Switching to ALDI: Money and Budgeting as a Lifestyle

We all know that budgeting and saving money should be a lifestyle, but we don’t treat it as such. But now that I get it, I understand that budgeting and stretching our money is a learnt lifestyle, and every little thing you do leaves a mark creating a habit that will stay with you years down the line. And somethings will work for a season and you will need to change and adapt to a new season.

Last year, I saw my grocery budget going up consistently for 3 months, so around April, 2017, after doing my research I started shopping at Aldi, the German grocery store a 20 minutes drive away from home.

After my 1st visit, I walked out of the store surprised to see I saved 55% compared to my regular, friendly, around the corner from home grocery store.

Why was I surprised you ask? See, I learnt how to crazy coupon during the recession of 2008 to stretch my money, sometimes I saved up to 80% (double, triple, stacking, cash back) I did it all. As my children grew older, became pre-teens their schedule kept getting busier it got harder to coupon and so I changed to using Page 1 to save up to 20% at the local grocery store. I was a pro; Giant, Safeway, Shoppers, Harris Teeter and Target were my place to get a good deal, without a coupon I could walk into the store and pick up that weeks flyer and focus on the first page (loss leader) and save up to 20% or more without spending anytime up front to sort and collate coupons, or wasting time flipping through the grocery circular.

I was happy before going to Aldi but by the time I got there, what enchantment is this;

No bags
Knock offs” of brand name food, to their credit after walking around I saw they had a few brand name food
Imitation cheese
Quarter for a cart

I bought my two weeks’ worth of grocery, looked at my receipt and was happy.

I got home and the boys were like; what is this, where did you go, and nope we are not eating this. I explained to my boys that there was nothing wrong with the food, I think this is what I told them… “If we lived in Germany wouldn’t we buy from Aldi or eat these type of brand”, grudgingly they ate; we ate and to our surprise the food still didn’t taste good, a few months we are living happily Aldi after.

When I go shopping at Aldi’s, my youngest, Jay my self-appointed Aldi assistant for the trip gets paid because he finds the quarters that have been left by generous customers or frustrated newbies who couldn’t put the keys back in. He does the job, every visit so far he makes at least 50 cents, I suspect that Jay goes to Aldi with me just because of the money.

Some of the things I love buying from Aldi