Aldi Food Market

Aldi. Is cool
Best produce prices around
Some things are too generic and quality lacks on these items

Yup, I shop at Aldi. I’ve actually been to three different area locations and of Springfield, Hadley and West Springfield, this one is my favorite. It’s very easy to shop and their produce tends to be a bit better.
Aldi kind of reminds me of Trader Joe’s in that a lot of what they sell bears their own brand rather than nationally-​recognized names (often made by «the same company that makes…»); you can get really good deals on surprisingly good quality stuff; they have a limited selection, they don’t get caught up in trying to do it all, and for this they make no apologies — it’s all part of their business model. Their quirkiness saves you money :) Want a grocery cart? Bring a quarter. Want bagged groceries? Bring bags (or buy theirs for not much $) and bag them yourself. And when you get to checkout, for godsake DON’T DALLY! Aldi cashiers are lightening fast and while you’re emptying your cart onto the belt, they’re scanning and loading your items into an entirely different cart. So this means that as soon as you finish getting your groceries onto the belt, you should also remove any personal items that may be in your cart… reusable bags, toddler, purse, etc… and place them into your NEW cart that the cashier is busy filling for you.
When I finally decided to take the plunge and pay a visit, I first googled something like «what to buy at Aldi» and made note of bloggers’ recommendations. I’ve since developed my own cast of regulars… and anytime Aldi comes up in casual conversation, people are quick to share their favorite discoveries so I’ve found some good things that way, too. Not sure why, but there’s a certain shared giddiness when two people find out that they both shop at Aldi — like, high five for unpretentious savings! No shame in our game!
Obviously tastes are subjective, but here are some of my tried and true Aldi faves: cheese (easy peel sticks for the kiddos, fresh mozz, bagged/​shredded usual suspects, havarti, goat, Kerrygold dubliner), organic jarred pasta sauce, organic salsa, unsweetened applesauce, canned organic refried beans (red and black), canned salsa tomatoes, canned corn w/​jalapenos (this goes into my cornbread), almond butter, hummus, whole wheat wraps, sourdough bread, bagels, cream cheese, spicy potato chips (they usually have sriracha, thai chili and similar), organic dried pastas, FROZEN GYRO KITS, frozen fruit bar popsicles. The big box of spring mix is a given for us, but the other produce I pick through… sometimes it’s great, sometimes not. But it’s always dirt cheap! Also certain spices, sugar, flour, raisins, dried fruits, nuts and other baking items have been terrific. The hot cocoa is good, coffee — all varieties — are meh. Chocolate selection is great. They have the usual range of generified cereals, but after comparing labels with the nationals (like the Os, for example), I noticed that the nutrition was lacking and that changed what I reach for… skip the Os, get the chex. Granolas are good, too. Sometimes they have unusual frozen thin-​crust pizzas, and they’ve been decent. The take-​and-​bake pizzas back in the meat case are an awesome deal at like $ 5 each. I’m picky about the meat. I’ve had some steaks and roasts (USDA cert) that were surprisingly good but comparable in price to when they’re on sale at regular grocery stores… and pork has been good. Chicken I’ve been iffy on and whatever you do don’t get sucked into adventures in suspiciously cheap meat — for example, steer clear of the $ 1.79 bacon-​wrapped «filet.» It’s overpriced. It’s horrid. It’s definitely not what you think it is. It tastes like ham, but with unchewable ropes of something running through its otherwise mushy texture. Frozen salmon yes, but I take a pass on the frozen Vietnam river fish. But I guess the good thing about Aldi is that you can afford to take some risks; if you blow a couple of dollars on something that winds up in the trash, you’re still way ahead overall ;-)
Oh! Parents! Aldi wipes are FABULOUS! They’re like .88 a pack and they almost feel like cloth. Plus they’re unscented with no chem additives.
They also have a ton of gluten-​free stuff if that’s your thing.

Special produce buys are advertised, but it’s often hard to get them in the store. This is a recurring problem.
Note: Credit cards are not accepted. Debit cards are.

I like this location. They always have everything I am looking for. It’s always clean and plenty of registers open. They have fresher produce than stop & shop on Cooley st.

For those not in-​the-​know (like I was when I first moved to town), Aldi is basically a discount grocery store that saves you money by cutting corners (not necessarily in a bad way). For example, you’ll need a quarter to release the carriage/​buggy/​cart. You’ll also need to bring reusable grocery bags, or expect to pay a couple cents for plastic/​paper bags (which you can buy at the register) or a couple dollars for Aldi reusable bags.
Merchandise:
–pretty fair variety of foods, most shelf-​stable or frozen, with some fresh food. They have most of the grocery groups (dairy, meat, produce, home cleaning supplies, baking supplies, frozen foods, condiments, boxed meals) that you would find in any other stores, just a slimmer selection.
–I read somewhere that Aldi is a Germanic company, hence why you’ll see a lot of German-​influenced foods: sauerkraut, bratwurst and other sausages.
–fair to poor selection of «ethnic» foods traditionally found in supermarkets.
Staff:
–the cashiers are very quick and efficient, and generally very polite
–no «floor staff» if you have any questions
–you have to bag your own groceries, they only put it back in the cart
Savings:
–I’ve found that I can get about 2 weeks of groceries for $ 80. That’s on-​par for a place like Wal*Mart, but less chaotic.
–sometimes you find really great deals on things like meat and bagged salads, which would cost more at traditional supermarkets.
–they also have an «ad» that lets you know about upcoming deals, but no members club, coins, etc to save you money
I like stopping by Aldi for the essentials– pantry items, milk, shelf-​stable staples like pasta and rice mixes– but for more diverse products or if you’re looking for a very specific item, it’s best to stick with a traditional supermarket.

I am a big fan of Aldi for certain food items. The store by no means has everything I need but there are certain items such as, their rounds, English muffins, mustard’s, heavy cream, half and half, onions, certain can goods that are extremely well priced. If you are a careful shopper Aldi’s is a perfect store to shop and save on your grocery bill.

This Aldi is not as good as the Enfield store for mostly appearance sake. The Springfield Aldi isn’t organized and maintained that well, but still offers the same bargains. There is trash in the parking lot and cart area. Make sure you wear your best sweatpants as to blend in with the crowd here. This Aldi is very busy and can be stressful at times because of the long lines.