Okay, NOW I Get the Obsession with Aldi

Let me take you back to my introduction to this odd little German-owned grocery store. The year was 1989. I was a tragically hip & cash-poor art student who was faced with the innumerable existential crises that face tragically hip, poor art students, including do I buy groceries this week or save my money to go out dancing? It was during this time period that I was introduced to Aldi. The savior of my entertainment (and food) budget. It was here that I could feed myself for a week on less than $10 thus saving the rest of my money for going out on the weekends—and was only *slightly* reminiscent of that Kids in the Hall skit in which two roommates lived off of mac & cheese and ketchup.

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The store was pretty much the same back then. Maybe a little seedier and smelled a bit like a nursing home, but they still did the 25¢ rent-a-carts, and you still had to bag your own groceries, usually with some flimsy recycled box. We'd get eggs for 35¢, a loaf of bread for 25¢, and a jar of peanut butter (when they had it in stock) for a buck.

The clientele was mostly "old" people (which to an 18 year old meant anyone over 40), and folks from the less affluent areas of town. There was always someone hanging out by the cart corral to check the coin return—just in case someone left their quarter.

A few years ago Aldi opened up a store not too far from me (on the more affluent side of my town). I ventured in to see if anything had changed. And while they were no longer located in a questionable neighborhood, they still had 25¢ rent-a-carts (although no antiquated coin return box where one might hope to score a quarter and then reminisce about the fact that a quarter used to buy you something). You still had to bag your own groceries on that little slab of a counter. They still had not-quite-name-brand packaging at super discounted prices—but, when I was trying to eat cleanly (post cancer), they had very little food that I felt comfortable consuming. Lots of preservatives (BHT was a big one), lots of corn syrup & sugars, very little organic or non-GMO offerings.... So, sure, it was cheap, but it was also potentially carcinogenic.

To be honest, I have never seen an Aldi produce section that is this nice looking. 

Cut to two weeks ago when I noticed they had cranberries and organic blueberries on sale. We're talking uber-sale—in the dead of winter. I decided to check them out again and BLAM-O, I got sucked in. They had a wider range of organic stuff, plus more local fare. I managed to fill my reusable grocery bag for $26. Fresh fruits and veg, semi-local cheeses, amazing organic pasta. I bought enough to make 4 meals + leftovers.

I then went to my regular grocery store to pick up a couple (actually five) more things—$27 later, I'm leaving with a small plastic grocery bag (because I forgot to bring in my reusable one). It was a couple of condiments and some organic fare, & some sauerkraut (I had a craving). Big difference.

So, yeah, I totally get the obsession with Aldi. I just wish the selection was a little more reliable. I still can't (or won't) eat most of the foods they stock—too many preservatives, too much filler and sugar and other crap with no clue where or how it was farmed. But for the few things I can eat, they're starting to stock a bit more. It's enough to make me check their weekly flyers—although I still only feel compelled to visit about once a quarter.

Take away: If you're trying to eat cleanly, they have a few stock items at much lower prices, but it's still hit or miss. If you're just going for cheap food, then you'll hit pay dirt at Aldi.