Costco has the best produce hands down. I can get (2) 2-packs raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries that last all week. They started carrying Rosendorffs challah rolls and that basically makes it worthwhile to go. They are great for ham sandwiches or overnight baked French Toast.

I have never had a good experience with Aldi meats- they taste tough and watery. I will occasionally buy ground lamb or bison or a specialty meat from Aldi. I go to Aldi for basics once a month- flour, sugar, brown sugar, canned tomatoes, tom sauce, canned beans, taco seasoning, hash brown rectangles, etc. Costco is meat and produce. WF/HT fills in the rest. Our local HT often has $20 off $100 or $10 of $75. I will get cheeses or milks or extra and then add 10-20 for the food pantry. I am dropping Amazon Prime so will need to say goodbye to WF pickup but it will likely stay in rotation for monthly stuff like frozen wild salmon or dairy-free items for my son.

I could never outright shop at Aldi because their produce was never consistent and meat is not good so it isnt reliable for a family who are meat-eaters.

Anonymous wrote:Another scratch cook here and while Aldi has some good prices, I don't find the "good" pricing consistent for what I typically buy. For instance last week their bags of russet potatoes were more expensive than Giant. I don't like going to multiple places, but I often do because I like to save money more lol. $5 at Costco for a dozen great size croissants is a great deal.

Honestly with coupons and store savings I find Giant better than those 2 week to week. I absolutely find better prices at Aldi, but not enough in what I'm buying to constitute a trip.

I am similar. I shop Giant every week focusing on stocking up on sales. I also rotate Aldi, TJ and Sams for variety and better prices on certain things. I do Sams rather than Costco as the membership is cheaper and I do not go often.

Aldi is, in general, definitely cheaper, and you don't have to buy huge amounts. After being an Aldi regular and hearing people rave about Costco, I joined for one year and was really surprised at how expensive much of it was. Like Costco, Aldi has a much smaller selection than traditional stores, which is one reason it's cheaper, so you will have to supplement with trips elsewhere.

I also agree that it's generally better for the basics. Crackers, flour, cereal, frozen seafood most fruits and vegetables (which I think are generally good), etc. The prepared foods are much more varied - some of the frozen stuff that is heat and serve is awful (cheap cuts of meat with lots of cheese), whereas some is fine. If something looks appealing, for $5 or whatever, try it and see.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s for older people and single folks who don’t scratch cook.

Not quite. 3 elem kids and i scratch cook 5 nights a week. I buy ingredients at aldi. Fresh fruit and veg (you do have to get a sense of how quickly you need to use them), grains, dried beans, baking stuff. I have a short list of things that I prefer name brand or aldi doesn’t carry.
Costco is so much packaged and prepared food. If you buy those items/brands, it’s great.

I scratch cook ~5 nights a week and do most of my shopping at Costco, as it is the closest grocery store to my house. I rarely buy any of their prepared foods. What I do usually buy is vegetables/fruits - brussels sprouts, asparagus, salad greens, spinach, green beans, potatoes, oranges, strawberries, bananas, proteins - chicken, lamb, pork, frozen salmon, wild-caught shrimp, dairy - milk, butter, cheese, bakery - bread and the occasional pie, wine, olive oil. The only things I usually purchase from other grocery stores are onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and grains and legumes. I find that the quality of the produce is good, so it tends to last a while in the fridge before going slimy. I have found that some of the produce at discount groceries doesn't last very long.

+1 It's funny because my first reaction to PPP's "so much packaged and prepared food" comment was defensive outrage: what?! I buy proteins (salmon/chicken/beef/pork shoulder, vegetables, eggs, milk, butter, etc.

But Costco *does* have a lot of packaged and prepared foods too. And a lot of clothes, and small appliances, and liquor, and kitchen essentials, and books . . . it just has everything. Sometimes I like to pass the time in checkout just seeing how different the carts are. Some people buying nothing but produce, some people clearly getting ready for a party with just a whole cart of alcohol, some people with all frozen/premade stuff, and there's always one family with like 2 flat carts of nothing but bottled waters. You can choose your own adventure!

