Aldi always has great sale prices on produce, this week is no exception. If you’ve never shopped at Aldi bring a quarter (not 25 cents, but a quarter) for the refundable deposit on your cart and bring your own grocery bags. They take cash or debit card, but not credit card. Find an Aldi near you.
Remember that Aldi is owned by the parent company that owns Trader Joe’s, if that makes you somehow feel better about shopping there. If you don’t live near an Aldi, but can get your hands on an ad remember that Target and Walmart will price match equivalent produce items (if sold in the same quantity, packaging, etc.) and Walmart will price match generics if they carry a Great Value brand in the same size/quantity.
Your turn: Sometimes Aldi has unadvertised deals that you only discover once you go into the store. Did you find any of those this week?
Mushrooms. $0.89 per 8-ounce package. Like many things, I buy some when they are on sale, chop them and freeze. I toss them into scrambled eggs, stir fry, chicken a la king for the freezer and make a lot of homemade cream of mushroom soup-type base for use in different recipes (a white sauce of milk, flour and butter with mushrooms added in).
Sweet Onions. $1.29 per 2-pound bag. I recently rediscovered sweet onions, thanks to my foodie friend Stephanie. I am now practically addicted to them, which is fine, except I really like them friend and on top of anything else.
Green peppers. $1.29 per 3-pack. This is not the best price I’ve seen at Aldi for peppers, but it is better than most grocery stores this week. I wouldn’t stock up on them at this price.
Zucchini. $1.29 per 3-pack. This is a great price for three nice sized zucchini. My kids like to eat raw slices dipped in cottage cheese or italian dressing. Once again, I like to keep some in my freezer, but I puree zucchini and use it as “hidden veggies” in lasagna, soups and other dishes. Shhh…don’t tell my family.
Sweet Corn. $1.29 for 20-ounces. Hmmm…corn is usually priced per ear, with $0.25 per ear or less a good sale price over the summer, so I’m not sure how this deal stacks up.
Pepper or Tomato Plants. These will be available starting on Wednesday for $7.99 per plant. I’m new to gardening, so I don’t know if this is a good price, but I hope so because I want some veggies to grow the deck of my townhouse, which is also the illustrious world headquarters of Pocket Your Dollars.
Wow, I had no idea Aldi was owned by the same company that owns Trader Joes! I’ll have to tell my husband because he’s a little skiddish about Aldi. He had one in his college town (15 years ago) and had a bad experience there and now won’t give them a chance. Husbands…;)
We LOVE Aldi’s! I have been price-comparing over the past year that I have stayed home with the kids and have found them to be the “lowest everyday price”. Some products are as good as, or even better than what I would purchase at the grocery store. Many cold cereals taste the same, snacks, crackers and canned vegs/fruits are equitable, and my husband can’t get enough of the ice cream – there is something about Aldi’s ice cream, maybe made in the same creamery as a premium brand but he is addicted!
Carrie – we do tomatoes in pots every year on our deck. Watch the comics section in a few weeks. Linders usually has a “free tomato plant” coupon (among a few others), with no purchase necessary. That’s how we always get ours. Love free veggies! Happy planting!
Carrie, I’m not sure how big the Aldi tomato plants will be, but they have them at walmarts garden center for 2.99. In my experience, anytime Aldi has plant items they go REALLY fast!
They’re 2 gallon. NICE looking plants. Some of the pepper plants actually had two plants growing. I think I may go back tomorrow and pick up a couple (if they still have them!)
I get my plants (tomato and pepper for 2$ each at my local farmers market.
Carrie, I would definitely check Walmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot or Ace Hardware for vegetable plants before spending $7.99 on one. I spent between $1.50 and $3 on mine. And I noticed this weekend that the Lowe’s in our area (OK) had lots of veggie starters on sale for $0.99. Even the small starters grow really fast with lots of sun and water!
Carrie, I would recomend buying “bottom watering pots” for your deck…they have a reservoir at the bottom that holds water, so you can go a day or 2 without watering and they are still fine! I have had my pots for 8 years and I get HUGE plants EVERY year!!! Good Luck!!!
I bought the corn on the cob. It was 4 already peeled and wrapped in plastic. It was small kernal sugar and cream. I have not tried it yet, but it sure looked good for this time of year in Minnesota.
I had some! it was great!
Can you use your debit cards at Aldi’s or is it cash/check only. I went to the one in Midway a year or two ago and couldnt check out bc they didnt take cards. I never returned. Has it changed?
Stacy, it has changed. I have used my debit card there many times in the last year.
With the tomato plants, the more mature they are, the more expensive they are. So it will probably be tough to know if Aldi’s are a good deal until you see them.
I’m trying to grow tomatos on my townhouse deck too! I got a tomato tower from Ace Hardware that is really cool. Ace also had a great deal with gardening soil. Their rebate system is easy too, you do it online, no snail mail!
Happy growning!
Ha, ha! I meant Happy Growing, not Growning!
I just bought a small plant like the pepper one (no peppers on it yet!) for $1, I think there are lots of cheaper options and if you are doing a deck garden you could buy a few pots or a larger rectangle box and plant a few items in it, last year I had 1 or 2 cucumber plants in an longer oval shape container and I had so many cucumbers I gave a lot away and had to pickle multiple times, I used chicken wire to let the cucumbers climb, most got to be a foot long or more! tomatoes did ok, I was a failure at my strawberries and peppers but am willing to try it again (I think they need a lot of water)
Another plus for buying your plants from local growers is you know how they will react to our climate. I have not had luck here in MN with veggies purchased from large retailers that get their plant’s in the south.
I buy Pink Lady apples from Aldis all the time – 3# for 2.89 – sometimes there is a little bruising – but they are SO good, and I just cut out the bruises. I always get my Baby Carrots (.99) and bagged lettuce (.99) – but you gotta use the lettuce quick – I don’t think it is covered with preservatives (which makes sense, if Trader Joes is the parent company)
LOVE their Chili/Dark Chocolate bars. the only thing I won’t buy is their frozen Fit and whatever meals. Can you say Shreds of Vegetables? Still hungry after? The Fit and Trim Crackers are great – just not the meals.
For growing veggies and other good stuff I recommend checking out earthbox.com if you live in a townhome, they are great! I have 2 and love them.
Aldis is also a great place for meats compare to cub and rainbow you save 20 to 40 percent. Milk is always a good deal about 2.00 and a dozen eggs 85 cents. When price shopping for veggies i found that its best to get it at aldi vs cub or rainbow. Last week i spent 1.29 ea on advoados at cub, they were .29 ea at aldi. Dont forget the tp at about 4.50 a family pack best deal in town . And lastly If you have cats great deal on cat dry food and their cat scoopable cat works better than most name brands and is about HALF the price.
OOps ment to say cat litter.
I’ve got a shopping list for Aldi’s for what I consider really good values – I love their produce. Their packaged crispy rice squares are better than the name brand ones and a great value! Canned beans, canned tomato products, ground turkey ($2.49 for 1.25 lbs.), blue corn chips (made with organic blue corn), their spices are way cheaper than anywhere else I’ve seen, milk, cream, Choceur brand chocolates (yum!), and also good values on nuts, popsicles (the swirled ones without HFCS) and their frozen berries. Read the labels, though – a lot of their Fit & Active brand items contain HFCS.