Aldi...Trader Joe's

They are owned by the same company.  I enjoy the Trader Joe's in my area, but it's about a 45 minute trip to get there.  So only when I'm in that area I'll stop by.  Aldi is on the East Coast and is moving west.  They plan to open about 25 stores in the LA area.  Just wondering what the good and the bad of Aldi is...For those of you who shop there.  Thanks, Brian

You won't find even 1/2 of your favorite TJ's items in Aldi. And in the rare occasion you do- you won't find it a second time. 

I have an Aldi I can walk to- and have only been in it twice. To me the two just don't compare. 

You cannot compare a TJ to an Aldi at all. Aldi's has your basics and Aldi will carry 80% of what you will need in a house to maintain it (IE: Lysol brand compared to no name brand). Aldi is not for the person that cannot do without fancy dancy foods or items for day to day.

I snubbed my nose at Aldi after the first few times I went into one but then I started trying just the basics and they were AOK. Flour is Flour as is table sugar is table sugar as is walnuts for baking is walnuts for baking as is garlic powder is garlic powder, salt is salt as is pepper is pepper and on and on I can go. Greek yogurt is Greek yogurt as is cottage cheese is cottage cheese, whole milk is whole milk as is wheat or white bread . . .

It is a great store for families that are on a budget.

 

SIGH

80% of your general/staple household needs can be bought at Aldi. The majority are their own brands but you will find some national brands. Batavia, IL is where one of their corporate locations is located which is about 20 miles from me in the western 'burbs of Chicago. I have found that their yogurt, cottage cheese, prepackaged lunch meats, frozen foods, frozen pizza, milk, bread, snacks (their own brand is Clancy's and is pretty good), canned soups/canned goods are great. Some Aldi's have alcohol. They have some fresh meats/poultry that is in prepackaged containers. Their frozen foods are general in variety but nice sized so you are not getting huge quantities like at Costco, Metro or Sam's. They have good prices on baking ingredients (flour, sugar, spices, nuts etc). Some of the stores are starting to take credit cards, so be prepared to pay with cash. They do not provide bags to take your items out to the car but will let you take any empty box and they also have a nice area to pack your items into your own bags or boxes just past the checkout. There will not be a huge variety of dust mops, air fresheners, household cleaners etc. They do have fresh veggies and fruit and they are prepacked and you do not pick what you want like you would at a large grocery store. Have a quarter always handy because you have to have one to get a grocery cart - you will get it back when you return the cart to their covered cart corral next to the store.

If I have any other things to add I will come back. Take a walk inside the store when it opens and take a look around. They keep the prices low by having the checkout people also be the stocking people. Once in a while you will need to wait for a checkout person because they are stocking shelves but they are all very conscious of customers waiting in line and will shout out that they will be right there to help you check out.

First,  IMHO Trader Joe's is not what is was before this German company really took over.  Before it had unique real products from all over the world.  Over the past 10-15 years, those neat products have been replaced by store-brands that are HIGH Sodium.  So I still buy some things there (Esp the salt=-free nuts), but mostly the items are cheapened versions of the unique items available before the take-over. I still miss the old Trader Joe's.

Aldi's is an even lower budget store - many items are brands you may have never heard of and maybe at the sell by dates and there is not much selection within a product line.  That being said, there is no better place to buy the FF SF greek yogurt.  They only had key lime - which I love, so I stocked  up at about half the price.   I agree with the poster who said the staples there are probably good values.  Eggs, cheese, etc. also would be good.  Don't expect some exotic spice or specialty sauce.  

They don't carry the same stuff. They are owned by brothers (one passed away) but not the same company.  

I shop at Trader Joe's the most because it's a block away and use a ton of their products. 

but Aldi is great too... but you never really know what will be there. They have some brands that are always there but most items are just random. Some great deals here's a little review I did of them http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2016/05/my-al di-shopping-trip-healthy-food-finds.html with some pictures.

 

I love Aldi. Milk, dairy products, coffee, and fruit and veggies are cheaper there. It is not where I go when I need everything, but when I need essentials or I am in a hurry, I love going there.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd =1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjJn6yq9PzQAhVn3IMKHQkzBOIQFggcM AA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fthehartmangroup %2F2015%2F04%2F14%2Faldi-is-a-growing-menace-to-americas-gro cery-retailers%2F&usg=AFQjCNG6vr0BeKw1xgdbIZ42O7LGX5Dv3Q&sig 2=MlFJEm7zVOFv14zJlGlRTw

 

This is about ALDI and how they are affecting the grocery shopping world (Forbes).  I'm in Northern California...So I may not see them for a few years.  It sounds like nothing to write home about...Except for the quickness for 1 or 2 items.  Also it will be interesting to see what happens when Amazon goes into the grocery business...

I live in a small town in Missouri.  We have Kroger, Walmart (yuck), Price Chopper, and Aldi.  I can save almost 50% on my grocery bill by shopping at Aldi.  Large eggs at Kroger are $1.69-$1.99 a dozen...last trip to Aldi they were $.45 a dozen.  Canned goods run about 65 cents a can.  They have great fresh fruit and vegetables, a nice selection of dairy products and cheese, fresh meat and poultry, and a great frozen foods section.  They have a line called Fit & Lively that are low cal, low fat, etc.  And every time I go there are more organic, whole grain, and specialty items.  I only go to the other stores when I just can't find what I need at Aldi.  Huge money saver, and their store-brand products are great.

Aldi's is amazing!!!! It's like 1/4 of the price of trader Joes and they have many organic options. They do not carry everything-but they have most staples-including, milk, eggs, cottage cheese, hard cheeses, some fresh meats..and frozen meats.

They carry nuts, jerky, lots of snack type food. They have a whole line of FIT foods. Plus they have fresh fruits and veggies (limited variety)...but I always buy the stuff to make salads.

When we moved from NY to Texas our food bill went up about 125 dollars a week. They are opening them now in Texas but the closest one is 45 minutes away.

Scott