We use the weekly circular — it's usually at the front entrance.I grab a circular on my way into the store.
Joe Opaleski
One of the first things we do when we walk into Aldi is grab the weekly circular, which is usually stationed on a rack right by the main entrance.
The ads showcase Aldi's current deals, so it's a great guide for anyone looking to save.
When we focus on these discounted items, I also find we get less sidetracked by flashy deals on products we didn't intend to buy.
An empty produce box helps us carry our groceries for free.Aldi doesn't give out free shopping bags.
Joe Opaleski
Aldi has a bring-your-own-bag policy, so they're not free at the register. Instead of buying them, we usually grab a large, empty produce box from the shelves.
Most Aldi stores have a section where you can find these boxes in a bin with recyclables, so it's pretty easy.
You can obviously just bring your own reusable bags, but we've found that the box is an even better solution for us.
It's much easier to pop one box in the trunk of our car and carry it into the house in a single trip. Once we're home, we reuse the box for storage or recycle it.
We avoid Aldi's premade meals and heat-and-eat dinners.The ready-made food is tempting, but it's more expensive.
Alex Bitter/BI
We tend to avoid premade meals, heat-and-eat dinners, and specialty deli items like dips and cheeses.
Although they're convenient, they tend to be significantly more expensive per serving than cooking something from scratch. Instead, we stick to Aldi's staple ingredients, like fresh produce, canned beans, tortillas, and chicken.
By focusing on these core items, we've created a weekly meal plan that's cost-effective and healthy for our lifestyle.
Although the Aldi Finds are tempting, we try to avoid them.Aldi has a special aisle for its weekly and monthly deals.
Joe Opaleski
The Aldi Finds aisle typically features unique items, seasonal treats, and specialty goods that aren't part of the store's regular inventory.
All the signage might make shoppers feel like they're getting some sort of deal, I think the aisle can be a trap for impulse buys.
Sometimes, we find hidden gems in the aisle, but Aldi Finds are usually not essential to our weekly shopping list — and looking through them can just lead to us spending more money.
We usually skip this aisle entirely so we're not tempted.
We stick to the perimeter of the store.Most of the core ingredients we need are located along the perimeter of the store.
Joe Opaleski
It may sound simple, but shopping around the perimeter of the store helps us stick to our budget.
In most Aldi locations, the more basic essentials, like produce, dairy, and meats, are located around the outer edges of the store.
In contrast, the center aisles usually have Aldi Finds, holiday items, household goods, snacks, and other products that are more likely to encourage impulse purchases.
When we shop, we literally snake our way around the perimeter, only detouring into the aisles when we need something on our list. It keeps our shopping trip efficient and minimizes our exposure to nonessential items.
