On a budget to save for WDW....anyone grocery shop at Aldi's???

[ckoncurat]

Incidentally- That family with the 15 children on the discovery channel shop at Aldis. They use several carts.

I still go there. Savings are Savings.

 

[Princesa]

I shop at Aldi's all the time and love it! I have definately been spoiled by their prices on fresh produce....it's so hard to buy fresh fruits and veggies at any other supermarket and know it costs so much less at Aldi's!

I always go there for certain things....any fresh produce, honey, jams, cheese, and many others. Certain things I don't care for....I would rather wait for the peanut butter to be on sale at Meijer and stock up, than pick up the Aldi brand whenever. But, by being patient and figuring out which items are tasty, you can easily shop there and never have any issues with the food. Of course, this is true for me anywhere--shopping at Meijer or Walmart some store brands I like just as well (sometimes better!) , and some things I wait for a sale and use the coupon to get a name brand I like better.

This is how I shop....check the Sunday ad for Meijer to see just what's on sale this week. If Meijer has milk on sale, it is often cheaper than Aldi. But, if not on sale at Meijer, then milk goes on the Aldi list that week. Same for name brand cereals....if they are on sale at Meijer for 3 for $5, then I will fish out a coupon hopefully, and add that to the Meijer list. If not, we like the Aldi brands just about as well. And my kids can't even tell the difference. I go through the entire ad, then add on whatever I need in each place. Our Meijer and Aldi are side by side so it's very convenient for me to stop at both.

I know I save a ton by shopping at Aldi!!!!!

 

[kmjmom]

What a laugh I got when I spotted this thread! My DD and I just bought an assortment of snacks to bring along with us when our family leaves for WDW in just 5 days! We have another store similar to Aldi called Price Rite. It's similar, but also has name brands. I actually find some items to be even cheaper at Price Rite! With three hungry kids, it's a great place to shop. Great produce and extra cheap bread prices too!

 

[crazymomof4]

Another fan of Aldi here!

I started going on the recommendation of a neighbor and I, too, was skeptical.
At first, I only bought a few items to "try them out".

Over the past 6 yrs I've increased both the number of times/month I go (3-4) and the # of items I buy there.

There are items now that I would not buy anywhere else bc we like the "aldi brand!

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but you HAVE to try their imported chocolates!!!!!! I have relatives in Germany and they sometimes send us delicious German chocolate. We have also gotten some at import shops or at Germany Pavillion in WDW. Well, Aldi is a German-based company and they sell German chocolate for very cheap ($1.99 I think) and it is exactly the same as the stuff my relatives my relatives send.

 

[tinaluis]

We love Aldi's too!!!! We do what most others do -- we stock up on the basics and then go to another store for the items Aldi's doesn't carry. We're so glad that they've now started to carry the 32 oz. French Vanilla Flavored Coffee Creamer and it's only $1.99. They're also carrying many more "gourmet" products under their new product line. Some weeks they're the only grocery stop we make. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

 

[rcpae]

I also love Aldi! We get most of our groceries there, but they still do not carry "everything". What I like the most is how quickly I can get in and out of the store, even when there are long lines. The store is small, and really not much brand choice. For example, if I need chocolate chips, then I grab them. No looking for the least expensive price! There is only 1 kind.

Give it a try and see what you think!

 

[Kellydelly]

Aldi's Milk Chocolate is to die for! I thought it was Swiss, not German, though? Even though Aldi's is a German company. It is cheap and soooooo much better than Hershey's or anyone else's ! These are the things that I buy at Aldi's on a regular basis:

chocolate bars
brown sugar
rice krispy treats (their brand is quite good)
sugar
flour
salad mix
yogurt
cheese
peppers
mushrooms
canned raviolis and spaghettios (.60 per can)
spaghetti sauce (.99)
cream of mushroom soup (.33) tastes as good as Campbells!
canned mandarin oranges (.33)
canned peas
frozen talpia fillets, very good!
stuffed rigatoni (portobello mushroom)
pizza snacks (they just improved these, now they are more like Totinos)

My sister buys their frozen juice all the time but I havn't yet.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

crazymomof4, you are truly an evil woman! Here I have been walking right past all the junk foods on my way to the healthy fruits and veggies and now you have called to my attention that there are some good tasting things in there. I am hoping that I will trip on my way to bed and get a concussion that will erase all such knowledge from my brain.

A story from years ago. One of my sisters was visiting me with her daughter and I drove them to town. As we passed by Aldi's my ds asked her daughter if she knew what the store was. The 'sweet' child spoke up and said, yes that is where the losers shop. I nearly dropped my false teeth and I did not even wear them!!! LOL My ds was visiting me while hiding out from her creditors. I are an Aldi's shopper and darned proud of it. I do not need to and Aldi's is one reason why I do not NEED to. You meet the nicest people there too.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

 

[crazymomof4]

crazymomof4, you are truly an evil woman! Here I have been walking right past all the junk foods on my way to the healthy fruits and veggies and now you have called to my attention that there are some good tasting things in there. I am hoping that I will trip on my way to bed and get a concussion that will erase all such knowledge from my brain.

