Frugal Living - Aldi Stores

Today I made the fruit salad pictured above for $6.85 for the entire bowl.

There is a grocery store chain that I tend to forget about because they are not in terribly convenient proximity to where I shop, but I hear people talk about the great prices, especially on produce.

I went to Michaels, and in the same shopping center is an Aldi store.  They are great grocery stores.  There are a few little "quirks," but they easily offset by the savings.

First let me start with the ingredients and the costs, so you can get a feel for the price savings.

1 pineapple. $.99
7 Kiwi  $.69 total (not each)
1 qt strawberries $.99
1 cantaloupe $2.29
6 oz blackberries $1.89

Grand total $6.85

So, what's different about Aldi, and how can they sell so inexpensively?

First, they don't sell name brands.  They have their own brands.

There is no fancy shelving.

You bring your own bags and bag your own groceries.

If you want a cart, you will need to put a quarter in to get your cart.  Your quarter is returned when you return your cart.

They don't take checks or credit cards.  Cash or debit card only.

They do not take coupons, but that doesn't matter because there isn't merchandise there that you could use coupons on since they don't stock name brands.  If you are a specific brand shopper, you will not be happy with Aldi.

The stores tend to be a little smaller, so if you are looking for "gourmet" ingredients, it's likely you won't find them.  You may not even find every item on your grocery list, but the cost savings will be worth it.

The quality of the food is just as good as any name brand, and my budget likes them much better.

You can eat healthy and eat on a budget.  Check out Aldi and find out.