[anhughes]

I love my Aldi's!!!! I have bought meat there a time or two - when I can find it, their Fit & Active Turkey Italian Sausage is very good. And I have to say the produce at mine is usually really great too, contrary to what others have said, guess I'm lucky

[Terri Shop]

A few other things that have not been mentioned, thus far, and might be worth noting are;

1. Occasionally . . . and I do mean occasionally . . . you can purchase name-brand food products at Aldi's. I have purchased Pringles, Gharidelli Brownie Mix, Arizona teas ( by the can and by the gallon ), and other national brands with deep discounts attached. ( You need to look in the center isles for these, as they do not have a dedicated space on the shelves. ) It's always a surprise encounter as they are rarely mentioned in the ads, and quantities are usually limited. AND! You may never see them in the store again.

2. Packages - and, from time-to-time, formulas - are changed. For instance; I found the family really enjoyed the Aldi-brand of shells and ( cheddar ) cheese for about 2 months. Then, the formula changed, and it tasted far too processed for our taste buds. We just had to stop picking it up after that. As to packaging . . . since Aldi's does not offer multiple selections ( sizes ) of the same products ( most everything there is packaged exclusively for Aldi's ) . . . this is not so much of an issue. It may look different, but it's most likely the same product.

3. You cannot buy bulk-sized items at Aldi's. For instance; the Aldi's that I've shopped only offer 2-pound sizes of flour and sugar. We use a LOT of flour because I bake-from-scratch ( biscuits, cookies, etc. ) on a regular basis. When I do have a big baking day planned, this may not be the most economical buy.

Right now ( November 2011 ) In the Detroit, MI area -
A pound of butter is under $2.00
Milk is $2.39 a gallon
Sour Cream is 99-cents for a 16-ounce tub
Three or four types of cooking oil for under $2.00

IMO Always Bad Buys at Aldi's include;
Canned tuna - undersized to look like a bargain
Bread - has too little flavor, even for the reduced price

There are other "dos" and "don'ts" I could offer . . . IF I could remember them. But, all in all, I would suggest everyone make a few trips to Aldi's to check them out. Try some of their "brands" to compare quality and price. I'm sure you'll find you can consistently save money by making a trip there at least once a month.

[onebetamom]

We love our Aldi too!

I buy most of our groceries there, get meat from a butcher, and frequent CVS and WAGS for all other items.

We like Aldi produce, milk, eggs, creamer, cereals, string cheese, various chips and snacks. Their cheese pizzas are great too. I add more toppings and save $$$ instead of ordering pizza out.

[keither_2000]

I love Aldi. They have great prices on milk and eggs. They have some wonderful prices on Spiral cut hams and Turkeys. I have found, however, that their prices on their chicken nuggets and strips are climbing. I have found similar products at Walmart for cheaper. They do have great prices, on some things. I used to shop at Aldi almost exclusively, but am now using Walmart more after price comparisions.

[Phuzzydawg]

Good infor, thanks to all! I have never shopped at an Aldi but am thinking of trying out the new one that opened in my area!

[Z and G's Mom]

Originally Posted by Phuzzydawg

Good infor, thanks to all! I have never shopped at an Aldi but am thinking of trying out the new one that opened in my area!

Aldi's is a great place to pick up anything from your entire grocery trip to just a little here and there. Keep in mind that Aldi's does its best to keep prices low so they may not carry the same items week to week if they haven't gotten a good deal on them from the manufacturer.

This week it's all about the PRODUCE!!

[memphiscouponer]

The produce prices can be unbeatable, but yes it is short lived. I tend to go and stock up on fresh veggies and then build my weekly meals around that. However if you are savy and know what fruits and veggies have a long life span you can really score. A while back I got cauliflower for under $1 a head (I think it was like 0.79 each) and it keeps forever. I got 10 or more and still have some that is still good. I love the cheap berries but if I can't eat them in the next couple of days (or if I really want to stock up) I just freeze them and we use them in smoothies. I bought bags and bags of onions when they were cheap and they kept well and once they started to sprout a bit we had a marathon dicing day and then I froze the diced onion for use in soups and beans. You just have to be creative and smart with the veggies but if you are you can get HUGE deals. Last week they had mushrooms $0.10 a package, the same ones in Kroger were $3.99!!! I bought oodles and what I have not used I sliced, cooked and froze to add to soups and yes to beans (we cook a crockpot full of beans every other week, I use dried beens and whatever veggies I have as well as any left over meats I have if I have it. It gives us dinner and typically lunch for at least 2 days and is SOOOO cheap)

[esquala]

Thanks everyone, for the information. Houston is getting 30 new Aldi's stores, and I'm so excited!