Does anyone else shop here for groceries? I had been going to Walmart for groceries until I found out about Aldi's. The store only has one or two people working and you have to buy your own bags (5 cents a bag). They do this to save on overhead so they can offer the cheapest prices possible. Some examples of cheap items are a gallon of milk for $2.25, bread for $.79 a loaf, etc. They randomly will get overstock (i'm assuming) from other stores so every time you go in you might find different items at a discount (ex: they had boxes of Frosted Flakes Gold for $2). I recommend everyone checking this place out...
Aldi's the cheapass grocery store..
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techstar25
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A new Aldi is being built about a mile from my house (Palm Bay, FL). It will be the first in the area. I don't think there are many in Florida.
Access_Denied
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A lot of people won't shop at Aldi because they're too 'good' for it. But what they don't realize, is that Aldi's quality standards are MUCH higher than other stores like Wal-Mart, Jewel and Pick N Save. I try to shop there all the time.
A buddy of mine(famous words, I know) used to work there as a store manager. They pay very well for retail and he said that most of the food there is name brand stuff with different labels.
This is true in a lot of circumstances and people don't know they can get the same food for much less at places like Aldi's.
They do have some crappy lunchmeat, though.
This is true in a lot of circumstances and people don't know they can get the same food for much less at places like Aldi's.
They do have some crappy lunchmeat, though.
Me and my fiancee shop there every month. We always go grocery shopping at the beginning of the month and buy for the whole month(cept pick ups here and there such as milk)and Aldis is the first place we hit. We buy tons of stuff there like pasta, bread, milk, rice and peanut butter. There is alot of name brand stuff and its all way cheap in comparison to places like Walmart. The non name brand stuff is even cheaper and most of its great too.
However there are certain items you just do not buy at Aldies. Produce for instance you dont buy unless its going to be served as a minor ingrediant in something. For instance if your making something like Vegatable pizza where you do not fully taste the veggies buying veggies there is fine, however if your just making a salad or something its a no no. Same with meat.....half the time the meat I buy there isnt very tasty and my stomach has hurt aftewards. Some of the microwavable meat stuff is fine......but not lunch meat or meat for a main course.
People should seriously shop at aldies if they dont. As I said its great for staples in a diet and its great for frozen food(nothing like getting $5 walmart pizzas for $2.50!) But expect to make a run to a larger chain for fresh produce.
However there are certain items you just do not buy at Aldies. Produce for instance you dont buy unless its going to be served as a minor ingrediant in something. For instance if your making something like Vegatable pizza where you do not fully taste the veggies buying veggies there is fine, however if your just making a salad or something its a no no. Same with meat.....half the time the meat I buy there isnt very tasty and my stomach has hurt aftewards. Some of the microwavable meat stuff is fine......but not lunch meat or meat for a main course.
People should seriously shop at aldies if they dont. As I said its great for staples in a diet and its great for frozen food(nothing like getting $5 walmart pizzas for $2.50!) But expect to make a run to a larger chain for fresh produce.
[quote name='MSI Magus']Me and my fiancee shop there every month. We always go grocery shopping at the beginning of the month and buy for the whole month(cept pick ups here and there such as milk)and Aldis is the first place we hit. We buy tons of stuff there like pasta, bread, milk, rice and peanut butter. There is alot of name brand stuff and its all way cheap in comparison to places like Walmart. The non name brand stuff is even cheaper and most of its great too.
However there are certain items you just do not buy at Aldies. Produce for instance you dont buy unless its going to be served as a minor ingrediant in something. For instance if your making something like Vegatable pizza where you do not fully taste the veggies buying veggies there is fine, however if your just making a salad or something its a no no. Same with meat.....half the time the meat I buy there isnt very tasty and my stomach has hurt aftewards. Some of the microwavable meat stuff is fine......but not lunch meat or meat for a main course.
People should seriously shop at aldies if they dont. As I said its great for staples in a diet and its great for frozen food(nothing like getting $5 walmart pizzas for $2.50!) But expect to make a run to a larger chain for fresh produce.[/quote]
QFT
Its an Aldi's around me (Hyattsville,MD I'm in dc). I go there for everything except fresh produce and meat.
