ALDI

I was reluctant to try Aldi because I am a name brand snob. Some things are too salty (chips) but I do really like the cheese, German cookies, ice cream cones, bake at home pizza and granola. Will go back again :)

Shopping at ALDI is a concept one seems to either understand, or not…
Owned by the same parent company as Trader Joe’s, it becomes silly that one crowd often turns their nose up at, and bad-​mouths the other?
Maybe think of it like this? Trader Joe’s is to trendy Whole Foods/​Fresh Market, as to ALDI is to the other more affordable, un-​trendy grocery stores you normally visit? Publix, etc…
Most of ALDI’s «clone» dried goods are the same quality as the ones you are used to. Why? It’s because they are often made by the exact same manufacturers. Often they are the EXACT same product, just packaged under a different name.
The produce at ALDI is cheap and for a very good reason: it is almost expired. I only buy produce here if I plan to eat it with 1 or 2 days. It all goes bad very quick!
ALDI is a real stand-​out on price/​quality when it comes to packaged deli/​cured meat, select frozen foods, block cheese, and even fresh packaged meats.
For those that «low-​brow» it like I do, and always keep one frozen pizza on hand, will love the Mama Cozzi brand. I’ve never enjoyed a frozen pizza crust like it! Well worth a try…
Finally, I’ve always enjoyed Heineken beer. ALDI’s knock-​off «clone» of this beer is cheaper and just as drinkable. It may even be the exact same?
So yes, while I do love Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Fresh Market, ALDI deserves and has earned their place in our local grocery «ZODIAC!»

ALDI is interesting. It does help to know that they are part of the Trader Joe’s family. I still don’t get quite the same vibe here as TJ’s…or anywhere close.
ALDI has amazing prices. They have interesting and cheap household goods that are constantly changing depending on what they get in stock. I actually like to grab the weekly ad and see what they have every week, but I rarely stop in to buy anything.
My favorite thing to buy at ALDI is cheese. They have decent sized blocks of cheese for $ 2-​$ 3. I also occasionally buy produce here. Most of it is well priced, but I still prefer to pick up the majority of my cheap produce at MD Oriental market. I have also tried some of their brand products (Fit and Active) and they aren’t bad.
Overall, ALDI is a decent place to pick up some groceries for cheap. I couldn’t do all of my grocery shopping here… but some. I recommend keeping an open mind, bringing reuseable grocery bags (they charge for bags) and checking them out.

I went to every Aldi store looking for a gazebo that just came out on sale and all the stores in clearwater the gazebos are OUT OF STOCK and the sale just started never again i go to another aldi i consider that false advertisement the girl in the cash register was so rude, never again!!!

I am a total Aldi convert… I cannot say enough about how stoked I am with this store! I recently went from shopping for two adults who barely eat at home to cooking for a family of four and three of us taking lunch to work/​school. I was spending around $ 200/​week at Publix and didn’t feel like I was saving as much as I should have been. Aldi has been a time and major money saver.
First let’s talk efficiency. I’m usually shopping with a 3 y/​o so I don’t want to spend a lot of time meandering about. Since they originated in Germany they are all about efficiency and expediency. There are only four aisles and a few choices for each item you need. Fewer choices = less time pondering all the options and brands. You can buy brown paper bags but I bring my own. The cashiers quickly ring you up and sort items in your cart, making it supereasy for you to bag them. There is a shelf after checkout where you can bag everything up, which I prefer because I hate when baggers just throw everything in without consideration for the contents.
The quality has been awesome, for everything from frozen tilapia to beef to breakfast bars. We aren’t big brand snobs so trying their brands was not a problem for us. My husband thinks their Fit & Active brand meal replacement shakes are the best he’s ever tried, as well as their protein bars. Last week we had chicken, steak and tilapia and it was all very good. The Fit & Active yogurt, granola bars and other lunch items have all been outstanding! They also have a lot of gluten free and sugar free options, which are great for us because of my sons diet. All the produce has been great but they don’t have everything. I can’t get asparagus and sometimes avocados, so I go to Publix for that. They also have household items and personal hygiene items, so for the basics you’ll be covered.
The biggest downside is they don’t have uncommon items. I have to get things like wheat hamburger buns, diced chiles, and horseradish at Publix. This is the ONLY reason I didn’t give it 5-Stars…I still have to go to a bigger store for about 10 items a week.
All in all, I am so glad I tried Aldi. For two weeks in a row I’ve gotten all our lunch and dinner needs, along with snacks for $ 110 and $ 96, cutting my bill in half!

