Aldi shoppers?
 

anyone here shop at Aldi? What's your experience with them.??

Their expanding into Florida...

Aldi's okay. Their prices are cheaper than most grocery stores, but they don't hold sales. Product selection is pretty limited, though. Food quality isn't bad at all, although their condensed soup tastes funny.

If you're not hung up on name brands, it's a great way to save money!

They surprisingly are also a nice place to work for. My mom knew someone who worked there who made $9 an hour with benefits.

Aldi's was my best friend in college and grad school. I live in Florida now, so I'll be looking forward to their expansion.

wow I didn't know Aldi was in the US. They're all over Europe and they're pretty nice there.
As for them coming to Florida, I love publix and doubt I would shop someplace else. Are they coming to Gainesville?

When I was in undergrad, I didn't have a choice so I had to get groceries there. I remember I had to pay a quarter to use the shopping cart, but if I brought the cart back, I would get the quarter back. I remember bringing that cart back everytime.:p The food wasn't that bad though.

I go to Aldi for staples and pick up whatever else they have that I want while I'm there. Then go to a larger store for the rest of my grocery list.

Or at least that's my ideal. Sometimes I'm just lazy.

We have them, and if you don't mind off brands or not having shopping bags (you use their boxes, or bring your own bags), it's usually good. I've bought some of their products - most are good, but there have been a few nasties. I always bring my own canvas bags/tote bags (but I do that at all stores).

I don't shop at Aldi. I've heard too many horror stories about how poorly they treat their employees and, well, ew.

If you aren't poor, you have no business near an Aldi. That's just being to damn cheap. How come I know someone who bought a bedroom set (minus the bed) for 150$. Since when they sell furniture there? :eek:

Did once. First time and last.

Oh, no change to get a damn cart, did not know had to have your own sack or bag.

Selection was very small for what I was looking for.

I hate making multi stops and wasting gas to go cheap!

See, I feel like Save a lot is much more like a regular grocery store. Aldi is much smaller.

Question: Does the Save-A-Lot in your area require you to bag your own groceries, or is this just an OH thing?

Yes in the KC area they do, but at least they have a meat dept.

Yes, I did go there anly once as their selection was slim too.

They do here too, but they have bags unlike Aldi.

(Ok, Aldi has bags but you pay for them though they're really sturdy)
I felt that they had a much wider selection than an Aldi and at least in St. Louis had a nice "multicultural" foods section. Particularly candy! But I can do my whole grocery trip there unless I'm looking for something slightly weird. And they carry brand names which Aldi is kind of hit or miss on.

I just feel they're too small...I usually get my stuff at Cosco :)

In WV it doesn't, but that only changed in recent years. When I was younger I remember having to bag them ourselves.

A guy friend of mine swears by their eclairs. I'm not into them, so I'm not so sure. Ours has limited produce & meat, but I doubt that I'd buy much of the "fresh" stuff anyhow.

For whatever reason, their nuts usually have great prices, so I head there prior to major baking.

I went to Aldi's a couple of nights ago for the first time in ages. They MADE us pay a quarter for a cart. WTH? The produce looked scary. Potatoes are not supposed to be the size of two softballs. Surprisingly, the meat didn't look too bad.

The cart thing is actually nice. It means that nearly everyone returns the cart to the store so they aren't just sitting in the parking lot. Of course, I've forgotten a quarter before but usually I plan ahead.

my mom has turned me into an Aldi shopper. I'm sort of anti-brands based on a sort of weird social philosophy that I wont get into, but the stuff is cheap. Personally, canned tomatoes are canned tomatoes to me. Their produce is typically cheaper too, especially citrus. That and the fact that i'm a tight wad...Aldi is great. HOWEVER...never buy the off brand mayonaise.

Funny story, I was walking up to an Aldi once and I thought I would be polite and offer to take the womans cart from her. She said no and gave me a dirty look. Do you get the quarter back when you are done with it or is this her way of saying "I paid my quarter and so should you?"

You get the quarter back. Usually if you meet someone in the lot you give them a quarter to get their cart. If she's like my roomie she keeps a quarter in her car for that purpose.

That doggone quarter thing
 

I can't believe how Aldi is trying to Europeanize America! You have to pay a 50 cent euro for carts everywhere here, even Wal-Mart. I have a parkschein with plastic pieces in the back that are the same size as 50 cent euros just so I don't have to worry about change for the carts when I go shopping. As for Aldi, there is just down the road from my house here in Germany. I really only go to pick up something that I might not have on hand for a meal I'm making, kind of like a convenience store. The nearest commissary to me is 30 minutes away, and that's where I do most of my shopping. That ends up being cheaper than Aldi over here, with the exchange rate the way it is, anyway.

My mom has recently retired, but my dad still works and she has become an Aldi's fan because she has the time to pick up the basics and can goods at Aldis then she going to local places for meats, cheeses, fruits and veggies. She believes in avoiding large chain stores when she can and this way she offsets the additional cost she is spending going to specality shops by saving money at Aldis. She feels like she is making a difference to the local economy and still manages to fill her days up instead of sitting at home.

I shop for my staples there. Spaghetti noodles are spaghetti noodles. Some of their items are good but like cosco you gotta try them to know. The selection is limited but milk, eggs and bread are all cheaper there to me. They're all over the DC area.