Rachel scored some pretty tasty-looking items. The mayonnaise - Burman's - is under $2 and tastes fine, maybe Burman is Hellman's cousin? Mayo is mayo as far as I'm concerned, basically just reconstituted eggs, so under $2 is a win.
Man, can't wait to dig into these.
By Kevin Williams
The German-owned discount grocery store chain Aldi has a lot of fans on this site and I think I'm coming around on them too. My wife went shopping there yesterday. I was a bit skeptical because I just remember the Aldi from 20 years ago when they seemed like dingy, dumpy stores with dented cans, labels I had never heard of, and carts that required deposits to access. Fast forward to today and they still have labels I've never heard of and carts requiring deposits and maybe even some dented cans, but I'm an adult and money matters more than it did when I was 22 and, you know, you can get some deals at Aldi. Plus, their stores are stocked with organics and healthier items like black bean burgers and organic milk. I know those weren't there 20 years ago. Rachel reported that the store really had changed a lot since she last ventured in one with me, probably 15 or 16 years ago.
The total receipt was $108.00 Looking at it, if she had bought the exact same stuff at Kroger, I do think it would have come to $150 or more. There were, however, some things she still had to go to Kroger to get afterwards, so it gobbled up more time. But I'd say Aldi has come a long way. The clementine oranges Rachel bought were juicy and sweet, which was a nice surprise. She got a pizza at Aldi that was so large it wouldn't fit in our freezer, I had to remove it from its cardboard casing to get it in. A pizza that is too big? That is a nice problem to have! And the deposit for a shopping cart? 20 years ago, I thought it was a pain. Today, the idea of not pulling into a prime parking spot only to discover when you're half way in that someone has lazily left a shopping cart right there or not having door dings from runaway carts is rather appealing.....
Receipt, I think these seem like pretty good prices
Ingi
The first Aldi we encountered was in 1980 on a trip to Germany with hubby and my parents to visit many family members. It was nice, clean and cheap, but I found it strange we had to bag our own groceries! Fast forward to present day when it's hard to find a store that does still bag our goods for us. We've been fortunate to have an Aldi in our town of 8,600 now for decades and it has always been topnotch neat, clean and cheap with the best and cheapest fresh fruits and vegetable selection.
Tina Anderson
I love to shop at Aldi! They have the best produce in my area and we think their swiss cheese is great. I also think their canned goods are just as good as "name brands" but are lots cheaper! The clam chowder is super too. You never know what you're going to find there - they even have a very large selection of gluten free items. As a nice treat for myself, I buy the fresh flowers - you can't beat the price!
Kevin
We'll keep an eye out for the clam chowder!
J
I will second the Swiss Cheese. Both price and quality (for regular store bought) are very good! Love Swiss Cheese. Wish someone in our family had kept my great's recipe she brought with her from Switzerland back in the late 1800's. It wasn't called Swiss Cheese but we heard so much about this cheese made in her basement in Indiana that we could almost taste it ourselves!
Kevin
Wow, yes, recipes and stories like that are true treasures, I'd love to have had a chance to taste that cheese, where in Indiana did they live?
J
Bluffton
Nana
I don't know if you have sampled your Burman's mayo yet but I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I swore by Hellman's for years and refused any other till it got to be $4.00 a jar. I now can't tell the difference in taste or quality. I also endorse their cereals, crackers, snack munchies, and granola bars. Produce specials vary from week to week, but this week I bought 10 lbs, of nice russet potatoes for $1.49. Take a little time and check things out and be willing to give them a try. All the dairy products are good in my opinion. Aldi also has seasonal specials which have allowed me to sample new items. Nana
Kevin
The Burman's is good, maybe has a slight bit more tang to it than Hellman's, but I think that is a good thing, not bad!
Barb Vath
Kevin,
I grew up with Brookfield Zoo practically in my backyard. My high school was Riverside Brookfield High School and while sitting in math, if the wind was right we could smell the lions and tigers and bears, oh my! It was the best place to spend Tuesdays during the summer, the free day and I'm happy to say my granddaughters love it too!
One zoo that we found very nice was St Louis zoo. We took our girls there when they were small and it's a picturesque place, almost park-like with animals.
Kevin
Barb, sounds awesome...didn't know you were from Chicago!
Linda from KY
Rachel did very well. I especially noticed the cucumbers, which are going for .69 at Kroger right now. She saved .30 on cucumbers alone!
Connie
Wow! Jackpot day! You went to Aldi's! Good for you! A shot of you and Rachel! For me a face with the name! A shot of smiling baby Bea! Adorable! Plus good stories and recipes! Reminds me of and old song. I've been everywhere man. I been every where. Cant remember who sang it! Now I have to go find it! Fun!
Dawn
Utica , NY zoo and Rosamond Gifford zoo in Syracuse , NY
Kevin
Thanks, Dawn, I'm not surprised about Syracuse, I love Syracuse...Utica, that is a surprising just because it is so small, I'll have to check that out next time I am that way!