Aldi

Swapping Kroger For Aldi Foods: How They Compare

September 17, 2018 By Amanda Stewart Leave a Comment

Aldi is continuing to pop up in new locations around the United States and it has many people wondering about Aldi foods and how much they stand to save by shopping there. I’ve personally made the switch from Kroger-owned Harris Teeter to Aldi in recent months and am loving the savings. Is swapping out your grocer for Aldi the right move for you?

How Much Should You Be Spending on Groceries?

Many people look to their grocery bill when they need to start trimming their budget. It is one of the easiest expenses to control, especially if you are willing to shop around. You can collect the local flyers and compare sales prices across the board or look prices up online to determine where you can get the best deals.

However, there are some items that cost pretty much the same everywhere you go. So, how much should you be spending on groceries each month?

USDA Monthly Grocery Budget Guidelines

Each year the United States Department of Agriculture releases information about the cost of produce and other food items. According to the USDA, the figures below outline the average cost to feed yourself or your family.

Family Size	Thrifty Food Plan	Low-Cost Plan	Moderate-Cost Plan	Liberal Plan
1 (Low)	$197	$248	$359	$442
1 (High)	$207	$287	$306	$391
2 (Low)	$384	$491	$609	$763
2 (High)	$384	$491	$609	$763
3 (Low)	$465	$600	$731	$911
3 (High)	$547	$721	$903	$1098
4 (Low)	$546	$703	$854	$1061
4 (High)	$693	$928	$1166	$1398
5 (Low)	$621	$797	$972	$1204
5 (High)	$817	$1107	$1390	$1660
6 (Low)	$751	$979	$1190	$1463
6 (High)	$964	$1302	$1644	$1955
7 (Low)	$851	$1112	$1368	$1666
7 (High)	$1053	$1419	$1797	$2132
8 (Low)	$991	$1298	$1608	$1946
8 (High)	$1176	$1591	$2004	$2378
9 (Low)	$1141	$1481	$1830	$2218
9 (High)	$1274	$1714	$2156	$2563
10 (Low)	$1289	$1665	$2051	$2491
10 (High)	$1508	$2023	$2538	$3022
11 (Low)	$1436	$1849	$2273	$2765
11 (High)	$1451	$1945	$2426	$2894

Kroger vs. Aldi Foods

Some individuals have completely swapped out their traditional grocer for Aldi. This has helped them better control their grocery budgets and, in the long-run, it helps them save money. How do Aldi foods compare to, say, Kroger?

Pros and Cons of Aldi

One of the biggest pros of shopping at Aldi is the prices. Because of the way the store is set up, you’re able to increase your savings.

There are some cons to getting those savings, however. If you are a “brand snob,” you won’t always be able to find name brand items at Aldi. Even if you do, they may not be there the next week. Some products are rotated within the store’s inventory. The store may not always have what you’re looking for either, especially if it is a unique food product.

Another thing to note is Aldi’s produce does not keep that long in the fridge and sometimes doesn’t seem to be that fresh. You may want to continue picking up items like lettuce or fresh greens elsewhere.

Also, keep in mind, Aldi does require you to insert a quarter into the shopping cart to use one. You’ll also need to purchase bags or bring your own. In some cases, the store may have extra boxes they are willing to give you to store your food for the ride home as well.

Pros and Cons of Kroger

Kroger-owned grocery stores are a bit more expensive than Aldi on most things. Unless you’re able to cash in on a specific sale or stack coupons, you can get almost everything cheaper at Aldi.

Personally, Kroger offers up a better shopping experience. Lines at Aldi can be a bit long and it is difficult to find someone to help you if you need it. That isn’t the case at Kroger. You’ll also be able to find everything you need in one store shopping at Kroger. Whereas, as mentioned above, Aldi may not have some specialty items.

Non-food items are cheaper at Aldi than Kroger but, in most cases, you’ll be able to get these items cheaper at a store that isn’t only selling groceries. More often than not, you’ll get a better deal on items like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, and other non-food items at Walmart or Costco.

Are the Savings Worth It?

For many people, shopping at Aldi has been able to save them up to 50% on their grocery bill each month. When you consider those savings, swapping out Kroger (or your current grocer) for Aldi foods seems like a no-brainer.

Many people may try to argue that Kroger-owned stores offer up rewards and better promotions than Aldi. Keep in mind, most rewards programs are designed to get you to spend more money. You’ll pay a higher original price to get your $5 off or your gas rewards.

Aldi prides itself on not having to do those types of deals because their prices are always low. One Reddit user even mentioned the local Aldi store manager sending associates to local grocers to ensure they have the lowest price on staples like milk and eggs.

