3 Things You Must Know About Shopping at Aldi
The discount supermarket has a few quirks to go along with its low prices.
If you like to save on groceries, you’ll really like Aldi, the discount supermarket chain. The secret to its success is simple: no frills, low overhead and cheap store brands.
But shopping at Aldi has its quirks. Here are three things you should know.
1. Want to use a shopping cart? Bring a quarter. Aldi requires a 25-cent deposit, but you'll get it back if you return the cart. The system means Aldi isn’t paying employees to round up carts from the parking lot.
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2. Be prepared to bag your own groceries. Aldi asks shoppers to pitch in at checkout to keep labor costs in check and speed up the line. And speaking of bags: Bring your own. Otherwise you'll be charged.
3. Leave the coupons at home. Most of Aldi's products are store brands, so coupons for name-brands don’t apply. Leave your checkbook at home too. Aldi only accepts cash, credit or debit.
Take a look at even more things you must know about shopping at Aldi.
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Browne Taylor joined Kiplinger in 2011 and was a channel editor for Kiplinger.com covering living and family finance topics. She previously worked at the Washington Post as a Web producer in the Style section and prior to that covered the Jobs, Cars and Real Estate sections. She earned a BA in journalism from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She is Director of Member Services, at the National Association of Home Builders.
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