Aldi's just opened nearby nearby - what do YOU buy there??

[Maddie2]

The first Aldi's store in our area just opened a few weeks ago and I went for the first time yesterday. Just curious about how you feel about their products? I bought mostly fresh fruits and vegetables and a few staples, to see how they compare.

What do you buy there? Certain things to avoid? Favorites? How is the meat? Where does it come from? Eggs? I would think the basic items would taste like most "store brand" items - soup, cereal, etc?

It was interesting and I'll probably go back, if even for just the great deals on fruit. The labels I read were all grown in USA. Is that their thing - is it always true? TIA!

 

[mommyburns]

I get fresh stuff mostly, fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs. I have bought meats before but the quality is hit or miss. I also buy bread and Parmesan cheese shreds and provolone slices on a regular basis. Sometimes the weekly specials are good (clothes, sunshades, books, etc)

 

[dmetcalfrn]

Fruits, vegetables and bread mostly.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Produce, dairy items, and organic pasta sauce

 

[Belle_Ann]

I get Nuts, cheeses, bread, veggie chips, apple sauce packets and some snacks like trail mix. I haven't been impressed by the meats.

 

[MMCD]

There is an Aldi in our neighborhood. When there is a scout campout, we buy anything and everything there. It is definitely cheaper there. OOOH, We don't buy too much fruit there. We have a good number of gluten-free and veggie eaters boys in our troop. They have products for it. Dump cake ingredients are definitely the cheapest there. The boys are in a budget. If they spend too much, it has to come from their own parents' pocket.

Their Clancy BBQ potatoe chips are the best - way better than Lay's. Eggs at .79 and 4 stick butter at 1.99 or 2.49 is so much lower. Their pricing on meats are hit or miss. Their chicken salad with cranberry almonds is very good. I shop there twice a week.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I LOVE Aldi!!! I mostly buy staples and raw ingredients there. Fruits and veggies (as long as they say grown in USA), lactose-free milk and almond milk, low-fat shredded cheese, flour and sugar, etc.--I think you get the idea.

I also love that their packaged foods are now free of artificial dyes so I happily buy breakfast cereals there--my kids can eat lucky charms again! Their brand of Jello and the generic kool aid packets are free of dyes, and their pop tarts and nutri-grain bars are too. I love being able to buy those convenience foods without worrying how they will affect my younger one--my 5 year old is sensitive to food additives like red dye. My only complaint about the natural colorings is that they don't always state the source of the coloring and I'm pretty sure that the red Aldi-brand kool aid packet is colored with cherries. I'm allergic to cherries and I had a terrible reaction after drinking it. To the best of my knowledge, cherries aren't typically used for red coloring so it took me by surprise when I got sick.

I'm not a fan of factory-packaged meats so I haven't bought much meat there, but I do buy the Fit & Active ground turkey. It's leaner than the Honeysuckle bulk pack at the grocery store and cheaper too.

 

[travelbug]

I usually buy fruits, vegetables, gluten-free products (they have a nice selection), pickles, stevia packets, frozen ground turkey, and some canned goods. I've been happy with the prices and quality.

 

[Bucky1306]

I'm obsessed with Aldi! If they carry it and it's on my list, I get it there and just fill in the gaps with Kroger. I have only very rarely been disappointed in the quality of a product, and they always replaced/refunded it, no questions asked. (Also, the replacement products have always been fine, so they were one-off, isolated events.) I love their natural/organic line. They are owned by the same parent company as Trader Joe's, so you are getting basically the same thing. Their produce quality used to be pretty questionable, but has really improved recently. I've not had any issue with their meat, but don't buy a ton of it so I defer to others. Low prices on staples (baking ingredients especially) are one of their strategies to getting people in the door, so that's a good place to start. They often have random really interesting products (lots of German and other foreign foods, fancy cheese, cashew milk, etc, etc) as their Special Buys that are totally worth grabbing if you see them. They aren't things they stock all the time, so tend to go fast and not get restocked. Specific things we always buy, aside from produce (2.99 watermelons right now!) and baking staples - bags of air-popped popcorn, baked chips, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, their brand of frosted flakes, and their versions of Girl Scout cookies (Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs). Ugh, sorry, I could go on about Aldi for ages - I've just been so impressed with the store!

 

[Magical Mama]

We shop there weekly. Love everything but meat products. We had a few subpar items and now just stick to buying meat at Publix.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I'm so excited--the big rumor here is that an Aldi's will be built--right around the corner from me! I used to live 2 miles from one, shopped there a couple times a week. I really miss it.

Your best buy there is staples--we have a big family, so we go through a lot. We love their cereal, frozen foods, yogurt--most anything. DH really appreciates their German specialties around Christmas (he's German). Their fresh fruit and vegetables are good, but I don't get much fresh meat there (not such a bargain).

I would get ~80% of my shopping done there, then fill in at a regular grocery store.

The only thing I can think of that I didn't care for was their 12-grain bread. And while most prices are great, some aren't, so knowing your prices going in does help.

Also, they don't take credit cards (they do accept debit, I believe). I always brought cash--just know this ahead of time. Bring a quarter for your grocery cart (you'll get it back), and your own bags.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

There is an Aldi in our neighborhood. When there is a scout campout, we buy anything and everything there. It is definitely cheaper there. OOOH, We don't buy too much fruit there. We have a good number of gluten-free and veggie eaters boys in our troop. They have products for it. Dump cake ingredients are definitely the cheapest there. The boys are in a budget. If they spend too much, it has to come from their own parents' pocket.
.

I was going to say, that's what we do when DS is quartermaster for their camping trips. Otherwise we don't go there. It's a pain to get to (on the 2 ways to drive there, one is a long, windy, stop and go road, and the other is a super busy, stop and go road), and I wasn't that go go about the quality.

