I'm taking the Whatcha Leanin' Now out of the techy world this week to share with you why I love Aldi, and why YOU should too.
I'll be completely honest, the first time I visited an Aldi I was not sure what to think. I found the store confusing; you pay for a cart? where are the bags? what the heck is with the brand names? It wasn't until we moved into our first home and realized we had an Aldi less than a mile away that I really took notice. And now, we do about 80% of our weekly shopping at Aldi and the rest is done at our local grocery store. I don't remember the last time I went to Wal-Mart and that makes me very happy.
But aside from regular shopping, if you are a food blogger you neeeeeeeeed to check it out. All these recipes we create can get really expensive and the prices at Aldi can not be beat.
Baking Ingredients
They have almost all of the baking essentials you could possibly need. A few are seasonal (like cocoa) but the rest are always there. Those items include: flour, sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, corn starch, chocolate chips, white chips, butterscotch chips, marshmallows, marshmallow cream, oil, pudding mix, jello mix, pie crust, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and more. See, those are pretty much our main ingredients for any recipe.
Cereal
Um, name brand cereal is expensive. And we can easily use a whole box for one batch of muddy buddies or rice krispie treats. The Aldi brand of cereal is VERY good; you won't even notice a difference and most are less than 1/2 the price.
Milk/Dairy
They sell milk, heavy whipping cream, eggs, sour cream (even light), cream cheese (1/3 fat too), salted and unsalted butter, yogurts, and a variety of cheeses. Jacob and I love the light sour cream; it's a staple in our house.
Seasonal Items
Aldi offers seasonal items like pumpkin bread kits, pumpkin cider, pumpkin cream cheese, just to name a few. Closer to Christmas they have even more options! These items can serve as great inspiration for recipe development. It makes the shopping experience like Target; you go in for one thing and leave with 10.
Chocolate and Candy
Aldi carries Germany chocolates and they are amazing. They are unique too, like chili chocolate. They also carry some standards like Snickers, Hersey bars, gummy bears, and licorice.
Nuts
There is always a nice selection of nuts including pistachios, pecans, walnuts, and mixed nuts. They often go on sale around the holidays too.
Trader Joe's Connection
We all love Trader Joe's. Ah, Cookie Butter? Hello! Did you know that Aldi and Trader Joe's are two Germany owned sister companies? This means you'll find a lot of the same products at both stores, but the packaging might be a little different. I also think you see the similarities with the customer service; the employees are there to help but also super efficient and get you on your way.
Healthy Options
They do have healthy options too; their "Light and Fit" brand has a wide range of products. They also have baked chips (we love them), Greek yogurt, whole wheat bread, gluten free products, just to name a few.
Oh - depending on your state, they do sell alcohol and I've heard the wine is really good!
My tips for shopping at Aldi:
- Take a quarter for a cart: You will get the quarter back when you return the cart!
- Take your own bags or snag a box while you're shopping.
- Use cash or debit card; they do not accept credit cards. Our Aldi allows for cash back of up to $200 which is super convenient when preparing to travel.
- Don't be shy! Try a variety of items. They have a double guarantee so if you don't like a product you can get your money back and replace it.
- The checkers move FAST! They place your items right back in a cart and then you move on to bag your own groceries.
I'm sure I missed something, but I hope you'll give your local Aldi a try. And, let me know if you do - I'd love your feedback! :)
*I wasn't asked to do this post, I just really love Aldi and everything it has to offer. I hope you'll stop at your local Aldi and love it too!
