Not into extreme couponing, or couponing at all? You can still save lots of money, no coupon clipping necessary. Aldi is one of my favorite frugal grocery stores since prices are low every day. Because they stock a limited assortment of goods and turn over their inventory frequently, they can afford to pass on those savings to their customers. And, they don’t even accept coupons. How’s that for anti-extreme couponing?! (If you want to know more about Aldi, read our article Saving Big Bucks at Aldi: Supermarket Strategies.)
When I was there yesterday, I only had $10 in my wallet. I wanted to see exactly what I could get for my money. As most Aldi shoppers know, $10 will get the non-couponer more at Aldi than the typical grocery store. I was able to get:
- A huge bunch of bananas
- Whole wheat bread
- Tub of turkey lunch meat
- A dozen eggs
- Three boxes of macaroni & cheese
- Low-fat cottage cheese
This may not seem like much to you. There’s no doubt that I could have put together a more impressive “haul” with lesser expensive things that we really didn’t need or want. However, no time was spent clipping and organizing coupons, planning out a trip, or adding unneeded items to a stockpile. I wanted to prove to you that you can still feed your family affordably without jumping on the Extreme Couponing bandwagon. Aldi is a great alternative for the busy shopper who doesn’t have time to coupon, but still wants to save. No coupons needed!
Looks like you have the basics for breakfast and lunch for a week and your family won’t have to eat the same stuff every day! Good buys Kim!
Breakfast: Toast, Eggs, Bananas, Cottage Cheese
Lunch: Turkey Sandwich, Mac&Cheese, Bananas
Oh and it you added some milk and cheese you would also have the makings for: Grilled Cheese, French Toast, and Cheese Omelets!
I love that their produce is super cheap. A week or so ago I got 2 cantaloupe, a pineapple, a pound of strawberries and a pint of blue berries for less than $6. I cut it all up and put it in a large bowl in my fridge and my 3 kids snacked on it for a couple days. So much cheaper and better for you than cookies/chips/etc that they want.
Don’t forget the peaches & plums for 28 cents a pound!! I have to go back for more today!
Thats great…….if you have an Aldi close by……we have two choices for groceries here, and have to drive atleast 30 mikes for a different option, the tlc show is beyond ridiculous in what those ppl do, you dont have to be extreme to save, I save atleast 60% at the grocery store everytime, and that is great for me!!!
That’s awesome Becca!
Beth I couldn’t agree more! It’s about the same here…and we eat really well considering our budget! I don’t feel any “lacking” at all.
Yep! I agree with all of you, and thanks for the suggestions, Bekah! Their produce IS a really good deal… and always fresh because they turn over inventory so quickly.
I had $100 to spend at Aldi’s the other day to feed 4 adult/semi-adults for 3 meals a day for a week or more. I was able to get plenty, plus a couple of extra’s even. It won’t be their favorite meals, but they will be eating a good, nutrisious meals. Couldn’t of done that at any other store.
I love Aldi, and am blessed to live right around the corner from one. However, I don’t buy most bread there. Buns, yes, and I wish they’d carry the mini-buns again (I spotted them once last summer), but not bread. Why? All their bread has HFCS in it.
Not true. Their 12 grain bread has no HFCS in it. I wasn’t going to buy their bread for the same reason and then stumbled upon that one.
I personally find Aldi to be a mixed bag. I grew up with an Aldi in my town, and we shopped there, (along with other grocery stores) during my growing up years, so I’m pretty familiar with the concept and what they offer. I also spent a year as an exchange student in Germany (where the Aldi stores originated), and have seen even the European version up close! Like most moms, I love saving money and getting the best deals, so my gripe with Aldi’s is not there. What I don’t like about Aldi is that I feel they sacrifice quality and possibly even ethics to reach their very low price mark. Many of their products are made in China and other countries of unknown orgin, but you will seldom see that marked on their products. I have nothing against the Chinese people per se, but I do worry about a government and corporate environment there that has a bad track record of ethical manufacturing and releasing unsafe products into the marketplace, both in their own country and here in the US. I HATE not knowing the country of orgin for a lot of Aldi products, so it really makes me hesitant to purchase a lot of things there. Additionally, I agree with your other commenter who said she will not buy bread there because they use HFCS sweetners. I think this a problem throughout their entire store, where cheaper (really cheap!) ingredients are used to keep the price down, with little regard for the quality. And even though I hear many moms rave about the produce at their local Aldi store, the produce here in our Central Illinois stores almost NEVER seems fresh to me. Having said all this, I do still shop at Aldi for some things, and like the things that I buy! I guess I’m just adding a voice of awareness and caution here. It’s a changing world and a changing global marketplace, and moms would do well to educate themselves as much as possible in order to feed their families the best food in terms of both price and safety!
I wish we had an Aldi!