats” for my husbands lunch box. He leaves the house at 5:30  am and I pack something for him to eat with his coffee besides his lunch . I recently found a tropical dried fruit mix he really likes. 

Their version of laughing cow cheese is really good and cheaper.  

Overall I much prefer Costco, but Aldis is close and works for a quick pick up. 

[kandesmom]

We get 90% of our groceries at Aldi.  Their prices are so much cheaper and excellent quality.  Some of our favorite items we buy every week:

Organic coconut, olive, and avacodo oil

Nuts

Cheese

Free range eggs

Grass fed beef

Frozen chicken breast

Parmesan crisps

Spring mix salad/spinach

Fruits/veggies

Organic yellow corn tortilla chips

Grass fed butter

Organic bone broth

Organic whole bean fair trade coffee

Edited January 28, 2020 by kandesmom

[Spryte]

We like the G-Free version of Enjoy Life’s cocoa loco bars and soft-baked cookies.  GF spaghetti.  A few other GF items - the chicken nuggets are a favorite.

We like their pre-made burgers better than Costco or Wegman’s.  Salmon.  No produce, though.

The specialty cheeses are good, and the dairy and egg basics.  Chocolate for Dh and me.  Occasionally they have fun alcoholic drinks we like to add to coffee (tiramisu or creek brûlée).

We pick up the frozen desserts with the German name (can’t recall) to keep on hand for last minute entertaining sometimes.  A big favorite is the raspberry strudel.  Bake, slice, serve with homemade whip cream and espresso.  Yum.  Easy. We’ve been known to buy ten at a time, to stock the freezer.  (Blush)

If we didn’t have food allergies, we’d buy more basics there, but we’ve had reactions from unlabeled cross contamination, so we are limited to what’s safe for the kids and/or what we will serve guests that the kids can’t eat.

And bonus - Instacart delivers.  
 

ETA: Christmas goodies, mums in fall, and sometimes plants in the spring.  

 

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by Spryte

[Ottakee]

The "Everything But the Bagel" seasoning.  This might have been a special deal but it is excellent.  It has all of the "stuff" you would find on an everything bagel.

basically I like almost everything at Aldi.  Much cheaper, plus so much quicker to shop at.  Their peanut butter was so-so (but it was years ago...as I am a JIF girl) and I am a HELMANS mayo girl.  Almost everything else I have not had a problem with.  The Parmesan encrusted chicken strips are REALLY good. 

[cintinative]

5 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

Every time I have been into the Aldi here, the milk was running $1.89.  It's $1.29 at Meijer, and often goes as low as 99c in the summer.  And eggs, they are 49c at Meijer, but I haven't found them cheaper than 89c at Aldi.  Flour, $1.19 for the 5lb bag at both places. And it goes on sale often enough at Meijer or Kroger that I just stock up when it's like 89c or 99c, which is usually the same sale price at Aldi at the same time.   And you mentioned butter....it's going to be $1.99 at Kroger this weekend, I will just grab 5 at that point, and toss some in my freezer.  Sometimes Aldi goes that low too, but after I stock up at Kroger I don't need to hit Aldi for it, ya know lol

 

A 1/2 gallon of 1% milk is around $1.89 at my Meijer. This is so weird.  I have never seen milk for 99 cents at Meijer, and super rarely seen their egg prices below 69c.  Maybe I should grocery shop in Dayton more often. LOL.

Thanks for the heads up on the Kroger deal! I haven't looked at the ad yet! 