While there has been some negative feedback on some produce at Aldi, you can always shop there for most of your food and hit Kroger for specific items. Switching to Aldi for the bulk of your shopping stands to save you $100+ a month.

Readers, what do you think about Aldi foods and prices? Have you shopped there?

Kohl’s is Partnering With Aldi to Add Grocery Departments to Stores

March 23, 2018 By James Hendrickson Leave a Comment

Many brick-and-mortar retailers have struggled in recent years as the popularity of internet-based business has increased. Kohl’s is now partnering with other stores to bring in more customers, which has led to the creation of a Kohl’s Aldi grocery store.

What Will Kohl’s Aldi Grocery Stores Look Like?

There have been rumors about Kohl’s partnering with other retailers to bring more traffic into its stores. While there have been plenty of mentions of different potential grocers, the company has finally confirmed it will be partnering with Aldi.

For the most part, both companies have kept everything regarding the partnership hush-hush. However, there are some pieces of information about what you can expect:

Kohl’s has been making space for Aldi to move in for some time now by right-sizing stores for the new addition.
When Kohl’s says “rightsize” it means it is making the stores physically smaller, making room for an Aldi next door.
You can expect to see Aldi pop up next to 10 Kohl’s stores later this year.
Both companies see this as a means for increasing business and controlling the cost of real estate.
It isn’t yet clear how many other stores will be adding Aldi sections. Kohl’s has plans to make space in up to 500 stores for Aldi, or other retailers.
The stores will have two separate entrances but occupy the same building.
Both companies will still operate independently from one another.
Kohl’s is looking for other traffic-driving retailers to partner with in the future.

Can You Use Kohl’s Cash at Aldi?

Right now, it doesn’t look like either party plans to share any customer perks. You won’t be able to use Kohl’s cash at Aldi. Outside of being able to treat Kohl’s and Aldi as a one-stop-shop for clothing and grocery items, both stores will be exactly like their stand-alone counterparts.

Neither store has revealed where the new Kohl’s Aldi grocery store will appear first. There are also only 10 being rolled out this year and no plans on when the eleventh may debut — there’s just the goal of freeing up space in up to half of Kohl’s U.S. stores.

Kohl’s has already partnered with Amazon, which owns Whole Foods, to accept returns in stores. It is even possible that Kohl’s will open non-Aldi grocers within some of its locations. Only time will tell!

Watch Out for Fake Aldi Coupons

March 8, 2018 By James Hendrickson 2 Comments

Are there Aldi Coupons

Bet you didn’t know Aldi coupons are the stuff of myth. The company does not accept coupons in its stores — not even the ones issued by manufacturers.

Aldi says it prides itself on offering customers the lowest price without coupons. Not only do you save money but you also save time because you don’t have to look for coupons.

Aldi Coupons Are Retail Myths

However, legions of coupon offers make it sound like Aldi coupons are a thing. They’re even listed on Groupon — but when you click on the link to view the Aldi coupons, you’ll see that it simply prompts you to sign up for Aldi’s newsletter (see the screenshot below).

Are There Aldi Coupons?

Each week you’ll see the same low prices on all the products — savings of up to 40% on groceries. And if you are ever dissatisfied with a product you bought from Aldi, you can return it and get a full refund.

Featured Offers

While Aldi doesn’t temporarily mark down items with sale prices, the stores do tend to highlight certain products. Here are some of these promotions (that aren’t sales).

Meat Special Buy: Every Wednesday Aldi presents new meat items to the store. These, of course, are at Aldi’s regular low price, with a specialty meat offered changes week to week. Keeping an eye out for these deals is a good idea because they’ll only be available for a limited time.
Produce Picks: Similarly, Aldi picks different types of produce to promote each week as well. These are generally available for a limited time.
Save on More Than Just Food: Aldi also has common household items like paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, tableware, and other household items.

All told you can still save a ton of money by shopping at Aldi, even though coupons don’t exist for the store. So if you see any offers of Aldi coupons, you can save yourself some time by not clicking through on these mythological offerings.

Readers, where are your favorite places to shop for less? Got any pointers about how to save money on groceries?

Aldi Eggs Price: Not Everything is Cheaper at Aldi

January 2, 2018 By James Hendrickson Leave a Comment

When it comes to grocery shopping, there aren’t many establishments that compare to Aldi in price. In fact, those who switch from a traditional grocer to shopping at Aldi save 40%, on average, on their grocery bill. Not everything at Aldi is cheaper though. For instance, recently, the price of eggs at Aldi has been higher than other grocers.

What is the Price of Eggs at Aldi?

