ALDI

I was at Aldi and there was a woman shopping by herself with a rather full cart. My first encounter, she had her cart sideways blocking most of the aisle, standing against one side and looking at food on the other side. I make my way past her and of course as soon as soon as I'm close, she steps forward to get the food she was looking at. I politely do the "oops excuse me" and wait to pass, not even bothered yet, whatever, it happens all the time.

Second time, I'm pushing my cart along the outside and she's about to pull in front of me, I can see it. She half goes without looking, but hesitates, and I stop because I think she's about to, but then she doesn't so I start to go, and then she hesitates again, and pushes right in front of me. I roll my eyes.

The third time I see her, she parks it totally sideways and blocking the whole aisle between those island freezers and the wall. She leaves it unattended and goes to get something else. So in the middle of grumbling and reaching to move it, I instead put her latch into my cart, leave my 3-4 items, take my quarter back, and scurry off to get a new cart. I don't think she had another quarter, as I saw her trying to push both awkwardly at the same time in different directions to the checkout.

My ex has a pretty high opinion of themselves and how much money they have, and how much they will receive when they retire at the end of May. It's all she could talk about last Sunday at brunch, while my circumstances are different due to ongoing health issues.

I was driving, so on the way home, I stopped at Aldi to grab a few things and had her come inside so I could show her the bargains. She literally stood in the middle of an aisle intersection with a horrified look of disdain on her face! I tried to show her how a boxes of Oaty O's cereal was on sale for only $1.49, lactose-free milk was $3.99, but she is certain there is something "wrong" with these foods, that it is like buying clothes from thrift shops.

I can only shake my head at how much money higher income people waste in big-name grocery stores.

EDIT: I don't hang out with my ex, but we do have brunch/lunch together from time to time - always separate checks by my suggestion. Yes, her selfish self-entitlement is one of the big reasons I initiated the break-up.

Every week someone asks if Aldi is worth it, and the consensus is that selection of limited but it's cheap. If they Aldi sells it buy it.

Let me flip that around. What will you NOT buy at Aldi? I'll start:

• Their fire roasted tomatoes consistently taste like burning plastic

• There are consistency issues. One nearby location only has bread that expires tomorrow, but the other two local stores are fine. One of the other stores always has moldy peppers, and the third freezer burns their leafy greens.

• Processed meats like ham or lunch meat always have a weird chemical taste.

• Cheetos, Kraft mac and cheese, and harvest cheddar sun chips are better than any off brands. It's really hard to make good fake cheese apparently.

Seems like an obvious marketing play for Aldi. “They all want to be like us”,

I’ve always seen Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury to be a level above Aldi. Not necessarily the quality of the products they stock but more of the feel of slightly higher luxury than Aldi. Now they aim to be Aldi.

Went to Aldi this week and did our regular grocery shop. We are just a couple with one pet. After the shop I did a detailed, gram by gram price comparison of the Aldi items vs what I would have to buy at Woolies. The savings totalled over $57. Yes, Aldi’s prices are climbing, but they’re nowhere near the price gouging of Colesworth.
Edit: FWIW I’m also a coeliac, so any little treats I might like to buy at Aldi have to be GF and they’re also cheaper at Aldi. Edit: fixed typo. UPDATE for those who asked questions.

1. Some things are not possible to buy in Aldi. For example, my cat wont touch the Aldi brand cat food. Though this week there was 14 Dine Classic (square tins) for $14 at Aldi, versus Woolies at $19.60 for the same 14 cans. Other things I can't find at Aldi I reluctantly go to Woolies for. And yes, I find a difference between Woolies prices in different socio-economic suburbs. (But that's another story, I guess)

2. All the meat prices were significantly lower at Aldi, and I'd say the quality is the same as Woolies. In saying that, when we have friends over for dinner we always buy our meat at the local butcher (The Butcher Shop at Cannon Hill) because while it is very expensive meat, its quality is second to none. Example : Butter chicken thigh: $1.698 Kg at Aldi, 21.43kg at Woolies Pork Sausages (GF) 14.98 kg at Aldi, 18.00 kg at Woolies Pork Steaks 14.99kg at Aldi, 19.00kg at Woolies.

3. No I am not going to post my list and calculations. It's simple primary school maths and an Excel sheet. And it is much easier because Australian legislation ensures that the price per gram/kilo/item is displayed on each price tag on shelf. Yes, I do compare quality to quality when doing my calculations.

4. I do have a problem with Aldi and their free range eggs. Their egg supplies are depleted quickly.

5. Aldi's GF bread is really delicious. As any coeliac will attest, eating GF bread is like eating cardboard and can only be tolerated when its toasted. Aldi GF bread is ½ the price of Woolies and is palatable untoasted. I have to go to Woolies for the GF bagels and buns. Also I totally agree with the poster who said that Aldi coconut macaroons are fantastic.

6. Yes, I am going to fill in the ACCC questionnaire regarding the state of the big two supermarkets and their price gouging.

7. No one can tell you where to shop, how to spend your money and how to feel about the state of the Australian economy and big corporations ripping us off. My original post was just to put it out there that while Aldi gets shit from some quarters, it is still good stuff and those few dollars you can save by shopping there may be the difference between making rent this week and not having to worry about where the next dollar is coming from.

8. No one and nothing is perfect in this world. I won't be arguing my case, and the trolls need to go and have a nice chocolate bunny today (Happy Easter everyone!)