I like to play a little grocery pricing game with myself, especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables. An item is $X at Aldi and $Y at competing grocery stores. Who wins? Almost invariably the Aldi price is far superior for comparable, sometimes even identical (by brand), produce. You won't find everything you want every time, but you'll find enough to turn into a smart (and smug) shopper. Scout the weekly specials to maximize your savings. At Aldi, I go for the whole kielbasa ... on-the-vine tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, Yukon Gold potatoes, cremini mushrooms, bags of Gala apples and Valencia oranges, and whatever else looks like a good buying opportunity. Only the avocados and bagged bananas have occasionally been iffy purchases. Pay special attention to the German products featured from time to time at this German-owned chain. If stollen, lebkuchen and marzipan are part of your holiday traditions, look for them at Christmas. Their Deutsche Küche label is noteworthy on everything from red cabbage with apple to bratwurst to frozen strudel. So, who really wins with Aldi products and prices? You do, of course, unless all your purchases are required to have Libby, Libby, Libby (or its name brand equivalent) on the label, label, label. read more