I’ve mentioned Aldi at least once in the blog; oh, I probably mentioned it more than once. I love Aldi. For those of you who aren’t lucky enough to have Aldi stores nearby, they’re no-frills, limited item grocery stores. The overwhelming majority of the products are their own brand. You bring your own bags, buy theirs, or you can scrounge boxes to pack the stuff in, which is what my husband likes to do. (My husband loves Aldi, too. I sometimes wish he didn’t love it so much. My husband’s love of grocery shopping is yet another tale I’ll share in the future.)
The best part about Aldi - the savings can be phenomenal.
Aldi stores were around for several years before I started shopping there. That is to say, they were around the area, but not really in my neighborhood. That has changed in the last few years. There are not one, not two, but THREE Aldi stores within five miles of my suburban home. And I couldn’t be happier.
For the most part, the quality of the food is great. There are a few items we didn’t like, but those are in the minority. And did I mention the prices? Where else can I find evaporated milk for 49¢ a can? Saltines for 58¢ a box? A 36 count package of corn tortillas for 89¢? I’ll stop now, before this entry becomes a rundown of my entire last grocery receipt!
Now, when my son was a teenager, he was a food snob. Or so he thought. He didn’t want to eat Aldi food. He was too good for that. Don’t you just know how much I loved it one day, when he was eating a bowl of (Aldi) tomato soup with (Aldi) saltine crackers, and he said “This is the best tomato soup ever!” I saw no reason to educate him at that point; I just smiled (while trying not to burst out laughing.) Another time, he was eating Aldi Frosted Flakes (I store cereal in Tupperware containers, so he would have had no way of knowing what he was eating) and he told me “See, name brand like this is just better. Cheap old Aldi frosted flakes would be nasty!” Okay, kid, whatever you say. And someday you will realize just how smart your mother is.
As my son got older and less finicky, I let him in on the secret. And when he graduated from college and moved away from home - and money was tight - he started shopping at Aldi. He called me at work to say “I got everything I needed for the week. I got a lot of stuff, and I only spent $21!” Do you think he realizes how smart his mom is? Maybe that day has come.
Oh, and another part of the Aldi legend is renting shopping carts. You put a quarter in a slot on the cart, and it breaks free of the other carts it was chained to. When you chain it up again, a quarter pops out. I love the fact that my car has never been attacked by a shopping cart while in an Aldi parking lot.
It’s all part of the adventure. I have fun shopping at Aldi. One day, when the lines were incredibly long, a man decided to play checkout line traffic cop. He directed traffic, all the while getting us to cheer and yell (”Are you excited yet? Let me hear you!”) Now, I absolutely hate long lines, but this one had a party atmosphere.
Adventure, low prices, and good food. Is it any wonder why (my husband and) I love Aldi?