Is your go to grocery store a mega sized, tiny, or specialty store?

[kdonnel]

For the past year or so we have been doing most of our shopping at Aldi. We have average about 40% less then spent per week over what we spent when we did the majority of our shopping at Publix and Kroger.

Aldi mostly carries only its own house brands and there have been very few that we have found do not measure up to the national brands. One that does not is their instant oatmeal. It is just nasty. So we either don't eat the oatmeal or make a special trip once and a while to Publix to get the few items we can't get at Aldi or don't like the Aldi version.

Some Aldi brands are way better then the national brands. They have a boxed yellow rice that is much better then any of the brands carried at Publix or Kroger. Their cereals are at least as good if not better then the equivalent national brand. Their chips are great and cheap, 89 cents a bag for their Doritos clones that taste exactly the same vs the $4 or so for the real thing.

The produce can be problematic. We have found that shifting our shopping from Sunday to Monday dramatically improved the produce options and quality. It is a pain sometimes that you have to buy an entire bag of onions when you only need one, but that bag is the same price as just one at Publix.

I hate to think about all the money we could have saved if we had switched earlier.

When we do venture into a Publix or Kroger we usually feel overwhelmed with the number of choices. It also takes so much less time to shop at Aldi because the store is so much smaller. The Aldi we shop at is actually smaller then the entrance area where they store the grocery carts at the mega Kroger near by.

 

[Kogo Shuko]

I go to a regular grocery store, and do the online shopping. I find shopping online helps us save money by not getting any splurge items. But then I spend a bit more by going to a dedicated produce store for my fruits and veggies, but the quality is so much better.

I have frequented an Aldi in upstate New York every now and then. I do quite like it there, but I don't think I'd be able to get ALL my groceries needs there.

 

[Floridaman999]

I use a couple regular sized grocery stores for most of my foods and I use a mega sized store for my bulk item needs.

I do love that the farmers market season is soon upon us. I will do a ton of our shopping there for the season.

 

[Christine]

I go to Wegman's every Sunday, just because it carries about 90% of what I need and the brands I like.

We do have Aldi where we are (several of them) but I haven't been please with the offerings at ours, and I've tried.

Recently, we've had several Lidl stores open, and I prefer them over Aldi. Produce is generally fantastic and their bakery is awesome (and cheap) too. I also find some of brands superior to the national brands.

So basically I do one major store and augment with food from Lidl (and Target). I do get frustrated that I can't by everything I like in one place. For instance, I like this one variety of Progresso soup (Herbed Chicken and Dumplings) and ONLY Target carries it.

Edited to add: I forgot Costco!! I go there about once a month for steaks and salmon. Quality and price together can't be beat there.

 

[kdonnel]

I have frequented an Aldi in upstate New York every now and then. I do quite like it there, but I don't think I'd be able to get ALL my groceries needs there.

We just adjusted our menu to only include items we can buy there.

 

[DLgal]

I shop at a combination of Target, Costco, Albertsons/Ralph's, and Trader Joe's, so...all of the above.

 

[Klayfish]

Kroger. Very happy with it. Even produce and meats are good. We'll stop elsewhere for quick odds and ends if needed, but down the two big ones are Kroger and Publix. Publix is horribly overpriced.

 

[Kogo Shuko]

We just adjusted our menu to only include items we can buy there.

I wonder if each Aldi has a different selection? The one where I've been has a very small selection of fruits and veggies. And the meat selection is also quite small. It's got maybe two aisles of boxed and canned items and them an aisle of... odds and ends.

We don't really have anything like it in Canada. One chain tried opening something similar, but only sold boxed and canned items. Literally named their store BOX lol

 

[soccerdad72]

Costco

 

[Christine]

I wonder if each Aldi has a different selection? The one where I've been has a very small selection of fruits and veggies. And the meat selection is also quite small. It's got maybe two aisles of boxed and canned items and them an aisle of... odds and ends.

