Comments
guest0112 t1_iwq9ccv wrote
Aldi is absolutely incredible. If anyone reading this hasn’t tried shopping there, I hope you take this article serious. Their produce is fresh. Only downside is their selection isn’t always great but you save so much money there that it’s worth stopping at giant or wherever else on your way home.
Don’t forget your reusable bags and quarter
PigtownDesign t1_iwqm8fs wrote
I think that people's problem with Aldi is that they went into food deserts where there were no grocery stores, and got the reputation of being a low-income grocery store. I shopped there all of the time when I lived in the UK, so was familiar with what a good store it was when they arrived here. Same for Lidl.
[deleted] t1_iwqqnr2 wrote
My problem is that the selection is very, very limited, produce and meat is so so at best, and a lot of their products are preprocessed foods I have no interest in.
pinkycatcher t1_iwrdm4s wrote
That's my biggest problem, I walked into Aldi's once to try it out and get a week or so worth of food, and at the end I walked out with a cereal I didn't really want because they didn't have anything else I wanted.
TheRainbowpill93 t1_ix0qxic wrote
You go to ALDIs for your basics: like Milk, Produce, Cheese, Eggs, Pasta, etc. Then visit a big grocery for the stuff you didn’t purchase. That’s how you’re supposed to do it.
AreWeCowabunga t1_iwqozgl wrote
I think there's a noticeable drop in quality of a lot of the stuff at Aldi, especially their off-brand stuff. I've been much happier with Lidl.
macmac360 t1_iwt9t2f wrote
Lidl is great, I go to the one in Timonium sometimes and am always amused with all the random shit they sell. What other grocery store sells weed wackers, tool boxes, and jumper cables?
Every time I go there I see something I would never expect to be in a grocery store.
PleaseBmoreCharming t1_iwqe2c9 wrote
I'm always disappointed with Aldi's packaging of products. Yes, it's cheap, but there's soooo much plastic used for their produce or refrigerated items. Like, why do my bell peppers have to be wrapped in a sealed plastic bag!? It's so wasteful it almost makes the cheap prices not worth it.
(Full disclosure: my resolution for this past year ways to be more sustainable/environmentally conscious, so I've been a bit more observant about how much plastic grocery store products use for no reason.)
dopkick t1_iwqnb6h wrote
While I agree with you, you're buying into an effort by corporate America to shift the onus of saving the world onto the consumer. Which they happily find ways to profit off of - lots of people happily buy garbage because it's plastic free. This conveniently gets people focused on tiny contributors of greenhouse gasses while flagrant polluters fly under the radar. I bet a single week-long cruise generates more CO2 than all of the excess plastic in all Aldis worldwide in a year.
PleaseBmoreCharming t1_iwqor5t wrote
I'm aware of this, but I can personally make the decision to avoid it if I want. I'm not saying I'm saving the world here, and I do understand the need for larger industries/corporations to do their direct part in changing their business processes, but that doesn't mean I want to stop be conscious of it on account that it won't make a dent. It's more a psychological thing, really.
dopkick t1_iwqrnsl wrote
What if you take the money you would save on food and instead purchase a more fuel efficient (or EV) car? Or donate to a cause that's trying to go after the big polluters? Saving a substantial amount of money can definitely open up other avenues to make a larger impact.
sit_down_man t1_iwrq5jl wrote
IMO the only true consumer-based individual action that would matter is ditching a car or becoming car-light. Both of which is way better for the environment than purchasing an electric car, which has significant environmental cost to make.
TaterTotz8 t1_iwqefro wrote
And why can’t I buy single peppers/onions/potatoes?! The produce selection is one of my gripes with aldi but the low prices make it worth doing a double grocery store trip to pick up stuff that’s not available at aldi
HazelNightengale t1_iwr6f27 wrote
Aldi's big strategy is efficiency. Limited selection, limited square footage, you go in, get your stuff, the checker rushes you down the line, you pay and get the hell out, see ya next week.
A bag of onions/peppers/etc. can be scanned and swept down the conveyor, rather than count and enter how many (like Trader Joe's) or find the tiny sticker on the pepper with the code and weigh them out.
