Aldi is quickly becoming the golden alternative to the other well-known grocery stores and supermarkets. Aldi — which boasts lower prices, an eclectic selection, and a small, easy-to-navigate floor plan — is easy to fall in love with. However, there is a strong chance you are not getting the most out of your experience. Any Aldi expert will tell you there are tricks to ensure a successful shopping experience. Stop going to Aldi unprepared. We have compiled some tips that will help you create a shopping strategy guaranteed to succeed. Join us we detail the biggest mistakes people make when shopping at Aldi.
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00:00As any Aldi veteran will tell you, a successful shopping trip takes know-how.
00:05But of course, developing this knowledge can take a lot of trial and error.
00:09So to give you a head start on your next shopping foray, we've got some tips to help you avoid
00:14those rookie mistakes and make your next Aldi adventure a smashing success.
00:19Ah, the self-returning carts.
00:21They're an iconic part of the Aldi experience.
00:24In a world of credit cards and Apple Pay, where cash has become virtually unnecessary
00:28in most places, that initial walk from the car to your local Aldi door still brings
00:33with it the requirement to somehow dig up a quarter in your purse.
00:37Or your wallet.
00:38Maybe check under the driver's seat?
00:40If you're trying to seriously get your Aldi shopping on, you're going to need a full-size
00:44cart to haul away your goodies.
00:46But if you can't find a quarter, you'll end up out of luck.
00:49That's why getting an Aldi quarter holder for your keychain can be the right move.
00:53It guarantees that as long as you have your keys with you, you won't have to be that one
00:56customer carrying way too many things around in your arms.
01:00Plus, having this nifty doohickey dangling from your keys is the perfect way to send
01:04the signal to everyone around you that you mean business.
01:08At Aldi, anyway.
01:09A quarter isn't the only thing you need to bring when you head to Aldi.
01:13You need to remember your own bags, too.
01:15Obviously, reusable shopping bags at any store can be nice, but at Aldi, you definitely want
01:20to BYOB or you're literally going to pay for the mistake, since they don't provide free
01:26While any reusable shopping bags will do the job, what you really want is shopping bags
01:30that hook right into the cart.
01:32Since one of the ways Aldi keeps the prices so low is by not having anyone bag your groceries,
01:37you're going to need to do the bagging yourself.
01:39If you can pop some already-opened shopping bags right into the rim of your cart once
01:43you've emptied it onto the belt, it can make the whole process easy as pie.
01:47Don't come crying to me if you eat your piece too fast.
01:53The truth is, the modern world's shift away from the typical 9-to-5, Monday-through-Friday
01:58work week has made shopping at specific times of the day in order to avoid the crowds less
02:03important.
02:04Unless you're shopping on the Sunday before Christmas or the Saturday before the Super
02:07Bowl, of course.
02:08But that doesn't mean there aren't other reasons to plan your Aldi trips around a certain day
02:12of the week.
02:13In fact, there's one factor that affects this choice in particular, and that's restocking.
02:19Aldi typically restocks their Aldi Fines section in most of their markets on Wednesdays,
02:24with literally dozens of new products hitting the shelves all at once.
02:28It's the best time to both check what new specialty items have been introduced to the
02:32mix, as well as what other things have been discounted and are on the way out.
02:36It can be a great time to nab a deal.
02:39That's…
02:40Amazing!
02:41I know!
02:42Who'd have thought you could save 30 percent off these products at Aldi?
02:46Another thing that any Aldi shopper should always keep in mind is that not all prices
02:50are equal.
02:51While Aldi has a well-established reputation for providing quality products at very affordable
02:56prices, that doesn't mean every single item in your local Aldi is going to be a clearance-level
03:01steal.
03:02We're at the store with a little old lady who takes 10 minutes counting out exact change.
03:06For one thing, it's important to remember that Aldi portions are much harder to judge
03:10than you might think.
03:11They often provide products in smaller quantities, but at the same time, their simpler packaging
03:16model can also make it hard to tell how different Aldi brands really are from comparable items
03:21in other stores.
03:22The point here is that between the size and packaging differences, it can be hard to easily
03:27judge how much of a deal you're actually getting.
03:30Sometimes it can be a steep discount, and other times, the savings add up to just a
03:34few cents, or none at all.
03:36You're going to want to keep that calculator app handy and be ready to do some quick price
03:41checking on a case-by-case basis if you want to be able to find the best deals.
03:45I like your numbers.
03:48Most Aldi customers know that the supermarket chain is always stocked with a plentiful supply
03:52of grocery store staples.
03:54But what many newbie shoppers often fail to notice is that they also have a small, often
03:59overlooked specialty section called Aldi Finds or Special Buys.
04:03One of the reasons it gets less attention is because it often looks like it's filled
04:07with random paraphernalia that has nothing to do with your shopping list.
04:11But that randomness is exactly why you need to be checking it out on a regular basis.
04:15The Aldi Finds section is actually chock-full of products that are impressively priced and
04:20can range from limited-time food items to gift ideas, back-to-school specials, and even
04:25seasonal decorations.
04:27And if you find something you love, stock up.
04:30It's not going to be there for long.
04:31Not bad.
04:32Hang on.
04:33Dave just said his pie's not bad.
04:34But Dave doesn't like anything.
04:35Go tell your dad.
04:40One thing you may have heard from a lot of different folks is the fact that Aldi may
04:43have some great prices, but because of the sometimes disheveled, open boxes and small
04:48selection in the produce section, it doesn't come across as the kind of place where you
04:52should get things like fruits and veggies.
