Yes - you read that right. Despite all of the buzz on The Internets, I remained among the "Aldi Ignorant". The closest one to me is about 15 minutes away in a direction that I rarely travel. But after reading yet another article singing the praises of Aldi (combined with my husband taking the day off and his being physically unable to "just hang"), we made the trip yesterday.
And I have to tell you (and I know I may be in the minority on this)....I wasn't impressed.
Don't get me wrong - if you haven't yet mastered maximizing your coupons or live in The Land Of No Doubles, Aldi may be the store for you. But for those of us who live where the grocery stores are competing for your business, I just don't get the appeal (although there were a few good deals).
Some things I noticed:
Milk: was $3.91 per gallon. I paid $3.55 for the same thing at Acme yesterday morning (although I technically didn't pay for it, nor will I pay for the next 4 gallons thanks to doing this deal many times)
Macaroni & Cheese (because nothing says "I love you" to your children like dayglow powdered cheese and pasta in a box!): was $.39 per box. Kraft is about $1 per box and Target brand is $.54/box. We made a box yesterday and my children didn't seem to notice the difference.
Grapes: were $1.99 per pound. Great price, but they looked absolutely disgusting!
Bananas: were $.45 per pound. Once again - great price, but I had to dig through for about 5 minutes to find bags of bananas that weren't going rotten (not brown - I mean slimy and rotten)
Eggs: $1.39 per dozen...very good price (although I usually manage to get Eggland's Best for the same price with a sale & coupon)
Au Gratin Potatoes: $.69 per box. This is one of those things that I would only consider a good deal if you don't have doubles at your grocery store. I haven't paid more than $.30 per box (and usually combining it with a Catalina deal) for the Betty Crocker ones in a LONG time
Meat prices: the meat prices were good, but not great. They were about the same as the regular sale prices at my local supermarkets.
Dried Beans: I bought a 2 lb package of pintos and split peas for $1.39 each. The supermarket price is $1.59 for a 1 lb package.
Toys: they had many of the same toys that I have seen recently at Target and Toys R Us and the prices weren't any better. The Imaginext dinosaur was $5 more than the regular price at Target and the Disney Princess Cash Register was the same price, but last year's model
So my overall opinion of Aldi?
Just like Costco, you have to be careful. There ARE good deals to be found (nobody beats Costcos price on canned crushed tomatoes, except when Muir Glen puts out a $.75 coupon that gets doubled). But I am afraid that as Aldi starts to get more press and popularity, that they may end up sliding in a few "not so good deals" in an effort to increase their profit margin. And not to be petty, but that whole "quarter thing" with the shopping carts is annoying!
What did I end up getting? After driving 15 minutes each way, I walked out with just 6 boxes of Mac & Cheese, 2 bags of beans and 6 lbs of bananas.
If I am in the area again, I will stop to stock up on Mac & Cheese and beans...but unless something major happens (like all of my stores stopping double coupons), I don't see me making any more special trips.
CouponDivas
Great Article Mindi! I love the comparisons. I always hear great things about Aldi's, but like you, I am about a 10 minute ride and it wouldn't be worth it. You cured my curiosity.
Thanks -
Kitty
http://www.coupondivas.com
CouponDivass last blog post..Folgers Deal at Winn Dixie
Jennifer A.
about the only thing we buy on a regular basis at Aldi's is Orange juice (2.29 a carton vs about 3-4 a carton at other stores) and cheese. This week it wasn't a good deal as Dominics had Florida's best 2/$4 on a special, so we stocked up there. Milk at Aldi is not hormone free, so we usually buy at Meijer (2.99/gal) or Whole Foods (3.39/gal)
It sounds terrible, but in a week I shop between 4-6 stores to get everything.
Mary
Wow, I am an Aldi loyal shopper. Because I don't do coupons. Bless your heart; maybe I should come here more often to learn the art of couponing and bargain shopping. Thanks.
Marys last blog post..Alli from Mrs. Fussypants
Jennifer
When I think of Aldi, I think High Fructose Corn Syrup! It's in almost everything they sell. And I know what you're thinking, the commercals lately say that HFCS is ok in moderation. The problem with that is that it's not available in moderation. I have to admit, I was a loyal Aldi shopper before I started trying to eat healthier and before I clipped coupons. But now that I live across the street from my local Acme and they have a wonderful organic store brand, I don't visit Aldis very much. Aldi's produce is really good if you get there the day they receive it before lots of people have a chance to pick through and bruise everything. Occassionally, they do have some really great random stuff in the store too. I bought my snowboarding pants and jacket there last year. They were a totally random find, extremely cheap, and worth their weight in gold. If you're careful, don't clip coupons, and don't mind HFCS, Aldis is a God send. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. Go to Acme, buy their Wild Harvest brand foods with the unlimited $1 off coupons on the Wild Harvest website and be happy that you're getting great deals on healthy food!
Tosha
I don't make special trips to aldi either. On occasion I have found the fresh produce to actually be FRESH, but most of the time I have the same experience as you.
Toshas last blog post..Q&A
Flamingo Mama
I never was into Aldi's before, but now I am. I do coupons, however I have found when I need things and they aren't on sale, I just buy them at Aldi's.
You are right, certain things are the same price if not more expensive at Aldi's...however some of their prices I have not been able to beat elsewhere. My Aldi is right beside Giant, so it is worth it for me to stop in. If I had to drive out of my way, I would only visit every month or so and "stock up".
