Thursday, April 22, 2010
So my Aldi Store FINALLY opened today! Halleluiah! My Mom, Emily and I have been planning to check it out for months now, and we were so excited to see what it was like!
Well, Aldi is everything they claim to be – low prices on the things that you buy regularly. The store was clean, organized, and very well run. The store employees were very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable.
We both pay very close attention to what we pay for the items that we purchase regularly, and the quantity that we purchase them in. We found that Aldi had extremely competitive prices on nearly every item we purchased. If we did not find the price to be LOWER than the prices at Wal-Mart or a similar grocery store, we found that the price was the SAME as the prices we pay at similar grocery stores. The produce was fresh, attractive-looking, and huge in quantity.
A couple of items that I found to be insanely great prices:
1. 64 oz. Apple Juice - $1.19
2. Boxed dog biscuits - $.99
3. Cellulose Sponges - 6 pack - $.99
4. Boxes of fresh strawberries - $.99
5. Varied spices - $1.09 each
6. 32 oz. tub of vanilla yogurt - $1.59
7. One dozen eggs - $.89
See?! I told ya!
All in all, every item that we bought was purchased with excitement as we saved significantly.
At the cash register, we were excited to see that as they totaled our purchases, they then offered us a $5 coupon on top of the savings we already received. BONUS!
I am definitely going to add Aldi to my shopping rounds. I can now reduce my grocery budget every month and spend that money elsewhere.
There are a couple of things that you should know before shopping at Aldi:
1. Aldi charges 25 cents to borrow a shopping cart. You get your quarter back when you return the cart.
2. Aldi does not bag your groceries. You must come prepared with shopping bags, or they offer them for purchase ($1.99) at the register.
3. Aldi is a one-directional grocery store. If you realize you forgot to grab something and have to go back, your best bet is to leave your cart behind and sneak back to the forgotten item. People were very understanding as we had this happen numerous times.
Visit Aldi.com to find the store nearest you! Your wallet will be SO grateful!
Showing posts with label groceries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label groceries. Show all posts
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Stretching your meal options
Thursday, April 1, 2010
I have learned a variety of different ways to save money since we have become a one-income family. Because that one income only comes once a century…I mean once a month, I have learned how to stretch a dollar until it squeaks!
One great way to save is to challenge yourself. Challenge yourself to eat all of the groceries in the pantry/fridge/freezer until it is gone.
How? Make it a game of sorts. Create a list of all of the main dishes, side dishes, and odds and ends that you have. Create the BEST pairings with the things that you have. Once you have done this, make a store list of the necessities that you CANNOT make it through the week without: milk, eggs, diapers, and the like. Then, look at the meals you’ve created with what’s left in your kitchen, and add several odds and ends to make additional meals.
Have leftover roast? Pick up a couple of bolillo rolls and have barbeque sandwiches.
Have a can of fruit and some frozen chicken breasts? Grab some romaine lettuce, marinade your chicken in orange juice and you have Hawaiian chicken salads!
Remember the bolillo rolls that you bought for bbq sandwiches? (They usually come 8 in a bag for about $2 at the bakery) And the romaine lettuce from the Hawaiian chicken salads? Have some bacon? Pick up a large, fresh tomato and serve BLTs for dinner tonight!
These are just a few examples of things that I’ve done in the past. This will keep you from spending money at a restaurant, and cut your grocery bill significantly when you use things that you already have in the pantry. I am a BIG TIME list-checker-offer, so I love to cross off the meals that we’ve eaten or the side/main dishes we have used.
I hope you find this helpful as we all have to make changes in our lifestyles and become good stewards of what we have.
I have learned a variety of different ways to save money since we have become a one-income family. Because that one income only comes once a century…I mean once a month, I have learned how to stretch a dollar until it squeaks!
One great way to save is to challenge yourself. Challenge yourself to eat all of the groceries in the pantry/fridge/freezer until it is gone.
How? Make it a game of sorts. Create a list of all of the main dishes, side dishes, and odds and ends that you have. Create the BEST pairings with the things that you have. Once you have done this, make a store list of the necessities that you CANNOT make it through the week without: milk, eggs, diapers, and the like. Then, look at the meals you’ve created with what’s left in your kitchen, and add several odds and ends to make additional meals.
Have leftover roast? Pick up a couple of bolillo rolls and have barbeque sandwiches.
Have a can of fruit and some frozen chicken breasts? Grab some romaine lettuce, marinade your chicken in orange juice and you have Hawaiian chicken salads!
Remember the bolillo rolls that you bought for bbq sandwiches? (They usually come 8 in a bag for about $2 at the bakery) And the romaine lettuce from the Hawaiian chicken salads? Have some bacon? Pick up a large, fresh tomato and serve BLTs for dinner tonight!
These are just a few examples of things that I’ve done in the past. This will keep you from spending money at a restaurant, and cut your grocery bill significantly when you use things that you already have in the pantry. I am a BIG TIME list-checker-offer, so I love to cross off the meals that we’ve eaten or the side/main dishes we have used.
I hope you find this helpful as we all have to make changes in our lifestyles and become good stewards of what we have.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Save-A-Lot
Saturday, March 27, 2010
So…Save-A-Lot was a no-go. I decided to venture out yesterday, load up the baby, and drive across two cities to save some money on my groceries. My experience was unusual, to say the least.
