Aldi

So, I discovered Aldi today. There was one in Greenville, but now that I think back, I don't think I ever went there during my 6 month stint.

I really liked it. Granted, you have to have a quarter deposit (which you get back by the way) to get a shopping cart, the prices were surprisingly refreshing. Most of the items you'll find at Aldi are not brand names, but I have never really been brand-name loyal. There are some generics I will avoid, some grocery store brands that aren't really that good, but then again, you might just find that some non-brand name goods are just as good as the brand names. What makes a brand name anyways? Commercials... Some brand names are lower quality than the lesser known names with which I know first hand. But, don't start me on that rant.

Anyways, back to Aldi. They did have some brand name items which were, as they advertise, "good deals!" The other brands were extremely cheap. I walked out of there with lots of good stuff and we started trying some of it tonight. We cooked a "Mama Cozzi" pizza that tasted really good. In fact, I would say it was as good as a DiGiorno Pizza. I grated some "Happy Farms" mozzarella that made it even better (of course, I always put extra cheese on our pizzas anyways). For dessert, I had some "Mercer" animal crackers that taste just like the brand name! Rodney is currently drinking some brand-name V8 splash which was a very good price.

So far, I have no complaints about the quality of products I got there. I am looking forwards to trying the whole pears I got there, which the produce section has not only good prices, but nice and fresh produce as well. If you like fish, they have excellent prices on frozen fish. If you like fresh meats, the prices are good there too.

Granted, I am not going to buy everything I ever need from Aldi (I am an avid online shopper as I like deals, getting paid, and delivery to my door), and I may even still visit Kroger or Harris Teeter on occasion, but it is nice to be able to get my milk for $0.30 cents cheaper when I need it, for example.

So, bring along your quarter, be prepared to bag your own groceries (cuts overhead and keeps their prices low), and save some money: Aldi is a great place to shop. They have even gone "green" only using paper bags!