I’ve told you before how much I LOVE shopping at ALDI. Now I want to share some of our MUST BUY items from ALDI. These are the things that are always on my list or radar as I know they are the best price at ALDI without ever having to clip a coupon. I buy 75% of my groceries at ALDI so there isn’t much that we don’t like from ALDI.
Tip: Find the weekly ALDI deals here!
My Must Buy ALDI Items
**Note: Prices and selection may vary across the regions.**
1. Milk. I find the lowest prices on milk at Aldi.
2. Eggs. ALDI always has a competitive local price on eggs.
3. Almond Milk. I love the unsweetened regular variety and it’s just $2.49 for a half gallon at my ALDI.
4. Butter. Butter is another one that I always find the most competitive price without coupons at ALDI.
5. Moo Tubes. My kids take these yogurts in their lunches almost every day. They are nice to have on hand for afternoon snacks too. Priced around $1.79.
6. Spices. $0.99 for the popular spices like cinnamon, Italian seasoning, cumin, etc. You can’t beat this price. They are also a little larger than most name brand sizes. Last time I shopped, I noticed some specialty spices that were just a little more than the popular spice prices but still way cheaper than my grocery store.
7. Baking supplies. You will find great deals on sugar, flour, baking soda, etc. at ALDI. I just purchased my almond extract for just $1.99.
8. Cereal. My kids love all the cereals I bring home from ALDI. I watch for weekly sales and can usually find a couple of different varieties each week for under $1.49.
9. Produce. It is extremely hard to beat ALDI’s produce prices. One time they were out of the $1.99 bags of grapes and I had to purchase elsewhere where they weren’t on sale. It was almost 4x the cost at another grocery store. OUCH! I try to buy all my fresh produce at ALDI unless they don’t carry the item I need. This is a rare occasion as they usually have 99% of the fresh produce I need for the week.
10. Canned Good Items. ALDI has the best deals on canned goods. I stock up on my beans, canned tomatoes, and more. For example, I recently purchased cans of black beans for just $0.59!
11. Pasta& Sauces. My family loves the alfredo sauce. Pastas are around a $1 everyday.
12. Boneless Roasting Turkeys. These are one of my family’s favorite. I cook this Seasoned Boneless Roasted Turkey and my family gobbles it right up! It makes for a great meal or sliced thinly to use as lunch meat.
13. Whole Grain Frozen Waffles. It’s cheaper to make these yourself but I like to have some on hand for easy breakfast in the morning. Just $1.29 for a package of 8.
14. Coffee. I buy a bag of vanilla coffee for just $4.99!
15. Bread. For just $0.89, I can get a basic loaf of white bread at my store. Pay a little more for specialty breads.
16. Special Buys. These are items available for a limited time only at a deep discount. These are large bulk purchases for ALDI to save you money. For example, here is a photo of the gardening supplies that I found at ALDI this spring!
17. Wine. The wines are very reasonable priced, think $4.99 for a Landshut Riesling. And they are good! I remember during the Switch & Save Test Taste, I picked the ALDI brand over the name brand for the wine. Availability will vary across the stores depending on state laws.
18. Cheese. I buy quite a bit of cheese from ALDI. The kids love the string cheese. I like the deal on the Parmesan and the Asiago – just $3.69 compared to around $7 for similar cheese at my grocery store.
19. Condiments. You can buy Burman’s mustard for around $0.69. Oldest son says Burman’s is the best. Salad dressings, ketchup, syrup, etc. They also sell Agave Nectar and Pure Maple Honey at a deep discount!
20. Gum. I buy the 3 packs of gum for just $0.99. It is great to have several packages of these on hand.
21. These rolls. They are usually in stores in the fall around Thanksgiving and Christmas and are the best L’oven rolls around!
22. Vegetable Broth. I love the ALDI brand vegetable broth and I’m happy the store carries it! As a vegetarian, I use it in place of beef or chicken broth.
23. Salmon. I find the best deal on their frozen salmon.
24. Salmon Patties. The guys eat these for dinner often! They like them and they are a fraction of the price of the Schwan’s brand.
25. ALDI discount bin. Look for deals and deeply discounted seasonal items in the discount bin at your store.
Maybe the better question is what don’t I buy at ALDI? I think that list would be much shorter!
What are your favorite items to buy at ALDI?
Be sure to check out this post: 10 Reasons I Love Shopping at ALDI and view all the ALDI recipes I have posted! You can also find out how to stretch your grocery budget at ALDI with the Favado App! Read about my ALDI Switch & Save Trip here.
Recipes Using Ingredients Found at ALDI:
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
- Seasoned Roast Turkey Breast Boneless Recipe
- Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Chicken Wings
- Pepperoni Pasta Bake
- Butternut Squash Pasta Bake Recipe
- Homemade Breakfast Sandwiches
- Santa Rice Krispies Treats
- Easy Slow Cooker Applesauce
- Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Rice Salad Recipe
- Rice Pilaf Recipe
- Feta & Parmesan Tomato Zucchini Bake Recipe
- Pizza Night | Make Mini-Pizzas
- Tasty Spicy Red Pepper Rice Pilaf Recipe
- JELL-O Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Easter Cake Batter Rice Krispies Recipe
- Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets
- Freezer Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Strawberry Shortcakes with Canned Biscuits
- Easy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
- Bacon Party Popper Appetizers
- Very Berry Pops (ALDI Recipe)
- Berry Burst Granita Recipe
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Legs
- Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Brown Butter Frosting
Did you enjoy this post? Find more money saving tips here.
If you love ALDI, check out this easy to assemble chicken freezer meal plan with 8 delicious recipes made with ingredients found at ALDI. When you shop at ALDI, you will pay around $70 for the ingredients you need (not included in this price are commonly found household pantry items!).
