It was raining...HARD here is CFL, drivers were forgetting how to drive due to aforemetioned rain, accidents were piling up on roads due to drivers, and our cupboards at the Chapo house looked a little something like this:
Empty cabinets are just about the worst thing you can have when it's a rainy day in Florida. Especially when you and your husband are beginning to feel the needy grumblings of hungry bellies. We needed food, and that meant it was time for me to go out into society, come what may, and brave the awful crowds of the grocery stores.
As I was on the way there, I started racking my brain for which store would actually work for my purposes. This store would have to suit a trinity of needs which are the following: it would be convenient to my house, it would be relatively inexpensive, and it would not have lines that looked as though you were about to board a cruise ship.
I thought back to a few, great experiences that I had had with the grocer chain Aldi. Aldi is a cool, albeit different type of grocer that boasts excellent prices for non-brand name items. Non brand meaning most of the brands are Aldi-specific so don't go shopping with a fistful of coupons unless you know for sure a product is offered there. Some stores even offer beer and wine selections.
As I mentioned, there are definitely some differences between Aldi and other mainstream grocers. Some, of the many, noticeable items are listed below.
1) You must pay a quarter in order to attain a shopping cart. At the end of your shopping, you can put your shopping cart back and BAM your quarter returns right to wence it came. A pretty awesome ploy to get folks to actually put their carts back.
2) The aisles look interesting, as most pantry items are offered out of cardboard boxes--not shelves.
3) The produce selections are typically offered in bulk--but for superior prices to other retailers!
4) Shopping bags are an additional cost and items are not bagged for you (GAH!!! I KNOW!!! SHOCKING!!!!)
5) Credit cards are not accepted.
I actually put the link for frequently asked question posed to Aldi grocers here below. You can look it over and see for yourself if I didn't cover something you had on your mind above.
http://www.aldi.us/us/html/company/3503_ENU_HTML.htm
I really, REALLY wish I had taken a picture of everything I got. But like I said it was raining and crazy and my cheap little self didnt pay for grocery bags. So I was pretty much driving around an accident-ridden town with all kinds of interesting items sliding around in my trunk. In short, I was ready to get home and be done with it. However, some, of the many items I did pick up are listed below.
1) 3 bags steamable broccoli
2)Raisin Bran
3) Almond Milk
4)Bag of oranges
5) Bag of sweet onions
6) 1 pnd chicken breasts
7) 1 pnd ground turkey
8) 1 pork roast
9) 1 jar Vodka Sauce
10) 1 box farfalle pasta
11) 1 bag tortilla chips
12) 1 jar salsa
13) 1 tub sour cream
14) 1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
15) 1 loaf wheat bread
16) 1 box freezer bags
17) 1 bottle wine
18) 1 jar chopped garlic
19) 1 granola bar
I know I got more than that, but as you can see with any other retailer I would have been over a $50.00 tab at least already. At Aldi I checked out for...wait for it...$47.50. I really couldn't believe what a bargain I got when I left! It made me feel great to know that my hard-earned money was going a little further towards to groceries. I would definitely recommend others give Aldi a shot and let me know what you think!!!
P.S. The produce,so far has been incredible and my husband and I enjoy a delicious Orange once each day!!
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