I'm seriously saving SO MUCH money by shopping at Aldi.

**Joan.of.the.Arch** · 01-21-2010, 07:42 AM

Good to hear. I think at one time they used to advertise that you could expect to save 1/3 of what you'd pay elsewhere for equivalent items.

Does your Aldi's line the first aisle in the store with junk food the way mine does? And yours has brown rice? I don't think ours does. We haven't been going to Aldi's as much in the last few years though and I do notice they have more variety than they used to. They always have the best banana prices anywhere and usually the best onion prices. When my child was little, I remember buying a lot of Aldi's canned, spiced chili beans and tortillas there. We use a lot of onion, so it is worth a stop when we are in the area, just to stock up on onions. Sometimes they are the best milk prices around, too.

**ScrimpAndSave** · 01-21-2010, 08:00 AM

Yes! I try to make it thought that aisle without my SO buying anything - but it is almost impossible.

Mine does not have brown rice...but I only have the white once a week or so, so I figure it doesn't hurt...I also really like the texture a lot more as well.

Another thing I love is the fact that I cut down on shopping time by a LOT because the store is small and only has a limited selection.

**bjl584** · 01-21-2010, 08:13 AM

I shop there sometimes, but I prefer the local discount grocer in my town because they have a deli and a butcher. The Aldi's near me only has the prepackaged meats and cheeses.

**cschin4** · 01-21-2010, 10:12 AM

I LOVE ALDI"s. Just got home from there. We have a family of 5 and I had a cartful for only $69 bucks.

**wincrasher** · 01-21-2010, 10:15 AM

Everytime I go in there, I start to question where alot of there stuff comes from. Probably no worse than most in-house store brands, just seems low-rent. Their meats are especially scary.

I generally just go to Costco. The selection is terrific and they have everything from low end to high end goods at reasonable prices. You do have to buy quantity to get the savings. I've found prices about halfway between coupon shopping and regular retail.

**Joan.of.the.Arch** · 01-21-2010, 11:58 AM

Well yeah, it is kinda "low rent." I don't care for paying for higher overhead. I love it when I get the same brands as sold at Trader Joe's, their sister store which isn't "low rent," is it?

When you say you worry about where it comes from what do you mean? What countries? What canneries? What rice, bean, wheat, and corn fields? What abattoir? What bakeries? What fishing waters? To me it seems the labeling is just as clear in Aldi's as in any other store. I do draw the line at certain origins of foods, myself. For example I don't buy foods from Chinese estuaries. If a package of frozen shrimp in Aldi's is labeled as being from China, then I don't buy it. As anywhere, just read labels.

Aldi's also has a money back guarantee and I have seen someone collect on that. If you don't care for the product, you can get your money back.

I've mentioned before that I wait every year for their imported German stollen to be available. My Dad loves it; I buy a couple and ship it to him cross country.

Aldi's is just one of my several food sources.

**irmanator** · 01-21-2010, 08:56 PM

I <3 aldi also. Shop there every week. I buy canned veggies, lunchmeat, milk, eggs. Sometimes i buy icecream they are one of the few places that still has a true "half gallon" of icecream.

**cschin4** · 01-22-2010, 03:09 AM

Everytime I go in there, I start to question where alot of there stuff comes from. Probably no worse than most in-house store brands, just seems low-rent. Their meats are especially scary.

The days of brand names are over. It used to actually mean something when you bought one brand over another as they were made by different companies in different factories, etc. Nowadays, one company makes multiple brands which is the same product packaged with a different label. So, in reality, I don't think we know where the vast majority of our food comes from. And, I don't know where the meat at my local grocery comes from anymore than I know where it comes from Aldi's.
I believe Heinz ketchup and some other things like Kellog's may be made here but what about everything else? I don't know where the canned fruits and veggies come from anymore. So, it used to bother me, but now I realize it is so out of my control that it isn't worth checking.

**wincrasher** · 01-22-2010, 06:47 AM

Often your in-house store brands are made by the same people who make the name brands. Hopefully (and I've read articles on this) the big chains are involved enough to ensure the quality and production standards are there. The big stores are making much more money on their own brands than the name-brand goods.

I don't know if the same can be said of Aldi. The packaging looks pretty cheap, the brands are just as generic. Is it from Mexico, China, where.

**ScrimpAndSave** · 01-22-2010, 08:07 AM

I've noticed that a lot of it is made in the USA..and after a lot of research, many people the drive trucks from the company say that they pick up products from kraft, campbells, coca cola...I've been REALLY impressed with their brands. their frozen veggies are WHOLE (not just clumps of broccoli stems and such).

I'm just super loving it. I also don't buy things I don't need (as much) because the store inventory is so small.

I can't express enough how cool the website is with the meal planner and automatic shopping list that it makes. Amazing.

**rob62521** · 01-23-2010, 06:14 AM

We are big Aldi fans...especially for fruits and vegetables and cheeses!

**bbtl2009** · 01-26-2010, 01:03 PM

Love Aldi store. Great deals there.

**Mike75** · 01-26-2010, 07:18 PM

Originally posted by ScrimpAndSave View Post

And I know...there are a few threads about this. My basic meals are:

Breakfast: Egg and half a bagel

Lunch: 1 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup cooked veggie (usually frozen) and 1/2 cup beans

Dinner: Meat, veggie and starch

Aldi has a TON of junk food...but I shop very simply and try only to buy whole foods. My starch in the evening is sometimes a quick rice, couscous or pasta...and that is not always super healthy - but it isn't terrible in moderation. I also know that it has been mentioned that canned veggies may be cheaper at grocery stores...but I really prefer frozen veggies. Aldi has them in steamable bags for around $1.

I usually get 1 bag of chips or pretzels a week to snack on at work. Aldi has a meal planner online which is AWESOME. You look up recipes, save them and then they create a shopping list for you!

I spend about $40 a week on groceries (and that is paper goods too).

Love it.

Wow... that's great. I have been trying to cut on my grocery bills too. This might help!

**elessar78** · 01-27-2010, 04:18 AM

There was an article I read awhile back that Aldi's is the only "store" that Wal Mart fears. Aldi is a German (or Italian) company and when WalMart tried to move into Germany, Aldi crushed them.

It's really a great concept for retail. Barebones store and service and limited selection to keep prices down. Do people really need 10 choices for barbecue sauce?? I think there's a (broad?) segment of the population that isn't too picky with most of what it gets from the grocery store. They care more about low prices.

I'm seriously saving SO MUCH money by shopping at Aldi.