I am from Germany and we have regularly themed weeks. For example greed food, american food, mexican an so on. I must say, Aldi might be a discounter, but the quality of their products can be measured with the products of the competitors.
beware i was a very loyal aldi fan, convincing many folks to shop there. now i find they are raising prices, mis-pricing or not pricing man items, and under weights on produce. always purchaed their bolgna at .99 a pond all of a sudden its 1.19 no other store raised their pricing on this item. their ;otato chips etc were 1.29 9.5 or 10 ounch now at 1.79 close to name brand pricing thieir pizzaa were 1.99 now 2.39 they now have lots of natural meats and prouce much higher but can you trust them to actually be organic or just a way to charge much more. not happy with alldis. will do a little more at our local discount store Save a lot Aldi’s sucked us in with great prices and then “got us’ even their ice dream was 1/2 gal now only 3 pnts not 4 explanation from office was jute to be commpetitive ??????
We have shopped at Aldi’s for over 25 years. As with any grocery store, you like somethings and some you don’t.Our favorites:
sprouted bread, sandwich thins, little cheese crackers (better than cheesit), fresh produce, milk (right now $1.02 a gallon), eggs (38 cents), almond milk, butter, chips, mayo, cheddar brats, chicken strips, German noodles, oyster crackers, peanuts, and more and more.
We bought a slow cooker there for $22.00 NEW and in Macy’s they are $47. I love the basics, cheeses, butter, bacons, yogurts, half&half, milk, eggs, and the non-wilting vegetables (wish they would refrigerate some stuff). The laundry detergent is good and so are the paper products. One bad thing, which I wish some old German baker would improve on is the Swill Rolls. Bad outside of Aldi’s and bad inside Aldi’s. How can we forget the cheap but delicious Potato Chips for $1.50. It is a pet peeve of mine to stroll down the aisle of an Expensive Grocery Store and see Chips for over $5.00 per bag. Come ON… Every time I buy $100.00 worth of groceries at Aldi’s I feel that I have 6 bags of good stuff at 1970s prices. Keep up the Good work Aldi’s. Oh by the way, a bit of snobbery on the IPhone SIRi is that it is very difficult to SIRI search for ALDIs. The big grocers must have a BLOCK agreement with Apple. Try a SIRI search … you will see…!
I misspelled SWISS ROLLS….aka HOHO’s.. I want an authentic natural recipe for these …
I make a hoho cupcake. For the filling I use the frozen coconut whipped topping Cocowhip that (you can find at Whole Foods ) whipped with 1 bar of cream cheese and. 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. For the fudge icing I make ganache using equal parts dark chocolate and heavy cream. Then use your favorite from scratch chocolate cake recipe or a box mix with butter instead of oil, 4 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 package of chocolate pudding, and 1 cup of buttermilk.
I also bought the slow cooker. I was hesitant at first. I had bought what i though was a trusted brand (crock pot) a year or 2 ago. It cooked way too hot! Everything burned or was over done…even on low. I used it twice. It is now at peace in my crawl space under the house. RIP..lol..I thought I was done with slow cookers. I cant tell you how ecstatic I am that I took that leap and bought an off brand….at that price…at aldi. Dont get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE aldi. Just had never bought anything electrical. I have used the slow cooker SEVERAL times in the last couple months. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this slow cooker!! LOL. The fact that it was a limited item…and I HAVE IT…at THAT price I almost fee guilty! LOL. On the other hand I now have an addiction..lol. I am very good with my finances. But occasionally i find myself kicking myself in the rear for NOT getting something when i see it. My bf just told me today he wanted to get a deep fryer.Just so happened.. Last week aldi had one ($25?) I wanted it, but passed it up not thinking we REALLY needed it. They are gone now. Time to kick myself again…LOL.
Aldi is my go to first store, I check the ads online to help make a list. Prices are very good, the almond milk there does not have the bad chemicals and across the board they eliminate bad chemicals. Their tuna is by far the best, chunk not mush and cheap, produce is super, Aldi is a cheap Trader Joe’s. This company must be run by health food nuts. I love them. FYI; I am a vegan who loves his feta cheese but my family does eat meat.
I’m a FREEGAN and I love ALDI due to lack compactors.
I totally agree about their tuna being the best. At my store it is $1.09, pure white chunk meat in water. I buy 10 cans at a time and won’t buy any other brand! I can also highly recommend the Happy Farms sliced cheese, smoked white cheddar. It’s $2.49 and delicious!
$1.09, pure white chunk meat in water. best tuna
Aldi’s raisin bran is the best. None of the name brands are nearly as good. Surprisingly, it’s not the raisin count that’s so outstanding, which it is by the way, but the bran flakes are best tasting of any I’ve eaten before Aldi’s.
Warning from one vegetarian to another :)! Be careful to check labels on their canned biscuits (like the Pilsbury type ones that pop). I got a surprise after buying three cans that they contain beef tallow :( Luckily I was able to give them to a meat-eater family member though so they didn’t go to waste. I can’t remember the brand but they’re in a blue tube.
Milk Chocolate with almond bars
The chocolate is awesome and they left out the salad dressings. However, the produce sucks wilt and old and the bread goes stale faster than it should.
Gluten free products!
TOTALLY agree!!! We are a gluten-free, dairy-free family and Aldi is a hidden gem for those needing gluten-free products at inexpensive prices. We are able to purchase gluten-free rotini (and two other shapes) for $1.25!! They have organic for just a little more. We also love their GF mixes and snacks. Just can’t beat their prices on GF stuffs.
That’s the go to place for GF foods. My son’s girl friend is GF so I keep a stock of thing and I love Aldis prices.
I like the gluten free also. A lot cheaper than other stores and is good b
I love the produce, I have stuff I bought 2 weeks ago that is still good, way better than the 3 days the produce from other grocery stores lasts
Unfortunately produce is the one thing I don’t buy at Aldi’s unless it’s that day or the next. Refrigerated or not, it will not last. The produce from the other stores I shop at will.