However there are certain items you just do not buy at Aldies. Produce for instance you dont buy unless its going to be served as a minor ingrediant in something. For instance if your making something like Vegatable pizza where you do not fully taste the veggies buying veggies there is fine, however if your just making a salad or something its a no no. Same with meat.....half the time the meat I buy there isnt very tasty and my stomach has hurt aftewards. Some of the microwavable meat stuff is fine......but not lunch meat or meat for a main course.
People should seriously shop at aldies if they dont. As I said its great for staples in a diet and its great for frozen food(nothing like getting $5 walmart pizzas for $2.50!) But expect to make a run to a larger chain for fresh produce.[/quote]
QFT
Its an Aldi's around me (Hyattsville,MD I'm in dc). I go there for everything except fresh produce and meat.
[quote name='Sc4rfac3']QFT
Its an Aldi's around me (Hyattsville,MD I'm in dc). I go there for everything except fresh produce and meat.[/QUOTE]
Heh, you also have to watch certain other things if your trying to stay in shape. Most of aldies stuff is fine.....but iv noticed that some of it has crazy saturated fat content in comparison to normal stuff. Iv bought a few items that normally have like 10% saturated fat per serving then looked at the back of aldies and it was like 45% even though serving sizes were the same.
Again great place to shop, buy 70% of my groceries there.....but you have to learn what items not to buy usually first hand.
Its an Aldi's around me (Hyattsville,MD I'm in dc). I go there for everything except fresh produce and meat.[/QUOTE]
Heh, you also have to watch certain other things if your trying to stay in shape. Most of aldies stuff is fine.....but iv noticed that some of it has crazy saturated fat content in comparison to normal stuff. Iv bought a few items that normally have like 10% saturated fat per serving then looked at the back of aldies and it was like 45% even though serving sizes were the same.
Again great place to shop, buy 70% of my groceries there.....but you have to learn what items not to buy usually first hand.
We get 95% of our groceries from Aldi. It helps that we can walk to one from where we live. I get produce there all the time and have not had a problem. In fact, I've noticed less "bad" produce in the isle than a certain other store that has a "triple check guarantee" on produce. Also, we take reusable bags and grab boxes from the store to hold our groceries to save even more (anyone who already shops there knows this trick).
I agree with the above poster that you need to be careful about the nutrition of their food. Some of it is not great for you (even some of the Fit and Active store brand), but this is true for any grocery store.
I agree with the above poster that you need to be careful about the nutrition of their food. Some of it is not great for you (even some of the Fit and Active store brand), but this is true for any grocery store.
Hybrid5006
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[quote name='umcthomas']We get 95% of our groceries from Aldi. It helps that we can walk to one from where we live. I get produce there all the time and have not had a problem. In fact, I've noticed less "bad" produce in the isle than a certain other store that has a "triple check guarantee" on produce. Also, we take reusable bags and grab boxes from the store to hold our groceries to save even more (anyone who already shops there knows this trick).
I agree with the above poster that you need to be careful about the nutrition of their food. Some of it is not great for you (even some of the Fit and Active store brand), but this is true for any grocery store.[/quote]
Yeah, lol. Us cheapasses always grab the boxes from the products instead of buying the bags.
I agree with the above poster that you need to be careful about the nutrition of their food. Some of it is not great for you (even some of the Fit and Active store brand), but this is true for any grocery store.[/quote]
Yeah, lol. Us cheapasses always grab the boxes from the products instead of buying the bags.
Yeah, Aldi is cool. I never have shopped much here in the US (Usually I just go to the super target which is real close to my house and do a one-stop shop including checking out the clearance stuff), but when i am in Denmark (Karlslunde if anyone knows it, and if you really do know the Aldi I'm talking about there then maybe we have the same employer) Aldi is the place to go. Also, recently the Aldi here got in some beer from Guatamala, it was pretty good to boot. This thread reminds me I should head over there sometimes in addition to the ol' Super Target.
GuilewasNK
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Aldi is decent. The only thing I regularly get is the frozen fruit from Fit and Active though.