[sweet2ndchance]

When we lived near Aldi's, I would buy what I could there and pickup what I could not get there at Walmart. We only get to go to Aldi's now when we go to one of the bigger towns 90 minutes away . I usually get canned vegetables, sugar (regular, powdered and brown), flour, vanilla if they have it, baking items if it is around the holidays. Dh and the kids will all eat Aldi's snacks and cereal without complaint. Love their almond milk and regular milk is always cheaper than anywhere else. Cottage cheese and sour cream. Their shredded cheeses freeze really well. Oh, dh loves when I get him a container of pistachios or cashews and they are always cheaper at Aldis. Jasmine rice like someone mentioned. Macaroni noodles and lasagna noodles. We used to love their boxed mac and cheese but they changed the recipe and now it is just gross. Their parmesan chicken strips though are divine on a bed of spaghetti noodles and topped with spaghetti sauce and Italian blend cheese for a quick and easy chicken parmesan. We used to get spices like garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, basil and chili powder but the Aldis near us stopped carrying the larger 5-ish oz bottles of spices for $1 when they remodeled. Now they only sell 1 - 2 oz bottles for a $1.   I'm looking into growing my own herbs and telling dh every chance I get how nice it would be to have a really nice dehydrator and spice grinder. lol

Speaking of kitchen tools, I got my digital kitchen thermometer, digital kitchen scale and a set of metal mesh strainers from Aldis on one of their special buys. Love and use those daily for 3 or 4 years now (I know I bought them when we still lived near Aldis but I don't remember exactly when) and they all work great. 

[Spryte]

26 minutes ago, tbog said:

Glad to read this. My husband has gotten tired of me not getting plenty of GF stuff for myself, so yesterday he went with me and kept putting three or four of everything in the cart. 😂 He asked if I had heard anything good about the nuggets and ended up putting three bags in the cart. 
 

 

Your husband is a keeper!  
 

I hope you like the nuggets - kids here like them the best of the GF nuggets we’ve found.  With lots of ketchup, of course.  😊

[Library Momma]

I do about 90% of my weekly shopping at Aldi and I probably save about $100 a trip versus other area grocery stores.  We have Stop and Shop, ShopRite, Price Chopper and local IGAs that I sometimes shop at as well.  We also have Trader Joe's and Whole Foods but I wouldn't ever consider doing an actual weekly  grocery shopping at those stores  - They are far too expensive.  I use them for specialty items.  Aldi's version of Fig Newtons are the best - Much better to me than the name brand and they are only .89 a package as opposed to around $3.00 a package for the name brand in other stores.  They also have seasonal  things that I would never treat myself to at other stores because they would be too expensive to just throw in the cart.  Things like Meyer Lemons, Snapdragon apples, etc.  I especially love the German treats around Octoberfest and Christmas.  

[Noreen Claire]

1 hour ago, Library Momma said:

I do about 90% of my weekly shopping at Aldi and I probably save about $100 a trip versus other area grocery stores.  We have Stop and Shop, ShopRite, Price Chopper and local IGAs that I sometimes shop at as well.  We also have Trader Joe's and Whole Foods but I wouldn't ever consider doing an actual weekly  grocery shopping at those stores  - They are far too expensive.  I use them for specialty items.  Aldi's version of Fig Newtons are the best - Much better to me than the name brand and they are only .89 a package as opposed to around $3.00 a package for the name brand in other stores.  They also have seasonal  things that I would never treat myself to at other stores because they would be too expensive to just throw in the cart.  Things like Meyer Lemons, Snapdragon apples, etc.  I especially love the German treats around Octoberfest and Christmas.  

I've been shopping almost exclusively at Stop & Shop for years. It's right up the street, it has nice wide aisles, and is usually fairly empty. I work the sales and use the app for coupons, buying in bulk to fill my extra freezer, and they have gas points that save me quite a bit at the station around the corner. I just learned that they are closing in a few weeks! 😭 The thought of having to learn to shop somewhere else is anxiety-inducing. We have, within a 15 minute drive, six (?) Market Baskets, an Aldi, a Whole Foods, two BJs, and two other (one smaller, one larger) Stop & Shops. I've never been inside Aldi, so maybe it's time to check it out...

