Buzz
Grocery shopping isn’t easy these days. If you’ve been filling your cart lately, you’ve probably felt the sting of inflation making it a costly affair. Even budget-friendly options like Trader Joe’s have hiked prices. While smart shopping can help cut costs, there’s only so much you can do. That’s where ALDI comes in—it’s built its entire legacy on keeping prices rock-bottom, and after over a century, they’ve perfected the art of affordability.
Before your first ALDI run, there are a few things to know. First, bring your own bags and don’t forget a quarter; ALDI doesn’t supply bags, and you’ll need a quarter to release a cart (which you’ll get back when you return it). Second, ALDI tailors its stock and staffing to fit local communities, meaning product selections and store hours vary. By making customers responsible for their own bags and carts and only carrying high-demand items, ALDI keeps costs low and remains a reliable option for budget-conscious shoppers. ALDI is a game changer.
Not everything at ALDI is a winner, so I’ve put together this guide from a recent visit to help you decide what’s worth grabbing and what to leave behind. Grab your reusable bags, bring some quarters, and let’s explore ALDI together!
Top Must-Buys at ALDI
ALDI is a fantastic spot for all your essentials, but some items truly stand out. Here are my absolute favorites.
Snack Aisle Treasures
If, like me, you turn into a menace without quick snacks, ALDI has you covered. Their snack selection is top-tier. On my last trip, I stocked up on knock-off Triscuits (my go-to cracker), generic Cheez-Its, peanut butter-filled pretzels, a tub of olive tapenade hummus, and three kinds of imitation Girl Scout Cookies—Coconut Fudge/“Samoas,” Mint Fudge/“Thin Mints,” and Peanut Butter Fudge/“Tagalongs.” These are seriously delicious, far cheaper than the real deal (apologies, Scouts), and available all year long.
A Cheese Lover’s Paradise
Cheese is my second favorite food after “every vegetable,” and I consume a lot of it. While ALDI may not match Trader Joe’s consistency or the specialty selections of niche grocers, what they do offer is both delicious and budget-friendly. My last haul included a small brick of Cabot Seriously Sharp, a two-year-old English Cheddar, a wheel of Edam, and a wedge of Danish blue cheese. Did I resist the mozzarella sticks wrapped in prosciutto? Barely—but balance is everything, or so they say.
Quality Meat Deals
ALDI consistently offers great meat prices, especially their weekly specials. My store recently featured pork butt roasts for $1.99 per pound and marinated salmon for $9.99 per pound. Since I’ve got fajita night planned, I grabbed four pounds of Black Angus chuck roast at $5.99 per pound. No matter what cuts you choose, ALDI’s meats are affordable and high-quality—but checking the weekly ads can lead to even bigger savings.
Essential Produce Picks
I’m talking about kitchen staples like onions, potatoes, lemons, bananas, celery, and carrots. My pantry was already stocked with onions and lemons, yet I still left ALDI with three pounds of yellow onions, two pounds of red onions ($3.24 total), a pack of green onions for $0.95, and a two-pound bag of lemons for $4. Hard to resist those prices.
Cooking Oils
I’m a devoted fan of vegetable oil for frying, marinades, and homemade mayo, so finding a 1.42-liter bottle for just $3.85 was a win. Our olive oil stash is still good for a while, but when it runs low, ALDI will be my first stop. I spotted a 20-ounce bottle of solid-looking extra-virgin olive oil for $5.65, while a premium Sicilian variety of the same size was priced at $9.89.
Dried Beans & Legumes
ALDI’s dried bean selection may be small, but it delivers. We go through black beans like crazy, so I picked up two 2-pound bags at $2.99 each. Pinto and mayocuba beans were the same price, while Great Northern beans came in at $2.75 per two-pound bag. For context, my local Whole Foods charges $3.69 per pound for black beans. Outrageous.
Yogurt Finds
I can’t stand reduced- or non-fat yogurt. It ruins my fantasy of eating a bowl of sour cream (let’s be real, that’s always the goal). Full-fat yogurt lets me live my best life and works wonders in marinades, dressings, and cakes. The Friendly Farms whole-milk Greek yogurt at ALDI costs $3.85 for 32 ounces and might even outshine my usual Fage. And even if Fage edges it out in taste, I’m still happy to save half the cost for something that’s 95% as good.
Soda & Sparkling Waters
I have an embarrassing obsession with seltzer, but ALDI’s prices make it easier (and cheaper) to feed the habit. Big 34-ounce bottles of flavored seltzer go for around a dollar each, and you can frequently find name-brand sodas at much lower prices than your typical grocery store.
Baby Items & Essentials
While this doesn’t affect me personally, as I don’t plan on having kids, ALDI offers excellent deals on baby items and menstrual products. A large pack of Always pads is about $4, and 100 size 3 diapers are priced at $13.19. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything cheaper at Target or Walmart.
Vegan & Vegetarian Options
If Morningstar prices at Target are burning a hole in your pocket, head to ALDI for affordable vegan alternatives. They offer a wide variety of products, from meatless meatballs to plant-based breakfast sausage, along with vegan essentials like coconut “butter,” almond milk, and quinoa or millet packets, all at incredibly low prices.
Items to Skip at ALDI
While ALDI has more wins than losses, there are some products that just don’t offer the best value.
Butter Choices
I’m disappointed to report that ALDI’s butter prices weren’t low enough to justify buying in bulk: $5 per pound is fine, but I can find butter for less elsewhere. For someone like me, who always keeps four to five pounds of butter in the house, this was a letdown.
Brand-Name Snacks
While ALDI does carry some name-brand snacks, like Pringles and Gushers, they aren’t priced much better than other stores. Plus, most retailers that accept coupons (ALDI doesn’t) tend to have better deals during sales. If you're loyal to a specific snack brand, it’s probably smarter to wait for a good coupon or sale elsewhere.
Pet Supplies
This might be a personal gripe since my precious idiot angels only eat the finest chicken-free kibble (my younger one’s allergic to chicken), but ALDI’s pet food selection felt both lacking and low-quality. The cat litter was $6.85 for a 14-pound jug, but it was all scented, which I avoid. You may have better luck at your local ALDI, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Brownie Mix
This was the ALDI item I was most eager to try. If you look through the comments on any article like this, you’ll find that everyone recommends picking up a box of their amazing brownie mix. But at $1.35 a box, they’re nothing exceptional. My verdict? Meh. If you’re a big fan of boxed brownies, you might enjoy these more than I did, but I was honestly let down. They did the job, but I’d be hard-pressed to pick them out of a boxed brownie lineup—though, at under $1.50 a box, that might actually be a compliment.
Coffee
ALDI’s German-roasted coffee has a bit of a cult following, so I was excited to give it a shot. I’m deeply loyal to Cafés Bustelo and el Aguila, but I’m always on the hunt for new low-cost options. Despite my struggle with insomnia, I brewed a cup of this coffee at 3 p.m. because I care about you, the reader. Well, guess what? It’s awful. Bustelo is still better, even though it costs $4.29 for 10 ounces at ALDI—just a few years ago, I was snagging 4-for-$5.00 bricks of it at Cousin’s in Philly. Major disappointment with ALDI coffee.
I’m sure I’ve missed some great finds. What other ALDI gems should I check out next time?
