10 Tips to Help You Shop at Aldi

Aldi is my absolute favorite grocery store! I love everything about it from the minimalistic approach they take to how they help families save time and money. There’s really nothing not to love or is there?!

I’ve been shopping there for so long that I have forgotten that you can easily feel a little awkward during your first visit or two. In fact I’ve had several friends say they won’t go back because of how uncomfortable they felt since they just didn’t know what to expect. So, I thought I’d try and help you guys out and jot down some helpful tips. Hopefully you can feel more confident during your intro to Aldi. Even if you’ve already been an Aldi’s shopper you may learn some new things as well. Let’s begin, shall we…

1. Bring a Quarter –  I have heard a lot of people get hung up/annoyed/over it with this little detail. At Aldi you need to bring a quarter because you technically “rent” your grocery cart. There is a little slot for you to put your quarter in and then when you return your cart you get your quarter back. So don’t worry…you get it back!

I think it’s a brilliant idea now that I know what to expect! I have to admit the first time I went I felt completely confused about the whole thing. I couldn’t even figure out where to put my quarter. So, hopefully this little visual helps you out.

The whole goal is that you are invested in your cart so you won’t leave it in the middle of the parking lot (rude) and they don’t have to pay someone to retrieve your cart. This is just one way they are able to keep their prices so low.

If you don’t keep change you the Aldi Key Chain  is a great way to make sure you are always prepared. Plus it’s super cute and a brilliant idea!

2. Grab Some Bags- Make sure you bring your own grocery bags or you can buy some from the store for something like 10 cents. The first time I went I ended buying bags because I didn’t know to bring my own. Now I keep a  Grab Bag  in my car for groceries and a Planet E Grocery Cooler Bag for my meat and frozen foods.

This is a great way to help our environment out and help you save money. This is another thing that once you know you can prepare ahead of time. So, get you some bags!

3. Select Assortment- Most grocery stores carry over 30,000 items, which is totally overwhelming to me. Who wants to have so many choices for ketchup?

Aldi only sells the weekly must-haves. They sell high-quality brands and the smaller inventory allows them to have smaller stores and this leads to a lower rent and electricity cost. Put all that together and what do you got….lower overhead which saves them money and then they pass the savings on to us. Brilliant!

You can find their weekly Weekly Specials here. I usually check this out before my grocery trip so I can see what the best deals are for the week.

4. Ditch the Labels- For the most part they do not have name brand foods, but they doesn’t mean that they are not quality. The Aldi exclusive brand help you save around 50% on your grocery bill(give or take). The ingredients are very comparable to name brand products as well. Sounds like a good deal to me!

5. Check the Hours- Aldi chooses to stay open only during the most popular shopping hours. Doing this allows them to save on labor cost and keep their prices down.

Click here to find out the hours of you local Aldi.

6. They Double Guarantee- This little gem is new information to me as well. They promise 100% satisfaction or they will replace the product you bought and refund your money. All they ask is that you return the product if you are unhappy with it.

This could give you a peace of mind if you are hesitant to try out their products. That’s just how confident they are about their store.

7. No need for Coupons- This is one of my favorites!  Because of the cart renting, bag bringing, small stores, necessary hours and Aldi brands there is absolutely no need for coupons. Items are at an extremely discounted price already so there are no coupons to be had or needed.

I love this about Aldi because I feel like I carry around coupons forever. Then when I finally go to use I come to find that they’re expired or I’ve lost them somewhere. No coupons is no hassle in my book!

8. You Can Still Shop Organic or Gluten Free – They recently greatly expanded their variety of organic and gluten free options.

Aldi teams up with local farmers to get fresh produce. You can now find a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are organic. Our favorites are the bananas and avocados.

Their organic brand is Simply Nature and their gluten free bran is liveGfree. You can find both of these brands throughout the store.

9. Get Your Baby Essentials- They recently added a wide range of baby items like formula, diapers, wipes, baby pouches, snacks and items for washing. They released their baby products soon after Foster was born and they’ve already won awards for the quality of their items.

Little Journey is the name of their products and you can check them out in even more detail here.

10. Save Time and Money- Since there stores are smaller with less clutter you save time wandering around or choosing which product you want. Then in return the same things…smaller store, less inventory, fewer workers and a more sufficient system overall allow you to save money!

There you have it…you’re now an Aldi pro! Feel free to walk into any Aldi store with your head held high. With confidence in knowing what to expect and how to navigate your way around. I do realize it’s not for everyone but hopefully after reading this you’ll at least give it a try!

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