FOOD Here's My Reciept from Today Aldi's Trip - How Does Your Grocer Compare?

Red Baron · Jul 30, 2012

I ran out to Aldi’s today to pick up some odds and ends in order to top off the pantry. Before I started going to Aldi’s these were the kind of trips that would wind up costing $40, $50, $60 dollars or more. And you all know the feeling once you saw the total on the cash register, how did these few random items come out to so much money? The feeling gets worse when you unpack at home, “This is all I got, for how much money?

Take a moment to compare what you are paying at other grocery stores with my receipt from today,

$2.29 – 24 pack .5 liter purified water.

$0.35 ea. -Canned cat food X 7 cans.

$3.99 – 14.4 # Scoopable cat litter in a handy pourable plastic jug.

$1.79 – Quart of Half and Half creamer.

$1.09 – Solid White Albacore Tuna 5 oz. can (not the shredded slime junk)

$1.99 – Sugar free fruit snacks, 12 individual packs, total8 oz.

$1.19 – 13 oz. box of instant mashed potatoes.

$0.89 – 1# box of Saltines

$0.59 – 15.5 oz. can of kidney beans.

$0.99 – New Orleans Rice Mix

$1.19 - Large 28 oz.can of baked beans

$1.49 – Box of 6 bags of 94% fat free popcorn, total of 16oz.

$0.69 – 8 oz. whole fresh mushrooms.

$0.89 - Large spicy beef stick ala Slim Jims for the ride home.

I believe you will easily see savings of from 30% to 100% on my list. The quality is as good or better than the Leading Name Brands. Aldi’s is the only store I can still shop at in a somewhat carefree manner. An impulse item won’t break the bank. I only go to Major Grocery Chains to cherry pick the door buster deals or coupon specials.

Oh, I almost forgot, the total for todays trip illustrated above was,

$21.53 before tax.

Squeeze that Mr. Whipple …

blueridge · Jul 30, 2012

Loved shopping at Aldi's in No. Carolina.

Can't wait til they get to New Mexico...they're close...

TerryK · Jul 30, 2012

I also like shopping at Aldi's. Same as RB, I go to large chain stores only for sale items.
Go online and read about them. I like their whole concept.

Krymsonowl · Jul 30, 2012

I shop Aldi's quite often and like most of their items except the Popcorn and there was a problem with the last water I got there. Not sure what but it was undrinkable. Cat littler is best price anywhere here abouts.

anney · Jul 30, 2012

Sigh...it's only a dream for me...I have Krogers, Wal Mart or Edwards Food Giant to shop from...,feel very, very sad for me

Mark Armstrong · Jul 30, 2012

Where I'm at the choice is between Wal-Mart and Price Cutter. Wal-Mart is slightly cheaper (often just several pennies cheaper for the same or equivalent item); Price Cutter is employee-owned and has some things Wal-Mart doesn't have.

Mark Armstrong · Jul 30, 2012

I have shopped at a couple of different Aldi's while on trips. My hometown is too small for Aldi's.

My favorite Aldi's item is their Chef's Cupboard Bean with Bacon soup. It has more extras in it and is tastier than Campbell's Bean with Bacon, in my opinion.

Marthanoir · Jul 30, 2012

Love shopping at Aldi and their sister store Lidal, we do our monthly shop there, saves me an absolute fortune

Bones · Jul 30, 2012

Our Krogers has the 10 for $10 deal. First time I've seen a regular can of corn 'on sale' for a buck!

Aldis can of corn is 55¢ every day.

Jeff B. · Jul 30, 2012

They putting one up in the next suburb... down Main Street about 3 - 4 miles. I'm interested to see what it's like after hearing so many positive comments.

Jeff B.

Red Baron · Jul 30, 2012

Mark Armstrong said:
I have shopped at a couple of different Aldi's while on trips. My hometown is too small for Aldi's.

My favorite Aldi's item is their Chef's Cupboard Bean with Bacon soup. It has more extras in it and is tastier than Campbell's Bean with Bacon, in my opinion.

Campbell's soup is just crazy expensive now. And it never was all that great to begin with.

It is a great example of people that are married to a "Name Brand".

The product doesn't improve and the price keeps going up because some people only shop by brand.

Food is a commodity, I don't see it as some existential lifestyle expression that will help me improve my social standing and help pick up chicks.

Thank the bombartment of commercial advertising for those notions.

Krymsonowl · Jul 30, 2012

We have Wal-Mart & Price Cutter. Price Cutter here is considerably higher than Wal-Mart on most everything. There are a few items that I stop there for but not many any longer. A couple of years ago it was better but not any longer.

