Thifty Thursday - Aldi

These are strange times we're living in right now. Almost everybody I know, no matter what their economic or job situation is, seems to be trying to be cautious about spending, and looking for ways to save money, conserve energy, etc. I've been trying to discover new ways myself. Starting this week, I'll be sharing some of my thrifty finds on Thursdays, and I hope you'll share some of yours with me.  I know there's some incredibly clever and resourceful people out there when it comes to saving money and stretching a dollar, so I hope you'll help me out here!

Yesterday I decided to check out Aldi ~ a no-frills supermarket that specializes in private label groceries. And I'm not kidding, it's no frills. You have to put your quarter into the shopping cart to free it from the rack (you get that quarter back when you put your cart in it's proper place when you're done with it). Groceries aren't displayed on shelves, they're basically set out in their pallets. They don't accept credit cards, only cash and debit card transactions. There are no baggers, you do that yourself, and store hours are limited, reducing overhead.

 

Aldi encourages their shoppers to bring their own reusable bags, but if you don't bring your own, they sell large paper grocery bags for 6 cents, large plastic shopping bags with sturdy handles for 10 cents, and insulated bags for frozen food items for 99 cents. Empty boxes are yours for the taking to keep stuff from rolling around in the back of your car. I hate that.  Another option that you have are large re-usable shopping bags (they're HUGE) for 1.99 each, made of natural materials (see the bag second from the left, above). I bought two of them, and they're like large super tote bags. I think I'm going to pick up a few more and start using them for all of my grocery shopping.  I'm not kidding, they're enourmous. We could pack our ski equipment in them...okay, maybe not that big.

As for groceries, you won't find things like tahini paste, or ground bison at Aldi, but they do have a good selection of basic staple groceries, even beer and wine. Theoretically, they only stock fast moving grocery items, ensuring that the stock will turn over quickly and won't spoil. While most items are private label brands, you will find some name brand products. 

I picked up a 20lb. frozen Honeysuckle White turkey for $17.99, and Stouffer's Family Size frozen lasagna (which normally sells for 10.99 at my local Kroger) for $6.99. I saw that they were selling Weight Watchers Smart Ones frozen entrees for $1.79, which is about 50 cents less than they sell for at the regular grocery chains. I found that they have great buys on items like eggs, butter, cheese, canned vegetables, cereal, and some frozen food items. I even picked up my Halloween candy (name brands like Twix and Snickers minis) at serious rock bottom prices. 

I ended up spending $102 for 69 items, which included about eight bags of brand name Halloween candy, a 20+ lb. turkey, a lot of cheese, and a few of the reusable grocery tote bags. I would love to do a price comparison of what that same list of items would cost me at a traditional grocery store.

Aldi isn't one of those places where you're going to shop all of the time, but it's great for canned goods, staples, and seasonal items like Halloween candy. You may have to invest a bit more time, given that you need to bag your own groceries, but because it wasn't crowded and it was well organized, I was in an out in less than 30 minutes. Given that I'd never shopped there before, I thought that was pretty quick. The cashier was friendly and helpful, given that I had no clue as to what I was doing.

Be sure to check out their website here and see if there is an Aldi near you. It's worth the trip, even if all you buy is a turkey and some Halloween candy.  Who doesn't want more chocolate for their money?

So what's your Thrifty Thursday tip? I sure hope you'll share with me!

Comments

[Tina (mummifiedx5)]

Aldi's has been in Australia for a while now and I always shop there although there are some items that I need to go to a regular supermarket for. It saves us ALOT of money each week.

[Patty]

Aldi rocks -- their produce is always cheap and good, and the prices on frozen salmon and tilapia can't be beat. Try the frozen beef filets, the jarred salsa, and the cups of grated parmesan and other cheeses. And the frozen ravioli with their Grandessa brand pasta sauce makes a great quick dinner.

[Stacey]

Aldi has the best price for milk and I love their rice cakes

[julydesigns]

Hi, thank for the information!!!!!!

[Mousey]

I'm in Australia, and we have an Aldi here within walking distance, and its great for all the staples.

[Chris Lewis]

I'll give you my mother-in-law's tip: always shop the same place so you know the prices and can spot a good deal on the spot. She said she used to get all the grocery circulars on Sunday, circle the best prices, and then start running around. After years of doing that, she gave it all up in favor of always shopping in the same place. She swears by it and so do I!

[Tess]

We have an Aldis and I love it!

[Jade/MommaWannabe]

For awhile there I thought you were from Holland...why - coz we have Aldi there also. I used top live in Holland and Aldi is definitively a great shop to buy quality but cheap stuff. We don't have baggers in Holland too and everybody needs to bring their own bag everyday.

Thrifty Thursday sounds fun- I might do that too one of these days.

[mymomentsnmemories]

this is great info! Thanx for sharing this with us!

[Carjazi]

I didn't realize it's been that long since I've been over to say hi. Between the sinus last week and the "flu" I've been a bit blah. Sorry to hear about your strep throat. That's never fun either. Most of it I'll blane on the funky Ohio weather.

