Debt Dumpers 2025

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

We might consider giving it another try. That was a couple of years ago. I know I've heard DR talk about them.

I do 90% of my grocery shopping at Aldi. I got an entire basket full of groceries there for $108 earlier this week. The best thing to do is find out when they get trucks in and go later that day or the next day since they aren't as big as walmart who will get trucks daily. I have also bought many things from both Dollar Tree and Dollar General to eat and have never had an issue with anything.

 

[bettertheangel]

@WDW_fan_in_TX Do you feel safe at home? This is a legit question. It is okay for you to leave the home if your safety is at risk. Your wife seems to be verging on physical abuse. The mental, emotional and financial abuse, I think has been pretty clear for awhile. It is hard for men to do so, but it is okay to GET HELP!!

I think he meant that his wife threw the cards in his face metaphorically.

 

[bettertheangel]

I am going to start checking Krogers and Tom Thumb. I also learned we have a Market Street, Sprouts and Trader Joes nearby. Those are the options along with Walmart and Sams. We buy gas at Sams as well as TP and a few other odds and ends. We're going to Trader Joes tomorrow afternoon to check it out. We do have an Aldi, but we went in once, and it felt dirty and like a dollar store. I think it's just a dollar store but for groceries. Anyway....

I tried to talk to DW at dinner tonight about canceling Amazon and Disney+. She said she buys too much stuff on there (I went back and checked my year to date expenses sheet to see what we've spent on Amazon). I told her I've been thinking about budgeting and trying to get out of debt. She said why and that it's too late and she's going to be stuck with everything. She said she's paying for my school loan, and we didn't even know each other when I was in college. So she's not about looking toward the future. She did mention we spend $24k a year on rent. And I was like yep, and that's one of the reasons I want to pay off all this debt, so we can eventually buy a house.

Very frustrating. And it looks like it'll only be me working on budgeting and our future. At least I tried.

On a bright note, I did get a 25 minute workout in today after work and before she got home. I went on Youtube and searched for at home exercises, and I found one that was running in place and doing some other stuff. It was really, really tiring, and I was sweating. But I was able to get in about 2,500 steps during that workout. So that was nice. Will probably walk the neighborhood tomorrow and Sunday as I'm off all day, so I can do it when it's daylight.

Why does your wife think she is going to be stuck with everything? You're still young enough to get out of debt and enjoy a debt free life if you put some effort into it. I find her attitude so confusing.

I'm glad you were able to get a workout in! Keep it up!

 

[barkley]

I have also bought many things from both Dollar Tree and Dollar General to eat and have never had an issue with anything.

a-1 sauce, pickle relish, water packed bell pepper strips and individual small packs of oreos (so they don't go stale and we don't binge on them out of fear they will go stale ) are my go to items at the dollar stores.

 

[Willow Ufgood]

I am going to start checking Krogers and Tom Thumb. I also learned we have a Market Street, Sprouts and Trader Joes nearby. Those are the options along with Walmart and Sams. We buy gas at Sams as well as TP and a few other odds and ends. We're going to Trader Joes tomorrow afternoon to check it out. We do have an Aldi, but we went in once, and it felt dirty and like a dollar store. I think it's just a dollar store but for groceries. Anyway....

I tried to talk to DW at dinner tonight about canceling Amazon and Disney+. She said she buys too much stuff on there (I went back and checked my year to date expenses sheet to see what we've spent on Amazon). I told her I've been thinking about budgeting and trying to get out of debt. She said why and that it's too late and she's going to be stuck with everything. She said she's paying for my school loan, and we didn't even know each other when I was in college. So she's not about looking toward the future. She did mention we spend $24k a year on rent. And I was like yep, and that's one of the reasons I want to pay off all this debt, so we can eventually buy a house.

Very frustrating. And it looks like it'll only be me working on budgeting and our future. At least I tried.

On a bright note, I did get a 25 minute workout in today after work and before she got home. I went on Youtube and searched for at home exercises, and I found one that was running in place and doing some other stuff. It was really, really tiring, and I was sweating. But I was able to get in about 2,500 steps during that workout. So that was nice. Will probably walk the neighborhood tomorrow and Sunday as I'm off all day, so I can do it when it's daylight.

It's never too late to get your finances in order. I'm rather shocked that someone who has a position at a bank would have that mindset. Isn't she a loan officer? She must know how crushing debt can affect people.

It strikes me that she regards the debts you face as your responsibility. She won't take ownership of any part of them...the student loans, the car loan, the credit cards in your name. In her mind, they are your creation and therefore your problem. That's why she refuses to make changes. Ironically, it was she who had a predatory loan just a few years ago and she was racking up extraordinary late fees that you did the hard work to get paid off.That was an amazing feat on your part and I have a lot of admiration for your efforts to get it paid off.

I don't know what you can say that will get her to partner with you in this struggle. Perhaps a sit-down with both of you and your pastor or a church elder to discuss the issue? Sometimes it takes a 3rd party who is uninvolved with the situation to bring two people together and solve their differences.

I still believe that you can get your debts eliminated and be on your way to a stable financial life if you follow the advice that many have offered. But you cannot do it alone. Your wife needs to be your partner in this, not your adversary.

 

[Twilghtsprkle]

It's never too late to get your finances in order. I'm rather shocked that someone who has a position at a bank would have that mindset. Isn't she a loan officer? She must know how crushing debt can affect people.

I am not. I worked in finance and I remember many of the people buying too much house with an ARM and just thinking they could always easily refinance (this was before the 2008 housing crash). Thought I was crazy for getting a fixed rate and buying within my current means.

I do agree with you that if they don’t work together on their finances that they will never get out of the hole.

