ALDI

Aldi is like those old books that I used to read as a child called, «Choose Your Own Adventure!» A trip to Aldi goes like this: You park in their large lot, walk up to the carts and pull out a quarter. No, not for a merry go round or plastic enclosed toy of some type, but for your shopping cart. Don’t worry frugal types, you get it back, this is just to ensure that you put the cart back when you are finished with it. It helps them cut costs because they don’t have to pay someone to go out and wrangle all those carts every hour or so.
When you walk in, there are no shelves for the most part, but boxes of products stacked along the aisle. All your baking needs, salad dressing, granola and cereal are some of the staples of the first aisle. I’ve baked many a goodie with the ingredients I’ve purchased here
Milk, meat, cheese and eggs flank the fridge section, and it’s also much cheaper than the typical grocery store. My plan of money saving action is to hit my local Aldi first and then if there are other necessities I couldn’t find there I’ll hit the typical grocery store to finish up.
The freezer section is stocked with both meals, desserts and frozen fruit that’s perfect for a smoothie.
When you are all finished with your adventure you head to the counter to pay for your purchase. This part will feel as foreign as the quarter for your cart, but I assure it it’s worth it for the savings you see at the register. You can either bring your own bags, or purchase them for a whopping .09 a piece. The person at the register will ring you up and put the purchases back in your cart. You’ll go to the counter behind the registers and bag your own groceries, put them back in your cart, load them in your car and then get your quarter back by taking the cart back to it’s station.
Viola’ instant savings. I promise you’ll smile when you hear the total at the register. I always do. :) It’s not a glamor fest by any means, but if you can get past that, your bank account will thank you!

I love this place! Although, it was kinda weird to pay for the use of a cart and for a bag for your groceries. You also have to bag your own. But this helps keep their cost down and I dont shop alot so I dont mind. Also they have this really good bbq frozen pizza that they sell. So to me that is worth it! Pretty much a lot of things are easy to find they have aisles and shelves and everything else like a regular grocery store.

ALDI is a no-​frills grocery store. Most of what they sell are their private brands, usually marketed as a close knock-​off of the similar name brand. Also, the selection is limited to the most popular varieties and sizes. But generally, the taste and quality is similar to the name brand, but at usually half the price, or even better!
Compared to most supermarkets, ALDI is tiny, and only has about 4 aisles, but they carry most everything the average shopper would need. In addition to all the staple items they sell everyday, they also carry special seasonal food items, as well as name-​brand items on occasion. And they’re not just grocery items, but there are also dry goods that come and go, based upon the season, from clothing, to electronics, toys, household goods, and at a deep discount.
There are some pitfalls to ALDI that keep their prices low: their hours are limited (open til 8, and earlier on weekends), carts operate on quarters (which you get back on return), and they charge for bags (you’re encouraged to reuse/​bring your own). They do not accept checks or credit cards (but debit/​ATM is accepted, as well as food stamps/​EBT). There is a Kroger caddy-​corner to this ALDI location for any other items you may have missed, that ALDI doesn’t carry or are simply really picky about.
Another one of the pitfalls is the checkout: usually only one lane is staffed — there is no express/​self checkout lane, (though they can open a second if demand warrants), and your items are pushed down the line directly into the cart, which involves a little work on your end. But the checkout process runs quickly, because ALDI’s products are barcoded in multiple places.
Bottom line: if you’re looking for the basics, and you like good quality, and not too picky — and, of course, you want it cheap — then ALDI should be a part of your shopping trip!