I wasn’t able to complete my whole grocery list which was frustrating. They did not have any romaine lettuce, their assortment of meats was slightly creepy, and I was dissatisfied with their selection of toothpaste, to name a few. Selection was, in fact, a huge issue for me. There was often no variety to choose from.
The store was small, offering significantly fewer products than a typical grocery store. There is no bakery, and no deli.
I am not interested in being bombarded with sales associates and their questions, but it is always nice to know that they’ve seen you come in. No one spoke with me the entire time I was in their store (roughly an hour). I would have appreciated a, “are you finding everything ok today?” or “how are you today?”
Shortly after I arrived at Save-A-Lot, they launched a soup kitchen of sorts in the front of the store between the check-out and the produce. The entire situation was awkward and uncomfortable for me, and several other shoppers that were purchasing groceries around the same time.
Having said all of this, I will probably not be returning to Save-A-Lot. I am, however, EXTREMELY excited about visiting my new Aldi store when it opens on April 22nd. I have heard great things about this store, mostly from my Aunt, who shops at Aldi regularly. She mentioned to me that they stand behind each and every product that they carry. If you are dissatisfied with a product, Aldi will reimburse you for DOUBLE the retail price of the item. What a great way to demonstrate their dedication to superior products! Visit ALDI to find the store nearest you!
Just a tiny reminder – World Market sent an email this morning boasting 25% off Easter items. World Market is a GREAT place to find unusual toys that your kids are sure to love. Finish up those Easter Baskets for less!
So…Save-A-Lot was a no-go. I decided to venture out yesterday, load up the baby, and drive across two cities to save some money on my groceries. My experience was unusual, to say the least.
I wasn’t able to complete my whole grocery list which was frustrating. They did not have any romaine lettuce, their assortment of meats was slightly creepy, and I was dissatisfied with their selection of toothpaste, to name a few. Selection was, in fact, a huge issue for me. There was often no variety to choose from.
The store was small, offering significantly fewer products than a typical grocery store. There is no bakery, and no deli.
I am not interested in being bombarded with sales associates and their questions, but it is always nice to know that they’ve seen you come in. No one spoke with me the entire time I was in their store (roughly an hour). I would have appreciated a, “are you finding everything ok today?” or “how are you today?”
Shortly after I arrived at Save-A-Lot, they launched a soup kitchen of sorts in the front of the store between the check-out and the produce. The entire situation was awkward and uncomfortable for me, and several other shoppers that were purchasing groceries around the same time.
Having said all of this, I will probably not be returning to Save-A-Lot. I am, however, EXTREMELY excited about visiting my new Aldi store when it opens on April 22nd. I have heard great things about this store, mostly from my Aunt, who shops at Aldi regularly. She mentioned to me that they stand behind each and every product that they carry. If you are dissatisfied with a product, Aldi will reimburse you for DOUBLE the retail price of the item. What a great way to demonstrate their dedication to superior products! Visit ALDI to find the store nearest you!
Just a tiny reminder – World Market sent an email this morning boasting 25% off Easter items. World Market is a GREAT place to find unusual toys that your kids are sure to love. Finish up those Easter Baskets for less!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saving at the Grocery store
Friday, February 25, 2010
Let’s talk bargains! My favorite subject!! I am always looking for steals and clearance items. This week, I found my deals at Target – my home away from home. I noticed that they had replaced the “holiday aisles” (I’m waiting impatiently for them to unveil Global Bazaar) with a new concept that involves a consolidated section for clearance and some weekly specials. I don’t normally mess around with 30% off bargains, as I’d rather they quit messing around and give me the 75% off that they are going to eventually get to. However, for the past 2 weeks, Target has had their signature brand, Market Pantry 100% Pure Apple Juice on clearance for $2.08 for a two-pack of 64oz. bottles. I decided that $1.04 for a bottle of apple juice is a very good deal – rivaling the savings that you find when you buy concentrate. So…I bought a few! The juice is regularly inexpensive at around $4 for a two-pack, but I’ll take whatever savings I can get, especially since we’ve been drinking apple juice like it’s youth serum around here!
The other item that I found to be a particularly good savings was an economy-size box of Nabisco Triscuits. The box contains (4) bags of Triscuts for $4.18. When a box of crackers runs me nearly $3, I found $1 per bag to be a real savings. Happy shopping!
Let’s talk bargains! My favorite subject!! I am always looking for steals and clearance items. This week, I found my deals at Target – my home away from home. I noticed that they had replaced the “holiday aisles” (I’m waiting impatiently for them to unveil Global Bazaar) with a new concept that involves a consolidated section for clearance and some weekly specials. I don’t normally mess around with 30% off bargains, as I’d rather they quit messing around and give me the 75% off that they are going to eventually get to. However, for the past 2 weeks, Target has had their signature brand, Market Pantry 100% Pure Apple Juice on clearance for $2.08 for a two-pack of 64oz. bottles. I decided that $1.04 for a bottle of apple juice is a very good deal – rivaling the savings that you find when you buy concentrate. So…I bought a few! The juice is regularly inexpensive at around $4 for a two-pack, but I’ll take whatever savings I can get, especially since we’ve been drinking apple juice like it’s youth serum around here!
The other item that I found to be a particularly good savings was an economy-size box of Nabisco Triscuits. The box contains (4) bags of Triscuts for $4.18. When a box of crackers runs me nearly $3, I found $1 per bag to be a real savings. Happy shopping!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
