Snacks for Less

[Emme]

O.K. Maybe everyone knows this but me, but, I just came back from WalMart and I picked up a box of 12 individual packages of peanut butter & crackers, and cheese & crackers by Austin for $1.50 a package. That comes out to like 12 cents a package. What a deal! They are flat so they are easy to pack, and packaged seperately so their a good bring along snack food for the parks! Am I pround of myself or what?(LOL) :D :D

[TracyK]

That sounds great. Do you know if they have a store on International Drive? :cool:

Tracy
Disneyland Paris Halloween 1999 & Christmas 2000
Off site Easter 2000 & Easter 2001

[JorJor]

I'm in IL and Aldis are pretty popular here. (There's alot of them around.)Well, I just got a 12 pack of the cheese crackers for 79 cents!! To save a few bucks, I'm planning on getting snacks at Aldi and bring them with on my trip. We're driving, but I read other posts that said they pack snacks and light groceries in their suit cases while flying. I'm assuming that Aldi is all over the US. If so....go there. It has the same type of snacks as a regular grocery store....but much cheaper. Hope this helps!

[Emme]

O.K. JorJor you win! No, I have never heard of Aldi's. So...I guess I'll just have to be happy with my $1.50 purchase! I always pack snacks to take along. I look for sales about a month or so ahead and stock up. What a money saver! We are going in April. Have a safe wonderful trip~! :D :D

[JorJor]

Oh darn it! I was really hoping that Aldis were all over, because everything there is so inexpensive. It's a real grocery store...just small. Anyway, $1.50 is still a good deal for the crackers! We're going the last week of April, when are you going? Have a safe and fun trip!

[Mic]

Hey, JorJor,
We have an Aldi's near me in NC. It has been open a little over a year, and I just discovered the place! I buy snacks, cheese, milk, and BREAD(they have the cheapest in town!) I usually go mid-afternoon, and the place is full of old people(very sweet and polite) presumably on fixed incomes. Since they carry very few name-brands, I still buy laundry detergent, cokes, and dog food elsewhere, but they can't be beat for the basics!

[JorJor]

I buy my meats, laundry stuff, bathroom stuff, etc. elsewhere. But can you believe how cheap a loaf of bread is? 33 cents by me! At a larger grocery store it's $2.00 or more. (Not on sale.) My kids are "apple juice addicts" and at Aldi...99 cents a jug! Wow! Normally, $2-3! I could go on forever. But I'm so glad you have one by you...It sure is great!

[Emme]

JorJor, we will be at the Swan April 7-14. I can't wait! Any other good snack tips you (or anyone) can share? I am always on the lookout for fun money saving snack ideas for the family (boy, does that sound corny)! I love these boards! Thanks! :D ;)

[bbump]

Went to Wal-Mart and bought the AUSTIN cracker
packs!!! PLUS, they even had packs of AUSTIN cookies (chocolate creams, lemon cookies, and vanilla too) they were also $1.50 a box... and were so convenient!
I stashed a ton of stuff in a backpack (don't forget juice boxes) We also brought a re-fillable
water bottle. Just packing that stuff saved us alot of cash at the parks!!! We only had to pay for 1-2 meals per day at the parks.... we mostly snacked when we were there anyway.

The crackers and cookies work so well to pass the time when you are waiting in lines!

Have a GREAT Trip!
good luck finding more deals!
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[dizneenut]

I have an Aldi's near me! I love that place! We are buying alot of our snacks at Aldi & Save A Lot to take w/ us on our trip...they are MUCH CHEAPER at both places!!!

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[susieeQ]

we have Aldi's in Michigan too!
I love that store. I hope that when we are ready to go to WDW they have those snacks then. I will be checking it out, and trying to buy ahead.
Thanks for the heads up

[Coll0610]

DH and DS like to have some candy, so we'll buy a big bag of jelly beans or skittles and divide it up into little snack size zipper bags to bring into the park each day. Same with pretzels and cereal (although they do break easier). I read on the boards about someone who buys a bucket of popcorn on the first day and then fills it each day with microwave popcorn brought from home and popped in the food court microwave.

[kntheboys]

We all (kids too if you want to bring LOTS of snacks! :) )wear fanny packs and put a juice box, granola bars, baggies with: chips, trail mix, raisins or pretzels; cheese sticks (eat within an hour or two) and that type of thing.
Other things I have brought are individual applesauces and individual fruit cups, or an apple.

You can make the trail mix very inexpensively (this was my kids' favorite snack to bring in their fanny pack in a zippered snack bag). Just throw together some M&M's (or Wal-mart has "choco buttons" that I don't like as well as M&M's by themselves, but PREFER to M&M's in trail mix), a few marshmallows, raisins, and peanuts or granola.
YUMMMMM!

I also have a "platypus bottle" which I bought at Gander Mountain (sportsmans store). It's flat with a water bottle spout. It's sort of like a baggie only heavier weight plastic. It folds in half and fits great in a fanny pack. We just fill it at a fountain.

It costs a fortune to eat at the parks, so this saves us a ton of money. You can even fit a sandwich in a fanny pack! A lot of people had backpacks, but I like the fanny packs because you don't even have to take them off for rides, etc.