It's easier to stock, easier to track for inventory purposes, easier to scan and move down the line.
dopkick t1_iwqbq8h wrote
Some stuff there is ludicrously cheap compared to other places. When I need heavy cream it's like 5-6x cheaper at Aldi compared to anywhere else.
TheCaptainDamnIt t1_iwvkmd5 wrote
A lot of the really cheap stuff is also sold in amounts far too large for a single person to ever need and the selection is not that good. I need a small bag of rice and and two onions, not a sack of each!
guest0112 t1_iwvtuk5 wrote
Agreed. Although you just picked two things that have very long shelf life
moderndukes t1_iwvwyj3 wrote
A lot of people would be surprised that there are two Aldi companies and one of them is called Trader Joe’s in the US.
[deleted] t1_iwqdxfi wrote
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mxxiestorc t1_iwqahh9 wrote
I disagree with Wegmans being on the cheaper side. Maybe if Giant and Safeway didn’t have discounts from loyalty program it might be cheaper.
DfcukinLite t1_iwqkdzx wrote
Wegmans branded stuff is super cheap
gs2181 t1_iwrc41s wrote
And usually very solid quality
TheRainbowpill93 t1_ix0qnom wrote
That’s the real secret about Wegmans. I really wish there was one near me but I live in Pigtown and the closest one is either Owings or Columbia :(
Not driving like that for groceries lol
dopkick t1_iwqbn0g wrote
It's definitely possible that the author caught sales during this. It seems like Wegmans isn't cheaper, but I go so infrequently that it's hard to tell.
AreWeCowabunga t1_iwqp8gx wrote
I love Wegman's, but their meat and seafood prices are ludicrous. Everything else is reasonable, and their store brands are usually great (eg, if you like seltzer, Wegman's brand is the best in both price and variety of flavors).
YoYoMoMa t1_iwrg7ci wrote
>but their meat and seafood prices are ludicrous
Yeah. At least when it comes to steak and salmon they are higher than Whole Foods, despite not being as high of quality.
HorsieJuice t1_iwqs850 wrote
I have the opposite experience with Wegmans - I find most of their prices -especially on meat- to be pretty reasonable, but their store brand stuff to be mediocre at best. I can still get chicken for < $2.50/lb. Pork might be $2.50-3/lb. Beef is higher, but I can still get some cuts for < $7/lb. Seafood is expensive, but that's true everywhere.
The store brand cereal and hummus are fine (and store brand is nearly all they have for hummus), but the store brand condiments are all worthless. Store brand bread and rolls are cheap but lousy. The bakery section sucks. Their frozen seafood has been kind of gross lately. The whole cheese section looks impressive, but I've tried several of their expensive store brand cheese and they've all been bland. If I'm going to drop $25/lb on cheese, I'll just go to The Wine Source.
NotYourRose18 t1_iwsk390 wrote
Aldi is literally amazing. My family has shopped there since before I (20) was born. I just went today and got groceries for $350 that easily would've costed $100-200 more at other stores like shoppers etc
[deleted] t1_iwqb9bk wrote
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dopkick t1_iwqbi7x wrote
I always thought Harris Teeter basically sucked. It always felt like everything there is at premium prices despite not having a premium selection. They do have a fair number of items on sale, which helps a lot, but there is no guarantee that what you want will be on sale.
What's surprising to me is that Wegmans is the cheapest of the listed non-discount grocery stores. I think it has the best selection of all, by far. Harris Teeter is 17% more expensive than Wegmans for, IMO, significantly less selection and quality.
I do wish they would have included Costco in the comparison as well. You'd need to normalize for the large sizes, but that should be easy enough. I wonder how they would stack up to Aldi and Lidl.
sxswnxnw t1_iwqwex8 wrote
I am glad they disnt include any hypermarkets. Everyone doesn't have space in their homes for the humongous sizes Costco carries.
neutronicus t1_iwqz244 wrote
Also you have to hike out to the suburbs to shop there.
Wegman's at least is near the Light Rail in Hunt Valley
YoYoMoMa t1_iwrgc3c wrote
>Also you have to hike out to the suburbs to shop there.