I love the produce and bread maybe cause my family of seven it never sits around long enough to wilt or go stale. Lol!
you’re a vegetarian who eats turkey, chicken and pepperoni? um, no. you are not a vegetarian, you are someone who doesn’t eat red meat. please stop calling yourself a vegetarian
LOL. I don’t PERSONALLY eat this stuff but I have people in my household that eat it. Thanks for being the vegetarian police today though! That really amuses me.
I too have a vegetarian in my home, and Aldis veggie broth is the best. I love to use it in place of water when I Make rice and add carrots and frozen peas. My “vegetarian” also loves Aldis their veggie burgers and Chipotle bean burgers, which are quite tasty. I think many forget that not everyone in a household maybe a vegetarians me are pescatarian, some are vegan and some are just plan meat eaters …doesn’t give anyone the right to judge. Yeesh.
you are a very good sport and handled that very well.
I recently sampled a Gino’s East Of Chicago pizza being sold at Aldi. I live in the Southeast where there aren’t many Chicago style pizzas to choose from in our little section of frozen foods land. One is offered at Trader Joe’s and a Pizzeria Uno variety can occasionally be found at Costco. Deep-dish pizzas such as the ones produced by Red Baron don’t even hit the target.
The first thing that impressed me about the Gino’s product was the ingredients label, specifically the items that didn’t make the list. No cheap, heartburn inducing soybean oil, no added sugar, no preservatives or artificial colors. There’s dough conditioner present but one can’t expect everything. At under $6.00 for two pounds of pie it’s quite an admirable value. Compare this to what you’d pay for a similar product in a Chicago pizza restaurant or an inferior commercial variety of thin crust frozen pizza.
The verdict: While the frozen stuff doesn’t compare to freshly made Chicago deep-dish pizzas, it’s probably the next best thing. It is certainly superior to nearly any pizza in your grocer’s freezer and at a better price per ounce.
Baking the pie however, can be a tricky proposition. During my very first attempt, I followed the instructions for a product that starts out frozen solid. Big mistake. The crust was hard as a cinderblock and the middle resembled lukewarm, slightly watery Brie. On the next attempt I made certain to defrost the pie thoroughly. This yielded far better results although finding the ideal balance between a gooey middle and a properly baked crust is still a matter of trial and error, temperature and time. On my third try I am going to coat the crust with olive oil prior to baking. Perhaps I’ll knock down the oven temperature to 350 degrees from the called for 400.
I buy fresh toppings such as flavor intense baby bella mushrooms, tangy green peppers and sweet onions to customize an already very respectable product. Get these pizzas while their available. Knowing Aldi, I suspect that’ll only be until the holidays are over, if not sooner.
I ordered Pan Pizza from Dominoes and it was a MUFFIN PIZZA. Horrible. Aldi’s frozen pizzas are very good and cheap. Their frozen seafood is tasty and remarkably fresh too.
I love that I can recognize most of the ingredients on their labels. In addition to the prices, I feel like I’m placing healthier meals on the table.
True dat!
My favorite buy at ALDI is their beer bread. One of the home party companies sells the mixes for $7-$8 EACH, and I just got boxes of beer bread at ALDI A for $1.49!! And it tastes the same as the home party beer bread!! :-)
I love Aldis and just about everything in it. I just wish I had one in my town or on a regular route for me. I regularly buy their canned tomato products, canned & dried beans, spices, baking goods, dish washing liquid (as good or better than Dawn), plastic bags, mustards, flowers, wine, Irish Cream, German spiced wine (at Xmas-it’s really good), almond milk, produce, etc. For years & years, I have always stocked up on their peanut butter crackers. They were the cheese flavored crackers smeared with peanut butter. Recently they changed the cracker to just a regular brown cracker. My husband & son don’t like them. I also used to buy ground chicken there. They haven’t carried that for a while either. They also changed there canned soups. You used to be able to buy the bean with bacon canned soup that came in the large can (compare to Progresso Brand). On a late night after baseball games, it was our go to for a quick meal with grilled cheese sandwiches & a cup of soup. They changed brands on their soups & no longer have the bean with bacon. All in all, I’ve always been pleased with the quality of their foods. Just wish they were more conveniently located.
The Aldi brand of spiral sliced ham is the best I’ve ever had and half the price of other stores. Their whole smoked turkeys are also half the price of other stores. I like their pre cooked turkey link sausage; 10 links for .99. Berryhill apple butter is better than the other brands, and their .85 bread stays fresher longer than the rest.
Anything that Simply Nature makes! I buy my milk at Aldi’s, won’t go anywhere else for that. While their produce prices are great, I find that they don’t last very long so I need to cut up and freeze the peppers.
all of the gluten free items at Aldi are awesome and less expensive that other places for the quality. Our family can’t live without the ice cream! We prefer it to breyers! I also do the majority of my shopping there and Costco.
We were in Germany last fall and I HAD to go in to an Aldi there! I was sad they didn’t have the gf selection as in the states. They did however have this cool hot bread vending machine my family thought was cool!
i live in Missouri and i love Aldis. i buy almost all my staples there. i was a snob about some things (still buy crisco and kraft miracle whip) but their mayo is good and once a fan of cheese its now i buy their brand and like them better! Did not like knock off doritos and greens beans are full of stems. My Aldis has great produce at great prices. My 7 year old granddaughter loves their microwave pancakes. Can’t always find fresh meat i want but like the fozen chicken tenders. bonus buys are great and always try to stock up on them and i only eat Aldis wheat bread. it is the best! Thank you Aldis!!
Have you tried switching to a mixture of Lard and Butter and Olive oil instead of Crisco? Try it…its better for you too. Crisco is getting sued because its a pure hydrogenated product. Trying to help…..
