Since food prices have continued to rise and my only local grocery store went bankrupt, I've been trying to improve my budget with a monthly trip to Aldi to buy essentials. My grandmother was always a big supporter of Aldi, but that was back in the day before the retail chain really stepped up its game.
As a frequent Aldi shopper, I have found that the years have been kind, and the store has truly become an asset to our small area where unemployment rates are high and dollar stores are seeing more business than ever. If you've never shopped at an Aldi, I want to give you an incentive by listing the things I love about the discount store and its offers, as well as some small complaints about the store I frequent.
6 good reasons to shop at Aldi
The discount supermarket chain has come a long way over the years. As a regular shopper, I have tried many of Aldi's products and can say that most are as good or even better than the name brands. Here are six of the top reasons why you should consider shopping at your nearest Aldi store (if you're lucky enough to have one).
1. Delicious things
I'll be the first to admit that I used to tend to buy name brand products because I was so picky about the taste of generic products in comparison. The good news is that the products I buy now at Aldi taste just as good, if not better, than the more expensive branded ones.In the next section I will talk about the products I don't like, but in general I prefer the Aldi brand to other brands. The caramel filled ice cream cones are to die for, and I can't buy them anywhere else!
2. Good, small selection
While it's true that you don't have a ton of options when shopping at Aldi, I find the variety of items you can get at Aldi to be great. I think I actually like not having to choose spaghetti sauces from 42 different companies. Aldi sells one brand of sauce but in a wide variety of flavours.I especially like the frozen section, which usually has different products, so every time I go I see new things. I know I'll always be able to buy my staples, but I can also wait to see what's new.
3. Great prices
I did a relatively informal price comparison between the local Walmart and Aldi. I can get twice the amount of things at Aldi for the same price as I could from Walmart, and three times as much stuff compared to local grocery chains. We've left Aldi with a cart overflowing with stuff for just under $200, which I know I'll never be able to do at any other store.I think the best example of the savings potential is in the cereal aisle at Aldi. Even my two tween daughters, who are brand- and image-obsessed, greatly prefer the $1.99 box of Aldi brand-name cereal to the $4.99 brand-name box from the grocery store. Most popular types of cereal are available under the Aldi brand, and I can buy five boxes at Aldi compared to one or two boxes at the grocery store. Nobody at home notices the difference.
4. Online shopping list
Aldi's website offers weekly flyers with information about their in-store sales. The best thing is that you can add products to your shopping list directly from the brochure. You can save a lot of time by creating this list and finding out about offers. Simply print the list and take it with you when you go shopping.
5. More respectful of the Earth
If you haven't shopped at Aldi, you might be surprised to learn that you have to bring your own bags and package your own products. We have increased our cache of reusable bags and now use those bags for many other things instead of creating new waste.6. No distractions
On a personal level, it helps that Aldi mainly sells food, and that only part of an aisle is dedicated to miscellaneous items that can range from toys to clothing to gym equipment . I am better equipped to deal with temptations and avoid impulse purchases on my Aldi excursions.Three not so good things about Aldi
Like almost everything in life, with the good comes the bad. There are a few things I find frustrating about the Aldi experience, but nothing so insurmountable that it will stop me from shopping there regularly.1. Bad products
This may only happen at my local store, but I've noticed time and time again that if I buy products at Aldi I have to use them right away or they go bad within a day. We avoid buying produce there and tend to visit our community's weekly farmers market, so overall it's a win-win situation.2. Not very tasty things
There are a handful of Aldi brand products that I don't like at all. Hot dogs top the list, followed by refrigerated coffee creamer and canned soup. There are also some frozen side dishes and main dishes that leave a bad taste in my mouth.However, I've done enough taste testing to know what I like and what I don't. In addition, Aldi offers a double 100% guarantee. If you don't like something, they will change the product and give you your money back.
3. The unit
This is more of a personal issue, but it completes my list. I have to drive almost 35 minutes to get to the nearest Aldi, so I only go once a month. It costs me more gas to get there, but I think it's worth it.The downside to the long commute is that when we run out of things, we have to wait until a trip is worth taking, although in the long run this probably saves me more money on groceries each month because it forces me to plan my list better. of the purchase for one month of supplies.
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