04:54It's crappy, no variety, it's boring, we've got terrible lighting in those stores.
04:59But if you push past that initial impression, you'll find that the presentation of an Aldi
05:04store isn't an indicator of a lack of quality.
05:07It's simply a direct result of the desire to keep those prices so darn low.
05:11Only the specialist, most amazing products in all the world make it into Aldi stores.
05:16Yes, they tend to stock less overall variety in their produce section, but that comes from
05:21a deliberate attempt to not have anything perishable go bad on a regular basis.
05:26They're just stocking what people are buying.
05:28A lot of people tend to avoid the fresh produce at Aldi like it's Walmart quality, but the
05:33truth is, it's just a different yet well-structured approach to providing fresh fruits and veggies.
05:38Those who've tried it say it's good quality, so don't be afraid to add them to your list.
05:43Another area that doesn't get a lot of love is the Aldi meats department.
05:47But once again, the pared-down, simplistic look of an Aldi meat case doesn't automatically
05:52imply low quality, and neither do the low prices.
05:55Aldi meats can more than hold their own against other, larger stores that have a reputation
06:00for top quality.
06:01From their bacon to their whole chickens and everything in between, the meat at Aldi is
06:05carefully sourced and well-labeled.
06:08But there's one specific label that you're going to want to look for.
06:11The Aldi Never Any label is a great sign that the meat you're about to purchase hasn't been
06:16over-processed or overloaded with chemicals.
06:19The Never Any seal indicates that the animal was raised on a vegetarian diet that did not
06:24include any steroids, antibiotics, or hormones.
06:27And that's something we can all be happy about.
06:30Aldi's commitment to providing healthier options for their customers doesn't stop at
06:34their meat offerings.
06:35From their Live G-Free gluten-free products to their earth-grown line of vegetarian and
06:40vegan goodies, Aldi has their health food bases covered.
06:44The best and most prolific label you'll see stamped on products all over your local store,
06:48though, is probably going to be their Simply Nature certification.
06:52This simple label indicates that a product is either organic or non-GMO project verified.
06:58It also means the product is devoid of artificial ingredients and preservatives.
07:02The basic goal with the Simply Nature label is to keep the extra ingredients and processing
07:07to a minimum.
07:08It's a great label for any savvy shopper to keep an eye out for.
07:12One super delicious category to watch out for is the Specially Selected line of products.
07:17This label signifies high-end quality, and we're not just talking about better-than-Walmart
07:22level either.
07:24We've already established that pretty much anything at Aldi is going to beat that.
07:28But with many of their gourmet items, and with the Specially Selected items in particular,
07:32Aldi has decided to up the ante.
07:35At the top of their list of elite foods is their dairy selection.
07:38This is no ordinary cheese.
07:41This is Aldi's award-winning cheddar!"
07:45While you can always pick up a cheap bag of pre-sliced cheddar or a handful of Colby Jack
07:49cheese sticks, if you look a little bit closer, the Aldi Specialty Cheese section is a wonder
07:54to behold.
07:56From well-aged cheddar, deliciously ripe Asiago, mild and smooth brie, and Specially Selected
08:01Gouda, to several different uniquely handcrafted cheeses infused with a variety of different
08:06flavors, Aldi gourmet cheeses are an absolute bargain.
08:10Coming in minimalist packaging and small sizes, these cheeses are incredibly well-priced,
08:15making them the perfect option for assembling your next cheese platter, or maybe just to
08:20have on hand to go along with a big glass of wine at the end of a long day.
08:25Aldi often front-loads their candies in the first part of the store, with the cheaper
08:29Hershey Classics stocked front and center on the shelves.
08:32And it's easy to walk right by, since you can get those chocolate staples pretty much
08:37anywhere you go.
08:38But there's something else tucked away there next to the big name brands, and it's worth
08:42pausing to consider.
08:43We're talking about Aldi's higher-end chocolate selection.
08:46Oh, luxury chocolate.
08:48Mm-hmm.
08:49Someone's splashing out.
08:50You'd think, but it's from Aldi.
08:53Aldi?
08:54While it's difficult to pin down exactly which chocolates you're going to have in any one
08:58store, they're worth nibbling on either way to see how they compare to that Hershey bar
09:02sitting one shelf over.
09:03With a sweeping variety of brands to choose from, these sweet treats are refined options
09:08with very low price tags.
09:10The dark chocolates, in particular, stand out when compared to most higher-priced alternatives
09:14and tend to impress even the pickiest of palates.
09:18The cherry on top of it all is that Aldi's top brass have expressed their goals to go
09:22above and beyond when it comes to getting Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, or UTC-certified
09:27chocolate, so you can indulge with a clean conscience.
09:32Most people associate Aldi with food, since the whole store feels like a supermarket.
09:36But that doesn't mean they're not stocking other non-edible and totally awesome products
09:41as well.
09:42The house and home section of the store is often associated with Aldi fine selections,
09:47but the products are amazing enough that they deserve their own mention.
09:51From coffee machines, baking dishes, and utensils, to office furniture, tables, decor, and storage
09:57solutions, this section of Aldi never ceases to amaze.
10:01The trick here is to check the section regularly, find the things that you know you want to
10:05get, and then keep an eagle eye out for when they look like they might be running low.
10:10There's usually a golden window of time in which the items are discounted but not yet
10:14completely sold out, and that's when you shove that quarter in your cart and get shopping.