8 Important Tips to Remember Your First Time Shopping At Aldi

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Do you want to shop at Aldi but feel like you’re traveling into unknown territory?

That is how I felt my first time walking into this grocery chain.

As a stay at home mom I am constantly on the lookout for how to reduce our grocery budget.

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Over the past nine years, I have learned quite a bit about being frugal.

I coupon, and I have tried Ebates and Ibotta. Both of which I recommend if you want to earn some cash back! But the number one tip I have for reducing your grocery budget is to shop at Aldi.

It took me several years to get on board with shopping at Aldi.

Bringing your own quarter and bagging your groceries can be a turn-off for many people.

But by my second trip there, I was a believer.

Because we do most of our weekly grocery shopping at Aldi, I can stick with our $ 100-a-week grocery budget or under! For a family of 4, I would say that is a HUGE feat.

Update: We are now a family of 6! Saving on groceries has become a huge focus for me. My two go-to stores are Kroger and Aldi, I can find ways to save big at both of these stores.

At least for me, it is!

Sometimes I can even get our dinner meal plans down to $50. This takes a lot of planning, but when I get my receipt back at the checkout line and see that it is UNDER $100 and my dinner budget was close to $50 or under, I do a little happy dance.

If you are on a budget or trying to stick to a budget, I highly recommend shopping at Aldi.

There are a few tips you may want to know before venturing out if you have never shopped at Aldi before.

That’s where I come in 🙂

My number one tip is to bring a quarter!

Aldi has a cart system where you must put a quarter into the cart to release it from the other carts. Remembering to bring a quarter can be mildly inconvenient.

Especially when your husband continually takes your Aldi out of your car.

However, this is meant to cut down on cart ditching, and I can get behind that cause.

My car doors have taken a few hits by runaway carts.

You get your quarter back after your grocery shopping is done and you return your cart to its rightful place.

• First tip: leave your quarter in your car, so you never forget it!
• Second tip: Tell your husband NOT to take the quarter out of the car.
• Third tip: Facebook shame him to your friends if he does it constantly 🙂 (Just kidding, I don’t Facebook shame my hubby ever. 🙂 )
• Fourth tip: If you happen to forget a quarter or if it gets taken out of your car without your knowledge, you can walk into Aldi, and they will give you a quarter.

Bring your own bags.

You can buy plastic or paper bags at the checkout line if you want to. I sometimes do because I am a tad bit forgetful (even though my husband likes to steal my quarter, he DOES put my bags back in our car for me, so he is the sweetest.)

But bringing your own bags allow you to cut down on plastic and save a few cents.

You have to bag your own groceries.

Bagging your own groceries can be mildly inconvenient as well.

But if I have to choose between the convenience of having someone else bag my groceries. Or saving over $100 on groceries for the week, I pick saving over $100. (which I do have to pick between the two 🙂 )

Don’t be afraid to try some off-brands.

I get it. Some people are really into name-brand groceries. I was one of them. There are still some items I prefer a certain brand on. (Laundry detergent and coffee.) I don’t budge on those items.

But I can give a little when it comes to other food items.

Don’t be afraid to try something that’s off-brand. You may like it. You may not.

But like I tell my kids, you don’t know if you don’t like something until you try it. So try it. 🙂 Also. Many of the off-brand items taste the same as the brand items. They are just cheaper.

Aldi has gluten-free and healthy options.

When you think of Aldi, you may not necessarily think of gluten-free and healthy. However, Aldi has many options for choosing healthy food items.

If you are trying to live a healthier lifestyle or need to be gluten-free, I suggest checking out Aldi’s LiveGFree brand. And then go to the store and see what else you can find to help you continue a healthy lifestyle and save money.

Shop on Wednesdays.

If you can, I suggest shopping at Aldi on Wednesday. Since I have started working again, this isn’t an option for us. So we do our shopping on the weekend.

But Aldi gets their new items on Wednesdays typically. I have also heard they restock produce every day. Your local Aldi may be the exception to the rule, so ask to find the best time to shop for new items.

They don’t take coupons.

Aldi does not take coupons. This is because they already have much cheaper items that coupons aren’t necessary.

They have an awesome return policy.

Aldi has a Twice as Nice guarantee. So basically, if you don’t like the food you buy, you can return it, get your money back, plus they will replace the item. How nice is that? Check out their return policy here!

If you are a stay-at-home mom, a family trying to live on one income, or just trying to cut back on your grocery budget, Aldi is the number one place to do it. Give it a try. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

And if you are at least you can say you tried it.

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Have a peaceful day!