This past year, my sister in law turned me on to the money saving magic that is Aldi. Goodness knows, it is certainly not for everyone. If you are in a hectic season of life, overwhelmed with little ones or time is precious, well just keep right on doing what you’re doing. However, if you’re looking to save some money for putting in some extra effort — Aldi just may be the place for you. On average, I am saving $100 or more per week. No joke. I do still squeeze in a monthly Trader Joe’s visit (because let’s be honest, still crushing on my fav); but in general, Aldi is my new weekly shop.

Someone asked if I’d put together a post on what I like there, so here you go!

FIRST THINGS FIRST…

+ Bring a quarter for the cart. I keep one in my car console for just the occasion.

+ Bring your own bags. They charge for theirs and you have to bag your own groceries. I love the Trader Joe’s freezer bags and the big Ikea blue bags. I keep them handy for shopping day.

+ Mentally prepare. Checking out at Aldi is a shopping frenzy. They are fast, and literally throw your groceries into a cart for you to then figure out how to transport home. It takes some getting used to. There’s a bagging counter for you to spread your bounty, so if you have your bags, you are good to go. It gets easier, but I definitely recommend leaving the kids at home for this one, because trying to bag a cart of groceries with little ones at your feet is not the funnest thing in the world 😉

+ Life Hack : Instacart, a personal (pretty reasonably priced) shopping service, just started offering ALDI as one of their customers in our area. You can order everything online (or on their app) and have it delivered to you within a few hours. And best part, they will do all of the cart quartering and self bagging for you. It’s the perfect splurge for those weeks when life is just too much.

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HERE’S WHAT WE BUY…

COOKIES + CRACKERS : One of the biggest scores at Aldi are the snack foods — cookies, bars, crackers, chips. They taste just like name brand and cost around a $1. Our kids love the imitation girl scout cookies : thin mints, samoas, tagalongs and the soft chocolate chip cookies. The fudge stripe and imitation oreos are also great. As for crackers, we love the imitation wheat thins and rosemary olive oil triscuits. Never paying full price for those again.

BREAD : Moving on to the bread section, their standard sandwich loaf will run you about 89 cents. We like the honey whole wheat for PB+J sandwiches during the week. They also offer a more substantial whole grain option which is $1.79. The mini naan is excellent. Sliced sourdough is another fav. Bagels are pretty standard, nothing special here. Same for the burger and hot dog buns.

COFFEE + TEA : Trader Joe’s wins out here. Kids do like the hot chocolate k-cups, though.

PRODUCE : I have been quite impressed with the produce. It is consistently great quality (although I hear that can vary from store to store). There are plenty of organic options. I particularly love the arugula/baby spinach blend. Fruit is seasonal and well-priced. Currently, we’ve been enjoying the strawberries ($1.29), naval oranges, and grapes. All your basic produce : potatoes, onions, carrots, celery etc also at a great price. You won’t find an extensive produce section, and there are things like fresh herbs and the like that are lacking; but overall this is a solid area for Aldi.

DELI : While Trader Joe’s cheese section will always have a special place in my heart (and can’t be beat), Aldi is a decent option in a pinch. We like the brie, havarti, feta, parmesan and soppressata. The lunch meat is pretty standard (we stick to the oven roasted turkey breast here). The sliced gouda and sliced havarti are great for sandwiches and grilled cheese. The hummus, fresh salsa and guac cups are go-tos. One of my favorite finds is the Never Any Sausages. I like these even better than TJ’s option, which is saying something. The Sweet Apple is a particular favorite, with the Tomato Basil and Spinach Feta coming in a close second/third. Another win here is the $4.99 Giant Cheese Pizzas. Perfect for Friday pizza night or dinner in a pinch. The Cheesy Breadsticks are also a fav.

MEAT : While I get most of my meat from Quail Cove Farms, I’ve found the flavored Pork Tenderloin to be a great deal. Stew Beef is good too. We’ve had their Sweet Italian Sausage (but TJ’s wins here).

DAIRY : Happily Aldi makes going organic easier on the wallet here. We like the whole milk and the Lactose Free Whole Milk. The cage free brown eggs are great (and comparable to TJ’s in price and taste). As far as yogurt, I have to say that TJ’s wins again, but I do buy the greek yogurt (plain whole milk). I will buy their sour cream and butter when needed, but prefer TJ’s here too.

FROZEN : Here is another place where Aldi shines. The imitation eggo waffles and cinnamon french toast sticks have become breakfast staples in our home. Then there’s all the other standard “freezer section” items like bagel bites, chicken nuggets, french fries, frozen lasagna, etc that just make life easier and are nice to have on hand. TJ’s wins in the frozen chinese food department (although we do love Aldi’s Chicken Lo Mein). Happily Aldi did just start carrying the pre-packaged frozen rice that I love. The middle freezer bin at my Aldi has an ever-rotating assortment of seasonal buys which usually start out on the pricey side, but then are dropped to dirt cheap after the “season”.

BAKING/BREAKFAST/BARS : We pass on the cereals (sorry but my kids are cereal snobs and prefer name brands). I do love the simply nature oats + flax packaged oatmeal for my breakfast every morning. The baking section is pretty general. I stock up on the Morena natural cane sugar, brown sugar and powdered sugar. There is a limited selection of spices and basic oils, white flour, etc.

In the bars section, you have plenty of options. We are currently loving the fiber now bars : cinnamon coffee cake and fudge brownie are favorites. There are lots of nature valley imitations that taste just like the real thing (nut bars, chocolate chip + assorted flavor granola bars, and crunch oat bars). The pastry crisps are also a favorite. Another steal are the simply nature applesauce pouches ($1.49 for a pack of 4).

PASTA/CANNED GOODS : Let’s be honest, these kinds of items are pretty cheap to start with anywhere. Some items we’ve loved here are the 20 pack of tortillas and pueblo lindo tortilla chip strips. Here again, you can stock up on junk food for super cheap ie: potato chips etc for $1 a bag. The box macaroni + cheese is super cheap, even the organic white cheddar shells. They have basic pasta options and and an ever expanding GF pasta section which is kind of hit or miss. Canned goods are fine, nothing special, but nothing bad either. The simply nature brand has been consistently great for us across the board.

EVERYTHING ELSE : Napkins, paper towels, and paper products are now purchased here. They occasionally have name brand toiletry items and laundry detergent that I’ll pick up as well. In addition, Aldi has an entire aisle of completely random things : from clothing to housewares that I generally avoid; but I’ve been told you can score some great deals.

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Phew… there you have it. A general overview of the great ALDI based on our eating habits. Thoughts, questions, suggestions? Would love to hear them!