Things I def buy at Aldi: ***First- their men’s razors- the aqua-colored triple blade ones- ROCK! Better than ANY other brand elsewhere- I would buy them if they were TWICE the price! *** Next… most basic staples and fresh produce- dairy/eggs, some meat… SOME canned items (love their canned beans and whole boiled potatoes and tomato products, BUT their canned green beans are loaded w/ stems and SUCK!) frozen hericot verts/string beans, cheeses and specialty items- especially high-end foodie items at holiday time… the green-box herb crackers, breakfast cereals, huge summer sausage/salami, canned chicken for chicken salad (their canned tuna is LOW-grade & sucks!), danish, bread/hoagie-rolls/bagels, Boboli-style pizza crusts, cabernet-marinara sauce, pesto, canned soups, 24-pack bath tisse, Tundril laundry detergent, “Dawn” dish-soap, green/yellow dish-sponge…
I disagree about the pasta! I watch for sales at Price Chopper and stock up – I never pay more than .88 per box, and sometimes get it for .77 per box!
I also stopped buying their cheese, as I find that it doesn’t melt well. And I agree with the previous commenter who noted that their chips are okay but definitely saltier.
I buy my milk at Costco…good price and stays fresher longer. Coffee is fine. I’ll buy liquid coffee creamer but I’ve noticed the flavor is weaker than brand name. Chips are OK but saltier. Mayo is nasty as are their creamy and lowfat dressings. Baking goods are fine but no on chic chips. Love the Kaiser rolls…when they have them. Too much non-grocery items these days and with 2 major grocery stores, Costco and Sprouts within a few blocks, I’m finding I’m not shopping at Aldis as much!
I buy the turtle cheesecake which tastes as good or better than Eli’s, 2 little pieces for $1.99 ( i live in IL), also all the gluten free stuff has been a hit with my kid.
I buy a lot from Aldi’s these days. I have three young children and they love the Moo Tubes, Dinos and Sharks fruit snacks and granola bars. My favorite purchase are their almonds and my mom loves the tropical trail mix. Basically, we get most of our snacks here and also “easy” supper foods from the freezer section (chicken parm, pizzas, lasagna etc) I do prefer to make these things myself, but sometimes you need those quick dinners on hand!
sloppy joe sauce, tortilla chips and salsa and best salsa con queso. Yogurt, bread, bagels, sandwich skinnies, mint chip ice cream. Olive oil, their house salad dressing is yummy, and kettle chips. You really can’t beat the savings and you don’t have to mess with coupons!!
Best price on spiral cut hams ! Produce ! Oyster crackers ! Baking needs…sugar & on & on !!
My absolutely favorite Aldi item is the Simply Nature Exotic Vegetable Chips. They are preservative and gluten free. I can pronounce all the words in the ingredient list. And they are just so tasty!!!
I really like those chips…they are made from root veggies.
We love Aldi’s 70% dark chocolate bars and dark chocolate hazelnut bars (just look at how well their chocolate rates on the taste test websites). Also Clancy’s snack mix and chips, honey wheat pretzels, crackers, popcorn, trail mix, almonds and mixed nuts, peanut butter, old fashioned oats, Fit & Active yogurt, almond milk, cranberry cocktail, bread, coffee, hummus, pickles, cheeses, Fit & Active turkey and ham lunch meat, hams, Mama Cozzi’s pizza, Fit & Active ice cream sandwiches and bars (like skinny cow), and frozen fruit bars. We regularly buy bananas but not so much the other produce. But I do like their organic spring lettuce salad mix.
Seriously, the price of lunch meat & cheese is out of control, but thanks to Aldi’s we can still afford to make sandwiches, LOL!
My favorite thing to get at Aldi’s is a bouquet of flowers! They are a third of what I can get them for at my local grocery store and about a sixth of what I can get them for at the florist. Sometimes they are half off! Yay! Fresh flowers for me!
When I think of expensive flowers I think of Wegmans! When I worked at Wegmans, they thumbed their noses at Aldi’s and refused to accept their bottles for return. Employees there held Aldi’s as the boogie man. It was funny hearing it from them and sad how many folks get ripped off with basic items at the expensive grocery stores!
I totally agree with all but one of your items. I have never had good luck with Aldi’s produce. It usually ends up spoiling with a day or two of my purchasing it.
Agreed. Also a problem with getting home with decent looking veggies in plastic wrap, opening it up and discovering the back side is rotting! Luckily Sprouts just opened up across the street…fantastic produce at really good prices!
From your pictures the Aldi’s in the US are tidier than the one’s in the UK. I do shop in Aldi’s but when looking for things like spices there are no displays like the one in you picture. Shame perhaps the managers would take tips form USA managers
Its because you British waltz around town with huge walking staffs and long hooded coats that drag dirt everywhere you traverse! Just like in Harry Potter…No? LOL (ok-just having some fun with you)
I have to be careful with produce as I am allergic to most pesticides. Anything that I don’t eat the outside of I will buy at Aldi. Anything I eat the outside of I buy organic at Whole Foods. However, if only my husband is eating it (like pears) I will buy them from Aldi and use a special wash to get off the majority of the pesticides. I tried this for myself but was still haven’t issues. My husband finally went to Aldi with me and couldn’t believe what we bought and for the prices we bought them at. He was in heaven. Lol!
Why, as a vegetarian, are you buying fish products? Since when are fish not a meat??
For my family. I do eat fish occasionally, though. So technically I’m a pescetarian but mostly vegetarian.
Calm down and let her choose her diet. Her body, her diet.
I love their corn dogs. I had one of theirs and one state fair brand left and ate them back to back. Theirs were considerably better and I will never buy them anywhere else. My husband and I agree hands down that the best biscuits we have ever had is their frozen ones in a bag which sounds horrible, but I have had many homemade biscuits (being a g.r.i.t.s.) and these are much better than homemade or canned. I also love their orange juice not from concentrate. Heck, even their t.p. is wonderful! The only thing that I have found that is not so great there is the bananas. Even if you buy them green they tend to go brown in about 2 days. My mom has had the same problem so I know it wasn’t just me.
