How to shop at Aldi- Day 15

Anyone I know who is a self-proclaimed tightwad swears by Aldi. Personally, I don’t shop there because it is not convenient. However, I am intrigued by the deals people claim to get there.

Aldi is not huge and is not really meant to be your #1 grocery store. Instead, people like to go there to stock up on items.

ABOUT ALDI

It ain’t pretty and it ain’t meant to be. Boxes serve as shelves and you won’t find a lot of employees around to help you. It’s all part of the keeping prices down thing.
According to their website, the ALDI way of shopping has been continuously honed and refined since our first store opened in Southeastern Iowa in 1976.  Aldi does everything on the save money scale- less store space, fewer employees etc. ALDI says that it is because they found a niche with Americans hungry for real value, and the chain grew rapidly.

There are over 1,000 ALDI stores in 31 states, from Kansas to the East Coast. ALDI says that their stores carry about 1,400 regularly-stocked items, including fresh meat, and, in certain locations, beer and wine.

Almost 95% of their products are sold under exclusive ALDI select brands. Aldi does not accept credit cards. They do do however accept Debit cards. They also accept electronic benefit transfer (EBT)/link cards.

SPECIAL BUYS

Every week, ALDI introduces anywhere from 20 to 30 Special Buy items—and they literally could be anything! Special Buys are offered for a limited time, while supplies last—usually, a few weeks or less.

COMPARING THE STORES

Back on Day 3 of the coupon challenge, I went to three different stores and compared 5 items that I purchase on a weekly basis. Today, I am going to add Aldi to the mix

Today, I went to two grocery stores to make a comparison of the items from my list from day 2.

Those items were;

• Gallon Milk
• Eggs
• Bread- regular
• Canned Dog Food- Pedigree
• Ground Beef

Aldi carries a lot of items from lesser known manufacturers. Apparently, it is the place to shop for ground beef and other staples. I love the idea of ‘renting’ a cart for a quarter and getting it back when you return the cart.

TIPS ON SHOPPING AT ALDI.

• Bring your own bag to carry your purchases into. OR you can choose to buy their bags.
• Aldi does not accept coupons
• Don’t expect to find everything you usually shop for on a weekly basis
• Learn how to appreciate lesser known manufacturers if you are intent on saving money.
• Sneak-a-peek at this week’s and next week’s Special Buy items, just click here.
• Check the ALDI weekly circular in your newspaper.
• Sign up for the ALDI e-mail  newsletter to get deals in advance.
• Bring a quarter if you want a shopping cart
• ALDI does not take checks or credit cards.
• ALDI does accept are cash, food stamps/EBT cards, and PIN-based debit cards
• When it’s your turn at the register, push your cart around to the end of the lane, to easily load your groceries right back into your cart.
• As an ALDI shopper, you bag your own purchases

Would I shop at ALDI again?
Possibly if I needed ground beef or baking goods and don’t really need to do a large shop.

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Check out these Related posts:

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2. How to shop at the Dollar Tree- The Coupon Challenge Day 13- 11 tips
3. How to Shop at Dollar General- Day 14
4. TJMAXX:How To Shop TJMaxx and Marshalls
5. 20 Things you need to consider when you shop online
6. Day 3- the 30 Day Coupon Challenge: Taking inventory
7. Using your coupons at your store-11+ things you should know- The Coupon Challenge Day 8

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