Mark Armstrong said:
Where I'm at the choice is between Wal-Mart and Price Cutter. Wal-Mart is slightly cheaper (often just several pennies cheaper for the same or equivalent item); Price Cutter is employee-owned and has some things Wal-Mart doesn't have.

Big · Jul 30, 2012

The nearest Aldi's for us is all the way up in Nitro, about two and a half hours away. When I work up that way, I try to hit it on
the way back home if I have time. It does seem to save a little money and I generally end up with a whole car full of stuff.

HighStrung · Jul 30, 2012

We recently started shopping at Aldi's, noted prices at our normal shopping location. With the exception of a few items we checked item for item. Over the course of a small trip to the store, Aldi's total came up to $96 and Roger came up to $164 for the nearly identical items. This was for a quick weekly/ biweekly trip to pick up the usuals.

: note, the kids don't notice the difference and we barely do. Mainly on canned and boxed goods, we haven't tested meats and produce at this point but we buy those locally and in bulk generally anyway so its unfair to compare those items.

Josie · Jul 30, 2012

You did good, Red Baron. The only complaint I have with our Aldi's is that the produce looks pretty bad. So what I don't grow or pick up at the farmer's market, I have to go to the regular grocery store or Walmart to get.

Dare7 · Jul 31, 2012

I used to shop at Aldi for some items but don't anymore because of the way they reacted to O'care (new insurance plan that basically covers nothing except an annual physical until/unless you are at death's door and then it's 75/25) plus the recent changes (rotten) in how they treat long term employees.

It has become so abusive that the most senior employee at our local warehouse has been there less than 10 years. Up until the beginning of this year, the majority of the warehouse staff had 10 - 20 years with the company. They cut the full timers down to 12-15 hours per week. There are only a handful of them hanging on for dear life. They refused to sign an "I agree to quit if" ... document the company passed out earlier this year. Part timers who have been there for more than two years (starting pay, frequency of raises & pay ceiling changed at that time) barely get enough hours to pay for the gas to get to & from work but they have to show up even if they get sent right back home because of that "I agree to quit if" ... document.

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to have another job when employed by Aldi because of the availability clause in the employment contract. They are hiring temps to cover the company created shortage and as replacements for those who quit. Same thing with the truck drivers. They cut their full time hours to one or two days a week (no doubt hoping they would quit - which they have been - can't get unemployment when you quit - no unemployment claims means no increase in the UE tax rate for Aldi) and are hiring IC's to pick up the slack.

Aldi used to be a great company to work for but they are starting to make Walmart look good and I refuse to shop at Walmart.

Rastech · Jul 31, 2012

"Aldi used to be a great company to work for but they are starting to make Walmart look good and I refuse to shop at Walmart."

I hardly use Aldi or Lidl any more after I saw their disgusting overpricing on the Continent (their profiteering in Portugal, in particular, is despicable).

Don't-let-them-kill-off-the-competition! Seriously, they will run prices up and loot and pillage you at any opportunity!

Depending upon how things go, I plan to open up a wholesalers post SHTF when business reality returns (should it be possible to do so), so that small shops can get fair prices to get established.

Sorry to rain on the parade, but make no mistake, outfits like Aldi and Lidl, are very much a significant part of the problem, and I really wish they weren't.

Ragnarok · Jul 31, 2012

Used to shop at Aldi when I was just out of the military and struggling... Until I bought some coffee cake that was infested with maggots...

Haven't shopped there since 1992...

WalknTrot · Jul 31, 2012

Looks about the same as my loss-leader shopping for the few things on your list that I do buy. It's good for everyday prices. Looking at the beans, crackers, potatoes mostly.

kytom · Jul 31, 2012

aldi's is the best. they have made all the other stores lower their prices on many staples.

Melodi · Jul 31, 2012

Aldi's here helps (we have to drive quite a ways to use it) but the prices are not nearly as cheap as you've got in the US. Cat food is at least 80 cents (more or less) a can and they only have clay based, mud producing cat litter. They are really good here for some discount meats and "loss leader" veggies - I got enough tomatoes at about 20 US cents a package to make a huge pot of Italian Sauce that is now in the freezer.

Both Aldi's and Lidles have helped bring down the prices in Ireland a great deal, before they came it, there really was a captive audience, now even the big chains know they have to provide more options and better prices or people just go to the discount and "Euro" shops.

DrJerry · Jul 31, 2012

I was surprised to read that Aldi's is in the USA. They are all over Germany but I thought they were Europe only.

Kathy in FL · Jul 31, 2012

Aldi is part of my monthly and long term food plan BUT they are not the only part. Winn Dixie can have really good BOGO sales that I hit each week and that is where I almost exclusively purchase my meat because even the manager specials on stuff going out of date is better than any other store's quality. Aldi I use mostly for canned items or to buy cases of something like yellow rice, tortilla shells when I'm too busy to make my own, rice mixes, etc.