There is a BJs in Canton (almost).
neutronicus t1_iwrlby2 wrote
Ha my wife’s family is very loyal to Costco so that was the map I was visualizing
TheCaptainDamnIt t1_iwvkyu0 wrote
Aldi kinda does the same thing though.
pinkycatcher t1_iwrdqkn wrote
Nobody's obligating you to go there
Gov_Martin_OweMalley t1_iwqsh17 wrote
I only go there if I'm looking for a specific cheese or some odd ball item, otherwise its just way too pricy. Never been to a Wegmans but Ill have to seek one out based on what you said.
dopkick t1_iwr24pm wrote
Wegmans has wayyyy better cheeses!
Gov_Martin_OweMalley t1_iwr28zh wrote
I'm sold!
YoYoMoMa t1_iwrgqgt wrote
>I always thought Harris Teeter basically sucked
Man. I moved to Canton from two places that were a walk to whole foods and I soon found that these supermarkets suck. Safeway and Teets are WF prices without the quality. And Sprouts is about the same except they are really proud of their stale coffee.
So I drive (sigh) to WFs or Aldi.
sxswnxnw t1_iwtlhsn wrote
There are some good deals at Whole Foods. If you have Amazon Prime (which I no longer have), even more deals. However, I've found my grocery bill has been markedly lower going to Sprouts?
The one store that makes me feel very ripped off 85% of the time is Harris Teeter.
gabbagabbahey38 t1_iwqggts wrote
Harris Teeter is beyond a rip off. 4 pack of butter is $8... Lidl is the spot!
stormtatsu t1_iwrgki2 wrote
I wish they did Target because I have been consistently surprised when comparing prices there and for certain categories of things their prices are a lot better
salazar_slytherin t1_iwrk0ci wrote
agreed, and their grocery selection is improving. i shop here for the convenience of not having to go to multiple stores for different things (household items are so much more expensive at grocery stores) & i can get my husband to pick up our drive up order on his way from work when our newborn isn’t in the mood to go to the store lol
ganhedd0 t1_iwrj7y5 wrote
No surprise that Wegmans is the cheapest "traditional" grocery store on the list. We schlep out to the Wegmans in Owings Mills every week because it's cheap and they have fantastic selection on just about everything. I'd also be curious to see how Eddie's fares in this comparison. The one in Mount Vernon has never let us down when we needed a giant deli sandwich and some Taharka Bros, but they also have booze and a decent selection of groceries -- just haven't tried doing all of our regular shopping there.
ThatguyfromBaltimore t1_iwqilr1 wrote
Surprised they didn't try local(ish) places, like Gershbecks or Redners.
They always seem to have pretty good prices.
spicekatz t1_iwsss02 wrote
And the Geresbeck bakery omg
justlikeyou14 t1_iwqjyiw wrote
Would be curious to see MOM's included...
HorsieJuice t1_iwqqtgb wrote
They were included. They're just so expensive you probably didn't scroll far enough to see them.
​
/s
YoYoMoMa t1_iwrgz3g wrote
I have always found Moms and Sprouts to be worse than whole foods at whole foods prices.
aduirne t1_iwsj2ro wrote
Trader Joe's has good produce and the prices aren't bad. I find Lidl produce hit or miss.
MrRich1972 t1_iwrl5as wrote
Harvest Fare in Hamilton.
earnestlikehemingway t1_iwsu4zi wrote
I think it all depends. The big value stores like costco and Bjs have great value if you have a big family. Then you can go to the grocery stores to buy the small or very perishable items. Sprouts has great Proteins and fruits you just need to know what your buying. Harris Teeter also has good proteins and some good value in fruits. Best value is a mix of stores if you have the time. And then Aldis , bro/cousin trader joe’s is great too for snacks , pastas indulgences.
fijimermaidsg t1_iwrkr61 wrote
What about "Save=a-Lot"?
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[deleted] t1_iwrcxjv wrote
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Xanny t1_iwsr3dc wrote
I find myself getting most of my groceries from Walmart nowadays, but thats really only because my Amex card gave me Walmart+ for free, so free delivery. Price wise it normally beats everything except some stuff I get at Pricerite.
This reflects my xp though. Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, Safeway are just always too expensive and never really worth going to. Giant is only good for its weekly coupons but those are usually good deals.
Skontradiction OP t1_iwq6g50 wrote
TLDR: Authors compared cost of 12 common grocery items. Total costs were: