There are a million reasons you should shop at Aldi, if you get the chance: the incredible prices, convenience, and value among them. Those who are obsessed with the chain are absolutely right to be! That said, here are a few things you need to know about the chain before you go ahead and spend your life savings there.
They don't accept coupons.
The store is notorious for its marked down pricing, which makes a lot of its produce selection instantly more affordable ... buuut they don't accept coupons.
You can't always buy in bulk.
Specifically, you can't really buy things that aren't food in bulk. That doesn't mean there's not an excellent selection of non-food things to buy, it just means you might want to make an additional Costco stop for that vat of Windex you were after.
...Or you HAVE to buy in bulk.
Aldi sells produce pre-bagged so that nothing has to be weighed at check-out. Yay for efficiency (seriously, it's amazing)! But by selling produce pre-bagged, not everything in the same bag is the same age or freshness. This has burned people in the past. If you're cool to take the time to parse through all the apples in a bunch, full steam ahead.
Don't forget some quarters.
In order to use a cart at Aldi, you have to have a quarter. The quarter is returned to you the second you return the cart (this eliminates the need for employees to have to spend time chasing after them). Just something to keep in mind if you're always scrambling for change!
Their non-food prices might not be as competitive.
They're just (generally) not. I repeat: this doesn't mean it's not a good idea to buy these things there, it's just something of note before you go all in!
You probably won't find your favorite name-brand items.
In fact, you almost definitely won't find them in the store. About 90 percent of Aldi's products come from their own private label.
You might have to supplement your trip.
The awesomely cheap prices and house labels mean that if you need a specific product it can be a little harder to find. You might be fine with that, but you should plan ahead ofr that if you're in a rush.
It can be overwhelming in the best — and worst — ways!
Listen. There are no shelves. There are no bags (or there are, if you are willing to pay for them). There are no off-peak hours. It's just Aldi, baby. In all it's glorious, no-frills brilliance.
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