Current Events > First time going to Aldi; what to expect?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've heard:
*Bring a quarter for the cart
*Bring your own bag, or buy their reusable bags for $1-2/bag
*Don't buy their meats; everything else is good
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The quarter and bags are true. (EDIT: actually, you can buy paper or plastic bags for like 7-8 cents. The reusable ones mught be as expensive as you've heard though. I never buy them because we bring our own.)

Their meats can be good. I've never tried any beef but their pork chops and white or whole chicken are good. Avoid the dark chicken though.

Produce is hit and miss. Vegetables are usually ok but make sure you inspect the fruit well before purchase, and even then it might be anywhere from "best pineapple I've ever had" to "eh."

Store brands are also hit and miss. Mostly miss but a few are only slightly below par at a way better price.

But do hit up the chocolate aisle while you're there. They have great chocolates at affordable prices. Aldi is actually my go-to shop for chocolate, lol.
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IdiotMachine posted...

*Bring your own bag, or buy their reusable bags for $1-2/bag

This is still cheap as hell lol but they're actually 10-20 cents where I live. I usually get them if I accidentally forget to being a few.

Meats are fine, never had a problem or issue yet.

I think the absolute downside to Aldi is general food stock. Some days there are NO bananas or grapes or even chicken breasts. I don't know what their rotations are like but once the perishable items are gone, you'll just end up going to a bigger supermarket chain anyway.
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Expect long lines at checkout
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I exclusively get groceries at Aldi.

The meat at my store is great.

The lines can be long because they only have a handful of registers and not all are open, but the cashiers are fast as fuck so they go pretty quickly.

The produce at my store is USUALLY great, but every now and then it'll be pretty bad. I think it depends on what day you go since some of it has been sitting out for several days.

You can get a dozen eggs, a gallon of milk, and a loaf of bread all for like $3 which is pretty sweet
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TheRealDill2000 posted...

Expect long lines at checkout

I've heard otherwise...?
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IdiotMachine posted...

TheRealDill2000 posted...

Expect long lines at checkout

I've heard otherwise...?

Just my personal experience. I only went a handful of times due to the long waits.
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I wish Northern CA had Aldi
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i go there for chips, salsa, and chicken

Their yogurt is gross, the traditional pasta sauce is fantastic.
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IdiotMachine posted...

TheRealDill2000 posted...

Expect long lines at checkout

I've heard otherwise...?

Seems like the general strategy is to wait until people are about to flip out and then open two more registers at once.

deupd_u posted...

Their yogurt is gross, the traditional pasta sauce is fantastic.

I don't dislike the yogurt, but it is pretty liquidy.
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Wait... Does Aldi take credit cards?
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A bunch of brands you wont recognize and none of the ones you do
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Expect to see a shit ton of off brand nonsense you've never heard of

(Literally one second apart)
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IdiotMachine posted...

Wait... Does Aldi take credit cards?

Yes. I use my American Express Blue Cash Everyday card because I get 2% cashback at grocery stores. They accept it.
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If they have a low quantity of something, it's probably pretty good. They have these Churros that are insanely good if you bake them, they have these like chicken tenders that if you cook it and put them in between brioches or other of your favorite bread, you get like a very Chick-fil-a-esque sandwich.

I like Aldis. Usually if you see people congregate to something in general, there's probably something about it pretty good
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Does Aldi in the US sell alcohol? That's the best thing about them in the UK, very cheap tasty beer, wine and spirits.

I got the mattress I've had for the last 3 years from there for $150, you can find deals on pretty random stuff
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pinkgorilla posted...

Does Aldi in the US sell alcohol? That's the best thing about them in the UK, very cheap tasty beer, wine and spirits.

They do, but it's not particularly cheap. It's about the same as brand names at Walmart
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Solid Snake07 posted...

A bunch of brands you wont recognize and none of the ones you do

Yup. Went and spent $25 on a bunch of stuff, and I didn't recognize any brands. All of them looked very similar in packaging and color as the original one they're trying to copy.
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