Aldi is great, I am not paying 3$ a box for crackers when I can get them there for 1.19 a box, the only problem here is they are always out of everything, and they are always out of exactly what you need that day (usually milk or bread), other than that they are good, but they cannot be counted on.
The quarter thing with the carts is brilliant, this also means that carts are always in stock too, I have witnessed a certain store take over 2 hours just to get carts in the store after they have run out, and the weather was fine that day. Perhaps the other retail stores in my area need to order carts like this, and then they could lower prices more and become more customer friendly.
The quarter thing with the carts is brilliant, this also means that carts are always in stock too, I have witnessed a certain store take over 2 hours just to get carts in the store after they have run out, and the weather was fine that day. Perhaps the other retail stores in my area need to order carts like this, and then they could lower prices more and become more customer friendly.
I usually make a run there once a week now that they built one about half a mile away. I'll tell you what though, it was pretty trippy to go to Aldi here and then one in Germany where my mom's family lives. The layout was EXACTLY THE SAME. It was like the Twilight Zone.
eldergamer
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With a family of 4 (only 3 of us on solid foods) the $70 every 10 days trips to the grocery store are killing me.
we've been doing alot of WinCo shopping lately. It's a bit ghetto (horrible store layout, really )hard to read signs, you have to bag your own groceries ) but it's pretty cheap for milk $2.49 a gallon and cereal $2 a box, less for store brand and those are what we go through the most.
we've been doing alot of WinCo shopping lately. It's a bit ghetto (horrible store layout, really )hard to read signs, you have to bag your own groceries ) but it's pretty cheap for milk $2.49 a gallon and cereal $2 a box, less for store brand and those are what we go through the most.
Never liked Aldi's... and no it's not because "I'm too good, to shop there"
it's because I think most of their food doesn't taste good to me, I understand the whole name brand thing different label. Cereal Companies do it with the bagged stuff.
There are some things that you get there though that are fine, but the Meijer here has sales all the time, and much better food
it's because I think most of their food doesn't taste good to me, I understand the whole name brand thing different label. Cereal Companies do it with the bagged stuff.
There are some things that you get there though that are fine, but the Meijer here has sales all the time, and much better food
crunchberries
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I'd go to the local Aldi's more if it wasn't such a rattrap. Sure, the food's cheap, but the place is run-down, the floors have giant skid marks, the cashiers are idiots, and everything's filthy despite being located in a rich white suburb. Nobody gives a 
there and it shows.
I'd rather spend a few more bucks to go to the Wegmans down the street than shop there.
there and it shows.I'd rather spend a few more bucks to go to the Wegmans down the street than shop there.
[quote name='graf1k']I usually make a run there once a week now that they built one about half a mile away. I'll tell you what though, it was pretty trippy to go to Aldi here and then one in Germany where my mom's family lives. The layout was EXACTLY THE SAME. It was like the Twilight Zone.[/QUOTE]
I've never seen an Aldi's in the US but when I went to Germany last summer I stopped there for some cheap drinks and snacks.
I've never seen an Aldi's in the US but when I went to Germany last summer I stopped there for some cheap drinks and snacks.
MY wife used to go to Aldi's in France before she moved here and says they're great and got excited when she found out they opened down in Raleigh, nc where we are moving in a few months. Anyone know if they cary European foods or chocolates? We are so use to buying groceries on base where everything is hell-a-cheap compared to out in town we've become abit spoiled about food prices. Looks like Aldi's will be a nice alternative.
[quote name='homeland']MY wife used to go to Aldi's in France before she moved here and says they're great and got excited when she found out they opened down in Raleigh, nc where we are moving in a few months. Anyone know if they cary European foods or chocolates? We are so use to buying groceries on base where everything is hell-a-cheap compared to out in town we've become abit spoiled about food prices. Looks like Aldi's will be a nice alternative.[/QUOTE]
Every once in awhile I see something imported but its pretty rare. Dont go to Aldis expecting a cheap Walmart or Kroger/Meijers or your going to be let down. Aldis is usually a little run down hole in the wall kind of place. It is like 1/20th the size of a normal super market. But it atleast has your essentials like peanutbutter, crackers, brownies, milk etc etc. There wont be fifty brands to choose from just 1 and at most 3.
