ALDI
Ever pass an ALDI and wonder what the deal is with that store?
I went into one once down in Alexandria and was a bit put off by not understanding how the shopping experience was supposed to work and what items were worth purchasing there. Someone recently posted a review on one of the listserves I read. I asked the author for her permission to post what they wrote here. It’s good info. Check it out:
This is from Lindsay:
I finally went and checked out ALDI yesterday (the Langley Park store, 7609 New Hampshire Avenue on the east side of NH just SOUTH of University Boulevard).
And although I have to say it’s an unpleasant shopping experience, it was so cheap that I still think I will go back.
I would describe it as an amalgam of Costco and the dollar store. ALDI is much smaller than Costco but sells a similar assortment of things, with mostly house brands (similar to Costco’s Kirkland brand), AND the items are not super size. ALDI also sells electronics and other weird (for a grocery store) stuff. They’re international, originally from Germany. (One of the brothers that owns ALDI in some European countries also owns Trader Joe’s, although the OTHER brother owns ALDI in the US.)
I’ll start with the cons, as they are legion.
1. You must deposit a quarter (which you get back) to get a shopping cart, AND there are no handbaskets inside. So if you don’t have a quarter, you’re kind of screwed, because the average ALDI shopper is so cheap s/he would rather return the cart to the sidewalk in front of the store after s/he loads his car than give up his/her quarter. NO ONE will just give you a cart to save the hassle of walking it back. Seriously. (Which is why they do it, by the way. If shoppers return their carts to the corral on the sidewalk in front of the store themselves, ALDI does not have to pay someone to round them up from all over the parking lot.)
2. They don’t take credit cards (but they do take ATM/debit cards). Some people won’t consider this a con, but my credit card company sends me an annual report that shows how much I spent by category, which I love. Paying for groceries another way goofs that up. (Same as Costco, unless you have a Costco AmEx or Discover.)
3. You have to pay for bags or provide your own. Paper bags cost a nickel, I think the plastic ones (much heavier than typical grocery store plastic bags) cost less. That just irritates me (partly because I know the bags don’t cost them a five cents each). (And at least ALDI offers bags, where Costco does not.)
4. You have to bag your own groceries. (Same as Costco.)
5. Neighborhood is kind of sketch. I would not go after dark.
Pros:
CHEAP. Milk was $2.19/gallon for 2% (more than a dollar less than the SFW near my house). I only got a few things (no quarter and no ATM card!), but all their stuff seemed similarly cheap. Lots of kinds of cereal for less than $2/box (it freaks me out that a big box of Cheerios costs $5.69 at Giant).
In a separate email to me, Lindsay added:
One thing I would add is that I said it’s like the dollar store because it has all these house brand items in packaging VERY similar to the famous name brands, NOT because I think the quality of the merchandise is suspect (which I think is true of the dollar store). Although ALDI has something of a reputation as being frequented mostly by people who can’t afford to shop at a “real” grocery store, the quality of their house brand items has generally been rated quite highly.
I wrote the review because, well, they ARE amazingly cheap, which is awesome, but I would really have appreciated knowing “the procedure” going in. Next time I will be more mentally prepared.
Thanks Lindsay!
Someone else on the listserve recommended the Hyattsville store over the New Hampshire Avenue store as being a much more pleasant shopping experience. They also spoke of the quality products and recommended ALDI as a place to pick up great deals on milk, eggs, sugar, cream sheese, crackers, chocolate and vegetables.
You can check out their specials on their web site to see what they have for the week.Here is some further reading about ALDI from the Wikipedia (another great resource to find information on just about anything):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi
Armed with knowledge, ALDI seems worth checking out again.
Weschler’s Auctions
Most of of us probably need less stuff rather than more, but I couldn’t help posting a link to the story in today’s WP about Weschler’s Auctions in DC. Keep me away from there. I could spend a fortune on “bargains”. Sounds like sooo much fun though, and if you really *need* a new victorian lamp, a box of old LPs, or some more furniture for your place, you’ll find bargains at Weschler’s. My weakness is for old postcards. I have several thousand already, at least they’re small.
Though, this week they almost sucked me in with the Heywood-Wakefield furniture. I am an Atomic Ranch junkie.
Saving Dinner
Saving Dinner is a meal plan for getting you through the week with as little hassle as possible. The website offers a weekly email service that sends you a week’s worth of recipes featuring foods fresh at the time, and an organized shopping list for getting everything you need.
When you sign up, you choose from several different menu plans including: Regular, Low-Carb, Body Clutter, Frgual, Crock Cooker, and Heart Healthy. They also have menus for the southern hemisphere if you are ever down that direction. There are several free recipes and examples to check out on the web site. If you decide to try the menu-mailer feature, they charge $9.95 for a three month trial, $17.95 for 6 months or $29.95 for a year.
In all honesty, I have not tried the service yet, but I have used the Saving Dinner books which I’ve really liked. The original Saving Dinner one has a year’s worth of menus organzed by season with the shopping lists included. The recipes are pretty fast and easy, and most have been very tasty. I checked the book out from the library until I’d tried out a few menus and was sure I liked them. Eventually, I did buy one of the books and there are several recipes I use regularly. One nice thing is that all of the shopping lists from the books are on the web site, so when heading to the store, you can print out that week’s list instead of lugging the book. I have been toying with signing up for the mailer when I get a little more organized (maybe the mailer would help with that).
