10 Clever ALDI Hacks You’ll Regret Not Trying
Updated July 19, 2019
Who wants to save more money!? 🙋♀️
ALDI, for those who aren’t familiar, is a grocery store in a league of its own. Thanks to its shorter hours, fewer product options, streamlined checkout, and exclusive brands, this grocer offers goods priced significantly lower than their competitors. That said, you’ll save even more money with these genius hacks to maximize your savings at ALDI.
Not sure if you have an ALDI nearby? CHECK HERE.
1. Pick up an empty box to stash under the cart.
Forgot your own bags? In a hurry? Pick up empty corrugated boxes as you shop and place them under the cart. The cashiers don’t bag your groceries for you; they unload scanned items into an empty cart for you to bag yourself once you finish checking out. When they see that you have a box, they’ll usually put the box down in the cart first and unload the items directly into it. Then you can walk right out the door without having to bag your groceries at the side counter. The best part is they’re free! (We love free!)
2. Don’t bother with coupons unless they’re ALDI’s.
This tactic applies specifically to meat. While ALDI doesn’t take manufacturer coupons, they’ll slap their own discount stickers on meat when it’s getting close to expiration. Sure, the shelf life is near the end, but either cook the meat when you get home for weekly meal prep or pop it in the freezer!
Looking for other ways to save on meat? Check out these ideas!
3. Get baked goods at a discount.
ALDI is known to discount loaves of bread exactly 5 days before they expire (they also mark down other baked goods by 50% as they approach expiration). Keep your discounted bread fresh in a bread keeper or stash it away in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
4. Shop on Wednesday mornings.
Not only will you take advantage of the Wednesday meat special, but the produce section during the morning hours is also at its best. Plan your recipes around what’s on sale that week!
5. Avoid purchasing personal care items.
Unfortunately, there’s no real discount here. You’re better off getting them at Amazon, big box retailers, or drugstores when sales and/or coupons are available.
6. Don’t overlook the special buys in Aldi Finds.
This aisle may seem like a cheap trap, but you can find a hidden gem within this assortment of non-grocery products! Be sure to act on the Hot Deals FAST because those usually sell out before the week is through.
7. Always ask a manager if something is marked down.
According to an employee at ALDI, asking a manager if or when something will be marked down actually improves your chances of having the price lowered. Some managers will mark it down on the spot just to move the product.
8. Don’t forget to get cash back.
Grab cash back on groceries with apps such as Ibotta and Checkout51!
9. Don’t like something? Return it!
Not only will ALDI replace your product, but they’ll also refund you the money for that purchase! Take advantage of the double product guarantee on anything that doesn’t suit your taste.
10. Check Reddit for product reviews.
Reddit is an amazing source of unsolicited opinions on just about anything. Check the Aldi subreddit for feedback on products, special buys, and shopping experiences!
Are you a new shopper at ALDI?
Here are some helpful tips to get you started:
1. Get your quarters ready!
If you’ve never been to an ALDI, you’ll probably be thrown off by the locked shopping carts. Simply pop in a quarter, and voila! – the lock is released. Just don’t forget to relock the cart when you’re done using it to get your quarter back.
2. Download the ALDI App.
The app functions are very similar to the website, but they’re useful for viewing the weekly fliers and your shopping list while you’re out and about! The app is available for iOS and Android devices.
3. Check ALDI’s website for Weekly Specials.
You’ll want to check ALDI’s site not only for the weekly sales, but for any new low prices that may not have been included in the weekly ad. Check for the Red Hot Deals along with the mid-week meat specials in the ALDI Insider ads.
4. Preview the upcoming weekly ad.
In addition to viewing this week’s ALDI ad, don’t skip viewing NEXT week’s ad so you can see what’s coming. Look for their ads on the website, app, or grab one when you’re there (they’re available near the exit), so you know what items to hold off on buying until the following week.
5. Don’t forget your own shopping bag.
ALDI charges for basic grocery bags at checkout ($0.07 for paper and $0.10 for plastic) and offers up a variety of insulated and reusable bags. Plan to purchase one there or come prepared with your own.
6. Look for discounts on name brands.
ALDI doesn’t have the same name brand products in stock all the time, but when they do, you’ll save some money by purchasing them here over their competitors!
7. But go with the generic when available.
Give the ALDI exclusive brands a shot! Not only will you save money, but you also won’t sacrifice any of the product quality. Some generics are even made by the same manufacturer as their name brand counterparts!
8. Connect with ALDI outside of the store.
Follow ALDI online to get the latest deals and recipes when you signup for their email list, view the blog, or follow their social media accounts. These pages also respond quickly to customer feedback should you ever experience a problem at your store.
Don’t have an Aldi near you? Check out these grand openings to see if there’s a store opening in your neighborhood! 🎉
Aldi ground beef is horrible! Stay away.
Return it! I buy 80/20 all the time and have NEVER had any problem!
I also buy it frequently and have never had an issue. Definitely return it! I was given the tip to toss perishables to return into the freezer if I won’t get back before they spoil. It keeps me from having to rush back before my next planned trip.
I fully agree. I stopped buying most of their meat. It taste off.
I urge you to try a different Aldi. I have found not every Aldi is the same. My local one is top notch but the one in the more “pricey” well-to-do area is subpar!
We’ve never had any problems with their ground beef.
I️ just tried Aldi ice cream for the first time it is Belmont brand AMAZING for 1.99 per 1/2 gal container.
Adding that to my shopping list ASAP! Thanks for the tip, Leane!
The Belmont mint chocolate chip ice cream is delicious!!!
we used to love their Premier line…best chocolate ice cream around! but they just changed it…totally not as dark chocolatey nor as creamy…we were so bummed!
Yes, the chocolate is not very chocolate-y. But the vanilla is so good!
The price of produce is amazing and unmatched!
I buy so many staples at Aldi. I always get a trunk full for less than half of what I’d pay at Kroger. Quality is the same or sometimes, better. And the store is smaller, so I get in and out quick.
The store size is one of my favorite qualities of ALDI! It makes shopping so efficient!
There’s so much I love about Aldi but I think the small size is my favorite too. I know where everything is and I can get in and out quickly which helps with 2 toddlers!
I second wholeheartedly the marked down meat- I lucked out big time once & got a TON of ground turkey nearing expiration for $1/lb- cooked some & froze the rest! I always peruse the meat department any time I hit any grocery store- best way to save $ on meat in our family
Not all of these are created equal. Some are very very unclean. That doesn’t mean they all are though. If you’ve tried one before and didn’t like it, and encourage you to try another one.
I absolutely agree! The location near my home is very hit or miss, out of regular items frequently, they don’t get weekly specials in on Wednesday’s according to the ads and really have to watch the produce for mold. But I have been to other locations that were much better.
I love the organic grass feed beef – everyday only 4.99lb…
all of the fresh meat is great – this is we’re I usually shop because it takes less time and is way cheaper then any of our local grocers, even Walmart! Great organic selections and gluten free.
I’m intrigued by the carts pictured, those must be new. Our carts have red quarter thingy- ma – bobbers:)
I would encourage you to try it for yourself before you just write them off-
Also, I do have two locations to shop from and I prefer one over the other because of the turn over rate- more people shop so the produce seems fresher. My stores are both clean.
The ALDI near me was renovated within the last year or so, perhaps the carts are different because of the update? Love the organic and gluten-free section too! My mom and SIL have Celiac’s so it makes shopping for family party snacks a breeze!
I just went to Aldi last weekend for me bi-weekly shopping trip. I normally go to Walmart but I was near an Aldi (my Aldi is 45 min away 😭). I had budgeted $120 and only spent $90 on the same items I would have bought at Walmart. Woohoo!
