Comfort foods

[JackFavell]

Man that store sounds like a godsend! I'd never heard of it. The closest one to our town is 40 minutes away. Maybe I'll lobby to get one close by.

Our produce prices in CT. grocery stores are outrageous - they generally go something like this (and I'm listing the lower end normal prices, not the upper end): 5lbs potatoes 2.99, 1lb, baby carrots 1.99, clementines/crate 5.99 (this price maybe twice a season, then up to 7 or 8.99), 1lb broccoli crowns .99-1.29, plain mushrooms 1.99.

[movieman1957]

CT gas prices are outrageous too. We have two Aldi's near us. But we have probably 6 grocery stores that are closer still. If I can't find it around here then I probably don't need it.

[MissGoddess]

Wow! Moira it looks like they just opened that store today! I'm going to plan a trip with my friend, maybe this weekend. Thank you!

Wendy, those prices are better than I usually find, even at TJ's. Do you know what D'Agostino's (up until now, the most prevalent grocery story in East Manhattan) charges for a 5lb bag of potatoes (NOT organic)? $5.99. Just a little over a year ago they were 3.99. They raised them, overnight it seemed, two dollars. I couldn't believe it. They're still the closest market to me, but I prefer to schlepp all the way to TJ's or even Whole Foods rather than be ripped off by Dag. And to top it off, they're dirty (the Dag stores).

[JackFavell]

I have to admit, I haven't seen 2.99 potatoes for a while, usually they are 3.99....but 5.99 is outrageous! In the city I can imagine everything is just awful! CT. is bad enough. We have one of the highest standards of living in the country but it doesn't even begin to compare to Manhattan.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

I am so lucky that I live near stores where produce is very affordable. 25 key limes for a dollar, roma tomatoes are now up to .99 a lb, but went as low as .44 a lb this summer in local area stores.

[charliechaplinfan]

In every country I've visited Aldi has been called Aldi apart from Austria where it is called Hofer but it's unmistakeable, they signage and colours are the same. Germany is by far the cheapest price for food that I've come across, when we holidayed in Austria recently we went across the border for our groceries. There is another chain that is very similar called Lidl, that's expanding at quite a rate too and is comparable.

Moira, I love rummaging in that middle section, they've just had memory foam pillows and I was tempted but I couldn't justify the expense but I'm hoping they'll have all kinds of stocking fillers before Christmas. Are the cashiers really quick? you can't pack at the till but put it all in trolley fast and pack afterwards which is fine for us, I just hope they slow down for the less able.

I think what I like about Aldi along with the cheap prices is that there are no offers or BOGOFs as they're called here (buy one get one free) which encourages the shopper to buy more and cons you into thinking you are being more economical, you can be but often I'm faced with stuff that hubby has bought that I have to cook at last minute to save it going off. These deal are only good if they are on tinned goods or things that will keep for a long while and only if you have storage room.

I've come to the conclusion that the cheapest way to cook is to plan meals both lunch and evening meals, week on week and try to only buy what I need, I have a hubby who buys these deals all the time though. My shopping habits have definetly changed, I started shopping at Aldi to get bits and now I do the majority there.

Aldi also do the tastiest cat food around, or so thinks my 17 year old cat, it's cheaper and he loves it whereas the more well known brands he just won't touch.

[CineMaven]

I don't know foods or prices, really, but this Aldi's on East 117th Street is in East Harlem or as we say, Spanish Harlem. There's a gigantic COSTCO over there, so I'm trying to imagine where they stuck this l'il store. It's East 117th Street location is two blocks from my high school and not far from my parents' house. Happy Shopping Ladies.

Gee, the things I learn here about my own 'hood.

[moira finnie]

I think what I like about Aldi along with the cheap prices is that there are no offers or BOGOFs as they're called here (buy one get one free) which encourages the shopper to buy more and cons you into thinking you are being more economical, you can be but often I'm faced with stuff that hubby has bought that I have to cook at last minute to save it going off. These deal are only good if they are on tinned goods or things that will keep for a long while and only if you have storage room.

The only time I've seen BOGO offers at Aldi's is when they have extra bread products. The only bread I buy is usually a loaf of their hearty rye (must have those scrumptious caraway seeds) which is actually better around here than the more expensive and familiar name brands. Their loaves are $1.49 here.