 

[focusondisney]

We do have an Aldi, but we went in once, and it felt dirty and like a dollar store. I think it's just a dollar store but for groceries.

Has it been a few years since you were in one? I felt the same way after I went in the 1 in our town about 12 years ago. But since then, new stores have opened near me & the 1 in my town moved & was renovated. I have family members who shopped at Aldi for years, so about 2 years ago, I went in again. It’s still bare bones on the display aspect, that’s just their style. But the stores are definitely cleaner & brighter from what I first saw. The stores I go to are in middle & upper class suburbs, not urban city areas.

As for food quality, my husband worked in food production his whole life. He retired as plant manager of a large national food production facility. His factory regularly made products for Aldi & Walmart. Like Walmart, many of the foods at Aldi are made by brand name companies using Aldi recipe specifications & packaging in Aldi’s labels. They also have nationally known brand labels for some products. What surprised me the most was the quality of their meat. It is just as good as any other grocery, just more limited in variety of cuts. I will say the produce, especially fruit, can be hit or miss for me. I find vegetables like potatoes, zucchini, broccoli etc are just as good as any other grocery store but at much better prices. Saving a few bucks on canned or frozen goods at Aldi makes paying more for fruit at Wegmans easier.

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Just dropping this here...a good article comparing ALDI and Walmart. Click the link to see lots of product pictures and pricing.

ALDI vs. Walmart: Which Is Cheaper in 2025?

Is ALDI Cheaper Than Walmart? ​

Out of 29 grocery items compared, ALDI had less expensive prices for 24 of them (and tied for four others).

But what about the price at the register? Here’s what the total cost of all these groceries (before tax) came out to:

• ALDI: $94.21
• Walmart: $105.45

So, for this grocery trip, yes—ALDI is less expensive than Walmart by $11.

A few other things to note:

• ALDI is more affordable for chicken, ground beef, most dairy items and most pantry staples.
• The biggest savers at ALDI are household items.
• ALDI has more affordable produce than Walmart.
• Walmart is more affordable for bacon.
• ALDI and Walmart had the same prices for eggs, 2% milk, pasta and dish soap.
• If you live in an area where there aren’t any ALDI stores close by, Walmart is still a cheap option.
• You can use my Meal Planner & Grocery Savings Guide to save more time and money when shopping for groceries.

 

[CoP Luv]

Has it been a few years since you were in one? I felt the same way after I went in the 1 in our town about 12 years ago. But since then, new stores have opened near me & the 1 in my town moved & was renovated. I have family members who shopped at Aldi for years, so about 2 years ago, I went in again. It’s still bare bones on the display aspect, that’s just their style. But the stores are definitely cleaner & brighter from what I first saw. The stores I go to are in middle & upper class suburbs, not urban city areas.

As for food quality, my husband worked in food production his whole life. He retired as plant manager of a large national food production facility. His factory regularly made products for Aldi & Walmart. Like Walmart, many of the foods at Aldi are made by brand name companies using Aldi recipe specifications & packaging in Aldi’s labels. They also have nationally known brand labels for some products. What surprised me the most was the quality of their meat. It is just as good as any other grocery, just more limited in variety of cuts. I will say the produce, especially fruit, can be hit or miss for me. I find vegetables like potatoes, zucchini, broccoli etc are just as good as any other grocery store but at much better prices. Saving a few bucks on canned or frozen goods at Aldi makes paying more for fruit at Wegmans easier.

I agree. When I first stepped into an Aldi probably 15+ years ago, I couldn't believe people chose to shop there. Their rebranding and change of layout amongst their stores before the pandemic really changed my view. (and the fact that they carried Aldi-brand Girl Scout Tagalongs year round for $1.39/box at the time!). It is a different way of shopping, but once I tried a few items and loved paying significantly less, I am a convert. It is not my top choice for shopping, but I do get some pantry staples there.

 

[focusondisney]

the fact that they carried Aldi-brand Girl Scout Tagalongs year round for $1.39/box at the time!).

How could I forget the GS cookies?! It’s the peanut butter cookies anytime of year that makes my husband happy.

 

[DanceDisney23]

Just dropping this here...a good article comparing ALDI and Walmart. Click the link to see lots of product pictures and pricing.

ALDI vs. Walmart: Which Is Cheaper in 2025?

Is ALDI Cheaper Than Walmart? ​

Out of 29 grocery items compared, ALDI had less expensive prices for 24 of them (and tied for four others).

But what about the price at the register? Here’s what the total cost of all these groceries (before tax) came out to:

• ALDI: $94.21
• Walmart: $105.45

So, for this grocery trip, yes—ALDI is less expensive than Walmart by $11.

A few other things to note:

• ALDI is more affordable for chicken, ground beef, most dairy items and most pantry staples.
• The biggest savers at ALDI are household items.
• ALDI has more affordable produce than Walmart.
• Walmart is more affordable for bacon.
• ALDI and Walmart had the same prices for eggs, 2% milk, pasta and dish soap.
• If you live in an area where there aren’t any ALDI stores close by, Walmart is still a cheap option.
• You can use my Meal Planner & Grocery Savings Guide to save more time and money when shopping for groceries.

Definitely true on the household items! I stock up on laundry detergent and paper products when I go to Aldi.

I also love their dairy, especially the cheeses, and frozen veggies. I found the bread is often pre-frozen so it doesn’t last as long. But other bakery items like cookies are great. I love their chocolate bars too.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Definitely true on the household items! I stock up on laundry detergent and paper products when I go to Aldi.

I also love their dairy, especially the cheeses, and frozen veggies. I found the bread is often pre-frozen so it doesn’t last as long. But other bakery items like cookies are great. I love their chocolate bars too.

Thanks.