OK, then I won't tell you about the cookie-stick things in a tall tin that are every bit as delish as those pricey Pepperidge Farm "Pirouettes". Tee Hee Hee

Kellydelly: Yes, they taste good enough to be mistaken for swiss chocolate but the ones I buy from Aldi say "Product of Germany" on the back of the box.

 

[crazymomof4]

I am an Aldi's shopper and darned proud of it. I do not need to and Aldi's is one reason why I do not NEED to.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

Here here! Well put!

 

[hsmamato2]

Where I live, we have an aldis about 20 min. away, I tend to save by shopping at a store called Marcs/ Xpect discount- they are very inexpensive also, does anyone have knowledge of both these stores? if so, are they equal, or are there differences I should know about? Always on the lookout to save on groceries, since I declared "war" on regular grocery stores and their highway robbery(I mean high prices!)

 

[Nite0wl71]

I have 5 kids and I always shopped at Aldi's, I don't anymore because only one is at home now and I don't cook as much as I used to.

I have to agree about the cereal, I always bought Aldi's, sometimes the kids would complain but they ate it. The funny thing is now DD24 and DS26 have there own households and that is where they shop. My DS said to me that the cereal is so cheap he buys all of his cereal there

 

[mickilovesmickey]

We have both an Aldi's and a Marc's. I shop at both. I recently left Corporate America to be a SAHM. I have never regretted it, but decided that we were spending way too much on groceries. So I started shopping at these places. I cut our grocery bill in half! I go through the ads each week and make a list for these two places and also our grocery store. I have slowly tried things at Aldi's. I have to admit I was skeptical at first. But I am sold now. Their brands are cheaper than store brands and give you larger amounts and taste a whole lot better. I would rather have things from there than name brand. Marc's can be cheap but you have to watch. Also they don't have the same items every week. So you can't always get what you need. After I have gone to these stores, then I fill in what I need from the grocery store. I also shop on the same day every week. And I plan out our meals ahead of time. I think this keeps us from eating out because we don't have anything for dinner. I love Aldi's!!

 

[patsal]

Love it, cut my grocery bill in half. I now only hit the regular grocery store once per month for the things I am snobby about. If you are weary about anything try it--if you do not care for it you may return it for double credit. I have only returned pickles--noe they have changed their pickles and I do like them--the return was about four years ago. I love the money savings and the time savings--in and out within a half hour!

Sally

 

[MOMOFMNM]

watch the bananas you buy them green and mine have turned brown really fast...the strawberries I bought today already have mold on them...I didn't see them at the store like that...other than that I like the majority of the items there...saves big money!!

 

[TNKBELL]

One of our family Aldi favorites is the brownie mix, the best I've ever had, and even better than homemade IMHO. My Dh loves the Cheese curls, they are not as salty as the name brands. I couldn't live without the Light Microwave Popcorn, most all the kernals pop out and they are large, fluffy and buttery tasting....MMMMM too bad I'm fresh out!

 

[Clancycat]

I wish there was an Aldis around here (Boston) .

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Do not forget Dollar General, Big Lots and Deals. I go in there often just to look around and frequently find great things to put away for future needs as well.

I have one closet that is dedicated to gifts (Madonna has a whole room) and I go shopping there before I go elsewhere. Better gifts, better prices. More time to plan my next DW trip. Works for me.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

 

[Ozymoe]

I'm also an Aldi's shopper and especially like their brownie mix too! Make it with one egg and do not overbake (makes fudgy, not cake-like brownies). I made these for a graduation and frosted them with a home made chocolate ganache...everyone raved, but I did not tell anyone the brownie part was from a mix...and a cheap mix at that!

Their cheeses are also excellent as is the fresh produce. I buy a case of baked beans for .25/can and doctor them with my own onions/brown sugar and molasses, sometimes green peppers...a dash or two of cayenne gives it just a hint of heat. I make 6-8 cans of it at a time and keep it in the fridge. The teens love it as a snack as well as a side dish for supper.

Their no-cal cranberry-flavored "water" is also great...and I haven't found that anywhere else. Their milk and eggs are pretty much always the lowest price around...although I can sometimes get butter cheaper elsewhere (on sale).

...oh...and I bought a breadmaker there a while back for $39.99 and have just used it and used it! It turned out to be one of my favorite Aldi buys...that, and as someone else posted...their chocolate! Their frozen foods have all been good also.

The only thing I have found that we don't care for is their peanut butter (we like 100% natural)...and we are not big fans of canned fruits and vegetables...but when I do buy them, the Aldi's brand is as good as any.

 

[HayGan]

Count me in as another Aldi's shopper! I figure I do about 80% of our shopping there. I get most of our produce there (they have a buy back policy on produce!!!) The only thing that I have had from there that I don't care for are cookies. We didn't like the giant chocolate chip cookies or the pecan shortbread ones. We love their angus burgers and peppered bacon!!! The kids love their french toast sticks, chicken nuggets and fries!

While the selection is limited, they have most of the staples to make any great meal.