theres an Aldi's opening by me....

[Ress76]

Our big Aldi's purchases are snacky things, chips and salsa. My husband loves their salsa, and it's far cheaper than anything else around. Their chips are good. My son said their ice cream is good as well.

But, as a PP said, careful use of coupons and sales will generally benefit me more than a trip to Aldi's.

 

[thebigkahuna]

Thank you to everyone for the replies!

I really dont make use of coupons, so it's sounding like Aldi's will help me save a lot of money. I didn't realise that they sold things other than food (a PP mentioned toys) - its really sounding like it could be a main grocery store for me (and it's no further away than where I'm shopping now)

I'm excited for it to open, thank you again for all the wonderful replies!!!

 

[FergieTCat]

My neighborhood is finally catching up. We got a Costco in July and are getting an Aldi's sometime soon.

 

[Speed Weasel]

Be sure to watch other stores' reactions as well! The Wal-Marts that are close by the Aldi's that just opened dropped their milk prices to 99¢ / gallon and egg prices (large, dozen) dropped to 68¢. So the competitive forces could have an effect on the stores that you already shop at as well...

 

[Kathi OD]

Aldi's is right down the street from me. I could walk if I needed to, but I drive the 25 minutes to Wegman's. This should tell you all you need to know about the Aldi's near me.

Not only is the food generally of poor quality (I'm in shock that someone actually thinks the ice cream is good, it's always got freezer burn here), but they never have enough checkouts open.

I think you'll find that Aldi's will be a great alternative when it first opens, but it might not stay that way.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

I don't like that they don't take credit cards- we pay it off every month, but we use it religiously for points. I don't have a debit card, and don't carry cash- so its very inconvenient sp? for me. Also, I like one stop shopping, and Aldis doesnt have everything I need when i go to the grocery- so its a no for me. I pay a little more for convenience at wal mart and I get bags and carts free, lol-also, and I'm sure this regional, no flames please, but the people actually scare me in there. They do at the walmart just down the road from it too-I use a different one- so its not just Aldi, lol.

 

[kayrosek]

I don't like that they don't take credit cards- we pay it off every month, but we use it religiously for points. I don't have a debit card, and don't carry cash- so its very inconvenient sp? for me. Also, I like one stop shopping, and Aldis doesnt have everything I need when i go to the grocery- so its a no for me. I pay a little more for convenience at wal mart and I get bags and carts free, lol-also, and I'm sure this regional, no flames please, but the people actually scare me in there. They do at the walmart just down the road from it too-I use a different one- so its not just Aldi, lol.

I definatley think it's regional. Before I moved to a new city I never felt comfortable at Aldi's the one near me seemed dirty and just not a place I was comfortable being without DH (whom I rarely have with me on shopping trips). When I moved here I tried it out of curiosity and fell in love. This one is clean well stocked and I have never felt uncomfortable there.

 

[DisneyFirefly]

My mom and I shop at Aldi all the time. We LOVE their cheese danish and always buy two, because it's gone fairly quickly.

We also like their pasta sauce (the one in the square-ish jar, not the round one, and my favorite's the three cheese), but their pasta isn't as good as the kind we normally buy. We also love their cheese, and we almost only buy our baking goods there unless it's something they don't carry. They have a lot of other products we pick up regularly as well. My mom keeps a stash of reusable bags in the trunk of the car so that she can stop there. Also, in lieu of bags, you can also use the boxes. They don't charge for them (at least not at my store).

 

[aprilfoolwed]

We had an Aldis open about a mile from me, and I have been there twice. My reaction is just so-so. I don't love it, although I did find some good deals there. I think cereal is cheap! And snacky things (which I don't like buying a lot of, but lunchbox-type items were really inexpensive there). And baking supplies (although I didn't buy any of these yet just waiting until my holiday baking).

I was lured in by the produce prices, but I was not impressed with what they had there. The quality looked terrible. $.69 for a head of lettuce is a great price, but not if it's half rotted! I did buy 10 lbs of potatoes for $2, and they were fine. But it looks like you have to be very careful with things that can go bad.

