NBR What is Aldi?

Y0urm0m · February 2016

one is opening up right by my house and I've never seen one or been to one IRL. I've heard good things about it a few years ago on my October BMB. What's so great about it and what do I need to get from there?

HMcDade1 · February 2016

It's the same company as trader joes but cheaper. You can get basic groceries there but they don't always have everything- specifically produce. And they don't have grocery bags unless you want to pay for them so bring your own. You also need quarter to get a cart and you'll get it back when you return it. Haha

Y0urm0m · February 2016

HMcDade1 said:

It's the same company as trader joes but cheaper. You can get basic groceries there but they don't always have everything- specifically produce. And they don't have grocery bags unless you want to pay for them so bring your own. You also need quarter to get a cart and you'll get it back when you return it. Haha

Trader joes is my most favorite place ever. Is it set up like trader joes? Like do they have all the yummy food, fast, and healthy options that trader joes has?

whataboutscience · February 2016

I feel like most of what they have are non perishables or frozen. They have a lot of good generic stuff that is way cheaper than you could get somewhere else, but it's not really a full grocery store, so you will likely have to shop somewhere else as well.

HMcDade1 · February 2016

Y0urm0m said:

HMcDade1 said:

It's the same company as trader joes but cheaper. You can get basic groceries there but they don't always have everything- specifically produce. And they don't have grocery bags unless you want to pay for them so bring your own. You also need quarter to get a cart and you'll get it back when you return it. Haha

Trader joes is my most favorite place ever. Is it set up like trader joes? Like do they have all the yummy food, fast, and healthy options that trader joes has?

I haven't been in trader joes in a LONG time. It's good for basics. We always shop there and then go to Giant to get the missing things. Any of their store brand things I've gotten have been good.

ashleyrobertson0113 · February 2016

*lurking from June*

Used to work at an Aldi. They're amazing. They have a bunch of affordable groceries (often brand names but they do have their own store brand also). Sometimes they even have pretty decent produce.

Like PP said, bring your own bags and a quarter for a cart!

Definitelt worth at least checking it out

FluffleSprout · February 2016

It's set up warehouse style and has none of the TJ's charm. It's utilitarian. But the food is good quality and the prices are amazing. I buy most of my groceries at Aldi.

In addition to bringing bags and a quarter, you have to pay by cash or debit. No checks or credit cards accepted.

sboston06 · February 2016

I didn't love their produce selection, but I'm sure it will vary by region. If you normally buy store brand boxed stuff, you will find a lot of the same items there. They also have a lot of great natural healthy products.

I used to go there a few years ago but we have a much larger full-service grocery store and I found the prices very comparable so I just go there now. As PP have said, you have to bring your own bags and they only take cash/debit. Very no-frills. In my area, Aldi is highly underrated and that makes the shopping experience rather nice. There's always plenty of room to get around!

[Deleted User] · February 2016

We shop there a lot- it's great for the basics like noodles, bread, milk.. we also get a lot of our produce there, but we have noticed they don't always have the same things. We do love getting our apples there- usually you can get a 3 pound bag for much cheaper than if you were to pay by the pound! Like PP have said, bring your own bags. We usually don't use the carts, we fill up our bags and empty them at check out.

Singingmama10 · February 2016

I love Aldi! I shop there every week. They do not have everything you need, but they have most of it. Mine is REALLY nice (I hear they can vary). The produce that I get there is definitely comparable to the "regular" grocery stores by me (if not even better than a few). And from what I have seen the prices cannot be beat. They don't have everything... like I need to have Hidden Valley Ranch and Coffee Mate Creamer.... I don't want anything else, but the majority of groceries I can get from Aldi and spend less then $60 a week there (we almost never eat out so this an amazing price for our family IMO)

Singingmama10 · February 2016

OH!!! also I know they are getting A LOT more organic foods and I have heard that they are taking trans fats and other artificial flavors from all foods. Not sure how accurate articles like the one are below but I have seen a lot of them recently. https://www.minds.com/blog/view/544019374143447040?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=marchagainstmonsanto

jjtruffles · February 2016

I echo what PPs have said. We LOVE Aldi!