I don't know foods or prices, really, but this Aldi's on East 117th Street is in East Harlem or as we say, Spanish Harlem.

So you NEVER eat or buy food? Am I to believe that you subsist on celluloid morning, noon, and night? You really are an uncanny CineMaven.

[JackFavell]

Good news, I did another search and found an Aldi's just 14 miles from here! We are going to make the trip soon, just to see what it's like. Remind me to bring my cloth bags.

[MissGoddess]

that's great, wendy! we'll have to compare notes after we've made our Aldi's runs.

sue sue, i remember well how cheap food was in Texas.

[CineMaven]

So you NEVER eat or buy food? Am I to believe that you subsist on celluloid morning, noon, and night? You really are an uncanny CineMaven.

That was celluloid?! Holy cow, I thought that the spaghetti was just black with holes in it and over-cooked. I've been hoodwinked! I need Bromo Seltzer!

Naaaah, what I'm actually saying is I don't eat nutritiously and am not a good consumer. I probably overpay for everything. I might go to a more conveniently distanced supermarket that's higher price more often that not.

...And actually, I am like Karloff The Uncanny. Uncanny of you to pick that up!!!

[charliechaplinfan]

I was listening to Radio 2 at lunchtime, they have a topical programme that listeners can call into and todays topic was Aldi because they are posting record profits over here, they were getting some firmly middle class ladies who normally shop at waitrose which has a distinct middle class edge to it to shop at Aldi and how some people look down their noses at the people who shop at Aldi for being lower class. Is it just Britain that can be obsessed by what others might think? I have to say it's not all of us, thank goodness, I couldn't give a monkeys where people shop but some people do.I didnt hear all the section but I did hear the listeners comments, many people saying how they had just switched to Aldi and had saved loads of money. It seems less people are caring what others think and making the change daily.

I only hope that Aldi doesn't fall into the trap of hoodwinking it's clientele after it's built them up, somehow I don't think so but I am the shopper who changes supermarkets when I feel like things are going downhill and nowadays there seems to be plenty like me.

Good luck with your trip to Aldi Wendy, I hope you find it as cheap as the rest of us.

[knitwit45]

Not sure about other states, but here in KS, you can NOT use a credit card at Aldi's. Cash or check, I think they've started allowing debit cards. I have 2 within 10 miles of home, one is especially convenient..I will be there this week for sure. Never seem to remember them, we have a chain of grocery stores (Price Chopper) that offers .05c off each gallon of gas purchased at QT (Quik Trip) stores when you spend $50.00 in one trip. The discount increases .05 with each additional $50.00 spent. The savings are carried thru to the end of the following month, but have to be used in one purchase of gas. Sounds complicated, but when gas prices are skyrocketing, also, it is a real lure, especially for large families who face huge grocery bills each month. The stores also have specials, where you buy 10 items that are featured, or a combination of those items, adding up to ten, and earn an additional .05 per gallon. I know several women who regularly earn 20to 25 c a gallon off each month.

[moira finnie]

Good point, Nancy. Aldis does allow debit cards and cash here too. We have a good grocery chain (Tops) that sometimes has double coupons and the same kind of gas discount you described, but no one seems to beat Aldis prices overall. We try to buy the specials at Tops to get the discount, but sometimes we miss the deadline, which is maddening. We also have Wegmans (it is usually named as one of the top 5 companies to work for annually) and they have great quality items but very dear, though they do have fixed prices on a range of fresh and processed foods (1.99 for their peanut butter, 1.99 for large packs of ground beef, .89 for great Greek yogurt. All this is at a time when most stores are selling peanut butter for well over 2.50 around here and 2.99 hamburger at the cheapest).

[JackFavell]

Coupons are great but around here they are mostly for processed foods I don't buy, like Kraft macaroni and cheese, or prepackaged cheese, or chips and salsa, or snack cakes, pasta side mixes and the like. I simply don't use these products much because they aren't real food to me. Excuse me for sounding like a food snob, but I don't think it's healthy to eat things where the main ingredients are corn solids and monosodium glutamate.

One thing I do love, if you go to my store at a certain time on certain days, they have meat on sale, with a little coupon attached marking it down even further, usually if it is dated for that day and they want to get rid of it fast. You just have to make sure you use or freeze it right away.