A Visit to Aldi

My husband and I gave up our Costco membership last month. Ever since, I have been discovering a whole new world of shopping possibilities. Now I hit the Walmart once a week, and Trader Joe's every 2 weeks. But Aldi could be a GAME CHANGER!

I visited the brand new Aldi in Eldersburg, Maryland on Sunday. The grand opening was last Thursday, so the store is pristine. This is crucial for a grocery store. Who wants to shop somewhere dirty and smelly? Um, nobody.

Aldi is different than other grocery stores in many ways.

1) You put a quarter in a slot on the grocery cart in order to release it. When you return your cart, you get your quarter out again. This insures all carts will be properly returned.

2) You bag your own groceries. My cashier put my groceries into an empty cart, then traded carts with me. I then bagged my own groceries at the front of the store where there is a ledge provided. The process seemed odd and extra time-consuming to me. At Trader Joe's, we always bag our own groceries as the cashier rings them up, which is very quick and also fun. (Perhaps normal people don't enjoy bagging groceries, but I really like to.) Bring your own bags to Aldi. If you forget them, you can use a cardboard box, just like at Costco.

3) You will not recognize a lot of the brands at Aldi. Because the prices are cheaper than similar products at other grocery stores, I am willing to take a chance on these "off" brands. However, Aldi does carry some regular, familiar brands, as well. The prices on familiar brands are very similar to Walmart prices. Off brand prices are mostly cheaper than Walmart.

4) Aldi is very small compared to Walmart and Costco. You will not find everything in this store. However, I was able to purchase almost everything on my list.

Here are some of the things I found at Aldi:

These little chicken salad cups are for my daughter to take to work. $3.69 for 4 cups.

These guacamole minis were $3 for 6. This is cheaper than Walmart's Wholly Guacamole.

I've never purchased kombucha before, but I've been making it for years. This was $2.99. And it is yummy, very fizzy, and not too sweet.

I also purchased a half gallon of organic whole milk for $2.95. Grass fed ground beef is $5.29 per pound. Kerrygold butter is $2.85 per half pound. All of these prices are cheaper than Walmart.

Aldi carries a good selection of organic products, including spices, coconut oil, dairy products, and nut butters. I also found grain free dog treats, chia seeds, dark chocolate bars, and sliced almonds. There is no need to buy mega-sized containers here, which is a big plus in my book.

I'm looking forward to exploring this store and finding more bargains on stuff I used to purchase at Costco.

#hocofood
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