I did forget one thing! I got one of those big variety bags of chips. They were okay except for the sour cream and onion chips. OMG! Those were so NASTY. Everything else I have ever gotten from this store tasted amazing, but something about their sour cream and onion just made me sick. I had to throw those bags of chips out because they were truly sour :-(
I noticed the same thing about their bananas! They go from green to way overripe with no in-between. Glad it’s not just me.
Did you know that the expensive grocery stores GAS their produce? This may have a preservative effect, but perhaps the GAS is not good to be ingested!
This is for the blog writer. I’m confused. You said you were a vegetarian but you buy and cook turkey, chicken meals, salmon. Eat cheese, butter and such?
I clearly explain in the post that is it for my family! :) Vegetarian is NOT vegan so cheese and butter is absolutely fine…Since I have written this post originally which was two years ago, I did start eating some fish- so somewhat pescatarian.
My favorite Aldi purchases are: mayonnaise, heavy cream, half & half, 2% milk (I paid .$99 today for 1/2 gal.) white aged cheddar cheese, sour cream, cream cheese,12-Grain Bread, artificial crab, pizza, etc., etc., etc.
I love Aldis. I hate to admit it, but I used to be a real snob when it came to where I shopped for groceries. I still shop at Giant Eagle regularly, but I hit Aldis once or twice a week. Here are my favorites.
The wavy potato chips
Ground turkey rolls that I cook for my dogs
The produce
The huge 16 inch pizzas in the refrigerated section
The artichoke and garlic salsa
Mac and cheese ravioli (special buy)
The pull apart breadsticks with garlic sauce and marinara sauce
I’ve found that most any of their knock off brands taste just as good as the name brands. They are my first stop and I’m super thankful they are in my city!
Interesting about prices being different by region. Currently butter is $3.69 yikes in my town and it is $2.19 15 minutes away in the next town.
Favorites –
Pizza Crusts
Old Fashioned oatmeal
protein bars
yogurt cups
eggs
shredded cheese
lactose free milk
frozen corn – better than anyone else’s
sugar, flour, brown sugar, olive oil, canola oil
meat after it has been marked down! Stock up!
ice cream toffee bars
To try
V-8 knock off.
Aldi’s is my main store. I save at least $10 on 10-15 items.
My favorite at Aldi’s is chips and salty snacks, and cheese.
The snacks are WAY cheaper than regular stores. We particularly like the store brand version of chex mix and sun chips, and under $2 for a big bag!
The sliced cheese is about $2.50 for half a pound, comes in all different varieties, and tastes just as good as deli.
A lot of the frozen foods are good to get here too, like the chicken cordon bleu (like Barber) at only $1 each.
OUR FAMILY’S PICKS: FLOUR TORTILLAS. LITTLE SMOKIES TYPE SAUSAGES. HUMMUS. BREAKFAST CEREALS. LARGE CANISTERS OF OATMEAL. GROUND TURKEY FRESH AND FROZEN. BEST PACKAGED ALMONDS YOU CAN FIND. BEST PRICES ON FRESH VEGGIES AND FRUITS. K-CUP COFFEES. MILK, BUTTER, AND EGGS. WIDE VARIETY OF CHEESES. PIECRUSTS. CRESCENT ROLLS. SEASONAL AND MONTHLY FEATURED ITEMS.
I’m always sorry when I don’t go to Aldi’s first!!
Love aldi!
Find it funny though that you described yourself as a vegetarian in one point and the next two contain meat as favorites lol!!
LOL – the meat is family favorites! :)
Hooked on Aldi’s for about a year now and it’s unbearable to shop elsewhere for groceries! Here’s what I love at my Aldi’s:
Frozen Cheese Stuffed Shells $1.99 (when they have it)
Frozen Cheese Ravioli $2.49
Cheese Tortellini $1.99/pkg.
Bananas $0.44/lb
Eggs $1.65/doz.
Plain Greek Yogurt $3.89/lg. container
Strawberry/Blueberry Greek Yogurt w/ granola topping $0.95/single serving
Almond Milk $2.49/64 oz. carton
Natural Peanut Butter $1.69/16 oz. jar
Whole Grain White Bread $1.29/24 oz. loaf
Split Top Wheat Bread $0.99/24 oz loaf
English Muffins $0.99/pack of 6
Chuck Light Tuna $0.69/5 oz. can
Mixed Nuts $2.49/10 oz. can
Maple Syrup $3.99/bottle
Real Vanilla Extract $1.99/2 oz. bottle
Non-Dairy Flavored Coffee Creamer $2.19/lg. bottle
The house brand of ground coffee in the can is very good and priced well too!
Other deals to stock or purchase regularly: Muselix Cereal, Granola Bars, Fruit Jams/Preserves, Steel-Cut or Rolled Oats, Spices and extracts, Cheeses, Pizzas, Fresh fruits, Fresh Veggies, Butter, Cream Cheese, Olive Oil, Dried Coconut, Raisins, Dried Fruits, Sweet Potatoes, Raw Almonds, Potatoes, Onions, Garlic, Organic Broth, Canned or Dried Beans, Dried Split Peas, Rice, Quick Cooking Brown Rice, Frozen Veggies, Frozen Salmon, Canned Salmon (to make salmon loaf), Frozen Shrimp, Frozen Waffles… wow that’s a lot!
Now if I do set foot in the other local grocery chains, I typically only buy the weekly advertised “loss leaders” and “seasonal specials.” I was frugal before I found Aldi’s because I don’t eat much in processed foods and I would shop in-season, on sale, on special and create a weekly food plan from that no matter which grocery store. But Aldi’s helped cut my grocery expense by at least 70% and that has helped me tremendously to survive the economy and unemployment. I typically spend about $15-$30 at Aldi’s plus maybe $20 elsewhere for my weekly groceries and feel like I eat healthy and am never bored. Aldi’s Rocks!!!
I am horrified in what I find in the expensive Grocery Stores after getting used to Aldi’s ! ! Even WalMart is very pricey compared to Aldi’s. It PAYS to shop around and to know what things go for. Once in a while DOLLAR TREE beats Aldi’s on few select items too. Frozen desserts, shampoos, detergents, kitchen tools.
Did someone say they liked Aldi’s peanut butter? I’m relatively new to shopping there, but tried the PB once and it was terrible…very low quality. Maybe it varies by location? And are the frozen parmesan chicken beasts under the Kirkwood brand name? I have found many things we love…. The chocolate candy is great, k-cups (colombian), tortilla chips, knock-off Oreos, produce, dairy… I’m finding in our big city that the one closest to me is not the best in terms of produce freshness or product variety, but a store that’s in a nicer part of town is waaay better and worth the drive. Thanks for all this great info!
Love the 16oz Natural Peanut Butter for $1.69 at the Aldi’s in Woodbridge, VA.
I was very underwhelmed by their peanut butter and so was my family. It did not have a fresh peanut taste and I got the impression that it was made with low grade peanuts. I ended up using in in peanut butter cookies because we would not use it on sandwiches.
Burmans bbq sauce is the BEST!! Great produce! Luv spiral hams n luv cinnamon danish individually wrapped….luv em
Burmans mayo is great taste as good as Hellmans !!! We love the tore never was disappointed !!!!!!! Everything is awesome and you save a least 3 quarters on your bill than other stores !!!!!
I recently found out they have to mark their bread to 1/2 off three days before the sell by date. I load up on whole wheat bread when I can get it for 69cents. Just bought hot dog buns for 59cents. I love Aldi’s for their produce especially!! I could go on and on!!
i also do the majority of my grocery shopping at Aldi’s. Most of their brand is just as good as the name brand items. Their produce prices can’t be beat and they are now carrying a lot more organic items, which I love. I normally buy our staples from Aldi’s and then go to another grocery store for whatever I couldn’t find. Some of my favorites are: kettle cooked jalapeño chips, baking goods, nuts, k-cups, milk, butter, OJ, salad mixes, all produce, chicken and vegetable stock, canned beans, cream cheese, frozen fish, and their other seasonal products. Oh, I almost forgot to mention how awesome it is that they are now carrying so many gluten free items! They are so expensive at regular stores so it’s great they have them too!
I enjoy buying the chocolate that they offer. They have different kinds and we buy the dark chocolate, it is really good!
My boys love the chicken salad they say it’s very good. They love sandwiches with it !!!
Where are you located? I shop at several Aldi’s in CT and their prices are significantly higher than the ones you have listed and in your photos. But, cheaper than the reg grocer store.
I live in CT too, I have found their prices are amazing!! Especially on Milk $2.19 , Butter $2.39, their kettle chips $1.48 and dorritos $1.19, sour cream $0.99, cream cheese $0.89, dozen grade A eggs $1.19, large container of fat free hazelnut creamer $1.89, the block cheeses like cheddar and Colby are $1.69. Cases of water are $2.19 for 24. I was just there Thursday. I also got the free range ground beef that is regularly $6.99, it had $4 off!! So they were $2.99 each! I grabbed 4. They didn’t expire for 2 more days. Used 1 for dinner and froze the rest. Very good. Also had a special on Chicken Breasts stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeños wrapped with bacon in fresh meat section. They averaged $5.70 per package. They also had $4 off stickers#! It made them $1.70 a package.! Grabbed the 3 packages that were left. We are a family of 5. I’ve had them at a friends they were delicious! That’s what’s for dinner tonight. Can I ask what part of CT you are from and what you find marked high? I love Aldis. Very lucky to have it. Especially with a family of 5 and like most people working like crazy people to make ends meet and save the extra $$ for vacations and extras. Thanks for a great post!!
I am a huge Aldi fan! I typically do 80% of our shopping at Aldi and 20% at Walmart. And our Walmart items are things I am a snob for (KRAFT M&C tyvm), Free and clear laundry detergent, wowbutter, etc. Aldi does not usually have the cheapest milk in our area at $2.69. I could price match at Walmart most times for $1.98, but I spend the extra at Aldi because of their hormone and anti-biotic free promise. I also now buy their grass fed beef. It took some time to get used to the $5.99 a pound price, but money well spent I think. Still cheaper than the same thing at a big grocery store.
And oh! The whole frozen lobsters! We bought them once (special buy) on a whim and they were great. We decided to cook some for our anniversary but couldn’t find them in stock, so we went with frozen ones from Walmart. They were terrible! Random, I know, but definitely worth it!
We have been shopping at Aldi for about two years ago, and we are hooked. I think the Clancy chips are better than Lay’s, and the cereal is always good, too. We also like the gyro kits! And last Easter, we bought a ridiculously cheap spiral ham and it was fabulous. Cooked the whole thing, froze it in small portions and it was the best buy we’ve made in a long time!
After reading this, I’m going to look for the parmesan chicken tenders and the salmon patties!
I have recently discovered Parmesan Chicken Tenders in the frozen section. These bake up quickly and are crunchy on the outside-and MOIST on the inside. The quality is excellent!!! I also buy their bacon wrapped turkey breasts when they have them. I find the meats to be mostly hit or miss. Sometimes the top piece looks great-and the other pcs vary so different in size, that it is hard to cook them correctly.
