At least they know how to make the best of their resources, right?
Baby Girl is upstairs asleep and Aaron boy is devouring 15 Mrs. Freshley's Apple Cinnamon Cereal Bars. What's that? Who is Mrs. Freshley? I'm SO glad you asked. You see, I've wanted to blog for a while now about this little love affair I'm having with a certain
This is Aldi. The first time I met Aldi, I didn't like her (him?) very much. You see, they don't provide bags to bag up your food, they rarely carry name brands and, this was the kicker for me, they make you provide a quarter to "borrow" one of their buggys (that's a shopping cart for you'ins that live up nawrth). Yep, you put in your $0.25 then when you return your buggy, you get your quarter back. It was not my beloved Walmart and I did not have an isle by isle chart permanently etched into my brain. It was different and I didn't like it, at all.
But then, I heard that Aldi had milk for $2.39/gallon. I figured another peruse through the store couldn't hurt. And, seeing as how it might be cheaper for our house to just buy a freakin' cow than to continue to pay Walmart's ridiculous price of $4.01/gallon., I figured $2.39/gallon for milk could possible allow us to finally begin contritubing to our kids' college funds, rather than watching them drink away their hope of an undergraduate education. (Plus, Walmart's milk has hormones that make 5 year olds go through puberty, okay not really. I love that you can so clearly tell that this supposed email was written by a southerner. They use the word "fixing" as a verb. You know, she was "fixing" to have surgery.)
Wow - tangent, sorry. Back to Aldi. I went in for milk and saw a few other odds and ends that I needed. The cashier rang up my total and it was something ridiculous like $15.00. Can I just tell you that I have NEVER IN MY LIFE left Walmart with a total as low as $15.00? Ever. Even if I'm going in for just milk, I have never left with less than $30.00 worth of stuff (which conveniently always fits in one bag).
I went to the car and examined my receipt. From that day forward I've been an Aldi fan and we now sport matching BFF necklaces.
Hey! Dont' judge me, you'd be BFF's with Aldi too if it cut your grocery bill by almost $200 a month. I'd say that's worth a BFF necklace anyday.
So the moral of this story? Don't judge your BFF on your first encounter. You never know how much money they will save you.
I keep swearing that I'm going to go to Aldi, but I just never make it...we make special trips to Food Lion for their steroid-free milk that is $2.09 a gallon!!!! I almost had a heart attack when I walked out of the store with 2 gallons of milk and change from a $5 bill!!!
ReplyDeleteI love Aldi's! We shop there at least once a week! Have you tried their frozen shrimp? They are great! I wonder if they accept coupons though? Sometimes they have a few name brand things in there.
ReplyDeleteI just got back from Aldi! They do not take coupons to answer Vonda's question. I love the cheap prices and the fact that I only have 1 choice in each item. It has become a true timesaver and moneysaver. Everything I have had so far from there has been really good, but I still buy most of our meat at Food Lion. Can I get a BFF necklace too?
ReplyDeleteI'm on the Aldi bandwagon! I love that place! It seems like every time I go into Walmart, they've jacked the prices up AGAIN! The milk here is only $1.98 at Aldi, but then its $2.75 at Walmart - and thats for the generic brand too! Geesh! I don't know what I'd do without Aldi!
ReplyDeleteMan...I gotta go there. I keep meaning to stop in there and then forget. Saving two hundred a month is worth me making millions of post it notes around the house as a reminder.
ReplyDeleteAlas, my BFF affair was broken when we moved to S.C. The closest Aldi is 45 min. away and I'm thinking that savings wouldn't even put a dent in my gas bill :o(
ReplyDeleteOkay, two more ways you've inspired me:
ReplyDelete1. This B-E-A-U-tiful blog page. Gotta get one.
2. Cutting your grocery bill by $200 a month - AND eliminating so many unnecessary choices. I mean really, how many choices of Garbonzo beans does one really need?
Yeah, I can't count. That was really three. Sue me and use the money at Aldi's!
