Community Chat

[RollTide2008]

I belong to an ALDI fan page on the Facebook. Based on what I see posted, I don’t find it hard to believer, but people who manage it typically feed their families very differently than I feed mine.

My teen age son has had friends over frequently this summer. I’ve been buying snack foods for them at ALDI. The last time I was there with several different kinds of chips, cookies, and sandwich items in my basketball, a lovely young woman with a toddler sitting in her cart thought it would be helpful to alert me to the nutritional disaster I was about to haul home. Lady, I’m feeding the offensive line for the freshman football team their afternoon snack. You talk to me when your kid gets their shoes dirty before she outgrows them.

[aroc3435]

@RollTide2008   Ah, yes, those helpful "food police" strangers that simply have to point out the error of your ways.  And they think they are being helpful with their unsolicited judgemental comments!  

I well remember having my own teen daughter and son and the whopping bill when they had a dozen friends over.  The guy at the Mom and Pop grocery four doors down used to love when I came in to pick up items for the hungry crowd in my apartment.  

I didn't mind but it was a challenge to make the money stretch as a single mom.

Good days, happy memories of the 90s.

[blackhole99]

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@ScrapHappy wrote:

Was talking with my Mom yesterday.  Complaining about food shopping (having to go to more than one store to get everything I need, cost, only one check out unless you use self check out, etc.).  She said she saw on the news how a woman in a family of 7 does her entire food shopping for the month at Aldi's for $250.  I told my Mom I find that hard to believe.  Do you?

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Yes, I do find that hard to believe unless all they eat is cereal. I shopped at ALDI last week and only bought a few things and it was over 25 dollars. You used to be able to get a bargain at ALDI, but not anymore.

[momtochloe]

I love me some Aldi and have for a long time.  If you are on a budget and are strapped for time, over the year, their prices are very good (make no mistake local grocery store sales are usually better than Aldi's every day price but again if you are strapped for time as many people work two jobs these days they are a terrific store).

They can be an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone but if you get in the mindset that you are going to give them a fair shake (and maybe a couple of trips) I think it is worth it.  

For me, their weekly specials are the absolute bomb!  Right now I am literally sitting here head to toe in Aldi clothing being cooled off by a terrific Aldi mini air conditioner as my home A/C is on the fritz.  Their weekly special products are always of great quality and they stand behind everything.  I have bought everything from small kitchen appliances to cameras, candles you name it.  Always pleased.

Again, they are not Whole Foods, Wegman's or Mariano's but for the money on a consistent basis I think they are a terrific value.

[lynnie61]

They are improving some Aldis near me.  I shop there occasionally but not my total shopping.  Canned fruit, produce, milk, at very good prices here.  Many are being remodeled here.  I go maybe once a month there. 

[Suxela]

Aldi's and Trader Joe's are owned by brothers.  Their prices are cheaper because they do not use brand names.  Also, some of their products are organic.  I shop at Aldi's but I prefer Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's meat is excellent!

https://www.aldireviewer.com/aldi-trader-joes-related/

[novamc1]

Next week's ad for Aldi items shows signs that more nationally-sold  brand names are going to appear. 

In the ad for items on sale beginning next Wednesday are:

Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing $2.99

RITZ Toasted Chips by Nabisco, $2.49 for 8.1-oz. bag

Inglehoffer Assorted Mustards $2.39  .... (This brand costs a small fortune at other grocery stores where I've shopped for it.)

Gold Peak sweetened or unsweetened iced tea--$2.18 for 64-oz. bottle.  

LaCroix bottled water (24 cans for $7.49

I've noticed all summer that their freezer case of "ice cream novelties" is full of national brands

Personally, I think  some of Aldi's best values can be in fresh produce  (red grapes 85 cents a pound this week), eggs (80 cents a dozen this week), cheeses  for less money that seem to be every bit as good as any found elsewhere,

My DH is real picky about his few beloved name-brand cereals. When I brought home an experimental box of off-brand Raisin Bran from Aldis, he said it was exactly the same as the original from Kellogg.

If the packaging  of an Aldi item bears an almost-identical resemblance to the national brand, I think the chances are good it was produced by the well-known company and isn't a knock-off.   Otherwise Aldi would be repeatedly sued for deceptively imitating national brands, wouldn't it?