Can you do all of your grocery shopping at Aldi?

[Bernadine]

I've never been, although there's one relatively close.  Are the meats/produce decent?

[fernweh]

No. I have never had their meat, their produce is good but selection is very limited. I wouldn't be able to do all my shopping there.

[sewf]

I don't know about quality, since we don't go often. I do know that, at least at the ones near me, they only take cash or checks, and they don't have bags, so bring your own.

[shamrockshake]

No, I can get a lot but not all. Our produce is good, but not a lot of variety. I get a lot of non perishables, what produce I can and some dairy. I hit a produce store for the rest of that and wegmans to fill in anything else.

[arch01]

No. For example-today they were out of milk, spinach, strawberries, celery and mini peppers-all of which were on my list. It's rare that they were out of so much, but there was a problem with a shipment.

I don't typically buy meat there and I'm brand loyal for some things-like I only buy Heinz ketchup because I can find it without HFCS and a ton of added sugar...which isn't going to be at Aldi.

[steph96]

Most likely no. If you're into super basic meals, maybe.

One of my main issues is that they don't carry all the produce that a normal grocery store does. I can't remember what I wanted, but I know it was basic produce (garlic? Bell pepper?) and they didn't have it. I think they also didn't carry normal tortillas? My brain is really foggy.

I'm also going to say that I don't think their prices are that amazing (excluding cheese!). Most of the time, I can find cheaper, fresher alternatives at other grocery stores. Their prices may be lower for some things, but it's usually for smaller portions.

[hymen]

I get about 75% of my list at Aldi. There are a few specialty things, meat, and some produce I often can't get there.

[atarianna]

I am a complete convert. I do about 80% of my shopping there. There are four things I continue to buy at Kroger; organic milk, Greek yogurt and breakfast sausage. I buy my meats at a local butcher shop but everything else is from Aldi.

I do occasionally buy one offs from the regular store, but for the most part the above is true. I find nearly all the produce we use there, aside from herbs. I also buy a lot of their frozen veggies. We cook nearly every meal, and our family budget isn't too terribly high thanks to Aldi.

I don't do a lot of meat from Aldi, but have recently been trying their whole fryer chickens and sausage. I haven't been disappointed. I always found their milk to taste a little sour so we do not buy it but do but almost all other dairy.

[cookies]

No, but last time I was there I noticed they have a lot of new items and I could probably get a good amount there these days. I'm going to try going there first to see what I can get from my list. I bet there won't be much left to buy at my main grocery store (Trader Joes).

[strauss]

No, but I try to get as much as I can there. Applesauce pouches, shredded cheese, cream cheese, produce is hit or miss for my store but if it looks good I get it, bread, there take and bake pizzas are good and huge!

[katfco]

Most of our stuff is from Aldi, but sometimes "seasonal" items are hard to find--like cranberry sauce outside of the holiday season, or certain baking items. We've found different stores will have better or worse produce. I do like that ours, at least, tries to use local produce and dairies as much as possible.

We don't usually get our meat there, mostly because we wait until Meijer has good meat sales.

[Deleted]

Does Aldi's still carry the chocolate chip cookies in the brown and white package? Matts, I think? I haven't been to Aldi's in 19 years, but I would go back for these. My grandma used to buy them and they are the softest, best chocolate chip cookies ever.

[maddiepaddy]

Nope, I definitely can't get everything there. If I have time, I try to go there first, knock what I can off my list, then stop at the regular grocery. It really is amazing how inexpensive Aldi is, but you do have to factor in the extra time for the inevitable extra stop.

[bex1973]

We do about 80% of our shopping there and most often have had good results. One time we got a pork loin and it smelled "funny" but H took it back and they didn't get any problems about refunding. The only things we don't get there are things that I'm picky about brand on like peanut butter. Our location usually has a good variety of produce I can only think of one time they were out of something I was looking for. I do a ton of baking for the holidays and save huge with getting ingredients there. And like $6 for a huge pizza that tastes amazing - yes please LOL!

[bex1973]

Feb 10, 2016 20:41:02 GMT -5 klekz37 said:

Does Aldi's still carry the chocolate chip cookies in the brown and white package? Matts, I think? I haven't been to Aldi's in 19 years, but I would go back for these. My grandma used to buy them and they are the softest, best chocolate chip cookies ever.

I don;t think I've ever seen these. I mean not that I linger longingly by the sweets... Ok, so I do!