We shop at Aldi ALL THE TIME! Mom loves the prices there too. A lot of Aldi's food tastes even better than Wal-Mart's. Mom can't stand seeing buggys just right there....right there in the parking lot...sitting....just sitting there...where nobody except the wal-mart workers will get them. Anyway, Mom loves how people are determined to get their quarter back; so they have to put it up to get their precious peice of metal back.
ReplyDeleteOk, let me clarify the last part of the sentece. Ahem...so they have to put their "buggy" back to get their precious piece of metal back.
ReplyDeleteGet that cheap milk while you can, I saw it the other day at Food Lion. The National Milk Producers Federation (yes, that's really a group) has recently decided to take action since the production of milk is so high, therefore driving profits lower and lower for farmers. They are paying for the slaughtering of over 100,000 cows to bring the production closer to the demand level and raise profits. Do we live in a screwed up country or what? Sorry to be "that guy".... I guess I got carried away, true story though.
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ReplyDeleteBy the way.... for those of you that think this really doesn't happen, I found the link to confirm that information, which I heard on the radio.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nmpf.org/latest_news/press_releases/task_force_update061709
I don't care what happens to the cows to be honest, but we are one heck of a wasteful arrogant country. OK, tangent over... SWEAR.
Holy Dinah People! Who'd have thunk that a simple post about Aldi would pull people from the woodworks!
ReplyDeleteOkay, a few things:
@Carrie: You can buy a GALLON of milk for $2.09 at Food Lion? And steroid free at that? Wow.
@Vonda: No, I have not tried their shrimp. I will have to do that next time.
@Wendi: I agree, less choices make shopping SO much easier. Except I don't care for their diapers. And, I almost bought some make-up there the other day, but I figured a girl's gotta draw the line SOMEWHERE.
@AnnaGray: I didn't realize that the first time I went and I stood there trying to figure out how to get the buggys apart for about 5 minutes until another person came up and deposited their quarter. Duh!
@BrownEyedDisciple: I'm here to impart wisdom. It's the reason I breathe.
@CraftGirlAlli: For a while our Aldi had milk for $1.49/GALLON! I almost peed my pants, and then I bought 4 gallons (every time I went in).
@Lindsay: Yes, GO. You won't be sorry.
@Tracy: I'M SO SORRY!!! Really, I am. My IRL BFF has driven an hour to go once and she said it was worth it.
Finally,
@Matt: Are they planning on selling the meat to Aldi? I love a good steak.
Glad to see we ALL get riled up over some Aldi.
I need a good Aldi trip. It's just that hour drive...but I still think I saved as long as I bought several weeks worth in one trip. That takes planning and commitment, though. Those are things I've been struggling with lately. June's been an expensive month for us, though. I really need to get to Aldi's in July.
ReplyDeleteWe went for the first time today! They have one in the new town we just moved to. I too was surprised at how low the bill was when we checked out. Amazing. Gotta love it!
ReplyDeleteMmmm. I don't think Aldi is worth an hour drive... I live 1 minute away from our Aldi, and I rarely go. (We buy soy milk and they don't carry it.) BUT I did go last week to get those rockin' green beans you shared with me (Isaac and Lulu love them), and I like the frozen cheese ravioli for a quick, cheap meal. Oh, and cute girls' swim suits for $4.99.
ReplyDeleteGenerally, the toy sale after Christmas is awesome for stocking up on birthday gifts :-)
Man who can we hit up to build one here in TX!
ReplyDeleteWe had a food store called "Yes Less" (or something like that) and it was totally awesome like Aldi's and sooo cheap. Great food and all but then it closed. Nothing lasts long here in this ghetto town except all the crappy places you could care less to enter! Like say for instance... J.J's Grill's (gold teeth anyone!!!) hahahhahaha!
You inspired me to check out Aldi's. Not too bad. We didn't like that you couldn't use credit card...but other than that I think we saved a bit of money! Thanks for the inspiring post!!!
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