My Aldi sounds like yours. Very limited. I will use it to augment but I could never find *everything* I would want there. Life's too short not to eat the things you want if food is important to you! It's definitely affordable though. But, I am pretty set on brands I like such as yogurt and soup and other things and I don't have a need to deny myself Siggi's yogurt and eat Aldi's brand yogurt. I've tried it, it came up short, so that's it for me.

I am really enjoying Lidl, though. Really great meats and produce.

 

[sonnyjane]

My town only has one grocery store soooo that’s where I shop. It’s just a regular store. The bummer is that sometimes I get used to a product and really like it and then they’ll stop carrying it anymore :-/

 

[kdonnel]

I wonder if each Aldi has a different selection? The one where I've been has a very small selection of fruits and veggies. And the meat selection is also quite small. It's got maybe two aisles of boxed and canned items and them an aisle of... odds and ends.

We don't really have anything like it in Canada. One chain tried opening something similar, but only sold boxed and canned items. Literally named their store BOX lol

That is Aldi.

When you only sell your house brands with a few exceptions, you really don't need that many aisles to include what most people eat week to week.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Mostly large but not mega-sized Shop Rite and Acme. Sometimes Target and Walmart if I'm already there for another purpose.

I go to Aldi about every other month for a few refrigerated prepared items I like. But in general I need more variety than what they offer.

Stepdaughter who lives with us mostly shops at Aldi and BJ's warehouse club.

I do like how Aldi's house brands mimic national brands in their packaging. And some of their brand names are quite amusing.

 

[kdonnel]

I am really enjoying Lidl, though. Really great meats and produce.

Lidl is supposed to be building a store nearby. Their movement into the Metro Atlanta area is part of the reason the local Aldi are remodeling. As part of the remodel they are adding a bakery and prepared meals. Will be interesting to see what comes.

 

[Gary M]

I mainly shop at Meijer and sometimes at Walmart and Payless(Kroger owned).

 

[kimblebee]

We do online shopping for everything but meat and paper products. For those, we go to Costco. Their meat is so cheap and the quality and quantity are great. I swear, their boneless pork chops are cut right from a brontosaurus. They are huge lol

 

[Eeyore daily]

We shop at Aldi's, Target, and Sam's club. Publix is ridiculously over priced for the small amount of things I would get there.

 

[lorimay]

Publix and Costco are my go to places.

 

[leebee]

We don't have a lot of choice up here. Walmart and Target both have grocery sections, but I find the produce and bakery items from Walmart spoil pretty quickly, and their meats have an odd texture, almost as if they have been injected with tenderizers and such (which I actually think they have). Target is just plain overpriced. Our "regional" grocery stores are Hannaford and Shaw's; we shop at Hannaford for some things, our local IGA for others, depending on what's on sale. WE also have Sam's Club and BJ's but with just two of us, I use them only for dry goods, soaps, etc., and even then I can usually do better with sale prices or Dollar Tree. My siblings live in southern Maine and I often shop in NH when we are down there; Market Basket (regional chain) has great prices and great quality for meat, veggies, and fish. I just have to make sure I have coolers and ice packs with me when I go down to visit!

I wish we had an Aldi. We had one where we lived in Michigan, and I shop at Aldi when I visit my daughter in CT. Once again, traveling with the cooler and ice packs! I can save a significant amount of money shopping in CT or NH, but clearly it's only a savings if we are already there... definitely not worth the 3hr or 6 hr one-way drives otherwise, hahaha!

 

[Squirlz]

Within a one mile radius we have Aldi, Tom's independent market, Kroger, Meijer, Mert's Specialty Meats and a Walmart. I hate to even mention the Walmart because it is so out of place and I'll never shop there. We go to Kroger the most for dairy, produce, canned and dry goods and liquor. Their meat is always disappointing even when tempted by $7.99/lb. ribeyes. We go to Mert's for most of our meat, or drive a few miles to Costco to get Prime grade. We go to Meijer for good sales and coupon specials, Tom's if we just need a couple things because it is only 1/4 mile away. We have yet to go to the new Aldi.