First trip to Aldi's

Tara wrote:
> I tried Aldi's for the first time today. The prices are very good
> and the workers were very friendly and courteous. You do give up
> some convenience in exchange for the low prices. You have to deposit
> a quarter for your buggy, bring your own bags or pay for theirs, and
> bag your own groceries. I had trouble finding various items because
> the aisles are not labelled. But, the prices are so good that if we
> like the food, I will certainly return once a month or so to stock up.
> Aldi's sells mostly their own store brand along with a few national
> brands.
>
> Milk was $2.89 (US) a gallon, eggs $0.75 a dozen, butter $1.99 a
> pound, mandarin oranges $0.39 for an eleven ounce can, cereal $1.69 a
> box.
>
> Tara

I do most of my shopping there. I literally do not know how we would
survive without being able to buy things as cheap as they sell them there.

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

email:
anisaerah at s b c global.net

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams

On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 20:59:54 GMT, sarah bennett wrote:

> I do most of my shopping there. I literally do not know how we would
> survive without being able to buy things as cheap as they sell them there.

Is this one of those "pack your own groceries" type of store?
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

sf wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 20:59:54 GMT, sarah bennett wrote:
>
>
>> I do most of my shopping there. I literally do not know how we would
>> survive without being able to buy things as cheap as they sell them there.
>
>
> Is this one of those "pack your own groceries" type of store?

yes.

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

email:
anisaerah at s b c global.net

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams

"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 20:59:54 GMT, sarah bennett wrote:
>
> > I do most of my shopping there. I literally do not know how we would
> > survive without being able to buy things as cheap as they sell them
there.
>
> Is this one of those "pack your own groceries" type of store?

Yep. Although nowadays, half the time when I go to Kroger, I end up packing
my own also - the cashier is expected to ring up *and* bag, and I don't like
waiting that long. Neither do the people behind me.

Lisa Ann

There's an Aldi up the street from me. I think it's a great place to go
for some things - especially the prepared / box food varieties (lots of
yummy European chocolate and cookies). But it's terrible for fresh
food. Since there's an Asian/Hispanic market two blocks away, I tend to
do most of my shopping there: such a huge variety of fresh veggies and
fish, and waaaayyyy cheaper and easier to get to than the Stop and Shop
(better quality produce too). Only thing is: it doesn't look as nice
from the outside as either the S&S or the Aldi....I wonder if that
scares people away.

[email protected] wrote:
> There's an Aldi up the street from me. I think it's a great place to go
> for some things - especially the prepared / box food varieties (lots of
> yummy European chocolate and cookies). But it's terrible for fresh
> food. Since there's an Asian/Hispanic market two blocks away, I tend to
> do most of my shopping there: such a huge variety of fresh veggies and
> fish, and waaaayyyy cheaper and easier to get to than the Stop and Shop
> (better quality produce too). Only thing is: it doesn't look as nice
> from the outside as either the S&S or the Aldi....I wonder if that
> scares people away.
>

I buy certain fresh veggies there, but not others. Bagged romaine
hearts, celery, carrots, cucumbers, peppers (sometimes the peppers are a
bit worse for wear, but they are cheap and I cut them up to stick in the
freezer right away anyhow), and sometimes onions, if they look decent.
Any time I have bought potatoes there, they rotten within days. The
fruit looks crappy, and generally I can find at least 2 kinds of fruit
on sale at other supermarkets for about the same price range, so I don;t
go there.

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

email:
anisaerah at s b c global.net

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams

On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 13:39:49 -0800, sf <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 20:59:54 GMT, sarah bennett wrote:
>
>> I do most of my shopping there. I literally do not know how we would
>> survive without being able to buy things as cheap as they sell them there.
>
>Is this one of those "pack your own groceries" type of store?

Yes, it a German chain that also owns Trader Joe's, has done since
1979 or so. There are Aldi's all over Northern Europe.

"Lisa Ann" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>> Is this one of those "pack your own groceries" type of store?
>
> Yep. Although nowadays, half the time when I go to Kroger, I end up
> packing my own also - the cashier is expected to ring up *and* bag,
> and I don't like waiting that long. Neither do the people behind me.
>
>

This has made me curious. Do most of the supermarkets in the US have
someone other than the cashier packing the groceries? What about those of
you in other countries? That doesn't happen anywhere here that I've
shopped. The general setup is that the checkout person has a frame thingy
attached to the bench just in front of them which holds the bags - either
the plastic grocery bags or the enviro bags you bring yourself, that all
the supermarkets sell - have never seen a supermarket here using paper
sacks. They scan the product and place it straight into the bag. When the
bag's filled, they place it in a space at the end of the checkout, and
you take them from there and put them in your trolley,or if there's only
a couple, carry them away from there after paying.

The only time I've ever seen two people at a checkout was a few times
when it's been really busy, they've had a person removing the bags and
placing them in your trolley, so that the area's pretty much clear
immediately after you've paid, and there's no chance of mixing up your
shopping you haven't moved yet with the shopping of the person behind
you.

Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

"Lisa Ann" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Yep. Although nowadays, half the time when I go to Kroger, I
end up
> packing my own also - the cashier is expected to ring up *and*
bag,
> and I don't like waiting that long. Neither do the people
behind me.
>
>
> Lisa Ann


I'm that way too, unless there's a checker and a bagger when I
checkout.

I'll bag dry edibles/frige/frozen/bathroom stuffs etc, into "like
kind" bags for ease of unbagging at home.

I'm a plastic/no paper bag guy.

Andy

> The only time I've ever seen two people at a checkout was a few times
> when it's been really busy, they've had a person removing the bags and
> placing them in your trolley, so that the area's pretty much clear
> immediately after you've paid, and there's no chance of mixing up your
> shopping you haven't moved yet with the shopping of the person behind
> you.
>
> Rhonda Anderson
> Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Maybe one could go to the other extreme and do like (is it?) France. You
pick out your item, he/she gives you a ticket. You take the ticket to
another place in the shop and they will give you the item. Then you take
the ticket back to the first person or another person and she checks it over
or checks you out.
Do they still do that? I saw them doing that on a French movie also a short
while back.
Dee Dee

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> "Lisa Ann" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>> Yep. Although nowadays, half the time when I go to Kroger, I
> end up
>> packing my own also - the cashier is expected to ring up *and*
> bag,
>> and I don't like waiting that long. Neither do the people
> behind me.
>>
>>
>> Lisa Ann
>
>
> I'm that way too, unless there's a checker and a bagger when I
> checkout.
>
> I'll bag dry edibles/frige/frozen/bathroom stuffs etc, into "like
> kind" bags for ease of unbagging at home.
>
> I'm a plastic/no paper bag guy.
>
> Andy

I like it best when a checker throws your product to the end of the
catch-all area, or slams it down and slides it with all damnable contempt
towards the catch-all area, etc.
I do like paper bags, but I recall those days when 'baggers' really knew how
to bag; and they gave you a wrap-around for your icecream, and there was
someone waiting to push your bags out to the car and load them in for you.
Aaaah - those were the days!
Living in the past? Oh, yes.
Dee Dee

"Tara" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I tried Aldi's for the first time today. The prices are very good
> and the workers were very friendly and courteous. You do give up
> some convenience in exchange for the low prices. You have to deposit
> a quarter for your buggy, bring your own bags or pay for theirs, and
> bag your own groceries. I had trouble finding various items because
> the aisles are not labelled. But, the prices are so good that if we
> like the food, I will certainly return once a month or so to stock up.
> Aldi's sells mostly their own store brand along with a few national
> brands.
>
> Milk was $2.89 (US) a gallon, eggs $0.75 a dozen, butter $1.99 a
> pound, mandarin oranges $0.39 for an eleven ounce can, cereal $1.69 a
> box.
>
> Tara

Is $2.89 a gallon for milk supposed to be a good price? That seems
pretty high. I pay less than $2, though admittedly a half gallon is
almost as much as a gallon.

-T

Moriarty wrote:

> "Tara" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >I tried Aldi's for the first time today. The prices are very good
> > and the workers were very friendly and courteous. You do give up
> > some convenience in exchange for the low prices. You have to deposit
> > a quarter for your buggy, bring your own bags or pay for theirs, and
> > bag your own groceries. I had trouble finding various items because
> > the aisles are not labelled. But, the prices are so good that if we
> > like the food, I will certainly return once a month or so to stock up.
> > Aldi's sells mostly their own store brand along with a few national
> > brands.
> >
> > Milk was $2.89 (US) a gallon, eggs $0.75 a dozen, butter $1.99 a
> > pound, mandarin oranges $0.39 for an eleven ounce can, cereal $1.69 a
> > box.
> >
> > Tara
>
> Is $2.89 a gallon for milk supposed to be a good price? That seems
> pretty high. I pay less than $2, though admittedly a half gallon is
> almost as much as a gallon.


Milk has gotten cheaper, can usually find it on sale somewhere for under two
bux a gallon...

Between Walgreens, Treasure Island, Jewel and ethnic places (I live in
Chicago) I can always at least equal or usually beat those Aldi prices
mentioned above...

The Aldi's nearest me (in Chicawgo's Uptown nabe on Broadway) is generally a
Turd World hellhole, besides which it's on a strip with the Salvation Army,
drug rehab places, sleezy likker stores, halfway houses, homeless...pretty
scary.

