Aldi is a fantastic choice to shop at to reduce your grocery spending. We have shopped at the store for years to manage our grocery budget. Having three growing children we do all we can to keep our spending in check and shopping at Aldi is one of the key ways we do that. However, not everything is a good deal at Aldi. Some items aren’t worth the deal, or the quality is lacking. Here are 11 items we skip at Aldi.
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Paper Products
Large families can fly through paper towels. You may think that Aldi is an excellent source to save money on your paper products.
Unfortunately, you would be wrong. You can often find similar, if not better, deals elsewhere. Worse yet, Aldi doesn’t accept coupons so you have no hope of lowering your further.
Ground Beef
If you’re shopping for meat, you can generally find good deals on chicken at Aldi. That’s not necessarily the case with ground beef. We have found better deals consistently at other places like Costco and Fareway.
Soda
Aldi offers fantastic deals on their in-house brand soda. The problem? It doesn’t stack up well against known soda brands like Coke or Pepsi.
Soda can often be expensive, but many grocery stores use it as a loss leader. Watch for sales and stock up when it’s available on a discount.
Lunch Meat
Going to the deli can get expensive, especially for a growing family. Unfortunately, Aldi doesn’t have a traditional deli counter that slices lunch meat fresh for you.
While they do offer lunch meat in pre-packaged items, it’s not cut fresh for you.
If you like talking to a person at the deli counter to get their input on what to select, Aldi isn’t for you.
Shredded Cheese
Shredded cheese is a staple for many families. If you’re an Aldi shopper, it’s best to shop elsewhere for your cheese fix. Their shredded cheese, like some others, contain cellulose, which makes it difficult to harder to melt. This is an issue if you use shredded cheese in hot meals.
Opt for one of their block cheeses if you want to save money. It also lasts longer, so win-win.
Coffee
Do you want a low-cost cup of java every morning? You may think that Aldi is a good choice.
Unfortunately, some would prefer to have a cup of Folgers instead. You may find you enjoy the coffee sold at Aldi. Just don’t over commit and buy multiple bags without trying it first.
Most Salty Snacks
It’s not uncommon to find some national brands at Aldi when you’re looking for snacks. They aren’t always cheaper, so you might be able to save more at a major retailer if you use a coupon app.
Aldi does offer a broad range of generic salty snacks. Unfortunately, many of them lack in flavor compared to known brands. While they’re often significantly cheaper, it’s probable that you will be disappointed.
Sandwich Bags
You don’t want your sandwich bag to open or rip apart in your bagged lunch. That can lead to a mess, or a less than desirable lunch.
Aldi may offer a good deal on sandwich bags, but you may be better served by purchasing the name brand alternative at another store. With a sale or coupon you may even save money vs. the Aldi option.
Cleaning Supplies
There’s little need to overspend on cleaning supplies. However, repeated tests show the Aldi cleaning options don’t stand up to a name brand option.
They’re not as robust, and may leave you feeling your home is less than clean. Opt for the name brand instead.
Local Produce
My family consumes a lot of local produce. Time and again Aldi leaves us disappointed with its offerings. Their selection is hit and miss.
Worse yet, fruits may be overripe with a more limited shelf life. You’re better served shopping at a local farmer’s market to get the variety and taste you want.
Cat Litter
Just because it’s cat litter doesn’t mean you should always take the cheap option. Reviews of Aldi’s cat litter as less than glowing.
It lacks the clumping ability or odor elimination that some name brands. If it’s not doing what it’s meant to do, why go for the deal?
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I’m John Schmoll, a former stockbroker, MBA-grad, published finance writer, and founder of Frugal Rules.
As a veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve worked as a mutual fund administrator, banker, and stockbroker and was Series 7 and 63-licensed, but I left all that behind in 2012 to help people learn how to manage their money.
My goal is to help you gain the knowledge you need to become financially independent with personally-tested financial tools and money-saving solutions.
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