My husband and I have actually found most of their store brand foods to taste better than the name brand equivalents. They're good for non-perishables, frozen food & snacks. Our store always seems to be pretty well stocked with fresh produce too. They seem to get in a lot of "limited time only" items which can be nice because it gives you more options and allows you to try new things, but chances are by your next shopping trip the item will be sold out and something new will be in its place. So it can be a bummer when you try something and love it, only for it to never be in stock again. Now when we see something that looks really good, we usually buy an extra and throw it in the deep freezer just to be safe. We save $100+ every month by doing the bulk of our grocery shopping at Aldi.

Definitely check out the store near you when it opens. Initially I was majorly skeptical about shopping at a "discount" grocery chain, but now it's 4 years later & I can't say a bad thing about it.

MamaBish · February 2016

I actually hated aldi. The produce was not good and they didn't have a lot of what I was hoping for. I guess I just don't like needing to go to more than one place for groceries.

jolydan · February 2016

I'm totally sold to Aldi! Yes it can be frustrating for some specific products but being GLuten free they have tons of affordable options! Previous posters covered most of the subject but I've seen no one mention the great prices on the meat. The only downside is they get the 2 special of the week options on Wednesday so unless you shop wed-thur there's chance none of the great cheap options will be left!

carcrashheart · February 2016

Aldis has definitely improved over the years. It's our main grocery store now. The things I can't get are often things I don't miss and didn't need. I get our meat, mayo, coffee elsewhere. But everything else is aldi. I can get our groceries for$35-60/trip, depending on what we need or how long it's been since my last trip (lately I don't always go weekly). There are many things that we actually prefer from Aldis over name brand. I like that there aren't brand options that I have to decide between. It's one brand for every item. No having to figure out whose sale is better. I can get in and out in under 30 minutes with the kids. That is easily an hour long trip at the main grocery store. Being able to get a case of water for $2.29, a tub of yogurt for $1.79, veggies for all well under $3 is enough to sell me. There isn't a huge selection of veggies, it's the basics mostly. but good enough for me to make soups and sides. It now pisses me off when I get lazy and go to the main grocery store thinking I only need a few things. $85 later and a cart of barely anything I remember why it isn't worth it.

fantasticmrsfox · February 2016

It's my main grocery store! We are very no frills, but they have tons of organic food and often have specials like La Croix that go quickly! I rarely ever need to go to another store, but do prefer ground beef from Kroger rather than aldi.

stillcozy · February 2016

I live for aldi! They have great and healthy food! And it's so cheap! Just bring a quarter for a cart and your own bags

mamafox14 · February 2016

I have never heard of this mysterious Aldi....I am curious but maybe they don't exist out here in the PNW.

MusicalCherries · February 2016

We love Aldi (for all of the reasons listed above) and have been shopping there for years. We've always found that they have great produce at our local store, but if we happen to get something that goes bad, they have a fantastic return policy - you get a replacement item AND your money refunded! I especially love how quickly you can get in and out of the store. We buy over 90% of our groceries there and only visit a Walmart or Target about once a month for other essentials (contact solution, prenatal vitamins, etc.). They're always coming out with new products too, which I love!

Kannerush · February 2016

Wow! We have to fork out a whole €1 for a cart here!

ninji15 · February 2016

I may be part of the minority here that walmart price matches, but if your area has an ALDI and a walmart it will be awesome. Bring in ads from the paper and price match, I do it all the time. They have awesome prices.

ncm1919 · February 2016

My great Aunts in Rochester swear by it. That's all I need to know. They are seasoned bargain hunters at 94 and 91!

mckcak23 · February 2016

I used to be an exclusive aldi shopper but have recently switched to walmart. Aldi is a great bargain, and we still use their dog food. We switched to Walmart just because it seemed like we were in a food rut because I was not going to aldi and another store (laziness) so it really limited what we were eating. My DH does not like their meat selection, and I personally do not like their cheese singles, but beyond that we liked everything. Selection/quality definitely depends on store.

