Guide to Shopping at Aldi Discount Grocery Store

Aldi grocery stores are a great place to save money. Many people are afraid to shop at Aldi because some people view this store as a place where poor people shop. But if you have never shopped there before, you really should give Aldi a try. Knowing what to expect can help you enjoy your shopping experience, so take a minute to read this guide before you venture out into the wonderful world of discount shopping at Aldi.

First, make sure you have a quarter in your pocket or your purse when you go to Aldi. You'll need a quarter to "rent" your grocery cart. You put a quarter in the cart, which releases it from the other carts. When you are done shopping and return your cart, you get your quarter back. This seems like a hassle, but it really helps save you money because everyone returns their carts rather than leaving them in the parking lot. That means Aldi won't need to hire workers to gather up the carts like other stores do. Fewer workers means more money in your pocket.

Leave the coupons at home. Aldi doesn't take coupons, and they don't carry many brands you would have coupons for anyway. Try out Aldi's store brand - often it tastes just as good (or better) than the regular brand and Aldi offers a double your money back guarantee on all their products. I have returned an item to the store and they do follow through on their guarantee.

Bring cash or a debit card. Aldi doesn't take credit cards or checks - another "hassle" that saves you money because the store doesn't pay the fees to the credit card companies and banks. You can also use EBT cards (food stamps) at Aldi.

Bring your own bags. If you don't want to pay for bags (a nickel for paper and a dime for plastic), bring your own. I keep a large bag full of plastic bags in my van so that I have grocery bags any time I go to Aldi. You can also look for empty boxes in the store to carry items in, but I don't have good luck with this.

When you enter Aldi, expect to see clean, organized aisles. Aldi doesn't have shelves or a hundred aisles like a normal grocery store. Instead, employees put out pallets of the food products and customers just remove the items directly from the pallet. This is, of course, another cost saving measure taken by Aldi.

Take your time when you are shopping. Aldi mostly carries its own house brand of food items, but you'll also find brand name items like Kraft or General Mills. They even carry other brand name products like cereals, juices, crackers and candy and they are almost always cheaper than other stores. So be sure to look around; there are only four aisles, but lots of items from toiletries to produce.

When you are done shopping, there is usually only one or two clerks waiting to check you out. Unless your store is very busy, one clerk is plenty. The clerk will place your groceries back into your cart for you to bag up on your own. Aldi provides a large shelf where you can bag them up, or you can do it outside by your car in nicer weather.

Take a look at your receipt when you are done shopping. Compare the prices of the products you purchased at Aldi to the price of the same items at your normal grocery store. My experience has been that if I spend $50 at Aldi, I would have spent well over $100 for the same cart full of groceries. Any of the "hassles" you might find - needing a quarter for your cart, using cash, bringing your own bags - are things you'll quickly get used to if you shop at Aldi very often and are well worth it for all the money you'll save.