Aldi

I’ve been to Aldis’ twice, each time to stock up on produce, which I’ll say is overall good.
The first time I went I didn’t get a shopping cart as I didn’t plan on getting much. However, once everything became too much to carry, I just took one of the many empty boxes they have out (by the produce) and used that to carry my items. The second time I went I didn’t have a quarter to get a shopping cart, but luckily I had reusable bags and just used that.
During my first visit I got some flowers which were pretty and cheap. However, 2 – 3 days later (they still looked really good), I noticed a moth flying in my kitchen where the flowers were. I tossed them immediately (haven’t seen a moth since).
On both occasions, it was crowded and only two cashiers were open. However, they moved fast, which helped the line move quickly.
On my second visit, I got what I consider a butt-​load of items to juice with for $ 23…1.5 weeks later and I still have a few of those items, which are still good.
From what I’ve experienced mostly everything seems to be organized with pricing visible.
I feel like a lot of people (myself at one time) overlook Aldi’s but so far, I’m satisfied.

My first time at aldi was a great experience! I HATE grocery shopping, most stores are so big and everything is so expensive. Aldi was great because it’s big enough to have most items you need yet small enough that it’s not overwhelming like most grocery stores. This is definitely my new go to grocery store!

Fresh produce sometimes half the cost at Cub/​Rainbow, what a deal! Also a variety of other items at reduced prices, some are hit and miss though. If you don’t go early this place is almost unbearable with super long lines. Bring your own bags!

I’m here all the time. Yes it’s always crowded. Yes there is usually only one register If you can get past that it’s great. Bring Change. You have to deposit a quarter to rent a shopping cart. No quarter, no cart. Aldi doesn’t have baskets so this is your only choice and I’ll warn you the carts here almost never work. The carts either do not move and you have to get another one or are so loud everyone in the store knows where you are. I usually have a very specific list I come in get exactly what I need and leave to avoid the creepy people in here. I literally had a dude reach into my reusable bag once while I was in line. Also be ready for the cashier to search your bag if you have a backpack or bags. You’ll need to bag your own items on a long shelf near the checkout line. Aldi doesn’t give away bags and if you forget yours be ready to pay 10 cents per bag. Aldi is pretty awesome with most of their food I’ll be the first to admit I previously tended to shop brand-​name because I was picky about how generic products tasted in comparison. The good news is that the items I now buy at Aldi taste just as good, and even better. There are a couple things here that are a bit bland and you will need to spice it up, but who cares when the prices are so cheap.
Aldi doesn’t take credit cards, so you’ll either need to use cash or a debit card. I give this place 5 stars because I save literally hundreds a month by shopping here.

Just as advertised. The prices are always cheaper than any of the other grocery stores, and quality at or above. Yes, there are a lot of packaged and processed/​prepared foods, but also great healthy choices, especially with great fruit and vegetable prices and selection. With only one of each item, and prices I know are the cheapest in town, I can whiz through the store and be done shopping in 20 minutes.
However, there is usually a wait at the cashier checkout, and you have to bring your own bags, otherwise pay for bags. I always bring my own bags, so this last issue is not a problem, but the cashier wait averages about 3 – 5 minutes or more. Except for that, I would give it a ⁵⁄₅ stars.
I also keep going back and buy the better and healthier stuff, thinking this will lead to more of the same. The Aldi stores I visited in Europe had much more interesting and varied selections, especially cheeses, but I am seeing this more and more in the USA stores as well.
FYI — Aldi also owns Trader Joe’s, which they purchased over 10 years ago.

I lived in Germany for while and there are a number of things I loved that I cannot find at most supermarkets, but here I can get them. I am talking about the pumpernickel bread, the cookies (especially the spekulatius), sauerkraut, peanut puffs. I also found oil preserved canned tuna and vacuum storage bags.
Moreover chips, cookies, chocolate and yogurt are cheap and pretty good.
I didn’t tried most of the fresh or refrigerated products, so I cannot comment on that, but judging from the dry food, should be worth trying.
Anyway, maybe not the biggest variety, but pretty good quality especially for the price.

My mom buys a lot of our groceries at Aldi now and I am extremely happy with their products even though I don’t directly benefit from the cost savings since I don’t pay for groceries (a benefit of living at home at the ripe age of 26).
I have purchased things at Aldis and it reminds me of how the supermarkets in Spain and Taiwan looked… no fancy displays just food for sale.
This is a good way to save cash.

You must understand what Aldi is all about. It’s about a concept diametrically opposite from what US supermarkets have followed for decades. Aldi aims to have 70−80% of items you buy from a supermarket, in only one size, with zero in-​store service: all for the express goal of passing the savings on to you, the customer. They go to great lengths to keep costs low. For example, you have to insert a quarter to unlock a shopping cart. You get your quarter back only when you return the cart where you should. This means there are no floating shopping carts in Aldi’s parking lot, and everyone likes that. Realize that Aldi is the market leader in Germany, and German mini-​markts made it impossible to Wal-​Mart to succeed there (they folded last year). Yes, rock bottom prices is what we are talking about here, 15% less than Wal-​Mart. German efficiency and economy in action here.
They only accept cash (or certain debit cards) to keep prices low. For those of you who don’t know this, every time you swipe your card for $ 100, the merchant only gets $ 97.50. The credit card issuer/​acquirer and data processing companies split the 2.5%. No wonder Wal-​Mart only accepted cash for a long time. Wikipedia says that «According to a survey conducted in 2002 by the German market research institute Forsa, 95% of blue-​collar workers, 88% of white-​collar workers, 84% of public servants and 80% of self-​employed Germans shop at Aldi.» It’s not just for poor people, because Germany has a higher standard of living than USA.
They have a lot of convenience food like frozen vegetables, entrees and meats. They have European chocolates and cookies which are delicious and not super-​sweet. They have milk and dairy section, household cleaning supplies and pet food. From time to time they get a few quirky items. Many «blind studies» have shown that Aldi’s food is as good as that found in other supermarket chains. Frankly speaking, I found their frozen entrees to be far superior than the fare typical of supermarkets, and at half the price.
Bottom line: Aldi cuts your grocery bill by 30% if you can accept no-​frills service and bagging your purchases yourself. Buy some recyclable bags and help the environment some.
I give it four stars because it is mainstream fare: no organic items and lots of additives and preservatives. No different from Cub, Rainbow, Kroger, Albertson’s or Safeway, really. Don’t go here expecting gourmet organic food. I probably wouldn’t buy anything except staples from Aldi now that our family has gone organic, but for those of you hurting from the 50% increase in food prices over the past 3 – 4 years, Aldi can stretch your greenback.

A German supermarket chain whose logo always reminds me of a shoe store. Their dumpster is a great place to look. I actually started shopping the dumpster before the acutal store. The reason things are so cheap here is because the food is crappy. Also, they don’t put things on shelves, just open the package they came in and let you take it out. Some of the food is ok, like sugar. I mean, sugar isn’t good for you anyway, so you might as well buy it here. Also, they only take cash and you have to pay for a bag and bag it yourself on a counter, and you have to pay a quarter for a cart. Yet, it’s full of deals.