Prices at Aldi don’t change very often but there are some items, like eggs, that become more or less expensive throughout the year, depending on supply and demand. If there is a shortage of, say, tomatoes, tomatoes will be more expensive at Aldi than usual.

As mentioned above, the same was true of the price of eggs at Aldi recently. Aldi eggs price has always been a bit higher it seems but, when I took a close look, I realized I was paying quite a bit more for eggs than I would elsewhere. A dozen of eggs at Aldi was costing me about $1.29. At Walmart, a dozen of eggs was priced at $0.69. That is almost twice the price. So, what’s the deal with the egg price at Aldi?

Making the Most of Shopping at Aldi

Aldi’s prices, as explained above, will go up and down with the season, especially where fresh produce is concerned. However, most other items stay around the same price. I will note that a couple weeks after the noted increased egg price, the cost did drop back down under $1 per dozen ($0.79) but it instigated further thought about how to shop at Aldi.

There is no doubt that Aldi is cheaper on most things. Blocks of cheese, for instance, have an average price of about $1.79 at Aldi. In a traditional grocer, blocks of cheese oftentimes cost more than $3. Meat prices at Aldi are also extremely competitive. The grocer’s frozen foods, canned goods, fresh produce, and dry foods sections are also lined with competitive prices. So competitive, in fact, that it often makes people shrug away the higher prices.

Always Compare Prices

If you are going to make the most of shopping at Aldi, or any grocer for that matter, you will always want to compare prices. Of course, don’t spend extra money store hopping (if it will cost you extra in gas) but try to go where the items you need are cheapest.

As previously stated, most of the time Aldi is the cheapest place to go for your grocery items (and well worth the trip). The Aldi eggs price above will demonstrate that it isn’t always the cheapest though. You will want to continue to scan your local advertisements for deals, especially on meat and fresh produce. These items don’t go on sale often at Aldi. In fact, Aldi doesn’t really have any “sales.” It is also important to note that Aldi does not accept coupons and will not provide price matches like many other grocers do.

Keeping these things in mind, you should always compare prices and be sure you are getting the most out of your money. Your food bill is one part of your budget you can control closely, so why not save as much as you possibly can?

Have you shopped at Aldi? Did you save money?

Aldi Hours and Holiday Schedule 2018

December 18, 2017 By James Hendrickson 1 Comment

Aldi has become known as a place that people can save money on groceries. In fact, many people save as much as 42 percent of their regular grocery bill by shopping at Aldi each week. That is astronomical savings! Unlike larger grocery stores like Walmart or your local grocer, Aldi has slightly different hours of operation. They do not open very early and they are not open very late and they also have altered weekend hours. None of them are open 24 hours. If you’ve been wondering about shopping at Aldi, you may want to check out their hours of operation before heading out.

Aldi Hours of Operation

The company has stores in the United States, Germany (where it originated), Britain, the Netherlands, Belguim, Luxembourg, France, Poland, Spain, Denmark, and Portugal. In addition to running Aldi supermarkets, the company also owns Trader Joe’s. Operating hours for an Aldi are pretty standard, however, in some areas, the hours that Aldi is open or closed depends on how close you are to a larger city.

The standard Aldi hours are as follows:

Monday: 8 AM – 10 PM
Tuesday: 8 AM – 10 PM
Wednesday: 8 AM – 10 PM
Thursday: 8 AM – 10 PM
Friday: 8 AM – 10 PM
Saturday: 8 AM – 10 PM
Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

However, if you are in a small town your Aldi hours may be a bit different. In less-populated areas, Aldi tends to open later and close earlier. For instance, in some places, Aldi opens at 9 AM and closes at 9 PM. Other stores may open as late as 10 AM throughout the week.

Aldi Holiday Schedule 2018

Aldi also closes its doors for a number of holidays throughout the year.

January 1 (Monday): Aldi is closed on New Year’s Day
January 15 (Monday): Aldi is open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 14 (Wednesday): Aldi is open on Valentine’s Day
February 19 (Monday): Aldi is open on Presidents’ Day
March 17 (Saturday): Aldi is open on St. Patrick’s Day
March 30 (Friday): Aldi is open on Good Friday
March 31 (Saturday): Aldi is open on Easter Saturday
April 1 (Sunday): Aldi is closed on Easter Sunday
April 2 (Monday): Aldi is open on Easter Monday
May 13 (Sunday): Aldi is open on Mother’s Day
May 28 (Monday): Aldi is open on Memorial Day
June 19 (Sunday): Aldi is open on Father’s Day
July 4 (Wednesday): Aldi is closed on Independence Day
September 3 (Monday): Aldi is open on Labor Day
October 8 (Monday): Aldi is open on Columbus Day
October 31 (Wednesday): Aldi is open on Halloween
November 11 (Sunday): Aldi is open on Veteran’s Day
November 22 (Thursday): Aldi is closed on Thanksgiving Day
December 24 (Monday): Aldi is open, but closes early on Christmas Eve
December 25 (Tuesday): Aldi is closed on Christmas Day
December 31 (Monday): Aldi is open, but closes early on New Year’s Eve
January 1 (Tuesday): Aldi is closed on New Year’s Day 2019

There are a few days each year, like Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve in which Aldi may close its doors earlier than usual. You will want to check before you head out to the discounted supermarket. If you are interested in shopping at your local Aldi, be sure to check their hours of operation and their closings online or give them a call.

