This is kinda a weird post for me, but I’m on a kick and I’ve been telling all my friends, so I have to share: Aldi, y’all.

Aldi is a discount grocery store. It has a small footprint and limited options. You have to bring a quarter to rent a cart and you have to bag your own groceries. There are no free samples, it’s not sexy.

But shopping is a breeze, you save lots of money and you get great products. Here’s what I mean:

  • Shopping is easy and fast.
    • Typical grocery store carries about 30,000 items. Aldi’s carry just the weekly basics, plus some fun finds that they rotate in and out. It makes every trip quick and easy.
  • The products are high quality.
    • Many of the products found in an Aldi are the same high-quality brands you find in your big supermarket, but private labeled. They have a wide selection of organic products.
  • You can surprise your friends and family.
    • When I bring food to someone’s house, it’s almost always from Aldi and people are so surprised to be impressed with something from (gasp) Aldi.
  • Everything is accessible.
    • Mussels are $2.50 (and amazing – try the ones in tomato garlic sauce), a fresh pineapple is always a couple dollars. Small greek yogurt tubs are $0.69. Organic produce is becoming the norm, so you don’t have to fork over all your money to make the smart choice.
  • Save all the money.
    • I spend half as much as I used to on groceries. True, I still hit up The Local Pig or Green Acres Market for meat and eggs, but all of my staples are covered at a much lower cost.

It took my best friend, Brooke, months of convincing before I gave it a try, but now I’m all in (thanks, B!) and love the 7th and Paseo location. There are 10 locations in the Kansas City Metro – find the one closest to you!

And if you’re interested in making the switch, here are more tips for newbies.

Do you like Aldi? Have you been recently? Leave a comment below.