Another scratch cook here and while Aldi has some good prices, I don't find the "good" pricing consistent for what I typically buy. For instance last week their bags of russet potatoes were more expensive than Giant. I don't like going to multiple places, but I often do because I like to save money more lol. $5 at Costco for a dozen great size croissants is a great deal.

Honestly with coupons and store savings I find Giant better than those 2 week to week. I absolutely find better prices at Aldi, but not enough in what I'm buying to constitute a trip.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s for older people and single folks who don’t scratch cook.

Not quite. 3 elem kids and i scratch cook 5 nights a week. I buy ingredients at aldi. Fresh fruit and veg (you do have to get a sense of how quickly you need to use them), grains, dried beans, baking stuff. I have a short list of things that I prefer name brand or aldi doesn’t carry.
Costco is so much packaged and prepared food. If you buy those items/brands, it’s great.

I scratch cook ~5 nights a week and do most of my shopping at Costco, as it is the closest grocery store to my house. I rarely buy any of their prepared foods. What I do usually buy is vegetables/fruits - brussels sprouts, asparagus, salad greens, spinach, green beans, potatoes, oranges, strawberries, bananas, proteins - chicken, lamb, pork, frozen salmon, wild-caught shrimp, dairy - milk, butter, cheese, bakery - bread and the occasional pie, wine, olive oil. The only things I usually purchase from other grocery stores are onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and grains and legumes. I find that the quality of the produce is good, so it tends to last a while in the fridge before going slimy. I have found that some of the produce at discount groceries doesn't last very long.

tried to quit Costco with Aldi as the go to it didnt work. Aldi is even closer to the house. The two experiences are completely different. per unit price sure Aldi is less but it just didnt work in my situation shopping for family of 4

Anonymous wrote:Aldi is like a cheaper version of Trader Joes. I think they actually belong to the same company.

no they don’t. They are two separate companies from a parent company that split into two companies.

Anonymous wrote:I do the majority of my grocery shopping from Aldi, with Costco as a close second. I appreciate Aldi because you can get Costco prices, but not have to commit to the much larger amounts. While there have been some items I don’t like from Aldi, the vast majority of their products are great! Some people are snobbish about it, so that might affect their perception. I admit some Aldi’s are better than others, but a clean, well-stocked Aldi is a thing of beauty!

I like the brand new one in Kensington. I thought the one in Rockville and Silver Spring smelled funny.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do the majority of my grocery shopping from Aldi, with Costco as a close second. I appreciate Aldi because you can get Costco prices, but not have to commit to the much larger amounts. While there have been some items I don’t like from Aldi, the vast majority of their products are great! Some people are snobbish about it, so that might affect their perception. I admit some Aldi’s are better than others, but a clean, well-stocked Aldi is a thing of beauty!

I’m not snobbish. I already have like four stores in rotation and don’t have the patience for ALDIs limited selection. We also don’t drink milk or eat cheese so it really isn’t helpful. Their gluten-free products are horrible.

So you eat a restricted diet. And that’s fine, but it’s not a problem with the store itself.

Anonymous wrote:It’s for older people and single folks who don’t scratch cook.

Not quite. 3 elem kids and i scratch cook 5 nights a week. I buy ingredients at aldi. Fresh fruit and veg (you do have to get a sense of how quickly you need to use them), grains, dried beans, baking stuff. I have a short list of things that I prefer name brand or aldi doesn’t carry.
Costco is so much packaged and prepared food. If you buy those items/brands, it’s great.

Anonymous wrote:It’s for older people and single folks who don’t scratch cook.

I mean, no…

It’s for older people and single folks who don’t scratch cook.

Anonymous wrote:I do the majority of my grocery shopping from Aldi, with Costco as a close second. I appreciate Aldi because you can get Costco prices, but not have to commit to the much larger amounts. While there have been some items I don’t like from Aldi, the vast majority of their products are great! Some people are snobbish about it, so that might affect their perception. I admit some Aldi’s are better than others, but a clean, well-stocked Aldi is a thing of beauty!

I’m not snobbish. I already have like four stores in rotation and don’t have the patience for ALDIs limited selection. We also don’t drink milk or eat cheese so it really isn’t helpful. Their gluten-free products are horrible.

Aldi organic options are the best price point without the bulk buy. Family of two will not need the same quantity. Buying smaller amounts also gives you more options to buy variety.