When I think of low priced, quality food for someone on a budget, I always recommend Aldi.
This store not only has a fabulous display of German chocolate, but also has low priced foods for someone with many allergen issues. They have almond milk for $ 1 less than competitors, fresh fruit and veggies, ground turkey, goat cheese, and steam able bags of veggies.
This is the only store where I can get my favorite German coffee and cream chocolate and a cheap delicious bottle of wine too.
I can spend $ 40 here when I might spend $ 60 or more elsewhere. I also found that this location has gluten free frozen goods too.
The service here is polite and shelves are never empty.

I get made fun of for shopping here. ALDI is pretty awesome and if you’ve been here once, you get it. They don’t have «name brands» that pay big bucks for commercials and grocer space. What they do have is a DOUBLE YOUR MONEY BACK guarantee if you don’t like the items you’ve bought.
ALDI is great because I don’t have to clip coupons and whatnot. They also only have 4 aisles… this is perfect for a guy. I get in, get my stuff, and get out. You can probably get about 85% of what you need here. If you need toothpicks or wax paper or something obscure, you’ll have to go elsewhere for it.
ALDI is efficient. They make you put a quarter in the cart as a deposit. You get it back at the end when you return it to the rack. Guess what that means? The parking lot isn’t full of carts that lazy people didn’t want to put back. GENIUS!
Please give ALDI a try. Their cheese, fruit, milk, chips, salsa, and frozen foods are HALF the price you’d find at Publix but with the same HIGH quality — sometimes even better.

I have been turned off of brand name foods after most of my friends took a marketing class in college where they learned that you pay more for these items mainly because of the price of marketing, not quality (and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a pretty reputable place, so I trust them). Therefore, I almost always get store brand items when I go grocery shopping anyways. ALDI has no brand name foods, but I barely notice anymore, because I’m so used to their brands. This keeps costs very low. I’ve gotten brie cheese and smoked gouda, both for $ 2.99, and avocados for about $ 1.50. I even get greek yogurt here, so it is not like they do not have what is normally considered higher class food items. My advice is get over any lingering brand elitism and try ALDI out.
In some cases, the food does taste a little different. I tried cheese curls and cheese puffs (think a generic version of Cheetos) and they had a weird aftertaste. Therefore, it can be hit or miss (as a sidenote, this was the only item I have ever disliked the taste, so I’ve had more hits than misses). However I also tried their version of veggie chips and although it was different from other veggie chips I’ve tried, I still enjoyed it.
Their inventory does change a lot, so you have to be flexible. I was looking forward to getting avocados once and they did not have them anymore.
You need to bring a quarter if you want a cart. This is their way of making sure the parking lot is not littered with shopping carts. You put a quarter in the slot and it detaches it from the cart in front of it. You get the quarter back when you return the cart. They do this at all the grocery stores in Calgary, Canada, so this was not strange to me at all. Honestly, I think it is a great idea.
You also have to bring your own shopping bags. Again, something I can appreciate. I feel horrible when I constantly get more plastic bags and have actually ended up throwing some away. Whenever I go to ALDI I always bring shopping bags, because I have no other choice.
People who shop at ALDI get a lot of stuff. Think carts full. That’s why the cashiers sit at their cash register instead of stand. There is maximum efficiency when they are closest to the products to scan. The line moves very fast, so do not get discouraged when you see the carts in front of you.