Shopping at Aldi can truly change your life for the better!
OK-let's get this out of the way-you get your cart quarter back!! Return your cart, and the mechanism pops your quarter back out. This way, they don't have to pay people to go get the carts, and you pay less!
And pay less, you do. OH my God. We have cut our food bills in at least HALF after discovering this place. The owner of Trader Joe's is the brother of the Aldi guy. Rumor has it they often share production of the same items, but Aldi packages them under their house brands for less. I know damn well certain items I've enjoyed from Aldi are the exact same things I have spent much more for at TJ's! I've found almost all their store brands to be equal to or better than name brands.
I am old enough to remember when Meijer was called "Thrifty Acres", and shopped there for years with that slogan in my head. In reality, those acres are green from all the dough they charge! I also went to Kroger for years, thinking I was getting deals, armed with coupons and hitting the Manager's Special sections. I then apprehensively explored Save-A-Lot, where I discovered a few bargains but was mostly creeped out. An online forum sung Aldi's praises, and man am I sold for life!
Aldi is cheaper than coupons! For great stuff! This particular store has been nicely remodeled as well. You will find so many staples and fancy extras here, at a fraction of the scratch you're used to coughing up. And I've never had a return, but from what I understand they will replace the item in question AND refund you for it too!
A list of my favorites would take all day! They carry many things you can find all the time, and then they have "special buy" sections with discounted pricing on items they will only have while supplies last. This keeps things fun for me-oh the gems I've found!
You can either bring your own bags, or buy them there. You pack them up yourself at a big counter after you check out. It's a snap!
We've loved most everything we've tried, but the cheapest olive oil tasted bitter to me. For a tad more, I moved up to their Simply Nature Organic and found it to be delicious and still a steal when compared to anywhere else. There is an emphasis here on quality and organic labeling, and Aldi has also eliminated many chemicals and pesticides from their items. There's a cheerful Euro feel here, as opposed to Save-a-Lot's lower quality and "desperation in the air" vibe.
Cons? I wish they carried extra-firm tofu, a version of Brummel & Brown yogurt spread, and expanded their frozen section to include more vegetarian entree dishes. Can I complain, though? HELL no! This place is a wonderland of fun shopping. You will not believe how much you'll save while still getting the goods! read more