Aldi

When it was first announced that Aldi was opening down the street from me, I was not very interested. I was used to Publix where they have a shopping cart to fit all of my 3 children and catered to my every need. I thought Aldi would be more of an inconvenience than benefit. Me go to a store that didn't accept coupons???? That was out of the question!

Boy, was I wrong! Kelly Black told me she loved Aldi, so I thought I'd give it a try. That was many months ago. I don't want to imagine living without Aldi again! Okay, maybe I'm being a little dramatic but if you haven't visited Aldi yet, go.

Here are a few facts about Aldi. Aldi does not accept coupons. You must pay $.25 to get a shopping cart. When you return the cart, you get your $.25 back. You must bring your own bags or buy them there. I am telling you, it is worth it! They even have guarantees on their items. If you don't like it, bring it back.

I have a pretty set list of what I buy at Aldi. I walk right down the aisle and pass the cookies and crackers. You can do way better at Publix on those items. If you like Tortilla Chips or Potato Chips, stop and get some. My husband loves their $.99 Tortilla Chips. Milk and Eggs are about $.60 cheaper than Publix. The produce is way cheaper and they usually have a good selection. Cheese and meat have good prices, though they don't have a huge selection of meat. Bread and English Muffins are cheaper. Canned vegetables, tomato sauce and mushrooms are cheaper.

That is just a small example of the deals you can find at Aldi. You have to know your Publix prices to know if you are getting a good deal at Aldi. Their prices do fluctuate quite a bit. One day hot dog and hamburger rolls could be $.79. The next day they could be $.25. The same goes for fruit. Nectarines could be $.29/ea. (not per pound) one day. The next day they could be $.59/ea. I bought 5 nectarines the other day for $1.45. I came home and weighed them. They were exactly 2 lbs. to make it $.73/lb. Publix has them for $1.49/lb. I basically got them for half price at Aldi. I also bought lean ground beef for $1.99/lb. The Publix price this week is $3.69/lb.

One day soon I will do an Aldi trip and then add up how much it would cost at Publix for the same items.

Aldi is definitely saving me money. Pay them a visit and let me know what you think. Go out today and get a great deal!