i HEART aldi’s

Have you been to an Aldi’s?  For some reason I always thought Aldi’s was a second hand grocery store — like a place where they sell damaged and nearly-expired food.  But in recent months, I’ve seen and tasted how amazing this Iowa-native grocery store truly is.  Here’s a few reasons:

1.  Price, price price! From basic pantry staples to specialty items, you simply cannot beat the prices at Aldi’s.  To compare a few items…

You may be thinking that saving $0.11 on yogurt isn’t a big deal, but when you’re saving even just a dime off of every item, every week, the savings add up!  I can do all of our weekly grocery shopping at Aldi’s, including fresh produce and some extra treats we don’t need for easily under $50.  And how do they keep their costs so low if they’re not compromising quality?  It’s simple things such as bagging your own groceries, limited advertising, warehouse-style shelving, and bringing your own grocery bags that allow shoppers to save dollars off their bill (and I’d rather bag my own groceries to ensure my eggs end up on TOP!).

2.  The quality and variety of Aldi food has surpassed my expectations.  Every time I’m there, I find new products that interest me.  Although they don’t have every single item that a larger supermarket carries, I’m amazed at how many different types of products they do carry in each little store!  Some of my favorite less-than-usual items include soy milk, low-fat shredded cheese, fresh salsa, organic frozen pasta dinners, multi-grain tortilla chips, and fresh mozzarella.  Mmm, I’m getting hungry…

3.  I can get in and out of Aldi’s with a full cart of groceries in about 30 minutes.  Because it’s a smaller store and there’s not 10 different brands of diced tomatoes, it makes getting through my list much more efficient.  And you should watch those cashiers go!  Sometimes they can be intimidating — the way they whip through that conveyor belt and start the next order before you hardly had time to push in your PIN.  But if that means saving time and money, it’s AOK with me!

Now, I will tell you a few downsides of Aldi’s before you visit there and blame me for a poor experience!  Even though I love Aldi’s and have talked about it as if I’m receiving an endorsement deal (I’m not), you should know a couple of things…

• No credit cards accepted (debit cards are, don’t worry)
• Bring your own bags or expect to pay a nominal fee to purchase theirs
• They don’t have EVERYTHING — the selection can change from week to week, so what’s there one week might be gone the next
• Bring a quarter… you need a quarter to ‘rent’ a shopping cart (again, to keep cost low by not having to pay a cart corral-er)

Aldi’s helps you keep your grocery budget under control without having to live off of Ramen noodles.  It may take a few visits to feel comfortable and fall in love with it the way that I have, but give it a chance and see what you find!
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Photo Credit: lauramary // Creative Commons