First off i LOVE Aldi. Got hooked on them when we were in germany. Great store. However look at the meat you are buying there before buying. Read the label. Pork as an example…if you read the label it IS pork but up to a 25 percent “solution”. This is why i do not buy meat at walmart or aldi or anywhere else that does this. That is just not right so 25 percent of the weight and the product is injected with a salt and other “ingredients”mixture. I now only buy organic after i started reading the labels.
I buy the organic meat at aldi
YES!! I was soo peeved with DH a few wks ago. I told him to get the organic chicken pack from Sam’s (brand name is eluding me right now). Sure, it’s a little bit pricier, but the meat tastes far superior and no solution! So he grab’s a big tray of Sam’s brand chicken tenders. I’m like ‘Did you even *read* the label?’ Not only is it 10% solution, but it has carageenen as an ingrediet. WTF does chicken need to be plumped with carageenen for? I said hun, this is the stuff I avoid. So back the chicken went for the right pack.
(so carageenan is seaweed extract, which is used as a thickener to” improve ” the texture of food. It has been linked to stomach issues. About 5 or 6 years ago, we started drinking Almond milk and my dh started having stomach problems. After reading around, found that the issues was most likely carageenan, so we switched to another brand of Almond milk w/out it.)
Darlin’, I feel sorry for your husband.
Lol Lana!
😀 I concur.
I know what you mean. I grew up shopping at Aldi with my mother when we were stationed there. My daughter grew up shopping there with me too. I love it. Unforchanantly my mother moved to Stuttgart so now when I visit her I have to go to Lidl as there is no Aldi around her. I love Lidl too and my favorite store is Woolworths. It is awesome. I shop there with my granddaughter now when we visit my mother. We don’t have any Aldi by us but when we are travelling we always stop and buy things.
love the produce….moves quickly so usually the freshest around. Cookies, taco chips, hummus. yogurt, breads, rolls, etc, etc,…………. their store brands are always good to great. if you can find a deal on a meat that you want using the red discount stickers always a nice deal. they seem to redoing the Aldi’s that are around me…..looking more and more like a regular grocery store.
I’ve been to 3 Aldi stores and they have all been pretty awful. Run-down, unorganized, and not clean…plus both fresh and frozen items looked old and of poor quality. Trader Joe’s stores on the other hand have always been immaculate and I have been to at least a dozen of them. Hard to believe that the former owns the latter.
Even i feel the produce there is of poor quality. Though the rates are cheaper but at the cost of quality!
That’s because they are separate entities, even though they share ownership. They are independent of each other.
FYI Aldi Nord actually owns Trader Joe’s in the US. My point was that even if they were sister companies, they’re like night and day.
The Aldi’s in my area is very clean, and everything is very fresh.
Love my aldis ! I shop there for the main part of my groceries then get what I couldn’t get there at wegmans.
So crazy after leaving aldis and seeing how much more expensive the same things are at wegmans ! Can’t praise aldis enough !
Even though I KNOW Wegmans is more expensive, I still go there.
❤️ Wegmans
I do the same thing! I get a lot of staple items at ALDI, but could never cut out Wegmans from my shopping trip – it’s just too good.
While name brand health and beauty items are pricey there, I think their own brands of these items are good. Their “source” brand beauty bar is completely indistinguishable from Dove.
I just wanted to add my 2 cents .. I love aldis and wish they had one near me. Anytime I visit my mom 4.5 hrs away I always stop by aldis to buy their bread and take several loafs back with me to freeze.
A few months ago I bought a 2 inch memory foam thing for my bed. It was $35 and I knew if we didn’t like it or if it was crap I could return it. It’s amazing!! Same quality and comfort as those $100 ones! I always check the limited time offers now!
I bought an amazing loofah bathtub mat at mine for $5 and it’s awesome! I love the deal section!
I got one of those too! I love it.
