If your kids are anything like mine they eat all the time. And they eat A LOT. 10 minutes after lunch is over they come running into the kitchen begging for food because they are starving.
Between the basic addition of more mouths in my house, the 24/7 hunger of my kiddos and my personal wine budget (increased with each kiddo) my grocery bill had become out of control. Over $200 a week at times! That is nuts. And not a very fun thing to spend so much money on.
To help alleviate some of the pain at the register and reign my grocery budget in I decided to give the budget-conscious grocery store Aldi a try.
Aldi does things a little differently which allows them to reduce overhead and pass on the savings to us, the consumers. Aldi has also become one of the fastest growing retailers in the U.S. and you will soon find out why. And something you will really like…they are health conscious and even leading the charge to make healthier and safer choices concerning the products they offer. They have removed certified synthetic colors, partially hydrogenated oils, and MSG from their private-label products (which make up 90% of sales), as well as eliminating eight pesticides, artificial ingredients and adding more gluten-free items. You can save money and feel good about what you are feeding your family.
So now that I have talked you into at least giving Aldi a shot, let me pass along some tips that will help you out as you venture into this new store.
Tips for Shopping at Aldi
- Have a quarter handy. In order to get a shopping cart, you have to deposit a quarter. One of the quirky things that in the long run saves you money.
- Bring your own bags. And be ready to stretch your bagging skills. Aldi does not bag your groceries and if you forget bags they will cost you a few pennies.
- Start with a small list. Don’t try to do your entire weekly haul of groceries on your first trip. Start with a few things so you can explore, get a sense of the store, and learn the ropes.
- Be Prepared to Buy Off Brand. Most of Aldi’s products are their private label brands. Don’t be afraid of them. Most are just as good as the name brand stuff. And guess what…your kids don’t care!
- Half Price Days. As well as Fresh Meat Wednesdays. Aldi marks down special and rotating products on the weekends and all of their fresh meat every Wednesday. Extra savings!
- Diapers! As well as other baby goods. Aldi started carrying baby products within the last 6 months and it will save you some serious cash.
- Don’t Block Off Your Afternoon. Aldi stores are small. They don’t have 50 different types of butter so they need very little space. How this translates to you is you can be in and out of the grocery store with an entire basket full of food in less than 30 minutes. It’s amazing!
- Get Your Money Back. Aldi lets you return anything in the store, even after trying it. No questions asked. So if you just couldn’t get used to the off-brand Cheerios you can bring them back. No problem.
- Buy the Rock Hard Super Green Avocados. You might normally steer clear of these, but set them out on the counter when you get home for a couple days and they will be perfect.
- Cheese and Hummus. Stop paying top dollar for fancy cheeses at Whole Foods. Aldi has a great cheese selection and lots of specialty goods that will take any girls night up a notch.
With all these tips you should be ready to conquer Aldi. I started exclusively (98%) doing my grocery shopping at Aldi a little over a year ago and I reduced my weekly grocery budget to around $80 for a family of 4. That is crazy savings! Not to mention the simplicity of my shopping and the time I save at the grocery store.
And just as a little bonus, put these things in your cart when you go. You won’t regret it. Spices because they are super cheap. Veggie Straws. Pre-made guacamole. Dark chocolate dipped pretzels. String cheese. BBQ Kettle Chips. Dark chocolate. Razors.
Happy Shopping!
P.S. This is not a sponsored post. My obsession with Aldi is a real thing. Just ask my friends and husband.
I went on my first Aldi run on Monday. It was great, and I feel like I didn’t impulse shop as much as I usually do. My OCD is bothered that things are not placed on shelves together (like why in the world are there just small boxes of spices randomly throughout the store???) but I prevailed! Great tips.
I need to give Aldi another shot! Thanks for the tips!!