Prepare for Shopping at Aldi

If you are planning a trip to Aldi, you should prepare a few things before you head out. Prepare a list of your regular grocery items (you’ll likely be able to pick them all up at Aldi). You should also make sure that you have a quarter. Aldi locations require a quarter to be inserted into the cart to make it move. You will get the quarter back at the end of your shopping trip. Also, make sure you have a reusable grocery bag for your items or be prepared to buy a bag from Aldi. The quarter requirement and the grocery bags help Aldi keep prices low for its customers by limiting the amount of money they have to spend on resources like stolen carts or the constant expense of grocery bags.

Locate an Aldi

If you are having trouble locating an Aldi, you can discover where the closest store is on Google Maps. You can also download the official Aldi Mobile App and find information on new stores opening, hours of operation and view weekly ads. The app has a store locator, updates on ads, a QR code reader and you can even create your own shopping list on the app. It can help you keep ahead of the game before you head to the grocery store for big-time savings!

Photo: Flickr: Mike Mozart

Does Aldi Accept Apple Pay?

November 17, 2017 By James Hendrickson Leave a Comment

In the past, Aldi has been one of the last grocers to jump on board with the latest forms of payment. Aldi didn’t accept credit cards for quite some time but now they do. This has many people wondering about other payment methods and, more specifically, does Aldi accept apple pay?

Aldi Apple Pay

Other grocery stores have been quick to the chase when it comes to accepting contactless payments. Currently, other grocers that accept Apple Pay include Trader Joe’s. Food Lion, Giant Food, Whole Foods, Save Mart, Wegmans, Winn-Dixie, Shop n’ Save, BI-LO, and United Supermarkets.

Aldi announced it would be accepting Apple Pay in all 1,700 of its United States-based stores starting in September 2017. The announcement stated that shoppers would be able to pay for their items by tapping their phones to the payment terminal. This includes Samsung Pay, Google Wallet, Android Pay, and other contactless-enabled payment methods on your cell.

This has been part of Aldi’s push to grow its customer base. In 2017, the company also began offering more organic items and more fresh meats. Adding Apple Pay and other contactless payments to the available ways to pay, made Aldi comparable to other grocers in yet another way.

After announcing that the stores would accept Apple Pay, Aldi CEO Jason Hart had this to say: “We’re continually innovating to provide our customers a faster, more efficient shopping experience that saves them time and money. Shoppers love ALDI because we build and run stores they can shop quickly. Contactless payment makes shopping at ALDI that much faster and more convenient.”

How to Use Apple Pay at Aldi

Not familiar with how to use Apple Pay? Don’t worry! It’s safe, fast, and easy to use. If you want to use Apple Pay the next time you head to Aldi, check out this short how-to video:

Other Forms of Payment at Aldi

Because Apple and Android Pay are among the quickest ways to pay at the register, the budget-friendly grocer made this change to stay in line with its desire to remain a speedy, one-stop shop for all your grocery and household needs. So, since Aldi accepts Apple Pay, what other forms of payment are accepted?

According to the company’s website, in addition to Apple and Android Pay, Aldi accepts cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, most debit cards, and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). You can also use Aldi gift cards at any Aldi location. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program benefits are not currently accepted at Aldi.

Coupons at Aldi

Another thing to keep in mind about paying at Aldi is that the store does not accept any manufacturer’s coupons. This is because, for the most part, you are buying Aldi-brand items that aren’t available elsewhere. However, even when they are selling a name brand product, you will not be able to use a coupon.

Every once in a while, Aldi will release a special when a new store opens. During this time, you may find an Aldi coupon that can be used for the grand opening. To find Aldi coupons, you’ll need to keep an eye out for them in your local newspaper.

Despite not being able to use coupons, Aldi has been able to help people save up to 40% on their grocery bill. If you’d like to learn more about Aldi, check out these helpful articles:

Have you shopped at Aldi? Now that they’ve started to accept faster forms of payment, will you consider trying it?

Photo: Mike Mozart