Aldi Grocery

I personally love this grocery store. It’s close to my home and has great low prices. I can find most of the basic essentials I need here and it’s usually cheaper than anywhere else. Don’t be deterred by the off brands people. The quality is usually just as good.
The only downside to this place is YOU CAN’T PAY WITH CREDIT CARDS?! I find that really inconvenient and out of touch with the 21^st century. Don’t get confused, you can pay with debit cards though. I say if you’re in the area and are living on a budget (who isn’t these days?) then give them a try!

It’s cheap and usually pretty clean. Bring a quarter for the cart and your own bags!
I really hate buying food. Aldi makes it not feel like I got mugged. Sure there are no name brands, very limited selection and not even bags but its cheap. I do an Aldi run at least once a month for staples then supplement at other stores when I need something specific. The quality is usually great for food and so-​so for cleaning supplies and other stuff.
Never go in for 1 – 2 things, the lines are almost always long.

So what it really comes down this that you’re not really coming to Aldi if you’re looking for gourmet stuff. Most of the brands here you’ve never heard of (Clancy’s, Burman’s, Millville, etc).
You’re probably not going to find everything you need to get here. Chances are if you shop at Aldi, you have to make a second trip to Giant in order to finish your list.
But… If you have a big family to feed, you want to stock up on cereal, you have no brand loyalty, and you want cheap prices without having to pay for a BJ’s membership, then this place does serve a purpose.
Every now and then I get a good deal here. That’s all I need.

Recently, I had been bitching about the unavailability in America, of my favorite German Snack on a Unilocal Thread. A very helpful Unilocaler suggested I try Aldi, as it is a German Transplant here in the US. It was a great idea and I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before.
See, I had been to Aldi before but in Germany, never here. I wasn’t sure where one was. After a little research, I was surprised to learn that there is one located only a mile away from where I live.
I’ll get the bad out of the way straight off. As far as my original reason for seeking it out– to find some German products, that I have been unable to locate– it was a fail. While it is a German Based supermarket, they keep it American with their merchandise. That said, it was hard to be disappointed, what with all the positives.
First– I haven’t been back to Germany in about 7 years and I miss it. Walking through the doors immediately transported me back to Germany. I can’t really explain it but it’s just that the layout of the store is unlike anything we know in America. Kind of like being herded like cattle, but in a good way.
Second– The prices are amazing. I had made up my mind not to get anything, if they didn’t have what I was looking for. I didn’t even get a cart or basket. I can tell you that I looked like a complete ass carrying a bunch of items in my arms, by the time I reached the cashier. I just couldn’t pass some of the things I saw up.
An example: Starbucks Frappuchino drink– $ 3 …their brand .79.
Third– All this means nothing if the product is crap. It wasn’t. And I’d even go as far to say that some things were just as good if not better than the name brands. That coffee drink? I couldn’t tell you which is which if I was blindfolded. The chips I bought were also surprisingly good for the price.
While my German Snack fix continues to be a white whale, I have found a new place to stock my pantry and stay within budget. No jokes or tomfoolery, Aldi is the real deal.

Aldi a decent little place!
Important things to know: they’re closed on holidays (like Memorial Day.) You bag your own groceries on a shelf in the back of the joint and you should bring your own bags as well (unless you want to pay for them.) Bring a quarter for the cart (you get it back when the cart’s returned.) It’s eerily quiet– so when my little babe started doing some yelling, every shopper heard it loud and clear!
There are a ton of inexpensive off-​label (read: filled with sugar) products. The produce section had some deals– and yogurt was only $.37 cents!
I had to drive out of my way a little to get here so I’m not sure I’ll make too many trips back but it was a decent experience– it’s a discount grocery store and that’s that!