My mother was so excited when Aldi opened up right down the street from her house.  I had never even been to one before but she started shopping there faithfully and still does a few years later.  Obviously since I’m Koupon Karen, my mother has learned to use coupons and shop for the best deals each week.  So when she told me she shopped there all the time and that they don’t take coupons, I was upset she was paying too much.  Until I finally went shopping with her and saw that wasn’t the case at all!

Since then I too have been hooked.

I don’t shop at Aldi on a regular basis but I do shop there a lot especially when I have to shop for a gathering at my house. I always go to Aldi first to get my essentials and then to the food store for the rest.  And since I’ve been shopping deals for years, I know when it’s a good deal or when I can get it cheaper somewhere else with coupons and sales.  And I’ll admit, most of the basics are almost always a better deal at Aldi, even without the coupons!

We have some friends coming over for a New Years Eve celebration tonight so I headed to Aldi to pick up everything I needed and wasn’t disappointed in what I found.  They had all the ingredients for my menu so I was able to make one stop!

Here is what I got and my New Years Eve party menu:

Cheese Platter – Block Cheese (1.49 each, I purchased 3), Crackers( $2.49 for an assortment box), Olives ($3.99) and Pepperoni ($1.99)- Total cost was $12.94

Taco Ring (I had the crescent rolls on hand already) – Hamburg (2.18 lbs $8.07 but I only need 1lb), Black Olives ($.99), Tomatoes ($.99 for a 6 Roma Tomatoes),  iceberg Lettuce ($.99), Shredded Cheese ($2.79 each, I bought 2), Sour Cream ($1.29), Jalapeno Peppers ($1.19) – Total Cost was $15.10

Veggies and Dip – Ranch Dip ($1.19) , Baby Carrots ($.99), Green Peppers ($1.49 for 2), Red & Orange Peppers ($1.99 for 2) – Total Cost was $5.66

Focaccia Snacks – ($1.99) We will also use the veggie dip with these!

So for all the food pictured above and for 4 different menu items I spent less than $36!  I think that is pretty good considering I will have some of these products left over to use in other recipes later this week.

Do you shop at Aldi?  If you haven’t I highly suggest you take a look at your local Aldi to see what they have that you use every day.  I’m sure you can save money.  You will find they don’t carry any brand names that you know of but the products are just as good, if not better.  A name is just a name but the quality is still there.  Believe me, my mother is like a walking spokesperson for Aldi, she tells EVERYONE she shops there and how much she loves it!

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for ALDI. I received a gift certificate to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”