We have an Aldi near us. I’ve always wondered how that place works, but didn’t want to go in not knowing (I’m a dork). Can you pay with a debit card? Do you have to bring your own bags? Is it a membership only place? Is it just canned stuff, or do they have fresh fruits, veggies, eggs, meat?
Thanks!
Debt cards or cash only. No credit cards or checks.
Either bring your own bags or buy them there - 5 cents for paper, 10 cents for plastic.
No membership fees, but most of the items are Aldi’s brand - most aren’t too bad. The only thing I really didn’t like was their pasta, but I’m very picky about my pasta. :-) And the meats they have are frozen, no fresh meats, but the meat is pretty good. Good as any other store.
You also have to do your own bagging. While you are being rung out, you are expected to put your unbagged stuff back into your cart, then there’s an area you go to for bagging.
Last time I went, which was a while ago, you could get a dozen eggs for 89 cents, a box of saltines for 59cents, a 3lb bag of skinless, boneless chicken breasts for a little under $7. Not bad for here in Connecticut, don’t know if their pricing is local or nation wide. Can’t remember the exact price for milk, but it was really good! And they have real butter for under $2 a pound. And their cheese was very good.
Not a lot of fresh produce, but you can find the basics, carrots, onions, potatoes, iceberg lettuce, apples, oranges and some seasonal stuff. Oh, and you need a quarter to unlock your shopping cart, but you get it back when you return the cart to the store. The only grocery store I’ve ever seen with no carts littering the parking lot.
I haven’t been to Aldi’s in a while since I go to Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, GFS and Kroger (only for sales) but they have ok stuff. I use cash there, don’t know if you can use a debit card. Not a big fan of their boxed and caned stuff. But maybe you might like it because I am a food snob. ;) Their fruits, vegetables and eggs are good. I didn’t like their milk. Some of their frozen stuff is quite good. I did get some hamburger from them once and it seemed good. But it is kind of hard to tell with hamburger. As for bags you bring your own or you can buy some. Sometimes they have empty boxes laying around and you can take those. I just keep empty flat boxes I keep in my car to put stuff in.
They don't have the wide selection of most grocery stores nor the same things all the time, so my drill is to go to Aldi's and get what I can off the list, then get what I couldn't at a regular grocery store. The savings much more than pay for making two trips. If it's a long trip you could take a cooler for frozen and refrigerated items and do it in one trip.
Don't forget to get your non-grocery items like dish soap and such at Aldi's, too. Big savings there.
I don't know how Pa laws are, but in Michigan Aldi's carries Winking Owl wines. At $3.00/bottle isn't much cost if you add a cup or so to a soup and really turns it into something special.