Every once in awhile I see something imported but its pretty rare. Dont go to Aldis expecting a cheap Walmart or Kroger/Meijers or your going to be let down. Aldis is usually a little run down hole in the wall kind of place. It is like 1/20th the size of a normal super market. But it atleast has your essentials like peanutbutter, crackers, brownies, milk etc etc. There wont be fifty brands to choose from just 1 and at most 3.
VioletArrows
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There aren't any in east Orlando, but since someone said they're building one in Palm Bay, FL, I'll ask my family what they think of it soon. I wonder how they'll do against Sav-A-Lot...
GuilewasNK
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[quote name='MSI Magus']Every once in awhile I see something imported but its pretty rare. Dont go to Aldis expecting a cheap Walmart or Kroger/Meijers or your going to be let down. Aldis is usually a little run down hole in the wall kind of place. It is like 1/20th the size of a normal super market. But it atleast has your essentials like peanutbutter, crackers, brownies, milk etc etc. There wont be fifty brands to choose from just 1 and at most 3.[/quote]
Heh, brownies as an essential. :lol:
Heh, brownies as an essential. :lol:
HeadRusch
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Did it ever occur to any of you that Cheapass gaming is a good thing, but CheapAss FOOD..much like "CHEAPASS MEDICINE" or "CHEAPASS HEALTH CARE" is probably a bad thing?
I mean at the local Freihoffers (north east bakery chain) outlet store near me you can buy 12 packs of donuts for .25 cents each. SURE they aremarked "NOT FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION" on the side and designed to be sold for feeding animals.....but it IS 25 cents for donuts!
I mean at the local Freihoffers (north east bakery chain) outlet store near me you can buy 12 packs of donuts for .25 cents each. SURE they aremarked "NOT FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION" on the side and designed to be sold for feeding animals.....but it IS 25 cents for donuts!
From the sounds of this thread, Aldi is very YMMV. Speaking from experience, the ones I've been to around here (Chicago) are pretty awful. Dingy stores, stuff laying around in boxes, etc. It's like the K-Mart of supermarkets, in a bad way.
I prefer Ultra Foods. Good prices and the store isn't a warzone, or look like an earthquake just hit it.
Again, it's probably just the ones around me, but I avoid Aldi like the plague.
I prefer Ultra Foods. Good prices and the store isn't a warzone, or look like an earthquake just hit it.
Again, it's probably just the ones around me, but I avoid Aldi like the plague.
I don't "shop" for groceries, but if I want something, I go to Aldi's. I've found that their brand is usually better than name brand stuff, regardless of what the product is. I buy chips, dips, eggs, flavor ade, frozen pizza, powdered onion soup mix, and, my favorite, cheddar bratwurst at Aldi's all the time.
FWIW, I like their salami.
FWIW, I like their salami.
i have a place similiar to this near me... Fresh.... something. Not Fresh Fields... i dunno.
anyway.. i'd have no problem shopping there as I'm a deal whore except for the fact that the very first gallon of milk i bought there was sour.. and the date on it was good.
now I just go to Pathmark and buy only sale items / store brand
anyway.. i'd have no problem shopping there as I'm a deal whore except for the fact that the very first gallon of milk i bought there was sour.. and the date on it was good.
now I just go to Pathmark and buy only sale items / store brand
I like Aldi's, we just don't go there often due to its location. Ours is a nice enough store, although one time the cashier got in a yelling fight with a customer. The store itself is no frills, but that's part of what you (don't) pay for.
I've had a few items where the "name" brand is better, but overall I've been satisfied and pleasantly pleased with Aldi's products, both in terms of price and quality. With the previously noted exception of produce and fresh meat.
They definitely don't have the biggest selection, but most of what they have is good and priced well.
I've had a few items where the "name" brand is better, but overall I've been satisfied and pleasantly pleased with Aldi's products, both in terms of price and quality. With the previously noted exception of produce and fresh meat.