I’ve always had really good luck with all of the special buys I’ve gotten. At Christmas time they’ve got really great kids toys too! I got wooden food playsets for $5
I have been shopping at Aldi for 15 years and love it. Produce has to be looked at carefully and dates as they aren’t always caught in time. Aldi has saved me so much money.
The Aldi’s brand paper towels-which say compare to Bounty paper towels and they have another compare to Sparkle paper towels are wonderful.
I get the compare to Bounty and just bought a huge extra big 12 rolls for $13.99
We shop at 3 different ALdi’s all so different re: cleanliness and stock. We have found lately that the produce goes bad very fast.
Maybe you should check to be sure your refrigerator is cooling your veggies enough. I purchase Aldi’s produce all the time, and it keeps for weeks in my refrigerator.
Another solution maybe is to really only buy what you’ll eat for the week… I do weekly trips as most of my shopping list is fresh fruits and vegetables 🥒 I would hate to throw money away because we can’t eat it fast enough!
My son has celiac disease and I have found that Aldi has the best selection and best prices around for gluten free foods.
I totally agree! The gluten-free pretzels are my favorite, and I don’t even live a GF lifestyle! My mom has Celiac’s and buys the lifeGfree baking mixes (and other products from that line) and loves them!
Our Aldi is very picked over at the location near me. Always out of everything from milk to bread. it is a new location..maybe a year old and the store is nasty. Produce is always out or does not look good. Meat quality not the best not the prices compared to the local grocery stores.
We have Lidl the same type of store from Germany as well.They have better produce meat and a bakery. Carry more gluten free and organic products.
Thanks so much for this post. I just signed up for checkout51!
I remember the first time I sent my husband to Aldis…. He had never been there before. He did not know about the cart system (and I had never thought to tell him), but when he was walking up some lady goes “here you can take my cart” and so he grabs her cart and starts walking in… And she says “give me a quarter.” And my husband said, “I ain’t giving you no quarter.” And she replied “give me back my cart then!” And so he gave her back the cart.. Then he found me (I was in the store) and he told me how some crazy lady tried to make him give him a quarter for her cart.
Lol poor guy
LOL!! That is too funny!
Hahahahahahaha
Poor guy! I’ve seen a few people that you can clearly tell it’s their first time and I usually try and guide them through their first trip.
Lmao!!!!! Priceless 🙂 🙂
If you want to return an item you now have to have a receipt. I tried returning a corn syrup that I had bought a couple months ago (I buy ahead so I don’t run out). When I was ready to open it, it had fermented and swollen up. I went to return it and they told em that you now have to have a receipt. I just threw it away and bought another one. Not worth saving receipts for months on shelf stable stuff that I don’t always use quickly.
I hope we get an Aldi or a Lidl by us soon.
Ok yall new Aldi/Lidl shopper here…could use some help. What do I stay away from and what do I go for? I’ve always been a little nervous to go into those stores because I don’t know the brane names and am nervous about trying new. Any tips? email me at sharpthomas03@gmail.com. Thanks everyone!!
We have Aldi and Lidl I prefer Lidl look for the red or orange discount price signs at Lidl. I have gotten some good deals. Also get Lidl app they have coupons.
I love Aldi. I think it is the smartest grocery store around. The one thing I hate though is the checkout. I understand they are going for efficiency, but I hate the rushed feeling. I also try to leave bags from other stores in case anyone forgets theirs. I hate to see anyone spend money on bags when every other store gives them to you.
Meanwhile I don’t feel that way I feel more rushed when I have to bag my stuff ASAP after I checkout from another supermarket from the next customer. In NY on Long Island Suffolk you have to pay .5 cents per bag no matter the store even in Macy’s but at Aldi I just use the empty boxes and the staff let me grab them from the back. Then I organize all my stuff on that counter across from checkout calmly by putting them in boxes one is freezer, fridge, cupboard. I stack them and put in my trunk and i make 3 trips to the car -home and I don’t kill my arms from carrying bags. I hated the stop and shop bags 1. You buy them 2. They rip when you have nothing in it! Pet peeve!!