Gorgeous photos from the football game. I'll bet it was a big thrill for you knowing how much you enjoy the Olympics.

Don't have a thrifty Thursday hint for you today, but I'll make sure I find one for next week. (unless you count not being able to eat all week as a good money saver).

Thanks for stopping by today! Take care of yourself!!!!

[Catherine]

love the idea of thrifty Thursday Barb, all you are describing in your Aldi experience,we have had in Europe for years. I'll try to think of a Tip for next Thursday! Thanks for sharing! :)

[KeeMacKayMom]

Great tips! TFS!

[Susan]

We have an Aldi near our house, and I get soooooo mad when Alvin buys milk anywhere else!!

[April Oaks]

Looks kind of European.

Here is an idea for you. Buy two ply toilet paper and seperate it onto two rolls by making it one ply. Ha - I can't spell, but you get the idea right? I saw a guy that did this on tv a long time ago. Can you imagine???

[Linda Rodriguez]

Great idea to do Thrifty Thursdays, Barb! I don't have an Aldi's where I live, but I wish we did. :( I would LOVE to save on groceries. I don't have any really great thrifty ideas, but I can add that I try to shop ahead of the season, or behind, rather. It takes a little budgeting and planning to time your spending right, but I love to buy all the summer clearance items now in a size bigger, and save them for next year. Same with each season. You can really get some great deals this way!

[Jan Connair]

Okay Barb, I went straight out to Aldi's today after I read your post. I got a 20 lb. turkey and an 11 pounder (99 cents a lb). Got some individual frozen pizzas for 6/$4.99, which is cheaper than Market Day, Meijer, or Sam's versions. M&Ms were about $1.00 less per bag, if I'm not mistaken. OJ was at a decent price, so I hope the quality is good. And milk was only $2.25 a gallon! We drink 5-6 gallons a week, so that is a nice savings right there!

However, I wonder about Aldi's vs. Grocery Game. I wonder if there's any way to really compare which is a better value? You can't use coupons at Aldi's, and the cash-only thing was a bit of a pain, because that means using gas to go to the ATM to replenish my store of cash.

Always there seem to be trade-offs, but I guess it keeps life interesting!

[Dore']

There is not a single Aldi in the state of Louisiana!! I'm kinda bummed about this because I am all about finding the good deals!

[Angie (mighty-nice)]

Great Post! I'll have to go check Aldi's out. I try to use Store Brands and have found that I prefer Meijers Brand Pizza Rolls to Totinos and my son LOVES the Meijer mini sausage & cheese sandwiches (there in the sausage area - not frozen) - sometimes I add egg to them. Also, some store sell Rotissere Chickens at a discount after the dinner rush...

Visiting via the DST blog train - you can visit me here: htpp://isladeangela.wordpress.com/

[Beth Nixon]

hmm, I'll have to check them out. Great post . . . lots of good information and I'll be back next Thursday!

[Beverly]

I have never been to aldi's but have save alot and I think they are basically the same. I loved there can goods you couldn't beat the price! I wanted you to know that I responded to your comment on my blog and I edited my post! Thank you for visiting

[Crafterbeth]

My tip is to walk or bike if you can. DH and I often bike to work (a 50k round trip for him) or to do errands. I hate the cold weather is coming because I will have to use my van more!

[Shelly]

We just recently started shopping at Aldi's here and I love it for the pre-shredded cheese (12 oz for about the same price as 8 oz at Walmart) and I get 3# bags of frozen chicken breast and tenderloins and they are cheaper than Walmart and they are better pieces of chicken (no fat on them at all). Next time I go I am going to get a couple of the re-usable bags too. Thanks for the tips! I am adding your blog to my google reader.

[kitty]

yepp.. here is the same at Indonesia.. more recycled bag and savings energy everywhere.. and sometimes they cut our electricity.. argg..

[Jan Connair]

I still recommend The Grocery Game. You pay $2.50/month for each list you want access to (Kroger, Meijer, etc.), but the savings can be astounding if you do your shopping via the list. Just having used it for a couple of months this past year taught me some tricks I still employ. For example, did you know that sometimes at Meijer, the ground chuck in the fresh meat section (where you have to have it specially wrapped for you in butcher paper) will be on sale for a really great price, but if you take the pre-wrapped ground chuck from the case it is more expensive?

[Tina]

My Thrifty Thursday Tip is to save all of your change in some kind of jar. I have mine on my desk in the kitchen in a large Mason Jar. When it fills up, I cash it in. I usually end up with about $100. Not bad for just throwing the change in there and watching it fill up.
Also, I shop at WalMart, Costco, and Kroger. I buy the Kroger brand canned vegetables, Saltines, (way better than the brand name) and some other things that I can't remember off the top of my head. I always use coupons for things that I buy on a regular basis as well.
LOVE this blog entry Barb. Great Idea. I'm anxouis to check back and see what everyone else has to offer up about what they do to save.
I like to look at is as a challenge, instead of getting discouraged about the economic situation that we're all facing. I figure that way I won't cry!!! LOL
Love-
T.