I have not mustered up enough courage to try their meats yet. Don't know that I will. No frozen items either (although that had more to do with my schedule and not going home right after my trip there than being concerned with the quality).

I think it's a nice supplement to my regular grocery shopping, but will not take the place of it.

Oh, and we are Sam's Club members too. So we buy a lot at Sam's. If we didn't have that membership (which we don't pay for - it's a gift each year) I think I would love Aldi's more.

 

[thebigkahuna]

Be sure to watch other stores' reactions as well! The Wal-Marts that are close by the Aldi's that just opened dropped their milk prices to 99¢ / gallon and egg prices (large, dozen) dropped to 68¢. So the competitive forces could have an effect on the stores that you already shop at as well...

Good thinking! The SuperTarget is literally across the street, and going the other way there is another grocery store --- i will keep my eyes open

 

[thebigkahuna]

Aldi's is right down the street from me. I could walk if I needed to, but I drive the 25 minutes to Wegman's. This should tell you all you need to know about the Aldi's near me.

Not only is the food generally of poor quality (I'm in shock that someone actually thinks the ice cream is good, it's always got freezer burn here), but they never have enough checkouts open.

I think you'll find that Aldi's will be a great alternative when it first opens, but it might not stay that way.

I will certainly go there at 1st, to see if it holds any interest for me. Sometimes the very layout of a store is enough to get me to go somehwere else. I am interested in the price differences though.....

 

[thebigkahuna]

I don't like that they don't take credit cards- we pay it off every month, but we use it religiously for points. I don't have a debit card, and don't carry cash- so its very inconvenient sp? for me. Also, I like one stop shopping, and Aldis doesnt have everything I need when i go to the grocery- so its a no for me. I pay a little more for convenience at wal mart and I get bags and carts free, lol-also, and I'm sure this regional, no flames please, but the people actually scare me in there. They do at the walmart just down the road from it too-I use a different one- so its not just Aldi, lol.

LOL, no flames here, I've been scared at a wal-mart too!

you say they don't have everything you need, can I ask whats missing? Its not a bargain if i have to spend the gas to drive to another store for something I need that they don't carry.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

Oh, again, its probably just me, but I didn't care for the meat there-so I would have had to go somewhere else, and like for instance my ds loves toaster strudels in the morning. I didn't see them, or anything similar, but I've only been in there once or twice due to scariness and the credit card issue ,lol. Produce too was limited, and maybe someone else can answer this better but what about like baking staples-spices, flour sugar, etc etc. Are they well stocked in that kind of thing-I don't recall it, but like I said I've not much experience there-I wrote the store off awhile ago.

 

[racechick8293]

We've been shopping for Aldi's for a few years. The prices for staples are very good. The only items I've found that I don't enjoy are the deli cuts of meat. Aldi's is owned by the same company as Trader Joe's and on occasion, some of the products seem to be the same, but in different packages, and at lower prices.

 

[ShootingStarMom2]

Their take and bake pizzas are really good. I think they are better than the Walmart brand and they are about $1 less. Their Fit vanilla yogurt is good and we like to add berries and granola. We also use their sour cream, cream cheese, and butter as well.

We love their cinnamon toast crunch cereal. It's also better than the Walmart brand and tastes more like the real thing. $1.89 a box!

I don't buy a lot of their meat but the American cut pork chops are excellent and are usually $3 for 4 portions. I also got ham on sale after Easter for about $3 each.

I don't like the macaroni and cheese, boxed cake mix, or brownies.

 

[snowy76]

Oh, again, its probably just me, but I didn't care for the meat there-so I would have had to go somewhere else, and like for instance my ds loves toaster strudels in the morning. I didn't see them, or anything similar, but I've only been in there once or twice due to scariness and the credit card issue ,lol. Produce too was limited, and maybe someone else can answer this better but what about like baking staples-spices, flour sugar, etc etc. Are they well stocked in that kind of thing-I don't recall it, but like I said I've not much experience there-I wrote the store off awhile ago.

