I was very impressed when I paid a visit to my local ALDI’s recently – the last time I’d been there was more than 10 years ago.  I remember it as unkempt and chaotic – and the friends we were shopping with were all over the 5-pound brick of cheese they stocked at the time.

That was all I could honestly remember about what ALDI’s was – a 5-pound brick of cheese.  But now?  They’re so much better than I remember:

You still have to feed a quarter into a lock-thing to obtain a cart, but the quarter stays in the lock-thing attached to the cart so when you return the cart, you get your quarter back.  It’s genius – they do that so they don’t have to hire people to retrieve runaway carts from the parking lot, which enables them to pass the savings onto their customers instead of building it into the price of things.  They have an awesome guarantee, too:

It’s not just a guarantee, it’s a double guarantee.  It shows they stand behind their products so you can be confident when shopping there that you don’t have to ‘settle’ for sub-par items.  It was much cleaner, spacious and airy then I remembered, and they definitely have excellent discounted prices everywhere you look:

Princess Nagger had a blast accompanying me on my shopping trip – she was actually hoping to get a giant 5-pound block of cheese.  They only have ‘normal’ cheese now, though – but that didn’t sway her from picking out several different kinds of cheese to snack on later.  She kept saying “I like cheese” over and over again, eliciting smiles (and funny looks) from other shoppers.

We were planning ahead for cheese-and-cracker plates for a holiday party we were hosting (not to mention Princess Nagger’s penchant for cheese of her own to snack on) but this only represents an example of what we ended up getting (since I always go overboard and exceed my budget when it comes to throwing a party, and I had a Blonde Moment and forgot to take pictures of all the loot before the party):

Obviously the two kid cups and the package of lobster tails weren’t for the party – those were for us.  The cups were obviously for the kids (Little Dude loves Thomas and Princess Nagger is a Hello Kitty fan) and the lobster tails I’m saving for a special dinner for the hubby and I.  I was just impressed they had excellent looking Maine lobster tails at ALDI’s:

I lost count on how many types of cheese we got for our crackers-and-cheese plates, but what you see in the picture is what I stashed out of sight in the fridge so we’d make sure we had something for us after the party.  Ahem.  Princess Nagger picked this cheese out for herself:

As she nibbled on it (straight from the package, mind you) she kept talking with an English accent.  I sure love that kid.  We also picked up a bunch of Christmas chocolates, but those also didn’t get into the pictures, because they didn’t last long amongst our chocoholic family.

Many ALDI stores also carry wine – though not here in Pennsylvania, since the State Liquor Control Board controls everything – you have to go to a liquor store to buy wine.  I know, right?  But ALDI does have a myriad of soda, water, juice – something for everyone. 

I love that ALDI has a great selection of party foods to accommodate any kind of party – a nice variety of finger foods and appetizers, not to mention the basic chips and dips.  One-stop shopping is always a good thing.   We’ll definitely be going back soon – I always like saving money, and ALDI sure does make that happen.  You won’t find name brands there – but the ALDI brand is equal to – if not better – than some major brands. 

Princess Nagger wants to go back to see what kind of cool seasonal stuff they’ll have for Valentine’s Day.  And she wants to buy more cheese.  She loves cheese.

You really should check out the awesomeness that is ALDI on their website.  You can find out what specials their running in their local flyers right on line, too.  Not sure if you have an ALDI in your area?  You can utilize their handy retail locator to find a store near you.

Have you shopped at ALDI before?  If so, what’s your favorite part of shopping there?

 

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Note: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for ALDI. I received a gift certificate to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.  All opinions are my own and not influenced by outside sources.  See my disclosure policy here.

10 Comments

  1. I love Aldi! When I was younger I went there and I remember like you do, dirty and unorganized. But I recently decided to give it another try and loved it! I love that they have Fit & Active products for the same price as regular products too. I have been trying to do the majority of my shopping there.

  2. I love love love (and really LOVE Aldi!)!!!! Ours is clean and neat and the girls that work there are so polite and nice. The best part is not having to travel umpteen miles through a huge grocery store buying things that I don’t really need. Aldi has the basics, but also has a fun middle aisle that is always stocked with new and exciting products. I save a ton of money at Aldi, and with 3 growing boys I really appreciate having a store near me. 🙂

  3. This is a really good article on Aldi’s. I wish there was one closer to us. I agree they have come a long way. They are definately not Wally World and it is so refreshing. I should know I worked for Walmart for about 12 years. I have a mixed bag of opinions. I will say competition is good for the consumer and variety is the spice of life if shoppers can use these thoughts in their shopping habits it would probably serve them well.
    Lynn would like you to read ..It’s a Great Day for Fishin’My Profile

  4. Here in Germany ALDI is located in almost every larger town (> 10000 inhabitants). Everybody buys there their daily food basics there though it still has the reputation of a shop for poor people.

    Just like in the US the middle alley is stuffed with seasonal offerings for Christmas, Easter, Spring, Summer and so on.

    ALDI has simply become a part of German life style.

  5. Good for Princess Nagger that she knows how to pick what she really wants. 🙂 By the way, Aldi looks so awesome by the way you mention it to the photos of it. This kind of place is what people should be aware about. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!

  6. That was another wonderful family shopping experience for you, and I envy family bonding such as these. Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful memories to your readers. I’ll be sure to read more of your comforting and homey posts.

  7. It indeed helps save money! Aldi is such a great help to make the most out of every occasion without spending pretty penny! Thanks for sharing this! 🙂 I couldn’t agree more.

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