Aldi - take your own bags?

[roger2]

Will be making my first trip to an Aldi supermarket soon.

I recall reading somewhere that Aldi doesn't provide grocery bags to help keep costs down, and shoppers should take their own bags. Is that correct?

In that same thread (on another site) someone said that food is significantly less expensive at Aldi compared to other stores. Any truth to that? Any other comments or observations about Aldi?

 

[c.coyle]

It's BYOB at our local Aldi. My wife says overall cheaper than other chains. Still, we frequent Costco for most grocery shopping nowadays, with "in between" trips to stores near our jobs.

 

[petehall347]

ask for an empty box like the old days .

 

[Chip Chester]

I have heard Aldi is quite a bit cheaper, but there are none in my general vicinity yet. I've stopped doing bags at all. I use folding-side crates (a little bigger than two milk crates, but not as tall.) Two or three will hold the usual trip, and when I 'bag' it's easy to group things as to where they're stored in the kitchen. Stays put in the back of the car, and just grab and go to unload. Folds to 1.5" high each. Got really tired of one-item-per-bag nonsense.

Chip

 

[roger2]

Thanks for your replies

I wasn't aware there was an Aldi in my town before I noticed coupons in the mail: $10 off of a $40 purchase. That offer is good enough to break me out of my routine. I usually grocery shop at Meijer, which is pretty good. No complaints there other than slow check-out lanes.

 

[valvenator]

My wife does the major shopping but I like to stop at Aldi's once in a while.
True about the bags, bring your own or buy one of theirs. Heavy duty and reusable.
And as mentioned you can use the empty boxes our store leaves scattered throughout.
Most of their canned foods are on par with name brands. Salsa, cheese dip, chips, crackers etc. all quite good.
Frozen pizzas and such items are good too, though I didn't care for their breaded fish that much.
Coffee ain't too bad either.

 

[Ilikevinyl]

Aldi has great pizzas! Mama Cozzi 16" pizzas for under $7!

 

[petehall347]

i only go there for the hardware isles . i dont understand German writing .

 

[ETLS]

When the Aldi opened down here, it sparked a price war with Walmart across from them. Eggs were fifteen cents per dozen, milk a dollar nine per gallon. Hasn't gone up much from there either. Works for me.

 

[CKDC]

One should bring your own bags to the grocery store, whether they are available at the store or not.

 

[leesonic]

Their chocolate is exquisite!

I usually just find a nearly empty box(es) on one of the shelves, and use that.

Lee.

 

[KLH9]

You will also need a quarter to ransom a shopping cart.

We keep bags in the pocket behind the front seats and a quarter in the console

 

[restorer-john]

We do pretty much all our shopping at Aldi. Like Leesonic says, grab an empty box and use that or you can buy 15c reusable bags at the checkout for your stuff.

Their chocolate is indeed the best chocolate I can buy. We love it. Just stay away for the special buys of random stuff you didn't know you must have until you see it.

My 9yo son scores the $1 or $2 coins out of the trolleys from lazy people who leave them in the carpark. He got a free chocolate bar yesterday with a $1 trolley coin.

 

[knockbill]

Yep... grab boxes as you shop...

 

[roger2]

Had no idea Aldi was international.

 

[hugo454]

Aldi is great, my wife love's their prices

 

[Wildcat]

I usually grocery shop at Meijer, which is pretty good. No complaints there other than slow check-out lanes.

I buy a lot of grocery and household staples from Meijer, but tend to buy all the produce and meat from a nearby market. For what I buy, prices are best at Meijer. Kroger is astronomical on many of the same items (and I don't like their pricing where you need to show a card to get a lower price). I've checked Sam's a few times but I find I can match or beat Sam's price at Meijer (per unit...such as, per ounce) and not have to buy 5x more than I need. I go during off hours, so I don't get hung up in the self-checkout lanes.

Visited Aldi once. Was not impressed. No plans to go back.

 

[Condorsat]

Like others have stated ... grab an empty cardboard box or two while shopping. At our local Aldi's I usually grab boxes out of a metal cage that store stock-men put empty boxes into.
Some of the product display boxes pictured below would make good grocery carriers when empty. You always toss empty plastic bags away that come from the grocery store ... you'll be tossing empty boxes away instead.

 

[mhedges]

Yep they don't provide bags. And I think you have to bag your own stuff.

I've never shopped there much just because I have so many other grocery stores closer to me. My brother swears by it.

You will not find much in the way of name brand merchandise. There is some but not a lot. Most of it is store brand.

 

[Eric n Kc]

Hey
The local to me has beat up fruits and vegetables. Prices seemed very attractive. Just took a while to find anything. Which would change as time passed.
The weird brand names kinda put me off. They make their store brands resemble name brands. It don't seem right to copy a product packaging. Maybe I'm just weird.
Mom used them a lot. Good prices, trail and error on quality.
Just my .02. Eric