I always buy baking supplies there. They've been expanding their spice selection too - big containers and way cheaper than McCormick or some of the other brand names.

We get lots of stuff at Aldis... snacks for work and school (tortilla chips, salsa, wheat thins, triscuits), salad dressings, dairy products, cereal, pasta and sauce, taco shells, bread. I don't usually buy meat there, but they have frozen one pound packages of ground turkey that are usually about 1.20 per pound.

A few years ago I bought their spiral cut ham for our Christmas breakfast. OUTSTANDING. It's usually only $1.49 per pound or so. This will be our fourth year having an Aldi's ham. It's already in my freezer!

The pies in the freezer section are great too!

 

[Juliet25]

Their whole bean "gourmet" coffee is bad. Also, I don't like their kids' yogurt. Too much sugar and scary artificial colors. Other than those two items I really haven't been disappointed in Aldi.

 

[estherhead]

You'll just have to discover and try for yourself. We've had one a few years and I was deep into couponing when it opened. My weekly grocery budget for 5 and two cats and all our toiletries, make-up, etc is $75.00-125.00. $400.00 per month.

I used to go to two grocery stores and Wal-Mart and spend 4-5 hours sorting coupons every week.

Since falling in love with Aldi I have gone down to spending 30 min on coupons (I use thecouponmom and write the date on the outside of the Sunday coupon booklets and only cut coupons I'm gonna use that week.) I only shop at Kroger & Aldi which are right across the street from each other.

To be honest, over the years I've slowly changed my actual menus based on what I know Aldi's will have.

We used to have tacos, now we have tostadas because they have awesome tostada shells and great spicy guacamole and fresh salsa.

We have whole wheat spaghetti with turkey meatballs, both Fit & Active brand at Aldi.

We have lots of fajitas with the affordable stop light peppers, usually $3.99 at Wal-Mart, always $1.99 at Aldi and sometimes $.99! I buy the chicken when it's $1.79 at Kroger (I have an upright freezer so I stockpile cheap meat.)

I also use those peppers and portabello mushrooms and the take & bake baguettes and provolone to make onion, pepper, steak sandwiches. With the yummy Peppercorn ranch chips.

Their roll out pie crusts are really good and I use their brand egg beaters and turkey ham to make quiche.

And we now eat our fruit in season based on what Aldi has. Currently apples and oranges and bananas and pears, pineapples will be coming soon. Late winter is berries. Midsummer my eldest daughter lives on the plums.

I still buy my cereal at Kroger with coupons, as well as frozen veggies. Again, I stockpile when they are $.99 and use coupons. I can get name brand cereal for $1.33 a box at Kroger. I just find the frozen veggies and cereal are cheaper and taste better this way.

But you'll have to try. I eat Aldi canned green beans constantly but my dad says they taste like dirt and uses coupons at Kroger to buy his canned veggies too (I get my thrifty ways from him!)

When I'm in a time crunch I only shop at Aldi because it's small, maneagable, and consistently cheaper, but I would never be able to make it my only store.

As for forgetting bags, this was a problem for me the ENTIRE first year. But the re-usable bags helped me out. They don't really fit in my bag area in my pantry so it's very natural to just empty the groceries and have the kids run the empty bags back out to the van. They just ride in the back all the time.

 

[mom2val]

A few years ago I bought their spiral cut ham for our Christmas breakfast. OUTSTANDING. It's usually only $1.49 per pound or so. This will be our fourth year having an Aldi's ham. It's already in my freezer!

We love Aldi's Hams! Our store only gets them in a few times a year. I bought 3 in September when they had them in stock! I have 1 left and we are saving it for Christmas.

Aldi has been a real lifesaver for us the past few months. DH gets paid on commision and it was the past few months. Aldi kept our family of 3 fed for a fraction of what we had been paying for groceries. Dh gets a really good check on the 15th of this month but I am still going to shop at Aldi- we have been converted! I am putting the extra money towards rebuilding our savings account!