[Matryoshka]

1 hour ago, Noreen Claire said:

I've been shopping almost exclusively at Stop & Shop for years. It's right up the street, it has nice wide aisles, and is usually fairly empty. I work the sales and use the app for coupons, buying in bulk to fill my extra freezer, and they have gas points that save me quite a bit at the station around the corner. I just learned that they are closing in a few weeks! 😭 The thought of having to learn to shop somewhere else is anxiety-inducing. We have, within a 15 minute drive, six (?) Market Baskets, an Aldi, a Whole Foods, two BJs, and two other (one smaller, one larger) Stop & Shops. I've never been inside Aldi, so maybe it's time to check it out...

If you're up here in Market Basket land, Market Basket has really good prices.  My mom is a bit south of where they have stores, and she'll drive up here to shop sometimes.  They used to have gross shrink-wrapped produce, but they've improved their stores a lot, and the produce has gotten much better. If you have that many Market Baskets near you, at least one of them's got to have been renovated.  I still get most of my produce frozen at TJ's or fresh at Whole Foods, because they have better organic selections, but if you're not worried about organic, they've got a lot.  I haven't been in a Stop & Shop for years, but I have heard many say they're much, much pricier than Market Basket.  Whole Foods is of course really pricey, but I do go in and shop the sales, and they also have some things I just can't get elsewhere.  If I can get something that is sold at both MB and WF, I buy it at MB.  If your Aldi is the one on 101a, that's the one I couldn't find a thing to buy in... 

[Noreen Claire]

1 hour ago, Matryoshka said:

If you're up here in Market Basket land, Market Basket has really good prices.  My mom is a bit south of where they have stores, and she'll drive up here to shop sometimes.  They used to have gross shrink-wrapped produce, but they've improved their stores a lot, and the produce has gotten much better. If you have that many Market Baskets near you, at least one of them's got to have been renovated.  I still get most of my produce frozen at TJ's or fresh at Whole Foods, because they have better organic selections, but if you're not worried about organic, they've got a lot.  I haven't been in a Stop & Shop for years, but I have heard many say they're much, much pricier than Market Basket.  Whole Foods is of course really pricey, but I do go in and shop the sales, and they also have some things I just can't get elsewhere.  If I can get something that is sold at both MB and WF, I buy it at MB.  If your Aldi is the one on 101a, that's the one I couldn't find a thing to buy in... 

The reason that I don't regularly shop at MB is because I worked for 7+years in the perishable warehouse for Shaw's/Star Market. I saw *many* a trailer's worth of produce get rejected by the Shaw's inspectors where the driver was then told to drive over to the MB warehouse so they could take it. Granted, that was 15 years ago, but old biases are hard to shake. 

Also, MB is always PACKED full of people, and I get overwhelmed in their stores fairly easily. Oldest DS works for them, and they are great for their employees... I just need to get over it and shop there.

The Aldi near me is on MA/NH border. I'll check it out when I'm in the area tomorrow afternoon.

[MEmama]

I’ve only been to Aldi once. We don’t have them here so when we found ourselves near one, somewhere in NH, we just had to go based on the boards general Aldi love. Um, clearly we chose poorly because the store was disgusting and totally, completely lacking in anything worth buying. I think we did end up buying a couple jars of almond butter but they ended up being loaded with sugar (??!!) so we gave them away.

Obviously some of their stores must have higher standards. That one made us want to take a shower. * shudder*

I do love checking out new to me groceries when we travel. I’m always amazed at the regional differences. 🙂

 

[Matryoshka]

59 minutes ago, MEmama said:

I’ve only been to Aldi once. We don’t have them here so when we found ourselves near one, somewhere in NH, we just had to go based on the boards general Aldi love. Um, clearly we chose poorly because the store was disgusting and totally, completely lacking in anything worth buying. I think we did end up buying a couple jars of almond butter but they ended up being loaded with sugar (??!!) so we gave them away.

Obviously some of their stores must have higher standards. That one made us want to take a shower. * shudder*

I do love checking out new to me groceries when we travel. I’m always amazed at the regional differences. 🙂

@MEmama and @Noreen Claire, the Aldi with nothing to buy I went into was indeed in NH (I live in MA, but near the border, so that's the closest one).  Other regions seem to have much better Aldis!  My reaction was similar to yours... kinda yuck.