They definitely don't have the biggest selection, but most of what they have is good and priced well.
[quote name='HeadRusch']Did it ever occur to any of you that Cheapass gaming is a good thing, but CheapAss FOOD..much like "CHEAPASS MEDICINE" or "CHEAPASS HEALTH CARE" is probably a bad thing?
I mean at the local Freihoffers (north east bakery chain) outlet store near me you can buy 12 packs of donuts for .25 cents each. SURE they aremarked "NOT FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION" on the side and designed to be sold for feeding animals.....but it IS 25 cents for donuts![/quote]
As others have said - Aldi actually has a average to good quality food. This definitely is not substandard or even budge/low quality.
Aldi is (or was?) ran by the Albrecht brothers in Germany, some of the richest people in the world. It's the biggest grocery chain in Germany and if they ever made a major push in the USA, they are considered one of the few that could take on Walmart head on.
I don't shop there, and I don't know why. I love Trader Joes and Costco makes things easy.
I mean at the local Freihoffers (north east bakery chain) outlet store near me you can buy 12 packs of donuts for .25 cents each. SURE they aremarked "NOT FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION" on the side and designed to be sold for feeding animals.....but it IS 25 cents for donuts!
[/quote]As others have said - Aldi actually has a average to good quality food. This definitely is not substandard or even budge/low quality.
Aldi is (or was?) ran by the Albrecht brothers in Germany, some of the richest people in the world. It's the biggest grocery chain in Germany and if they ever made a major push in the USA, they are considered one of the few that could take on Walmart head on.
I don't shop there, and I don't know why. I love Trader Joes and Costco makes things easy.
xl_prankster_lx
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We don't have that in South Florida.
But if we did I would probably go there.
But if we did I would probably go there.
[quote name='Pucker']As others have said - Aldi actually has a average to good quality food. This definitely is not substandard or even budge/low quality.
Aldi is (or was?) ran by the Albrecht brothers in Germany, some of the richest people in the world. It's the biggest grocery chain in Germany and if they ever made a major push in the USA, they are considered one of the few that could take on Walmart head on.
I don't shop there, and I don't know why. I love Trader Joes and Costco makes things easy.[/QUOTE]
Wow didnt know that, interesting stuff. And trader joes, their too damn expensive.
Aldi is (or was?) ran by the Albrecht brothers in Germany, some of the richest people in the world. It's the biggest grocery chain in Germany and if they ever made a major push in the USA, they are considered one of the few that could take on Walmart head on.
I don't shop there, and I don't know why. I love Trader Joes and Costco makes things easy.[/QUOTE]
Wow didnt know that, interesting stuff. And
trader joes, their too damn expensive.Our aldi stores are excellent, they are very clean, and new since they were built just a few years ago. They are DEFINITELY cleaner and more organized than kmart, in fact they put kmart to shame in that department, and walmart too. Cashiers are fast and do not dilly, everything rings up the price its supposed to be and if there is a special you don't have to ask for it, the cashiers discount it automatically because they have already been informed about it.
Its well over 90 degrees here outside and kmart and walmart stores are very hot inside, I don't feel comfortable buying food from stores that don't keep their stores cool enough for food, aldi is always nice and cold inside since they are a dedicated grocery store so I imagine the food is a lot fresher. Stuff at aldi also moves VERY fast, so you know you aren't getting something thats a couple years old that has been sitting on the shelf all its life.
Its well over 90 degrees here outside and kmart and walmart stores are very hot inside, I don't feel comfortable buying food from stores that don't keep their stores cool enough for food, aldi is always nice and cold inside since they are a dedicated grocery store so I imagine the food is a lot fresher. Stuff at aldi also moves VERY fast, so you know you aren't getting something thats a couple years old that has been sitting on the shelf all its life.
AquaHaute
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Our Aldi is really good and clean and only about a mile away - I rode there on my bike once. Pretty much the only stuff we don't get there are things they don't carry (like tortillas and MSG-free sausage), produce (we pretty much only get green peppers and we like them huge), and stuff where we specifically like a certain brand (toilet paper, pizza crust mix). We don't generally buy fresh meat, period - for what I'd pay at Aldi for two pounds of ground beef, I can get four or five pounds of frozen ground turkey, which is healthier anyway, and you don't generally notice the difference, especially if you're seasoning the meat or using it in soups or tortillas.
