I discovered an Aldi store in my neighborhood this week. I’d heard a lot about how much can be saved at Aldi without using coupons, so I decided to check them out!
Aldi is a no-frills grocery store. They don’t take coupons, but their low overhead enables them to have great, low prices. Shopping at Aldi is very different than shopping at a standard grocery store, and there are a few things you need to know before you head out to Aldi.
This video is of my first Aldi shopping trip and it is also the video version of our Aldi Store Guide. Watch it and learn all the ins and outs of shopping and saving at Aldi!
If you can’t see the video, click here.
Important Tips from the Aldi Store Guide Video:
1. Bring a Quarter - Aldi doesn’t hire anyone to collect carts from the parking lot. You place a quarter in the cart to unlock it and when you return the cart, you get your quarter back!
2. Bring Your Own Bags – Aldi does not provide bags. Sometimes you can find boxes around the store to put your groceries in, or you can just skip the bags all together. Some Aldi stores will sell you bags, but I didn’t see that option at my local Aldi. Your best bet is to bring your own reusable bags.
3. No Coupons – Aldi does NOT take coupons, but there are very few brand name products, so coupons wouldn’t be very useful anyway.
4. Double Back Guarantee – Quality, taste and satisfaction are always DOUBLE guaranteed at Aldi. If for any reason, you are not 100% satisfied with any product, they will gladly replace the product AND refund your money!
5. Featured Ad Items & Special Buys – Aldi has what they call ‘Featured Ad Items’ and ‘Special Buys.’ In a nutshell, these are their sale items for the week. Starting April 6, 2011, I will begin highlighting the best deals at Aldi each week!
6. No Credit Cards - This is not in the video, but it is important to note that Aldi does NOT accept credit cards. They accept cash, debit and food stamps/EBT cards.
7. Bag Your Own Groceries - There are no baggers at Aldi (another way Aldi saves on overhead). Your cashier will place your groceries in an empty cart. You then take your groceries to a long table or counter near the register where you can bag them yourself.
8. Best Deals – Aldi’s best deals are on item you can’t usually buy with a coupon. It is a great place to buy produce, milk, bread, eggs and other staples.
Happy Shopping!
All store guides are based on my personal shopping experience and my knowledge of store policy. Stores may change their policies at anytime and it is always best to check with your local store regarding their policies.
This post was shared at Thrifty Thursday and Frugal Friday
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Great video on shopping Aldi! A new Aldi is being built less than a mile from me and I cannot wait! I love shopping there and the closest one to me now is about 30 min. away so I don’t go shop them regularly. Can’t wait for you to feature their sales weekly, I have not seen that on the blogs I follow as of yet, so YAY!! Great job!! Thank you for your hard work so that the rest of us can save!
The first time I went to Aldi’s, I did NOT know about the no-credit-card “rule.” LOL I had a cart full of groceries and no way to pay for them! And I live an hour away, so it didn’t make gas-sense for me to go home, get my cash, and come back. I have since gotten a debit card, so it’s much easier!
What you bought is similar to what my trip looks like. I love that place for fruits, vegs eggs, milk and my hubs tilipia(sp?)
Thanks for the video. I love shopping there. I have one less than 5 minutes from my home, but I usually shop at the one that is 1/2 an hour away near my mom’s. Their milk & eggs are at least 50 cents cheaper. I buy 5 gallons of milk at a time & freeze it. I have a deep freezer
I also love their daily specials that they sometimes have. I have gotten 3 pounds of potatoes for 10 cents, celery for 25 cents, cranberries for 25 cents, etc. They are a great place to shop for produce after Thanksgiving or Christmas, just for the sales they run. Try after Easter, they may run a few great deals as well.
Thanks for this video! I know one opened on Hillsboro in Deerfield so I was going to give it a try.
Maybe I’ll see you there!
Great video and tips! Thanks for sharing!
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