Aldi?

extra_medium wrote: »

Dnarules wrote: »

Charis50 wrote: »

lalee115 wrote: »

I have seen a lot of people mention shopping at Aldi, and some of my friends' diaries has some Aldi foods in it. So, I'm wondering... what is it that you find so great about Aldi? And, no, I don't mean that in a smarty pants kinda way. I really want to know what you go to Aldi for that you consider must-haves or staples in your food life?

I have an Aldi relatively sorta close to my house but never go there because, well, traffic. Just trying to see if it's a place I gotta get to!

Ok, so three years ago, our Aldi was generally considered a "low rent" kind of store. Off-brand stuff at lower prices, bag-your-own groceries. I was hesitant to shop there.

Not now. Their stuff isn't just inexpensive, some of it is better quality than you can get anywhere else in town.

There are great deals every week on fresh produce--and sometimes it's even national brands (last week I bought a pint of fresh Dole blueberries for 99 cents, when across town they were $2.99). Staples are a steal, as others have pointed out, but they offer some more unusual pantry items, too: canned wild-caught salmon for under $3, and organic quinoa at less than half what I would spend at our regional chain grocery.

I will say that not every Aldi-branded item has been great, but at those prices, it doesn't cost much to try something to see if you like it. Our store is also really expanding their organic and gluten free offerings if that's important to you.

You should be able to check them out at aldi.com. There's usually a sale flyer and some other information about their brands and products.

If you decide to go check it out, take a quarter to "rent" a cart and a shopping bag or two. Also, you may want to find out if your store takes credit cards in addition to debit cards and cash. The one near me just started accepting credit this year; before that, some folks were caught short of cash in the check-out line.

Maybe this explains some things. I responded earlier, and said I was immediately turned off by Aldi when I walked in. But that was almost 10 years ago. I guess it is time to give it another try, as long as they accept debit cards.

The only other thing that gives me pause is that it is owned by the same people running Trader Joes. I don't hate Trader Joe's, but I have never figured out why people love it so much. I've been several times, and I have some times found some neat things. But the store is always crowded and cramped, and it has never seemed worth it to go back often. Maybe I am just a standard grocery store person .

Aldis can be hit or miss. Some are pristine and you'll feel like you're in a high-end grocery, others can be a little scary. If the closest one doesn't cut it, it's worth the drive to get to a decent one.