I don’t know if my 783 #aldiusa Instagram posts give me away, but I love Aldi. For the past 10 years, this grocery store chain has fed my family extremely well and saved us 30%-50%* on whole, real food. Honestly, I don’t think we could have eaten as healthy with any other grocery store during really lean years.

Aldi is a unique shopping experience. The company focuses on providing quality products at rock-bottom prices. So it’s not always a cute excursion, like Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, or Whole Foods.

However, when you see your receipt, you might become a convert. The stores are clean, efficient, and they offer more organic, fair trade, and sustainable products than any other discount grocery store I’ve seen. Imagine Costco and your small town grocery store had a baby. That’s Aldi.

In order to save you the most money, they employ several brilliant concepts, like quarter deposits for the carts (you get your quarter back), and a bring-your-own-bag policy (save the planet! Bonus). You can read everything you need to know on their website.

Full disclosure: you won’t find every single thing you eat at Aldi. There’s no fresh seafood bar or deli, but you will find products that lend themselves to being more sustainable and health-conscious. Read more about them here, and always remember to read your ingredient labels and learn what they mean!

*compared to other grocery stores

Here’s How I Save the Most Money at Aldi

If you compare every product at Aldi to the same product you can buy elsewhere – tortilla chips, apples, yogurt, peanut butter, etc. – Aldi beats the price nearly every time.

So when I shop at here, I shop exactly like I would anywhere else. It’s that easy.

Because this store doesn’t carry every product under the sun, it naturally forces me to either do without (save money!) or make it myself using the ingredients I can find there (usually better for me!).

I know I could just go to another grocery store and supplement…. but that’s another trip, and I have 3 kids in car seats. One store is plenty.

This tip might sound too easy and a little disappointing, but it’s the truth. If you buy the Aldi version of what you normally buy, and you stick to your list, you might be shocked at how much money you can save.

Aldi helps me keep my grocery list simple and consistent. I’m also saving money by shopping at a store that’s designed to help save, rather than catch my eye and make me buy more than I need.

When we were broke, I used to daydream about shopping somewhere cute, like Sprouts and Trader Joe’s. Now that I could shop there, I do only occasionally. It’s fun, and they carry products that Aldi doesn’t. But I still buy the bulk of my groceries at Aldi. I haven’t found anywhere that can beat their prices and quality.

Next week, I’ll share what we actually buy at Aldi each week, plus a peek at our recent grocery haul!

What You Can Do Now:

1. Go back and read about what to expect your first time at Aldi.
2. See if there’s an Aldi store close to you and give it a try! Even if it’s a long drive and you have to make a once-a-month trip, it’s worth a shot.