I worked for Aldi’s as a Store Manager for several years. You are not getting free bags everywhere else. It is built into the cost of the items and that is why you pay more elsewhere. Aldi can offer lower prices by charging for bags and letting the consumer decide whether to buy them or bring their own. The stores are pretty bare bones and they work with limited staff to keep prices low. I helped open several of the stores. In a matter of 3 days we would take an empty building with no shelving and fill it to be opened on the fourth day. They use employees from other stores and not an outside company to open the stores. They run on limited staff but they pay well. All employees including the managers unload the pallets and stock the shelves so they aren’t paying managers to just manage and the cashiers double as the stockers. There is no fancy customer service desk or Starbucks coffee. They really know how to be cost efficient in all aspects and it saves the consumers money. So don’t think you aren’t paying for the “free” plastic bags and fancy features in the other stores.
We buy milk, eggs and cream cheese all the time at great prices. Love their potato and tortilla chips too. Last year I bought several cat scratcher cardboard things for about $3 each and they sell for considerably more elsewhere. Chocolate truffles are wonderful too and like their Xmas stollen.
I try to buy all the specially selected items usually in found in a black box. Almost always from Europe and taste so good. Also highly recd the frozen veggies the broccoli is so good and taste like the frozen Whole Food veggies! I joined a great Facebook group that tells you what’s great and what’s not from them. I save so much money from shopping here that I want buy anymore from the big box stores!
I can’t get into Aldi’s. Last time I went there was moldy cheese, but everytime I try it’s something.
I agree I guess we are grocery snobs but I don’t care
My sister hates Aldis. She doesn’t like the cart system or the no bag system. She was mad they quickly check you out and “throw” the items in the cart. I’m the opposite, love it for the most part. Saves money and most items are good. To save money I’m good with the cart system etc. Only thing I bought that went bad were cantaloupes. They basically imploded. Just threw them away.
I luv Aldis. Luv the produce, meat, nutty snacks, etc. It is also fun to shop there around holidays. Luv the gifts n toys n candy. Nice to not have to worry bout using coupons. Have so many plastic grocery bags, doesn’t bother me that u gotta take ur own or buy theirs. They also have best prices on baby items n bottled water.
I miss having an Aldi nearby. I live in NM now and have had so many quality issues at Albertsons and Smith’s. I have never had to return so much expired and spoiled food in my life. Sigh..
We love Aldi!!! I do 90% of our shopping there, usually going two times a week. My grocery bill would probably be double or triple if we didn’t have an Aldi here! Ours recently remodeled and expanded and it’s great. Almost a higher end store. We go through produce so fast it doesn’t have time to go bad. I highly recommend you give it a try!
I shop Aldi mostly for the produce, milk, and general salad stuff. I’ve bought meat there too and only had one problem with chicken several years ago…returned it with no problem. I like the gluten free items that I tried. Same experience with the cleanliness of the store. The closest one to me can be hit or miss so I try to go to other ones that I know have better management. Overall, it’s an ok experience. I really like their Hawaiian pizza by Mama Cozzi. It has a good flavor to me.
The meatball marinara pizza is one of my faves. Even next day out of the fridge and/or warmed up it’s really good IMO.
So wished we had a ALDI in AZ. For sure one of my favorite discount stores when I lived in Germany.
I LOVE Aldi. I remember when I first became an adult (about 12 years ago) trying Aldi and thinking it was kind of run down and janky.
NOW, I shop almost exclusively at Aldi. We love: their breads (Brownberry knock offs), produce, cage free eggs, Never Any! branded lunch meats and meat, hummus, almonds, guacamole, organic blue tortilla chips, coconut milk, spices.
Things I’m not crazy about: their coffee creamers, cheeses.