Just to give you an idea of everything that fits in a fanny pack, here's what I had in mine last week at Universal studios:

2 fruit and grain bars
1 snackwell candy bar
1 weight watchers 2 points bar
about 10 hard candies (creme savers, etc.)
1 baggie of pretzel sticks
1 (1 serving)package of Milano cookies
1 (1 serving) package of Sun Chips
1 platypus bottle
1 package gum

1 bottle of eye drops
1 pair sunglasses
checkbook register
Weight watcher's spiral food journal
weight watcher's slide rule
1 chapstick
1 lipstick
1 mascara
1 eyeglass cloth
1 nail clippers
1 emory board
money
6-8 cards (Visa, ATM, DL, etc.)
folding portable scissors
3-4 bandaids
4 packets of splenda
2 kleenex
1 travel size bottle of tylenol
2 pens
2 keys
1 disposable Kodak camera
(I don't think I forgot anything!)
(DH keeps his wallet and a few other things in his)

My fanny pack has 1 large pocket and one more pocket out front that I keep the pens, money, gum, and credit cards in. Plus a very small pocket in front of that pocket that I keep the splenda, chapstick and nail clippers in. It is an "average" sized fanny pack -- not large. The extra pockets are the secret, I think, so look for one that has more than one pocket for you.

Kids just need a basic one with room for a juice box, sandwich and granola bar and/or applesauce.

This probably too long, but hope you have a great trip!

[Lucky4me]

ANother Aldi fan here. Most people I know stick their noses up when I say I shop at Aldi's. I'm getting the same exact food they are for more than 50% cheaper. I can't get everything there but Milk, bread, eggs, cheese, snacks and whatever they have on special is more than worth it! Its great spending $50 and walking out with 5 or 6 bags.

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[lu]

In addition to the snack items people have already mentioned, my daughter and I usually bring along a very small container of peanut butter and a bag of apples. I suppose that might sound strange, but I get extraordinarily hungry for "real food" after a day of fast food (and we rarely eat at a real restaurant while we're in WDW) and the apples are very much appreciated by me. I just pack them between clothing in the middle of the largest suitcase and they travel just fine. Often I've got some oranges along as well and those small boxes of cereal. It means that we've got an option for a late night snack or for breakfast without stopping somewhere before we head out to the parks the next morning. (It also works to buy a carton of milk the night before & put it in the mini bar fridge in the room so my daughter can have milk & cereal for breakfast.)

[Emme]

You people are the greatest! I love and appreciate all your helpful ideas. Please keep them coming. They are informative and FUN! Thanks! Only 48 days to go! Yipee!
Emmy :D :D

[pats]

Wow...kntheboys..i need a fanny pack like yours!!!

[kntheboys]

I got it at Wal-mart last spring for less then $10... :D

[lagasan]

Aldi has a website that lists locations.

http://www.aldifoods.com/

[jgates]

Bummer, by the time I put a blood tester, 3 bottles of insulin and a bunch of syringes in my bag, I don't have room for all the other stuff.

Seriously, it's amazing what you can cram in there!!!

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[tink2dw]

on west call The Grocery Outlet!!! I couldn't live without it! Winco and Costco can't beat it!! But it's not the kind of place you take alist to,cuz you never Know what you might get!! one time I got a boxes of MYSTIC PIZZIA 2 to a box,$3.00,It was the BEST store pizza we ever had but since then no MYSTIC PIZZA[yes from the movie of the same name]

SOMEthing we always bring is a box marshmello treats they don't melt yet they help the sweet tooth!!!! and I want to bring fruit cups!

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[Slightly Goofy]

Hi all

I saw your chat about Aldi's. I go there once a month to stock up on staples. I don't like some of the things that they have but love most of it. I have six grandchildren to feed snacks to so the apple juice, bananas, and snack crackers are a life saver. My oldest grand is named Austin so he gets a big kick out of the snacks with his name on them.

I have sisters who look their nose down at the place but I don't believe in wasting money. We are recently retired and one of sister's who does not shop at cut rate stores recently filed for bankruptcy so it just shows that different people have different ways. I used to be a major coupon queen until it all went away so I have to look for other ways to scrimp and save so we can do Disney often. We went twice last year and are planning on going twice again this year.

I take a small microwave with us and cook two meals a day in the room and we eat a meal in the parks, or more often at one of the resorts for lunch. Saves money and saves wear and tear on us from not having to fight those early morning and late evening crowds at the food courts. We prefer getting more days rather than more luxury but some people who have less time might prefer the high life. That is what makes Disney great, there is something for everyone.

Linda

[Julia M]

we'll eat b'fast in our rooms (except for a couple character b'fasts), and have one sit down meal and 1 counter meal. I don't mind buying the meals-it's blowing $20 on one snack that I hate.

I went to Target today and bought some Valentine Candy treats at 75% off. I bought the ones that weren't too holidayish-plastic cell phones with sweet tarts, some chocolate coins, some candy necklaces, some small bags of jelly bellies (25 cents each!) and a few other treats. I even bought 3 sets of "make your own candy neckalces" for the plane. Junk food? Yeah. But, if it helps the plane ride (we'll leave our house at 10am CA time, and arrive in FL-if all goes well-at 10:30 at night) I'm all for it!

What I have found is if I have "cool" treats, the kids (ages 8, 6 and 4) don't mind not getting a Disney treat. Then when we do splurge for a Disney treat, they're really thrilled.

Julia

First trip: July, 1983
Second trip: April 17-20, Dixie Landings
April 20-28: Orange Lake COuntry Club

[Robin W]

Hey my sister just started on the insulin pump and she loves it--by the way she is in Eau Claire. Life with a diabetic is different--hang in there.