There is also another similar service called the Six O’Clock Scramble I have heard people like. This one I have not tried out personally, yet. They also have sample menus on-line, so you can decide which one is more to your taste. This service is slightly more expensive.
Carroll County Fair
If you are looking to escape the city this weekend, check out the offerings at the Carroll County Fair. The tentative schedule shows something for just about everyone from livestock exhibits, to children’s activities, live music, a monster truck show, lawn mower races, a parade and lots of other things to do and see. Admission to the fair is free, though various activities may have a charge. FYI: Carroll County is to the northwest of Baltimore. The fairgrounds are near Westminster, MD.
Reminder: The Comcast Outdoor Film Festival Starts Tonight
Comcast Outdoor Film Festival – 5000 Duke St., Alexandria, Virginia
(July 28-30, 2006) – Shows begin at 7:00 p.m.
Fri., July 28: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
Sat., July 29: Madagascar
Sun., July 30: Cheaper by the Dozen 2
Rock-n-Romp
Looking for a comfortable venue for exposing your youngsters to hip music? Check out Rock-n-Romp. Started by a local mom looking for a good way to bring the concert experience to kids, Deb opened her big backyard to area musicians, parents and kids.
Here’s the description from the web site:
“Rock-n-Romp is a family friendly concert series showcasing fantastic local-area musicians and bands. Shows are held during the day in a relaxed, kid-safe environment. The volume might be low, but the music is designed for parents and kids both in mind. Kids enjoy the music, experiment with instruments, dance, or just enjoy the other activities available to them, and parents get the ever-so-rare opportunity to listen to great live music and enjoy a beer with other parents. Romps give parents who miss their social life a chance to get out, enjoy some music that might be new to them, and expose their kids to great bands in a safe, friendly environment.”
“The D.C. area Rock-n-Romp season currently runs May through October, one Saturday or Sunday afternoon a month. Please email debbie@rocknromp.com to join the email list and receive notices on upcoming shows and events.”
It looks like the next concert will be August 19 and will feature the sounds of Greenland, Benjy Feree and Laura Burhenn. Since the concerts are held in the family’s own yard, you must contact Deb for directions and details. The home is located about a 10 minute walk from downtown Silver Spring.
Children are admitted free, but adults are asked to contribute a $4 donation (unlimited liquid refreshments included).
FLOR carpet tile sale
I’ve been looking at getting some of the FLOR carpet tiles for our play area at home. My son’s preschool has them in their circle time area and they seem to clean up well and have withstood lots of little feet. They aren’t as soft as a nice rug, but they are highly configurable and seem tough. Anyway, FLOR sent an ad this week announcing 15% off everything. They did have a sale acouple of months ago where everything was 25%, so another better deal may come along, but if you are in the market now, code “15%sumsale” will save you 15%. Happy shopping!
Space Saver
This is more of a space saver than a money saver, but these Snap Saver containers are great for a small kitchen. With my old set of containers, I was constantly battling containers of various sizes and with loose lids falling out at me when I opened my kitchen cabinets, plus the various shapes and sizes I had stored very inefficiently.
These Snap Saver containers stack neatly with lids tucked inside the stack (they actually snap to the bottom of their mate bowls so they don’t get lost). I’ve had my set for about two years now and I haven’t lost a bowl or lid and they are so easy to store. They are kind of pricey, but I haven’t had to buy any replacements yet, so I guess over the long haul, they’ve been cost efficient. A couple do show some wear by now from storing/reheating tomatoes sauces and such, but overall they’ve held up well and have not discolored. I have no connection to Snap Saver, I just thought they were a cool product for a small kitchen.
Any great space/money saving products you’ve come along for your kitchen?
Seneca Creek State Park
From another Stone Soup DC Yahoo member:
This weekend we went to a BBQ up in Seneca Creek State Park in
Gaithersburg – one of those places that’s been on my “to do” list for
a while. I’m so glad we finally went! There was a $2 admission fee
for the grownups and babies (“in carseats”) were free. There are
several pavillions that can be reserved for parties (from
$50-$280/day, depending on capacity), plus a big lake with paddleboat
and canoe rentals (or you can bring your own), and of course hiking
and biking trails. Apparently there are also historic buildings from
when Germantown was first settled. And I think it’s where The Blair
Witch Project was filmed too!
Chick-Fil-A
Here are two reasons to recommend Chick-Fil-A:
1. The have free kid’s meals on Tuesday evening with the purchase of an adult meal. In Silver Spring, they also often give the kids free ice cream or face painting.
2. If you go to a stand alone restaurant (such as the one on Route 1 in Laurel), they have indoor play structures, great for a hot day with lots of energy to burn. It’s a small enough space that I don’t have to constantly follow him around and I can take a magazine and have a little downtime while my son climbs and slides. And he loves meeting new kids playing there.