Others further afield are much better (or so I hear)...

--
Best
Greg

Dee Randall wrote:

> "Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>>"Lisa Ann" <[email protected]> wrote in
>>news:[email protected]:
>>
>>
>>>Yep. Although nowadays, half the time when I go to Kroger, I
>>
>>end up
>>
>>>packing my own also - the cashier is expected to ring up *and*
>>
>>bag,
>>
>>>and I don't like waiting that long. Neither do the people
>>
>>behind me.
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Lisa Ann
>>
>>
>>I'm that way too, unless there's a checker and a bagger when I
>>checkout.
>>
>>I'll bag dry edibles/frige/frozen/bathroom stuffs etc, into "like
>>kind" bags for ease of unbagging at home.
>>
>>I'm a plastic/no paper bag guy.
>>
>>Andy
>
>
> I like it best when a checker throws your product to the end of the
> catch-all area, or slams it down and slides it with all damnable contempt
> towards the catch-all area, etc.
> I do like paper bags, but I recall those days when 'baggers' really knew how
> to bag; and they gave you a wrap-around for your icecream, and there was
> someone waiting to push your bags out to the car and load them in for you.
> Aaaah - those were the days!
> Living in the past? Oh, yes.
> Dee Dee
>
>
That has never existed here . When I shopped in North America and people
wanted to buy my purcases, I felt awful. As if it looked like I needed a
slave or was too unfit/lazy to take acre of my groceries. Unnerving.

"Tara" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I tried Aldi's for the first time today. The prices are very good
> and the workers were very friendly and courteous. You do give up
> some convenience in exchange for the low prices. You have to deposit
> a quarter for your buggy, bring your own bags or pay for theirs, and
> bag your own groceries. I had trouble finding various items because
> the aisles are not labelled. But, the prices are so good that if we
> like the food, I will certainly return once a month or so to stock up.
> Aldi's sells mostly their own store brand along with a few national
> brands.
>
> Milk was $2.89 (US) a gallon, eggs $0.75 a dozen, butter $1.99 a
> pound, mandarin oranges $0.39 for an eleven ounce can, cereal $1.69 a
> box.
>
> Tara

I love Aldi. I think on the whole that some of there products are even
better than "name" brands. The vegies I get there are great, except the
potatoes. I'm not sure why but the russet potatoes are almost always not
very good. On the other hand they carry baby Yukon golds that are great, go
figure. I was watching foodTV the other night and they had a piece about
Aldi's on "Unwrapped" (I think) They explained that Aldi's private labels
are actually made by the same makers as the big name brands. I think that
explains why the quality is so good.

Lisa aka Pagemaster

On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 23:09:53 GMT, "Moriarty"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Is $2.89 a gallon for milk supposed to be a good price? That seems
>pretty high. I pay less than $2, though admittedly a half gallon is
>almost as much as a gallon.

$3.50 for a gallon store brand milk here in Austin, $4.20 for name
brand.

-sw

a little typo there I think. '...wanted to pack my purchases....'

I agree with you any way!

Bronwyn
Australia

Aldi are expanding in Australia. We now have one in my locality. I
only find it good for some packaged European style products. I
intensely dislike its layout with no rhyme or reason to the positions
of goods - chain saws and tvs next to soup or cereal.
My method of supermarket shopping with a small list does not suit
trawling up and down every aisle trying to find something.

Bronwyn

Moriarty wrote:
> "Tara" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>I tried Aldi's for the first time today. The prices are very good
>>and the workers were very friendly and courteous. You do give up
>>some convenience in exchange for the low prices. You have to deposit
>>a quarter for your buggy, bring your own bags or pay for theirs, and
>>bag your own groceries. I had trouble finding various items because
>>the aisles are not labelled. But, the prices are so good that if we
>>like the food, I will certainly return once a month or so to stock up.
>>Aldi's sells mostly their own store brand along with a few national
>>brands.
>>
>>Milk was $2.89 (US) a gallon, eggs $0.75 a dozen, butter $1.99 a
>>pound, mandarin oranges $0.39 for an eleven ounce can, cereal $1.69 a
>>box.
>>
>>Tara
>
>
> Is $2.89 a gallon for milk supposed to be a good price? That seems
> pretty high. I pay less than $2, though admittedly a half gallon is
> almost as much as a gallon.
>
> -T
>
>

around here (metro detroit) the "regular" price for milk ranges from
2.75 to 3.25 a gallon for non-organic. It's usually on sale *somewhere*
for 2 bucks a gallon or less.

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

email:
anisaerah at s b c global.net

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams