Aldi & why I love it

I found out yesterday, after a marathon phone conversation with K, that she's been anxiously awaiting my post about Aldi. I had no idea really; most people either grimace when I mention shopping at Aldi, or they gush on and on about shopping there. There are 3 important factors to consider, especially for a first time Aldi shopper, before actually going to Aldi.
1.) You must "rent" a cart. The cost is .25, but you get this quarter back once you return the cart to the cart corral. It's just one of the ways Aldi is able to keep their costs down.
2.) You must either bring your own, or purchase bags to place your groceries in for the car ride home. I usually take my own, but have on occasion purchased bags there. Paper bags are .05 each, plastic bags are .10 each, and just last week, I purchase three reusable fabric bags for $1.99 each. These bags are deep, wide, and sturdy. Every now and then, you can claim an empty box or two for carting your groceries home.
3.) You must bag your own groceries. They do not provide baggers, thus keeping costs down. They do have a bagging counter to the side of the cash registers, making it easier to bag your groceries before actually leaving the store.

The first time I walked into an Aldi store, it was after reading all about them at a frugal living forum community I used to frequent. And because, shortly after moving into our new home, still having 2 toddlers in diapers, and 2 mortgages, money was tight. I was looking to get a little more bang for my buck, and I sure did find it at Aldi.

I have tried just about everything there. My favorites items, that I regularly purchase are: their canned goods, dry cereals, baking staples, muffin mixes, canned frosting, bagged snacks (chips, pretzels, etc.), snack crackers (wheat thins, cheez-its, etc.), bottled water (24pk. is $3.59), canned tuna in water, dried pastas (including pasta salad mixes), some paper products (napkins, paper towels, paper plates, etc.), frozen foods (including boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chicken tenders, fruit, ice cream items, hamburger patties, cheeses, yogurt (their version of go-gurt), bagged salad, dairy items (including cream cheese, sour cream, butter, dips, shredded cheeses, etc.), lunch meat, breads, and produce. Just a little note about their produce; 80% of the time, their produce is wonderful. However, it can be a little hit or miss. My best produce buys are always, carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli crowns, tomatoes, fresh whole pineapple, strawberries, melons (when in season), and on occasion potatoes. Oh yeah, and bananas too.

The misses, in my book anyway, are as follows: their milk, brownie mix, their frozen corn (I didn't like the texture), and their frozen pizzas. Hubby doesn't like their milk at all, and he wouldn't even eat 1/2 of one of their frozen pizzas. I'm very particular about my brownie mixes, and I just wasn't impressed with theirs.

Aldi also has what they call "Special Purchases." These are items such as off brand lap tops, household items, toys (especially as Christmas get closer), school supplies, clothes, and seasonal items. They do have a handful of national brand items (I've always seen Pringles potato crisps in the stores) each week. These could be anything from Velveeta mac & cheese to Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, to Breyer's ice cream, etc. And I must say that I love the Aldi's website. You can check out the special purchases for the current week, and also for the following week as well. They also have recipes, and a meal planning guide on their website. You should really check it out. http://www.aldi.us/index_ENU_HTML.htm

Now I should be perfectly honest here about my shopping habits. I always go to Aldi first, and then stop at Kroger to pick up what I couldn't get at Aldi. If the produce at Aldi looks good, I can save a ton of money. I always get my milk at Kroger, as well as their loss leaders, frozen pizzas, toilet paper, etc.

So there you have it K, my take on shopping at Aldi. Check it out, I'm sure you'll be glad you did. Just start out small, on your first trip. Go with the plan to only try a handful of items, set a dollar limit, etc. My kids very rarely get name brand cereals. I've always bought them at Aldi or the Kroger brand, and put them into plastic cereal containers. And when my brand snobbish hubby couldn't tell the difference, I knew I was onto something. Other hints would include going as soon as you drop the kids off at school, before the store gets crowded; going without the kids (not always possible I know); and always, always keep an open mind. Hope this helps some. If you have any questions just let me know!!