Aldi!

Ever been to Aldi?

This is one of the great things about our recent move; we are now just two miles from Aldi. Aldi is a grocery store chain that started in Germany. In fact, we shopped at Aldi while in Germany a couple of years ago. But it is also very popular with my savvy shopping friends in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and St. Paul, Minnesota. Warning: This is not like going to Cub Foods or Kroger. For starters, you need to have a quarter handy to rent your shopping cart. Next, be sure to bring cash, because Aldi does not accept checks or credit cards (some local debit cards are accepted). Lastly, bring your own shopping bags, or else you will need to pay for bags at check-out.

What did you say? Sounds like a hassle? Here's why I like Aldi:

• It's budget-friendly, as in, about 70% of the cost of supermarkets. (This percentage is from my own comparison shopping.)
• It's small, so it takes me less time to do my shopping. Also, since Aldi only sells about 1300 of the fastest moving products, it cuts down on many in-store decisions. Also a time-saver.
• It's never crowded!
• I've only shopped this Aldi for a month, and today they called me a "regular." You know, sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name...

Try it. Tell me what you think.