Aldi

Today I am going to sing the praises of a little store called Aldi. I've decided that Aldi is the Midwest's best kept secret (which really isn't much of a secret since these stores are all over Europe as well -- I think they're based in Germany). Aldi is a grocery store, but it's nothing like the big supermarkets that many of us have grown used to shopping at. Hmm...how to describe an Aldi?

Well, I guess to begin, it's important to say that you have to pay a quarter to get a cart. (Don't worry...you'll get your quarter back so long as you put your cart back. I can't tell you how fabulous it is to drive through a grocery store parking lot not having to wonder if that perfect parking space is being hogged by someone's abandoned cart. A clean parking lot is definitely worth 25 cents. But if you ever do happen upon that rare stray cart, hey -- yay for you! Free quarter!) All of the carts are parked neatly in three rows, all chained together, just outside the entrance. You put your quarter in and cha-ching! your chosen cart is unlocked and you're free to shop. It's a beautiful system, really.

There are only four aisles inside our Aldi, along with a refrigerated section at the back. There is no real rhyme or reason as to how items are stocked. Like foods are generally put near each other, but after that it's anybody's guess. Your best defense is to just learn where everything is kept and hope you don't accidentally pass any necessary items up (because backtracking is a bit of a pain in an Aldi).

Also, it is very important to note that an Aldi is only stocked with Aldi brand food. It's kind of like a store filled with only Western Family (Macey's), Sam's Choice (Walmart), or Kroger (Smith's/Kroger) brands. I know that many people out there are a little bit leery of store brand foods, and many times with good reason. However, having grown up on Western Family myself, the transition to Aldi wasn't too difficult. Aldi food is actually quite good. It really does taste the same, and sometimes better than, name-brand foods. And Aldi food is always familiar. There is an Aldi-brand version for just about anything you'd need from a grocery store, plus quite of few of the things you don't necessarily need but really really want from a grocery store (like lime-flavored tortilla chips).

The best part about Aldi are the prices. This place is cheap cheap cheap. Cheaper than Macey's (my old favorite grocery store), cheaper than Walmart (never even considered to be a favorite grocery store -- I generally fall into the obligated Walmart shopper category simply because they are so darn cheap). Here are some of the things I bought at Aldi on Friday along with their prices so you can get an idea of the variety and overall good price-ness of it all: jar of applesauce - 79 cents; boxes of pasta (penne and rotelle) - 33 cents; large bag pepperonis - $1.69; 8oz block of cheese - $1.49; bag of apples - $1.29; thin-sliced lunchmeat - 35 cents, box of cheese crackers - 99 cents; box of vanilla wafers - 89 cents, yogurt - 33 cents. I could go on, but I'll spare you. My receipt really isn't that exciting, good prices notwithstanding. The nice thing about these prices is the fact that they stay the same. Sometimes they'll go up, but usually not by much. There are no sales at Aldi -- the occasional super buy, yes, but no sales. Which is actually kind of nice. It makes for a great "first stop" when grocery shopping. After a few visits to Aldi, I'd begun memorizing the prices, which made it easier to judge what really was a good buy at other grocery stores around town.

As great as Aldi might be, there are a few downsides. One is that when it's crowded, it's really crowded. And sometimes there are forklifts in the isles that are difficult to maneuver around. Also, not only do you have to remember to bring a quarter for your cart, but you also have to remember to bring your own bags. Unless, of course, you want to fork over 10 cents for a plastic bag or 5 cents for a paper bag. I usually just keep the trunk of my car stocked with my own. The check out lines are sometimes quite long, but I have never seen checkers work faster than they do at Aldi. Boy, do they have a system, and do they have it down to an art! They scan your items faster than fast, then toss them into an empty cart beside them; you bag your purchases yourself. Lastly, there are limited ways of paying at Aldi. But as long as you have either cash or a debit card, you're good to go.

So are you convinced? Are you going to shop at Aldi now?

Here is Lindsay's Grocery Shopping Hierarchy, the Muncie edition, because I'm pretty sure you're dying to know:

1. Aldi -- as per what you have read above, I get everything I can here first,
2. Aunt Millie's Thrift Bakery -- it's on the south side of town, so it's a bit out the way, but when you can get good whole-wheat bread for 79 cents and English muffins and bagels for 39 cents, it's worth the trip,
3. Lobill -- A "thrift" grocery store that gets hand-me-downs (or, items that are nearing the end of their shelf-life) from its parent store, Marsh. We have a Lobill within walking distance of our apartment, which has come in handy on more than one occasion,
4. Walmart or Meijer -- I go here for good produce. Though Aldi does have a small produce section, the quality isn't always the best. Same goes for Lobill, since its produce are hand-me-downs. The Farmer's Market opened up last weekend, and I might try that out. And if all this fails, there's always the tomatoes and green peppers in my own little container garden.

So, grocery shopping isn't as easy as just a quick trip to Macey's was in Provo, but it can be a lot cheaper if you know where to look.