I've recently read about Aldi grocery stores. I saw an online circular ad and it looked amazing! Is the store really that great? It kind of seems too good to be true. I think we have one in our area, I may have passed it and thought it didn't look like a store I'd try. I'm out of town for the holidays so can't check it out right now. But is it a place I should shop at when I get home? It's a little out of my way, so I'd like to get some reviews before I head out to look. (Although it's close to the mall, so it wouldn't be a complete waste of time!)
There was a time when Aldi was the cheap option to shop at. Over time, it seems, they have upped a lot of their prices. They have a brand specific to the store that was more than reasonable and now I feel like I'm paying a bit too much. Of course, inflation needs to be taken into account but Food 4 Less seems to have become the store that Aldi once was. Insofar as their prices and their selection.
I don't mind supporting the store, because they do generally have good prices, and they pay their employees well - which is also important to me. It drives me nuts when some of these larger grocery stores pay their employees squat but charge an arm and a leg for their stuff anyhow. I do really wish they would have the option of at least purchasing some bags though. I hate it when I want to run in there and grab some things, and I forgot to get my cloth store bags when I left home that day. The other thing I've found is that their more limited selection helps keep me from making a lot of impulse buys or getting all kinds of wacky ingredients I will only use once then waste.
When I was growing up my mom use to go to Aldi's every few months and stock up on food. It was super cheap and we'd actually have a house full of food. I find it isn't as cheap, the quality is still the same, but a lot of the time the packages is smaller so it isn't work it to me in the long run. Not to mention Aldi's is getting in trouble for a lot of plastic the main company is putting into the ocean.
I actually had to run into an Aldi yesterday to pick up some plastic baggies. I had never been in one before and was impressed with how clean the store was and the excellent customer service. There were only two employees working, one was a cashier and the other was pretty much doing everything else, but all of the customers were taken care of and the line moved quickly. I do not think I would shop here because I noticed they had a limited selection, but think that it would be a great option for someone on a serious budget.
That is where I shopped for my groceries. It does have limited products, but it is still plenty to chose from for our family. You just have to be willing to try some things like you might not have otherwise.
