Just a couple weeks ago, an Aldi store opened up down the road from our house. When we lived in Germany, there was an Aldi much closer to our house than the commissary was so I would occasionally go there for things. If you are unfamiliar with the store, it is a small grocery store that doesn't have a lot of frills or extras. You put a quarter in a slot on the handle of your cart so it unlocks from the storage area and when you lock it back up after you finish using it, you get your quarter back. The checkout station has a chair for the person working it and they do not bag your items. You unload your cart on the conveyor belt and swing your cart around to the end. They scan the items and put them back in your cart, then you pay. After you pay, you wheel your cart over to a table (kind of like the folding tables at a laundromat) and bag your groceries yourself. Did you bring your own bags? Good for you if you did, but if you didn't you can get them at the checkout for 6 cents each. They are pretty good size so you may not need as many as you think and they are sturdy enough to use more than once.
They have really nice, fresh produce and not many name brand items. They do sell wine and a little beer but not much, and none I had ever heard of. What draws people in are the prices! I only needed milk today which is $3.28 at Walmart. Aldi has it for $1.98 so I went there to grab some and whatever else struck my fancy. Here's my list of what I came home with:
2 lb bag of small Honeycrisp apples..........................$3.99
3 lb bag of clementine oranges...................................$1.99
1 lb pkg of strawberries..............................................$0.99
6 oz pkg of blackberries.............................................$1.79
6 oz pkg of blueberries...............................................$1.99
Tortilla Chips..............................................................$1.79
Mini bagels.................................................................$1.99
American Cheese singles............................................$1.99
Hazelnut chocolate bars..............................................$1.99
750 ml bottle Riesling.................................................$4.99
1.5 L bottle Lambrusco...............................................$6.99
Milk Chocolate wafers................................................$1.99
Beef Jerky....................................................................$2.89
Penguin Crackers (like Goldfish)................................$1.39
Fruit snacks..................................................................$1.69
1 lb bag flour................................................................$1.19
1 gal 2% milk...............................................................$1.89
2 gal watering can........................................................$3.49
My total was...............................................................$46.46
When I got back home I pulled up my grocery list app. It has all the current prices for things I buy at Walmart on a regular basis. I made a list of all the things I bought at Aldi that I had a Walmart price for. If I didn't have a Walmart price for something, I used the Aldi price. This had to be done for the three types of berries, both chocolates, the beef jerky and the watering can. The total came out to $52.47. I know it should actually be higher than that because the apples I get at Walmart are Galas, not Honeycrisps and I am quite certain that the berries and chocolates would have cost a lot more at Walmart too.
So what does this mean for my future grocery shopping trips? Probably not much for those "once a week, get everything I think we will need" days, but for days like today when I need one or two things and would like to grab some fresh produce and a bottle of wine I will definitely consider Aldi. If beer is on the list, though, you will find me at the HEB across the street from there.
The Air(brush)ing Of Grievances
15 hours ago
I am curious about Houston's fascination with Aldi. I was surprised to see it on page one of the Chronicle because we had one in the town we lived in WV and it's reputation was not good. It was the "scummy" store. I never went in due to that and preferred the local Giant Eagle (which LOVE, but none here). We don't have an Aldi on this side of town, but if we get one, I will try it.
ReplyDeleteThe only place I shop here is HEB. We have a Kroger kinda close, but I stopped going there when they quit doubling coupons. Randalls is on the other end of LC so it's really not worth it unless I happen to be over there which is rare. I think I've been there twice since moving here. You can't go wrong with HEB. I routinely save thirty bucks a week with their yellow coupons and my husband likes being surprised with whatever beer is on sale...this week: St. Arnold Elissa IPA.
I really, really, really want a Trader Joes down here. We have driven to The Woodlands just to go there and love it every time.
I wasn't all that impressed with Aldi. Other than the milk, the quality of the fresh items (fruits, veggies) didn't seem as good as those at HEB. The strawberries, blackberries and pineapple I bought went bad much more quickly than the ones at HEB. The bananas were OK, though, and Syd did enjoy the honeycrisp apples (I bet I bought the same bag as you) since they are normally way too pricey at HEB. I might scan their add weekly and grab something occasionally (not too hard to do since it's right across the street from HEB), but I don't know that I'll make it a regular shopping spot.
ReplyDeleteI don't expect the fresh produce to last as long as it does from big chain stores because it hasn't been preserved in any way. It's another way to cut costs. I usually buy my produce within a day or two of using and try to get it as fresh as possible. The one here is brand new so for now it is still clean and well stocked. We'll see how it holds up!!
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