ALDI Shopping Tips – How to Shop at ALDI

SHARK BITES – Aldi Shopping Tips – How to Shop at ALDI

Do you live near an ALDI location? I had never shopped at ALDI until a few years ago when my sister raved about it. She told me about the how she picked up all of her groceries for a fraction of the price at the big name grocery stores. After I heard about the low prices, I decided to take a trip to ALDI to check it out for myself. ALDI mostly sells their own brands, but they are VERY comparable to the big brands from that you see at every other grocery store. One of my favorite items to buy there is their chips….SO good and they are a fraction of the price that you’ll find everywhere else!

ALDI’s products aren’t stocked like an average grocery store. Everything is on pallets, shelves, and in boxes (warehouse style), helping them keep the prices low since less time is spent stocking the items. ALDI has a wonderful selection of almost everything…cereal, snacks, cheese, bread, frozen foods, canned goods, household essentials….you name it! I am putting this post together for those of you who may be unfamiliar with ALDI and would like to learn more about it. SIDE NOTE: I am not getting paid or compensated in anyway from ALDI for this post, I am simply trying to help you all save as much money as possible!

Reasons Why I Love Shopping at ALDI:

1. Cheaper. ALDI products are mostly manufactured by national brands and taste just like regional brands but they’re much cheaper! Definitely a win-win situation.
2. Efficiency. All the items are strategically placed and are located very close together, making your shopping trip very short. ALDI stores are compact and easy to navigate. I am able to get everything I need within a matter of minutes!
3. Fast Checkout. Items have multiple barcodes placed on the packages, helping the cashier ring up your items a lot quicker. Items are then placed in your cart and you bag them yourself. There is no extra wait for bagging since the cashiers do not do that.
4. Greener. ALDI doesn’t provide free plastic bags to bag your items to keep the prices of your groceries down. Instead, they encourage you to bring your own reusable tote bags to bag your items. This, in my opinion, is much better for our planet! If you forget your own bags, you can purchase a long-lasting plastic bag there for around $.06 per bag.
5. Try New Foods. Because of ALDI’s low prices, I am able to try products that I have been meaning to try.
6. Double Guarantee. ALDI believes in their products and stands by their products. They are confident that you’ll love their products and for any reason you are not satisfied, they’ll gladly replace the product AND refund your money. Cool!
7. Better Ingredients. This is a big one. ALDI’s products do not contain any hydrogenated oils, MSG’s, or certified synthetic colors. ALDI is also actively cutting out unnecessary ingredients to make their products healthier. In fact, ALDI is expanding their organic-food brands.
8. New Products..Always. ALDI is constantly rotating its selection of products. You’ll never get bored trying the same old products!

Don’t get too hooked on your favorite products. Aldi’s rotates its selection, so what is on the shelf this week might not be there next week. But! This is a good thing, I promise you. They offer seasonal products and keep up with demand. So you’ll see a lot of baking items in the fall and not so many in the spring. You’ll see lots of BBQ items in the summer. There’s a method to the madness.

ALDI Shopping Tips:

1. Bring a Quarter. To get a cart, you’ll need a quarter to ‘unlock’ the cart. You’ll get your quarter back when you return your cart. This saves you money since ALDI doesn’t have to hire someone to pick up carts in the parking lot.
2. Use Cash or Credit. For a long time, ALDI did not accept credit cards, but they just started accepting them earlier this year. You don’t have to use just cash anymore! EBT/SNAP cards are also accepted.
3. Check for Clearance. Once a season has ended, ALDI will put all of the seasonal items on clearance. Be sure to check after Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day for lots of steep discounts!
4. Forget the Coupons. Since ALDI sells their own brands, they do not accept coupons, so forget about bringing your coupon binder along! You will still find great deals and prices, so no need to worry.
5. Check the Weekly Ad for Special Buys. ALDI releases new weekly ads on their website. Every week, there are new special buys. This doesn’t just include groceries…sometimes you’ll find pillows, shelves, detergent, and other household items to help you save!

If you shop at ALDI, what are your experiences? Do you have any other ALDI tips?

“Don’t sink with the fishes. Be the consumer in the know!”

~Sharky

What is “Shark Bites”? Shark Bites is a money-saving tips series here on FreebieShark that aims to help you and your family get the most out of your money. “Shark Bites” posts are both educational and straight to the point. Just another way FreebieShark is helping you save!