[arch01]

Feb 10, 2016 20:44:27 GMT -5 @barefootbarista said:

Feb 10, 2016 20:28:57 GMT -5 arch01 said:

No. For example-today they were out of milk, spinach, strawberries, celery and mini peppers-all of which were on my list. It's rare that they were out of so much, but there was a problem with a shipment.

I don't typically buy meat there and I'm brand loyal for some things-like I only buy Heinz ketchup because I can find it without HFCS and a ton of added sugar...which isn't going to be at Aldi.

They have organic ketchup!

At the one closest to us? I haven't looked there, I go to the one on Freedom a good bit since it's near my office and I haven't seen anything but crap ketchup there.

[meli554]

We do most of our shopping there. I do think it varies by location. There is one close to my work, and another close to my house. The one near our house is so much better in terms of layout, selection, cleanliness, etc.

[lilac05]

I don't, but I have friends who do.

We have 3 stores in town. 2 have decent produce, one sucks. I don't usually buy my meat there, but my mom has started to & is happy with it. They've changed a lot in the last year! Lots of organic products (much cheaper than other stores), some nice specialty items that are temporary stocks, and they use only natural food colors for their store label products.

They also have a nice satisfaction guaranteed program. If you don't like the product or if there is something wrong with it, you get your money back AND the product replaced.

[Deleted]

Feb 10, 2016 20:48:19 GMT -5 bex1973 said:

Feb 10, 2016 20:41:02 GMT -5 klekz37 said:

Does Aldi's still carry the chocolate chip cookies in the brown and white package? Matts, I think? I haven't been to Aldi's in 19 years, but I would go back for these. My grandma used to buy them and they are the softest, best chocolate chip cookies ever.

I don;t think I've ever seen these. I mean not that I linger longingly by the sweets... Ok, so I do!

Boo. These were my favorite. Although their website says they only sell in the Midwest because they're a small local company. I guess I'll have to go look.

[suzubell]

I can do 95% of my shopping there. Once a month I stock up other places. I save a fortune by shopping there.

[lilibet]

Feb 10, 2016 21:33:55 GMT -5 lucybrown said:

Feb 10, 2016 20:41:02 GMT -5 klekz37 said:

Does Aldi's still carry the chocolate chip cookies in the brown and white package? Matts, I think? I haven't been to Aldi's in 19 years, but I would go back for these. My grandma used to buy them and they are the softest, best chocolate chip cookies ever.

I don't think so, but they do have a delicious knock-off of the Girl Scout caramel delites/samoas.

They also have a delicious knock off of the peanut butter patties.


I feel like I have seen the brown and white package cookies before but I'm not 100% on that. I'm in the Midwest so maybe that's why?

[Deleted]

No. I have never had a positive experience, as I buy mostly fresh food and their produce is sketchy. I just go to Publix and Target.

[Deleted]

I think it's highly dependent on the location .

[partiallysunny]

I LOVE Aldi, but I've never been able to do all my grocery shopping there.

[thatgirl2478]

not unless your shopping list has random crap on it that's always changing...

seriously I went a few times and they never had diced tomatoes or black beans - all things that are generic enough to be in just about ANY grocery store. Oh and I hate their cheese, it's fake and tastes fake.

[rosiebear]

I do 85-90% there. Produce can be iffy, but this week most of it was great. I am always taken aback by regular store prices when I has to get stuff from other places.

[ska]

Feb 10, 2016 22:44:15 GMT -5 thatgirl2478 said:

not unless your shopping list has random crap on it that's always changing...

seriously I went a few times and they never had diced tomatoes or black beans - all things that are generic enough to be in just about ANY grocery store. Oh and I hate their cheese, it's fake and tastes fake.

What type of cheese? They are known for their cheese selection. 

[textbookcase]

They are building one here. What is the allure? Is it good? Cheap?

[ska]

Feb 10, 2016 23:27:44 GMT -5 textbookcase said:

They are building one here. What is the allure? Is it good? Cheap?

Almost entirely their own store brands. It is about 40% cheaper than my other local grocery store (Cub Foods). They guarantee their products so no risk trying something. I am a huge fan. We are a family of 6 and the cost of groceries before I "discovered" Aldi was making me mad. I was used to shopping at a lower priced grocery store in MA (Market Basket). When we moved to MN and I started shopping at Cub I couldn't believe the high prices. 

[textbookcase]

Cool, I will check it out when it opens! Thanks.