Aldi's Vs. Wal-Mart

I have never shopped a wal mart for food - i don't have one nearby.

I do have an Aldi though. I have to say, I get a strange rush from saving that much money :) Sometimes their stuff is even better than the name brands. Their meat is good, (I use their boneless pork ribs to make my italian red gravy - it adds a meaty flavor) their cheese is good - love their grated parm and romano cheeses), dairy and produce all very well.

I find that sometimes I still need to make a trip to the Jewel for some things. there isn't a huge selection of produce at Aldi, but what there is, is very fresh. We don't like the Aldi pasta (my italian family is very choosey on this - and it will not be compromised - Barilla... must be Barilla). When I have shopped at Aldi and managed to get everything i need for the week, i can spend about 75-80$ and walk out with a LOT of food.. the same amount would have cost me an additional 100$ at Jewel - EASILY.

Few notes about Aldi - you cannot use a credit card. debit or cash only. and you bag your own groceries. bring a quarter to 'rent' your cart, you get it back when you return it to the front of the store.

i especially love Aldi for stocking up on cereal, and lunch snack items like jello fruit cups, granola bars, chips, etc.

Also - they do have special purchase items that are the name brands you are used to seeing, but cheaper. not a ton cheaper, but definitely cheaper.

I like to go to Aldi! They even have a more gourmet line there. They do not have all of the selection of a Jewel but they have the basics - and more!! The prices are reasonable, and it is easy to get around. Don't forget to bring your own grocery bags, though. It's good to reuse your bags anyway - right? I think it is a great way to save money and have a stress free shopping trip. Other people must like Aldi too - due to the fact that they are growing their business into many more towns.

I have been really unhappy when I shop at Walmart. I only go there due to location. Right across from my kids extra-curricular activities. Every time that I go to Walmart, they are out of stock on at least one item on my short list!

Aldis is a lot cheaper over all ... you only have to bring your own shopping bags and load them yourself, but the savings is worth it and you arent supporting a huge box store (Walmart) that kills all local compitition wherever it sets up shop.

I know many people who swear by Aldi, but I am not one of them. While I think their prices are fantastic I do not like limited amount of choices they provide as my wife and I like to eat many different ethnic dishes that are inexpensive but require exotic ingredients.

I also found a fly in a loaf of bread once. I know that's not Aldi's fault, but it was enough to make me not want to shop at that particular store. My brother's in-laws found a piece of metal in some shrimp they bought (I'm sure it was an accident and not intentional).

While the savings are big, I can't really complain about the cost at Jewel too much. My wife and I are careful about what we get, use sales and coupons to our advantage, and stock up when we can. For our family of 5 I think we're spending about $125 a week in groceries. I also have a membership at Sam's Club ($40 a year) and I stock up on things like butter, juice, lunch snacks, ect... I easily make back the annual membership and more (triplets and diapers----that alone is HUGE).

I know my experiences at Aldi aren't the norm, but I just don't see it as being what I need.

N.,
I prefer Aldi's, Food 4 Less or Ultra foods to Walmart . I had worked for Aldi's for about 5 years before I hurt my back on the job. Most people don't realize that most of Aldi's foods are made by the brand name makers like Tyson chicken, keebler crackers with just an Aldi label. We just had a new super Walmart open and I can not beleive the grocery prices. Maybe because I am used to pay 25-37 cents for banana's and less than a $1 for bread but I hate shopping at the new Walmart because the prices are high. My husband hates grocery shopping with me because of this. Aldi's has come a long way from where they were 5-10 years ago and the quality of the food it great not to mention the guarantee they offer if you don't like the food. When I left a few years agao they would refund your money and give you a replacement item(food items only)for free. If you eat a lot of fresh fruits/veggies check with your local store to find out when they get there produce deliveries and shop those days. One thing I will tell you is to be very carefull to not shop on the last few days of the month or the first few days of a new month because of the food stamp customers and Social Security customers come in those day and the lines will be crazy. I have seen the lines on the last Saturday of the month be all the way back to the back of the store even with all cashiers working because all the food stamps cards get renewed that week and they are shopping for the whole month.
Hope this helps.
K.

My husband lost his job last week and we decided, on my friend's advice, to check out Aldi. I am so glad we did! We didn't buy a lot because we had already done our weekly grocery shopping, but we got some deli meat, which is really good and a lot cheaper, as well as baby carrots, eggs and cereal. There is a cereal we like that we can only find at Woodman's and they sell something similar at Aldi's, 30 cents cheaper. I tried it this morning and it tastes the same! We are not going to be able to get all our shopping done there since their selection is not that big, but we will be going there first and then heading over to Woodman's to get whatever it is that we couldn't get at Aldi's. Also, I have found too that the Dollar Store's cleaning supplies are really good ~ and only a dollar! Also, clip, clip, clip those coupons!! It saved us $10.00 last week on our groceries. :-)