Flamingo Mamas last blog post..My 1st time
Flamingo Mama
I never was into Aldi's before, but now I am. I do coupons, however I have found when I need things and they aren't on sale, I just buy them at Aldi's.
You are right, certain things are the same price if not more expensive at Aldi's...however some of their prices I have not been able to beat elsewhere. My Aldi is right beside Giant, so it is worth it for me to stop in. If I had to drive out of my way, I would only visit every month or so and "stock up".
Flamingo Mamas last blog post..My 1st time
Kymm
I used to shop at Aldi's until we found out my daughters food allergies. She's allergic to CORN!! That means no corn, corn flour, corn oil, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn tortillas, etc....I'm hard pressed to find anything at Aldi (other than veggies) that doesn't contain any of that. She's also allergic to peanuts and soy, but that's easier to navigate around. I on the other hand DO like the quarter cart thing. Your car won't get dinged in the parking lot since people will return their cart for their quarter. I really love your blog and need to really learn this coupon game in these hard times. Keep up the great work!
Lynn
Thanks for sharing your insight! I had been feeling guilty about not shopping there. Now I can feel guilt- free! lol!!! 🙂
Lynns last blog post..65 Cents!!!!!! 🙂
Dianescraps
Thanks for saving me the trip! If I have things that I NEED and don't have stockpile or, or a good deal on, I check Amelias, much closer for me.
Dan
Come on now, have you factored in the cost of the newspaper you must purchase to get the coupons? What are you giving up in order to clip coupons, time spent with children or time you could be working for a much higher wage rather than spending 50 cents? Also, how many additional trips do you make compared to an Aldi shopper?
I admit, walmart did have a FEW items at lower SALES prices than Aldi, but they were not worth the savings that I found on every single item I buy at Aldi. My wife is a brand snob and even she's slowly beginning to love the Aldi product line, the more and more we try of it. The OJ I bought there was so good, my mother who has never shopped Aldi, insisted she had bought it before SOMEWHERE else.
Sam
Aldi prices vary store to store, however I find that they are definitely value for money and the quality is good. I guess Aldi really is not a bargain for those purchasing processed food but you can’t beat the prices on the fresh fruit and vegetables, the tinned tomatoes and beans are an absolute bargain at less than 50 cents a tin. Moreover collecting and using coupons takes considerable time and effort and does not encourage supermarkets to price products fairly, not to mention the environmental damage as a result of printing & posting promotional offers!
Emily
I shopped at Aldi when I was a college student, but that's about it.
Barb
Wow, Sam, I had no idea that posting promotional offers on a WEBSITE causes environmental damage!
Jenny
I have to agree with Mindi. I am not very impressed with the Aldi near me either. They don't have a very large selection of products and it's boring there! LOL!
I do much better using coupons with sales at stores like Walgreens and Target.
Megan
Hi! I came over here from Common Sense with Money. My husband and I love Aldi for their produce. Occasionally I have found some things that are past prime, but Aldi is a bit hit and miss. Their produce prices are the best around (I'm in Indiana). Also, their flour, sugar and baking needs prices are lower than any grocery store we have (and there are rarely coupons for those sorts of things). Also, if you can find it, Aldi cream is a steal! I hope you give it another chance 🙂
Laura Jane
Interesting to hear your perspective on Aldi's. I'm somewhere in the middle. I definitely am not a fan of most of their produce, especially their grapes - even if it is cheaper, I won't eat it! As far as everything else goes, their prices are usually the lowest if you don't take any time/planning to clip coupons or look at sales ads. So in the times of my life where I'm super busy and don't want to take the time to plan grocery trips, I can just walk into Aldi's, buy whatever I need and it comes out much cheaper than shopping that way at the regular grocery. Also, since Aldi doesn't carry as many things, it's harder to end up purchasing the things you don't need. There are some items that combined with sales/coupons the national brands end up being cheaper at the regular grocery store. Also, my grocery store (Giant Eagle) has a "ValueTime" brand that is even lower than their store brand, and those items are always the exact same price that they are at Aldi. I have found Aldi to be the cheapest on eggs and basic baking ingredients that really go on sale in my area.
Jill
One thing that jumped out to me was your Aldi charges 3 something for milk. Mine regularly has milk for $2.19! Way cheaper than any other grocery store. I love Aldi, I go there first and then get whatever is left on my list at another store, and I do coupon too, but unfortunately I do not live in a land of double coupons=(. Besides milk there are many other things I regularly buy that are significantly cheaper than I can get with a coupon at another store. It makes me wonder how differently other products are priced if your milk is that expensive?
Mindi
Jill: milk in PA is heavily regulated, with minimum prices set by the Dairy Board based on gallon, half-gallon, whole, 2%, 1%, skim, etc. you can't really go by the milk prices because the best "sale" a store can have in PA on milk is to sell at State Minimum.
But an "Aldi-to-Aldi" comparison of non-dairy products would be interesting!
Dick
All you guys seem to be so driven with that one thing about not saving money, really?? Did you even notice that she shopped all the junk food and nothing natural. Where I shop the milk price is $1.99 and sometimes little over $2. Have you ever wondered that coupons are mostly for junk food and not real food. Has she ever tried Aldi's other fresh produce and cheeses? I have tried almost all produce and dairy products including their frozen vegetables, pizzas, ice-cream and cheeses. I never had any problem. I found Aldi's grapes were far better than the supermarket brand. The bananas she was talking about, bananas are really better when they are kind of bit brown, ask any one. And at $.39 per pound I guess that quality is better than supermarkets charging you those exuberant prices. So if you want to save money shop real, don't compare apples with oranges.