 

[J.Casto79]

We buy just about everything there. Many weeks it is our only grocery stop, but we still get bulk items at Sams and maybe once a month to Kroger. I'm not sure if there has been anything that we don't like. Their prices are good as you have seen and they have such good produce.

Experiment with it, they have a double your money back guarantee. If you don't like something they will replace it and give you your money back.

 

[danielw888]

We have had horrible luck with meat products at Aldis. I would recommend you find somewhere else to shop for your meat supplies.

Other than that, we buy just about anything else in the store. The shelf life on some of their products isnt as long as name brands, but we typically shop once a week and try to eat everything we buy within that week, so its not an issue.

 

[aprilchem]

Also, they don't take credit cards (they do accept debit, I believe). I always brought cash--just know this ahead of time. Bring a quarter for your grocery cart (you'll get it back), and your own bags.

Aldi actually takes credit cards now. They started in my area about a year ago, and I think went nationwide within the last few months.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

I'm so excited--the big rumor here is that an Aldi's will be built--right around the corner from me! I used to live 2 miles from one, shopped there a couple times a week. I really miss it.

Your best buy there is staples--we have a big family, so we go through a lot. We love their cereal, frozen foods, yogurt--most anything. DH really appreciates their German specialties around Christmas (he's German). Their fresh fruit and vegetables are good, but I don't get much fresh meat there (not such a bargain).

I would get ~80% of my shopping done there, then fill in at a regular grocery store.

The only thing I can think of that I didn't care for was their 12-grain bread. And while most prices are great, some aren't, so knowing your prices going in does help.

Also, they don't take credit cards (they do accept debit, I believe). I always brought cash--just know this ahead of time. Bring a quarter for your grocery cart (you'll get it back), and your own bags.

Mine accepts credit cards now.

 

[Hikergirl]

This is my Aldi's list Guacamole
Twizzlers, Havarti cheese
Pretzels, Italian (chicken) sausage
Kettle Chips, chicken broth
Cashews, Jasmine rice
knock-off Atkins bars, Frozen seasoned fries (these are the BEST fries!)
Black olives, Half & Half
applesauce, plain yogurt (big container)
100% fruit juice- mango & something, cream cheese
Artisan lettuce, sour cream
english cucumbers, Paper plates & napkins
zucchini, unscented fabric sheets
tomatoes (hit or miss), ziploc bags
cauliflower,
onions,
potatoes

I recently tried their trash bags for camping and I was pleasantly surprised, may add those to the list.
I also alway buy their 2 pack of cami's when they have them. I think the brand is Serra, and they are the best camis I have ever worn.
They have all kinds of non grocery items, I've grabbed a few things, plastic trash can, area rug for outside, etc.

 

[aprincessatlast]

My friends joke I could be a PR person for Aldi. Seriously though I don't know why it had the reputation it had when Trader Joes was all cool and hip. I like Aldi's much better!

Like pp we get everything there and fill the gaps at Kroger. Favorites are chicken salad, Jasmine Rice, Cereals, Cheeses from Europe, Not Any products like lunch meat and chicken sausages etc., OJ and apple Juice, Orange chicken, novelty ice creams, Turkey Dogs, Frozen Pizza from Italy, Face cream from England (love this stuff). The list can go on! We really like to try the Specialty items in black as they are usually really good.

 

[minniebeth]

I started shopping at Aldi after reading about it here on the Budget Board and how many people shop there and like it. My DS just moved into an apartment and I went with the intent to stock him up with all the basics at a reasonable price. I was like ooooooh! And go about once every two weeks now and love it. I still shop at regular grocery stores and Trader Joes.

My DDs have many allergies and I have found that they have some of the products that they normally can't have are ok for them here, so that's great!

We have really liked: pretzels, tortilla chips, all kinds of snack foods, etc., (great European chocolates and cookies!), applesauce, fruit snacks, trail mix, honey, salad dressings (the envelope of make your own like Good Seasons is the best 'generic' I've found), spices, salsa, wines, K-cups, canned beans, pasta (the ones from Italy are great), cereal, granola bars, all kinds of bread, bagels (such a good price!), cheese sticks, hummus, all kinds of cheeses, shredded cheeses ie mozzarella, cheddar, center cut bacon (only meat I buy there), butter, sour cream, eggs, milk, lactose free milk, large containers of yogurt. Their black plastic garbage bags are great for the price, ziplock bags, seran, paper products, etc. Even their dishwasher detergent is pretty good.

I just bought brand name Gatorade at a pretty good price too.

Their produce is sometimes hit or miss~ a friend told me to find out the day where they get most of it in (Tuesdays by us), so I go either on Tuesdays or Wednesdays and it seems to be great. When it looks good, I buy a lot. Lettuce, baby spinach, cucumbers, organic tomatoes, green onions, red peppers, mini peppers, pineapple, bananas, I could go on.

So far, the only things I haven't liked are the refrigerated pie crusts, cream cheese in a tub, Mediterranean salad dressing (the oil and other ingredients won't mix/blend for some reason), and dish detergent.

They have some great weekly specials they bring in, and I really have to be careful, I sometimes blow all my savings on stuff I don't really need, lol. This week they had great little sport watches for $10 each, so I got my DDs each one because they are doing sport camps and are perfect.

Everything is a personal preference, so whether you like it or not is trial and error, but it's definitely worth a trip and you will definitely save money on most things you buy.

 

[Ngwira]

Just went to Aldi's yesterday. I bought honey roasted cashews, instant coffee, sockeye salmon, raw jumbo shrimp, frozen wild caught flounder, organic grass fed beef, conventional ground beef, hamburger and hot dog rolls, frozen pancakes and waffles. I also love their coconut oil, spices and chocolate chunk cookies. Saved a GRIP!!!