What is Aldi & My 5 Favorite Aldi Products

I want those chips and the vindaloo kit!!!

Welp, my sleeping habits are getting even worse. I went to work, made dinner, walked my dog, did my workout, and then promptly fell asleep from 12AM until 5AM. So I never finished last night's review. (Which will be posted when I get home from work today.) 

Since I talk about it all the time, I thought I'd give a (really short) explanation as to what Aldi is, because I don't think I've ever really addressed it before and share a few of my grocery staple products that are kind of "boring", so they won't ever be fully reviewed.

Aldi is a European-based budget grocery store chain, and about 8 years ago, they started popping up here in New Jersey. At first I knew next to nothing about the store and just drove past it week after week, but after seeing a circular and their low prices, me (and my wallet) have been in love ever since.

My Aldi obsession is pretty obvious. I tend to review at least one item from that shop a week, but I'm not sponsored by them or anything like that. It's just my go-to grocery store. (I wish I was! Aldi doesn't even know I exist.) I stop in and do my bi-weekly grocery shopping on my way home from work and find a few things here and there to review. The only time I go to "normal" grocery stores is to get specialty items like Oreo's and stuff for the blog.

Over the years, Aldi has become bigger, fancier, and more popular here in the states. Now they have their own commercials, radio ads, specialty products, and limited edition flavors. Even though their prices have gone up a bit since I originally started shopping there, it's still less than your typical Shop Rite or Wegman's, and being the cheapskate I am, I get sticker-shock when I walk around "normal" grocery stores and see "normal" brand-name food prices. I mean, Frosted Mini Wheat cereal for like, four bucks, just because it's a name brand? Pardon my language, but fuck that! Sure, you can get coupons, but that requires time that I just don't have, and name brands aren't important to me. I can get it for half and sometimes less than half as a non-name brand at Aldi, and it still comes in fancy flavors like strawberry and blueberry.

I'm a small-time food blogger with a full time day job, selling my jewelry and art on the side, trying to make a living. Aldi (and Produce Junction) are life savers! I can still cook and review fancy foods, without murdering my wallet, which is awesome. I won't tell you guys what to do, or where to shop, but Aldi has helped me save a lot of money, so if you've got one near you, stop by one day and check it out. You might find something awesome!

Here are 5 of my staple grocery-store items from Aldi

(That are NOT seasonal, so they should be there every time.)  

#1 Take & Bake Supreme Pizza

Super cheap, filling, and it comes in specialty/limited edition flavors. These start at $4.99-$5.99
My favorite so far is the thin crust spinach and feta. 

#2 Dried Berry Mix

I love fruity salads, so this is my go-to salad additive. It makes everything taste so fancy!
(It's great in cereal, trail mix, and oatmeal too, but I always use mine up in salads.) (Currently priced at $2.45) 

#3 Tortilla Chips (Restaurant Style)

Amazing for late night nachos or serving with guacamole.
They're really cheap too ($1.19), so it makes a really great party food.
I ALWAYS have these on-hand because it's a easy go-to appetizer when I have friends over. 

#4 Spicy Guacamole

Speaking of guacamole...this stuff is CRAZY addictive.
I personally feel like the spicy version isn't really spicy, but it's well seasoned and much yummier than the original.
(Which is too bland.) The only downside is that it has cilantro in it, so my sister (who's allergic) can't eat it with me. It's currently $2.99 and you get two packages per box. I can't remember of the top of my head how much this one costs, but I'll look it up during my grocery run on the way home and let you know.

#5 Sports Drinks

Photo from THIS SITE 
I've talked about my stomach problems before, and thankfully they're in-check right now, but when they weren't...this was one of the few things keeping me going. It's my go to beverage when I'm sick and dehydrated, and during my trip to Otakon where I worked a 13 hour shift in the artist alley, I was drinking this stuff like crazy. It's the exact same thing as Gatorade, but cheaper! There are even low calorie versions. The lemon lime flavor is my favorite. I think it's .75 cents per bottle, but Aldi also sells name-brand Gatorade for .95cents a bottle.