I forgot to add that anything under their Specially Selected brand is FABULOUS. Whether it is cheese, flat bread pizza, dessert.
I so wish I had an Aldi even remotely close
We love aldi! There milk is .98 a gallon and eggs are .38 a dozen expires March 14. We’ve saved so much money.
Wow! I guess our Aldi stores have really good prices on milk and eggs here in Cincinnati😊
I’m from Cincinnati and when I first moved to S. Florida my jaw nearly hit the floor buying groceries. Milk is $4/gallon and almost $2 for dozen eggs, sometimes more. Aldi’s has helped to lower prices but even milk is $2.75 there also. I don’t buy it there b/c I hate the design of the milk jug lol.
The milk is NOT .98 a gallon in PA. Price is regulated here.
Yes dairy items definitely differ in price by region. Milk is $1.58, eggs are 98¢. Still great prices for our area (MN)
Anyone know when they will get the chunky cherry applesauce it is my favorite.
I just gave Aldi’s another shot after the post here about their cookies. My family absolutely loves the cookies! The produce is hit or miss.
Awesome post ! Love these tips – thanks !
Milk(Friendly Farms) at my location has been $1.47 to $1.49 when I walk in lately. The eggs have gone up to $1.04. I LOVE their CHEESES!!! Texture is not like national brands – a.k.a. Kraft. I purchase the block cheeses – $1.69 to $1.89 and shredded – I know that the shredded has some additives in it to prevent clumping – it still can clump. However, I hate having to clean my grater after I grate cheese and really don’t want to grate anything else to try to help the cleaning process of it. ANYWAY, the cheeses are VERY inexpensive – DEFINITELY compared to other stores – as well as the flavors are good – Happy Farms is the brand 🙂
All of the Aldi’s I’ve been to here in MO & IA are clean and friendly. As a vegetarian their produce prices are awesome for my family. We don’t have one nearby so I bring s cooler when we’re traveling through somewhere with one🤓. Some highlights beyond the produce is the 100% maple syrup, hummus, bread, veggie burgers and specialty European items.
I just gave Aldi’s another shot after the post here about their cookies. My family absolutely loves the cookies! The produce is hit or miss. We just tried their take and bake pizzas and really liked them. They have the best price I’ve found on unsalted butter. My kids like their almond milk and their OJ and it’s also cheaper than other stores. I buy the PurAqua flavored water (NOT the sparkling kind). Their Pueblo tortilla chips are great as are the english muffins.
Everything else I can find for less at mt local Woodmans. Oddly enough eggs gave been priced through the roof lately at all stores so I’v e been buying them from Kwik Trip for 79 cents a dozen. I buy all of my bread from a Sarah Lee outlet where I can get 5 loaves of Brownberry widepan bread for $5.
I had read somewhere that Aldi had a shortage of some sort with their eggs and that’s why the prices were high. They were back down to 80¢ last week when I went.
Aldi is the best! Love it and save sooo much money there!
I love Aldi! My kids eat cereal like there’s not tomorrow and the closest Aldi is 50 min away so I always buy like 30 boxes when I go there. I’m sure the cashiers think I’m insane!! Lol
Aldis can be hit or miss with their produce. But I like getting strawberries and blackberries there. Even if they are getting too soft, I put them into quart mason jars, freeze them, and I make jam out of them.
Favorite unexpected “like” is their boxes of tissues! 69 cents for a BIG box of “compare to kleenex” and they are GOOD quality!!
Love Aldi! I prefer to buckle my kids in their car seats, then bag my own groceries at my car (weather permitting, of course). Keeps my kiddos from going stir crazy at the tables and I can pack more carefully. My store is under renovation–can’t wait to see the improvement!
Aldi’s dark chocolate is my crack. $1.99 for a decadent large 4.4 oz bar has made me an official junkie.
Yes! I always buy 2 or 3. So good.