My favorites – are the spaetzle noodles ($1.99) They are the best. My husband is a gourmet mustard fanatic – $1.29 for a large glass jar – they are all fabulous. In addition – I love the fact we have a large Mexican foods area – huge tortillas for burritos, etc. The really big tortillas I use are very expensive in a regular store. I also like to purchase tilapia frozen – the pieces are fairly small in the Aldi’s bag but you are paying for weight (so I just grill a few more) – the everyday price at Aldi’s is half the price at a regular store.
There dairy products are the BEST!!! My children refuse to drink milk from any other store. They think ALDI milk is creamy, and the taste is like no other. The store where I shop is always clean, the employees are very friendly and helpful. I appreciate having to “Rent” a cart. I don’t have to worry about my car getting a buggy ding. Even better, I’ve NEVER had a bad cart. That’s important to me. I love, love, love ALDI. Thank you for coming to Lexington.
Everytime I buy green beans from Aldi’s it has more stems than green beans. Quit shopping there cause I figured if they can’t do that right I need to shop elsewhere.
Green beans are one of the most lamented products at Aldi from what I can tell.
Aldi is my primary grocery store. I started shopping Aldi when I needed to cut our family expenses and have been regular for 5 years. I love the canned chicken/beef broth, baking items, and fresh produce. I use the broth to make homemade soup a lot in the winter. I like the seasonal german products and buy occassionally just to try something different. while the milk is good price, I have found I can get milk cheaper at Target. And about once a month, I get meat at another grocery store so I can have more variety and options.
BUT, does ALDI sell all these items in healthy organic products also. Doesn’t matter how much cheaper their prices are if the products are full of bad preservatives, chemicals and pesticides. Our health and the health of our children is the utmost of importance.
They have a very large selection of organic Iitems at cheap prices. 1.49 for a large box of chicken broth. Their milk has no antibiotics or steroids.
Owned by the parent company that owns Trader Joes, there was an article I read that rated wines, and their Winking Owl brand rated quite high, higher than either Trader Joes or Whole Foods brands.
The research I’ve done, Aldi’s and Traders Joes are owned separately by two brothers. There are some similar marketing stategies and some definate differences.
Also great at Aldi’s are those 16″ pizzas in the cardboard sleeves by the cheese. those are delish! And in the frozen section in the breakfast area are bags of ham or sausage breakfast skillet meals. you just add eggs. It is also delish and surprisingly are huge servings.
Those spices don’t save you a THING! There is way toouch in a bottle/jar and they’ll be tasteless before you can use it all. Buy them in bulk and just get what you need for a fraction of the price.
The #1 bakery in our town uses Aldi products for her brownies, bars, etc. That says alot for the quality of their products! Everyone LOVES this bakery!
Olive oil! Half the price of other stores!
I too love shopping at Aldi, We love their chicken tenders & most everything else that people have talked about! best prices on cereal & snacks & the list could go on. I was disappointed tho (& it was my own fault) i bought jiffy corn muffin mix & it was .99. At Walmart its .49. Also watch your yogurts that you are eating some of them have as much sugar as a can of Mt Dew… I thought i was feeding my kids healthy food :)
I can’t find vegetable broth at my Aldi. :( I’m a pescatarian, but I make a lot of vegetarian and vegan meals for myself and my family, and that’s one thing I’m always looking for when I go. My kids and husband love Aldi’s chicken fries and gyro kits. My daughter loves the chocolate cake, and the mini chocolate chip cookies. We only buy those as a rare treat, but they are great quality. Always fresh and moist.
The O.J. in the orange container taste just like the expensive Tropicana. I love it! I purchase the organic apple juice there for my kids. Their Fruit O’s cereal (not sure what the name of it really is!) taste just like Fruit Loops.
My guilty please is the trail mix. It’s so good. I had to stop buying it because I was snacking way too much. I love that their stick butter is only .75. I use it when baking. I also like their frozen jumbo shrimp. I usually grab a bag each time I go and throw it in my freezer. Two bags is just over a pound, and I’ll use it to make special meals. The salmon is also great.
The prices are great on the produce, but the packaging is horrible. Way too much plastic…horrible for the environment
I love that my Aldi carries a pretty good selection of gluten free and organic products. They taste great and don’t break the bank. Even the organic produce items at my store are very reasonable.
We do 98% of our shopping at Aldi also. I love their hummus and rice cakes. Makes a great afternoon snack along with thin strips of their baby red peppers.
Don’t forget….the milk is supposed to hormone free at Aldi’s.
I also buy the bulk of our food at Aldi’s. As a baker and foodie…I love it! I save so much money. I am always entertaining and get only rave reviews. I tried the vanilla ice cream this week for the first time with homemade apple crisp…it was great, at a fraction of the cost of my usual brand! I’m also waiting for the “seasonal item”… Butternut Squash Soup. Can’t wait..to die for…I fell in love with it 2 years ago, found it last year, didn’t stock up like a fool. Tried to make it myself…it’s still in the freezer :( When I find it this year…I buying all I can :)
I love butternut squash soup-Did you say they have it in the freezer section? I have bought it canned, but frozen sounds fresher.
I buy whole chickens for about $3 cheaper than the other grocery stores in our area. I love their canned corn, green beans and spaghetti sauce! Way better than name brand. Also I only buy paper towels, toilette tissue and boxed tissue from Aldi. You can buy all kinds of produce for 1/3 the price. If you haven’t tried the cake mix you are missing out-It is the BEST and about .70 cheaper. They only carry it in the summer, but the dry “ranch” seasoning packets are ridiculously cheap (.34 vs. 1.39)and I use them all the time.
I do the majority of my shopping there. I have not found the same quality of food in store brand in any of the chain retailers. The few times I have had a problem with their products they replaced them with no hassle. I love my ALDI store.
I love getting almonds there. The whole unsalted almonds are so much cheaper at Aldi. I’m not really a fan of the milk and yogurt products, because they always have a funny smell. But they also have a lot of really great organic products like pasta sauces and salsa, plus very cheap whole grain pasta.