I do prefer their yogurt over walmart's selection. Overall we like Aldi, we just switched because I was in a food rut.

ladythrice · February 2016

@Y0urm0m Aldi is a discount grocery store. While its parent company is Trader Joes, it is nothing like a Trader Joes.

They offer groceries at an extremely cheap price because they produce their own brand in house and generally don't sell many name brands, they use a 'warehouse' type setup for the store (its very utilitarian), don't pay for baggers (you bring your own bags and bag your own groceries) or people to police up carts (a quarter gets you a cart, you get it back when you replace the cart).

They were recently in the news for removing all trans fats and artificial ingredients from their product lines. Their produce and meats have always been hit or miss and depend heavily on the region where you are located. To keep up with the types of products being on demand right now, they've started offering some organic produce and grass-fed meats.

Generally its a good store to get basic staples but most people need to hit up another full grocery store to round out their shopping.

oandmplus1 · February 2016

I'm on the Aldi bandwagon. It has saved us a ton of money in groceries and I find it way faster than the larger stores. I really only need 3 or 4 items at another store most of the time. Planning a head helps me, I menu plan, and I can order groceries online from our other major grocery store and pick them up at the curb on the way home, so it isn't that inconvenient.

LDSJM123 · February 2016

I am a self proclaimed foodie and food snob and I LOVE Aldi! Feel free to check out my creations on Instagram

Like someone else mentioned I may (and not every week) have to grab a few food items at another store but the money I save makes that quick stop beyond worth it. I have to disagree with people that say it's only good for the "staples." Snacks, dairy, breakfast, meat, seafood, produce, etc all have been great for me. Once you get used to what they carry regularly, it's easy to tweak a recipe if they may not carry an item if you aren't up for a second stop. I have had zero problems coming up with creative meal plans every week because of what they do or do not carry though.

I have heard that store to store can vary, but the one I go to is in the ghetto (and I mean GHETTO) and I'm still beyond pleased with it. I even get toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, and ziplock bags there. They are currently expanding their organic selection too. Which makes eating and buying organic food far more affordable and doable for us.

melodramatic26 · February 2016

We just started shopping at Aldi in the past 6 months. I wasn't interested in making 2 shopping trips or eating generic brands of everything.

But, we got a new blender and started making smoothies everyday and started going there for frozen fruits and yogurt and then slowly started trying other items.

OMG, converted. Their light bread is $1.50/loaf instead of $3.75. Same for whole wheat bagels. Boxes of cereal are easily $2 less than the grocery store. But, the biggest saver for us has been their bagged lettuce. I go through 2 bags a week just for me for lunches. They are $1.39 instead of $4/ea.

We easily have 3 stores near us. It's well worth it every weekend to make a quick stop in there to get a few necessities for 1/3 of the price we would have paid.

mandyjulie · February 2016

I'm glad for this thread. Apparently Aldi will be down the street from us this fall, filling the vacant space of a grocery store that closed a while ago.

jlgriff11 · February 2016

We love Aldi's!

And Fresh Thyme is a good, inexpensive alternative to Whole Foods. We don't shop at Whole Foods often and we don't have a Trader Joes- and going to Martins for organic or good produce is way too expensive- we find Aldi's to have great organic food and excellent produce. I think their meat will be improving in quality as well, but we like to buy meat from Fresh Thyme when we go and freeze it- the nearest is an hour away.

618mom22boys · February 2016

**Lurking from Aug16**

You can sign up for emeals and pick Aldis as your store. It will give you a weeks worth of meals with all the ingredients that you need. And everything will come from the store you pick. It is great if you are in a rut and don't have any ideas. No need to go to more than one store with it.

deuxbouledogues · February 2016

@stellaluna14 it almost sounds like a classier version of Winco??? I am guessing no Aldi's in Oregon.

mamafox14 · February 2016

theshannondee said:

@stellaluna14 it almost sounds like a classier version of Winco??? I am guessing no Aldi's in Oregon.

Hahaha @theshannondee that's exactly what I was thinking! Like a Winco/Grocery Outlet situation where packaged food is good but fresh food may be questionable if you aren't careful. I guess we are out of luck! But we have Fred Meyer and New Seasons so I'm okay with it I think.

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