I am a HUGE fan of shopping at ALDI, so much so that I've created ALDI Meal Plans to help you save even more money. I do realize that maybe not everyone should shop there, so let me attempt to explain some reasons why you should never step foot in an ALDI.
I mean....the prices are great and the food tastes amazing, but maybe it's just not the store for you. Maybe you need to shop in a place where they pack your groceries for you and take them out to your car? Maybe you really need to spend all of your money at the Organic Salad Bar in the middle of the store? I don't know about you, but I still think there may be some reasons why you shouldn't shop there...Here is why...
1.) You LOVE name brand food.
Gosh, don't you just love paying full price for items that taste amazing?
Did you know that many of the nations top food manufacturers provide the same exact food to ALDI food markets? The rumors are that ALDI stores get their chicken from Tyson, their cheese is Heluva Good, their eggs, milk and produce are locally sourced, and their cereals from General Mills.
That means that the same exact name brand items are re-packaged into ALDI packages and sold for almost 50% less. So if you like to pay the full price for the box that says the name brand...Maybe you shouldn't shop at ALDI.
2.) You love to spend hours inside the grocery store.
If you love going up and down every aisle, and looking for the secret/hidden deals inside the grocery store. Shopping at ALDI may not be for you.
Before I started shopping at ALDI, I would spend hours clipping coupons and then even more time shopping in the store looking for unadvertised deals and markdowns. I still coupon, but on a much more realistic scale. I would spend upwards of 4 hours per week planning and shopping, but now that I shop at ALDI I am literally in and out in under 30 minutes.
If you love the thrill of couponing, maybe you shouldn't shop at ALDI.
3.) You need someone to bag your groceries for you, and are willing to pay $50.00 or more to have them do that.
Bagging your own groceries can be a pain, so if you are willing to pay someone to do that for you go ahead...by all means....What you don't know is that you are paying someone to do that, by paying more for your groceries.
Instead of paying for someone to bag your groceries, bag your own at ALDI...You will survive. I like to bag mine in my Thirty-One Tote bags in my trunk.
4.) You don't have a quarter hanging around your car
Forget about it - why in the world would you have a quarter laying around your car? It's too much hassle to make sure you have one in your car at all times, instead you drive to the stores where they lend you free carts instead.
By using a quarter to 'rent' your cart from ALDI, you save not only money but also dents in your car. You never have to worry about ALDI carts running into your car from rolling through the parking lot.
5.) You like walking a quarter of a mile just to get yourself a Gallon of Milk
If you love stopping into the grocery store only to pick up milk, but then walk past everything else on your way to grabbing it in the back corner where it is. , keep on staying away from ALDI. Better yet, keep on spending an extra $50 on things you don't need all because you had to walk to get the milk....
ALDI's stores are pretty small, and you can get your milk in the first aisle. Grocery stores put the milk in the back of the store because they want you purchase other things on impulsive while picking up the milk.
Less items means smaller stores, which leads to lower rent and electricity costs. This allows us to pass the savings on to you.
6.) You like playing the marketing games of other grocery stores.
If you love scouring your store for the same product at a lesser price, then you shouldn't shop at ALDI.
Most grocery stores count on you picking up items in popular places in the grocery store, what you don't know is that you can typically find the same items for less money just a few aisles over. Take the example of sesame seeds; you can buy them in the spice aisle in a 2 oz bottle for $6.69 or you can walk 3 aisles over and get a 4oz container for only $2.99 in the International Aisle.
While a typical supermarket carries about 30,000 items, ALDI sells only the most commonly purchased grocery items - most of which are our high-quality brands. You know that when you pick an item up, that is the price of it no matter where you find it in the store.
7.) You love spending hundreds per week on groceries.
If you love spending hundreds of weeks on groceries, and still don't know what to eat for dinner - then don't set food in an ALDI store. Only go there if you want to save a lot of money!
I've created meal plans specifically around ALDI grocery stores. They even break down the shopping list by aisle, so you can literally get in and out of the store in 15 minutes and have all the ingredients for 20 dinners! The best part is that you will only spend $150 or less by doing one of my plans, and it will take around 2 hours to assemble them all.
Many people believe ALDI may not be the best grocery store , but I disagree 100%. If you can ignore the unusual displays of food still in their boxes, the lack of flare and flash, and purchasing your own grocery bags for $0.06 - you are in for a treat!
I feed my family of 6 for $125 per week at ALDI, we eat a LOT of organic and gluten-free food and still stay within our budget. I dare you to give it a try again, you may be surprised at what you find :)