I love that Aldi carries gluten free foods. My son is allergic to 5 of the top 8 allergens. A lot of times the gluten free foods are also free of all his allergens. So much cheaper to pick up his special cookies or crackers there vs the health food store.
They are starting to carry many more Gluten Free products! I bought the GF wraps a couple weeks ago and enjoyed them!
I know it doesn’t really pertain to bargain-buying for households per se, but I swear Aldi has the best chocolate bars. They are pretty inexpensive for being made in places like Switzerland and Germany.
Oh yes, I forgot about the chocolate bars as I’ve been “off” chocolate for awhile but they are delicious!
Oyster crackers
Fit & Active chicken stock is low in sodium & calories than name brand
Fit & Active choc weight loss shakes tastes great, cheaper, and all around better than name brand.
Salsa, is delish
What state are you in that milk is only $1.88/gal.? My Aldi’s in NJ is $3.40!
Prices vary from week to week at ALDI on milk prices depending on the going local rate. So this is definitely one that depends on your state. I believe I took this photo at an ALDI in Chicago when I was on a blog trip a few years ago.
I love Aldis I get their wheat bread 0.99 a loaf.. Cheapest around.. mine is a smaller one but love it !!
I buy all in your list as well. I absolutely love Aldi’s and buy 98% of my groceries there! If I had to choose 1 item I would miss most it would be the “knockoff” of Fage greek yogurt. It is their 0% plain greek yogurt in the large container. Same protein and calories as Fage but wayyy more cheaper!
More of our favs:
The pickle spears in the fridge section…. The best ever!
Fresh mozzarella ball…. So yummy and inexpensive.
K cup coffee… Yay. Love the French vanilla
Southern style frozen chicken breast….absolutely delicious
Greek yogurt cucumber dill dip in fridge section… So yummy
I could go on and on…
WE LOVE all of those things too! (except we haven’t tried the K-Cup Coffee!!) I think they have FAGE yogurt sometimes too. I like the plain yogurt too!
I second the spaghetti sauce; it is absolutely my family’s favorite. There are some items that we always get there because we prefer the flavor and the price is usually better, mostly knock-off versions of cereal and crackers and some of their Fit ‘N Active items. We make homemade pizzas pretty often and you can’t beat the price on ALDI’s pepperoni. Not long ago, they offered a “Chicago Mix” popcorn (caramel and cheddar together) for a limited time. I think I practically cleared their shelf of them.
Yep, we buy the pepperoni too! And the Mama Cozzi’s pizza crusts that have pizza sauce in them. Great for a personalized somewhat homemade pizza! :)
I buy lots of produce there and frozen stuff, but cashew butter is probably the best deal. It’s almost $7 at the grocery store! The same size container at Aldi is less than half that price.
I have never seen the cashew butter! Is that a regular item?
All of Aldi’s Clancy’s snack foods (chips, etc) are excellent. I also buy cases of the canned chicken breast, which I can use in almost any dish to increase the protein. I always keep the LG jars of their unsalted peanuts on hand to toss into salads, stir fries, etc. Currently I have to drive about 10 mis. to get to Aldi’s, but they plan to open one 3 blocks from my house next yr. Whoohoo!
10 minutes isn’t too bad! We have to drive about 30 minutes either north or south to get to one but it’s always worth the drive! 3 blocks is AWESOME!!!
I buy all of my paper goods (paper plates and plastic cups) and sealable plastic bags there too. I use the paper plates for my cat to eat his soft food on that way I can just throw it away when he’s done. Way cheaper than the name brands and just as good.
We get hubby’s lunch meats there. They are about $3.49 a pound! Try for that anywhere else. Never happen! His favorite is the thin slice turkey breast.
I love to buy steel cut oats at aldi! I make overnight crock pot oatmeal – so simple and easy! My kids 5 and 3 love it. Also they carry great chips – I love their guacamole chips, their nacho cheese (Doritos knock offs) chips are good, and sweet potato chips. Things I don’t see carried in other stores.
I love Aldi peanut butter and all of their breads are great. I like the sandwich thins and the low-carb wraps. They have non-HFCS jelly, but it can be hard to avoid HFCS processed foods there. I find their organic products to be very reasonably priced.
So far my only disappointing purchase from Aldi was the Aldi-branded turkey bacon. I feel bad even complaining about it — I should’ve used the ‘double back guarantee’.
It seems like they do not regularly stock some of the sauces and condiments I tend to like — not only no curry or stir-fry sauces, but also no soy sauce. I’ve been told they sometimes have special buys on this sort of thing. I wish they sold ground chicken, pork, and lamb — I can get ground turkey there, but so far have not seen ground turkey breast.
I found soy sauce in the regular condiment section last time I shopped. Yes, some of the sauces are special buys and there is usually a cycle during the year that they carry them…you kind of have to play the ALDI game and stock up for a long time when the stuff you really like comes in as a special buy if you want to use it year round!
Aldi’s is the BEST for MOST things!! Very few things I will pick up at Tops or other big chain grocery stores! My family REFUSES to eat anything but Aldis spaghetti sauce..its the best! I have family that swears by Tops and they would never shop at Aldis or buy off brand stuff, but then they come to my house and tell me how amazing my food is! I love telling them that everything is from Aldis! They are shocked and sometimes do not believe me! Hey, just look in my fridge and cupboards, see for yourself! I get 10x the food at Aldis than I walk out of Tops with for less! Thank god for Aldis, they feed my family well and great on the budget!! :D
We LOVE aldi spaghetti sauce!! We even use it as pizza sauce!
Soups! I stock up on my cream of mushroom and cream of celery soups there ……59 cents per can instead of the 1.89 for Campbell’s elsewhere. I use them both quite often for casseroles and stews. Great price for stocking up.
Good one! The canned goods are so inexpensive without even having to use coupons!