I've been using the same huge box to pack stuff in for a couple months now. It is a great box with handles and no side gaps.
Recently, ours changed their shopping carts - they got new ones with space for two kids in the seat instead of one. I don't have kids, but everything I buy in a single trip can just barely be crammed into the seat anyway, so a little extra space is welcomed.
They recently raised the price on the oat bran bread, but it's still tasty and cheap.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with cheapass groceries - there've been months where I've deliberately spent less than $100 on groceries for the two of us, and neither of us went hungry and there was no lack of variety.
Oh right, seconding the remark that the brownies are fantastic.
I've been using the same huge box to pack stuff in for a couple months now. It is a great box with handles and no side gaps.
Recently, ours changed their shopping carts - they got new ones with space for two kids in the seat instead of one. I don't have kids, but everything I buy in a single trip can just barely be crammed into the seat anyway, so a little extra space is welcomed.
They recently raised the price on the oat bran bread, but it's still tasty and cheap.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with cheapass groceries - there've been months where I've deliberately spent less than $100 on groceries for the two of us, and neither of us went hungry and there was no lack of variety.
Oh right, seconding the remark that the brownies are fantastic.
[quote name='AquaHaute']Our Aldi is really good and clean and only about a mile away - I rode there on my bike once. Pretty much the only stuff we don't get there are things they don't carry (like tortillas and MSG-free sausage), produce (we pretty much only get green peppers and we like them huge), and stuff where we specifically like a certain brand (toilet paper, pizza crust mix). We don't generally buy fresh meat, period - for what I'd pay at Aldi for two pounds of ground beef, I can get four or five pounds of frozen ground turkey, which is healthier anyway, and you don't generally notice the difference, especially if you're seasoning the meat or using it in soups or tortillas.
I've been using the same huge box to pack stuff in for a couple months now. It is a great box with handles and no side gaps.
Recently, ours changed their shopping carts - they got new ones with space for two kids in the seat instead of one. I don't have kids, but everything I buy in a single trip can just barely be crammed into the seat anyway, so a little extra space is welcomed.
They recently raised the price on the oat bran bread, but it's still tasty and cheap.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with cheapass groceries - there've been months where I've deliberately spent less than $100 on groceries for the two of us, and neither of us went hungry and there was no lack of variety.
Oh right, seconding the remark that the brownies are fantastic.[/QUOTE]
Hehe sounds like me and my fiancee. We get by on $150 a month and eat out once a week. We eat very well and yet people are like OMG how can you surive on just $150 a month! Its not possible!
Its just so funny that people react like this. If meat isnt the staple of every damn meal and if you buy stuff reasonbly priced instead of name brand everything its not hard at all. Everyone complains about how you cant afford to live, really Americans have just forgot what its like to live with ANY level of frugality.
I've been using the same huge box to pack stuff in for a couple months now. It is a great box with handles and no side gaps.
Recently, ours changed their shopping carts - they got new ones with space for two kids in the seat instead of one. I don't have kids, but everything I buy in a single trip can just barely be crammed into the seat anyway, so a little extra space is welcomed.
They recently raised the price on the oat bran bread, but it's still tasty and cheap.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with cheapass groceries - there've been months where I've deliberately spent less than $100 on groceries for the two of us, and neither of us went hungry and there was no lack of variety.
Oh right, seconding the remark that the brownies are fantastic.[/QUOTE]
Hehe sounds like me and my fiancee. We get by on $150 a month and eat out once a week. We eat very well and yet people are like OMG how can you surive on just $150 a month! Its not possible!
Its just so funny that people react like this. If meat isnt the staple of every damn meal and if you buy stuff reasonbly priced instead of name brand everything its not hard at all. Everyone complains about how you cant afford to live, really Americans have just forgot what its like to live with ANY level of frugality.
bread's done