It has helped a great deal but I always get "the eye" when I shop there because I buy things by the case. It means I have to spread my business out to two other Aldi stores which adds gas to the bill so when I go I make sure and make it worth my while.

psychgirl · Jul 31, 2012

The Aldi's closest to me is in a pretty sketchy area about 15 minutes away, so I've never been. But my mother in law used to go (before she passed away) years ago and would bring us some of their canned goods once in a while. I have to say they were kind of gross; the veggies were usually very mushy and discolored, so I threw them out, I'm emabrrassed to say. I get their sale flyers now, and there must have been some considerable improvement because everything advertised looks pretty good as well as some decent name brands being offered. I've been thinking about giving them a try here lately, as long as I don't have to go alone.

Doat · Jul 31, 2012

We have Food Depot. Very low prices on most everything. Very few brand names but good products.

kyrsyan · Jul 31, 2012

I use Aldi's for some things, mainly fresh veggies when they are in season. But I have 4 other stores that can match or beat Aldi's during sales for almost everything else. And I stock up during sales.

nomifyle · Jul 31, 2012

I went to Aldi's a couple of years ago when I was in Orlando, FL. Frankly I was not impressed. I shop sales and save plenty since I rarely have to buy because I've run out of something. I also do not buy anything in a box except Annie's mac and cheese. And I use that rarely.

Judy

Terrwyn · Jul 31, 2012

We don't have an Aldi's in S.Cal. The few things I don't buy online, I buy at Stater Bros. grocery or my local health food store. Wouldn't go anywhere near Walmart and buy everything else online including my pet food.

summerthyme · Jul 31, 2012

Love our Aldis. But we don't buy much food, either. I do buy their "gatorade clone"... we go through gallons of that in the summer and at 69 cents a quart, theirs is the best price I've found. I buy sugar there- they've been consistently cheaper by 10-20 cents a pound for years. Sweetened condensed milk (like Eagle brand) is HALF the price of Eagle brand, and almost a dollar lower than the WalMart store brand. Our store has excellent quality fresh fruits and vegetables, for half the price of our local supermarket. Oh, and their European chocolates are INCREDIBLE- and priced about the same as Hershey, which these days is barely edible.

But they are also struggling to hold the line on prices, too- they finally switched to 4# bags of white sugar. And in the last month, they've gone from the 29 ounce cans of fruit to 15 ounce cans... and the price is nearly the same.

When I do buy there, I buy by the case- no one even blinks. Since they don't have "loyalty" cards, paying cash means you're completely anonymous, if that concerns you.

And as far as them "driving all the others out"- not likely in the US business climate. In about a mile strip where they are located, there are four other big supermarkets (including the WalMart super center). They all are packed with customers.

Summerthyme

coloradohermit · Jul 31, 2012

We don't have Aldi's, but our little mountain town has Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and a local Venture food market. All these are within 5 miles, so it's no problem to start at one end and hit all 3. They get some really great price wars and sales going. With the weekly sales, coupons, reduced for quick clearance and Safeway's $5 Fridays I can usually get everthing on my regular list(plus some splurges) at discount. I sure would love to get to visit an Aldi's though.

FarmerJohn · Jul 31, 2012

We have an Aldi's here in Asheville, NC. I've never been to one.

Aldi also owns Trader Joes which we do not have at present. They have selected a spot right between an existing Whole Foods store and a Harris Teeter store that is under construction. Both of the latter are considered kind of up-scale around here. Trader Joes has a reputation for low prices, even at the cost of limited choices. It will be interesting to watch how this plays out.

Caver78 · Jul 31, 2012

Aldi's was a little crappy to start here but has improved 1000 fold over the last two yrs. They are cleaner, the produce is no linger ''iffy'' and they beat the regular grocery stores by about a buck on all the staples, like half'n half, butter and cheese, sugar, flour, mayo.
Between hitting Sam's club for paper products, Walmart for coconut oil an Aldi's for the rest we make out alright. Since I found a local farm for our meats I just plan the trips so we don't waste gas.

Grammytomany · Jul 31, 2012

WOW ....Your prices were fantastic. Three items were about the same as here and everything else was about 1/2 price at your Aldi's store. Wish we did have one within 25 miles one way. I have never heard of them in the North East tho'. We don't have a Trader Joe's either, but I hear they have a lot of things I cannot get in our grocery stores, so I was hoping they would be here one day soon.

FOOD Here's My Reciept from Today Aldi's Trip - How Does Your Grocer Compare?

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