Money-Saving Pros: The 9 Best Ways to Save Even *More* At Aldi Grocery Stores
With 2300 stores across the US, chances are you've driven past an Aldi, a popular discount grocery chain that’s famous for its low everyday prices on food and home goods. Unlike wholesale clubs or other grocery stores, Aldi doesn’t require a membership, offer a rewards program or issue weekly batches of coupons in a store circular or on its app. “The savings you get are upfront and you can find the best value on their store-brand items,” says money-saving expert Andrea Woroch. All that said, there are some tricks only the pros know — keep scrolling to add them to your money-saving arsenal.
How does Aldi keep prices down?
As many as 90% of the products that Aldi sells are their own private brands. Plus, they reduce their own expenses by having a smaller store footprint than other supermarkets, relying on shoppers to bag their own groceries and encouraging customers to bring back their shopping carts by requiring a 25-cent deposit to use them (which is given back to you when you return the cart). All of this means they can pass on big savings to you. And according to a recent price comparison study between Aldi and Walmart by Fool.com, Aldi was about 10.4% cheaper than Walmart!
This news repost explains how Aldi saves money so they can pass the savings down to you:
How to save even *more* money at Aldi
1. Shop Wednesday morning to nab Aldi Savers food discounts
Every week, Aldi introduces their “Aldi Savers” discounts. This is when the store reduces prices on a new selection of beverages, meat, produce, snacks and other foods. You can find which foods are included in each week’s Aldi Savers price reductions by looking in the store circular and by searching for red and white “Aldi Savers” signs throughout the store.
Thing is, since Aldi Savers prices are so low, many of these discounted goods sell out fast. Luckily, you can get first dibs and scoop up these big savings when you know the best day and time to shop at Aldi for these Aldi Savers deals: It’s Wednesday morning.
“According to employees, they do all their big markdowns and price changes after closing on Tuesday and before they open on Wednesday as this correlates with the start of a new ad week,” shares money-saving expert Kyle James, founder Rather-Be-Shopping.com.
Arrive on Wednesday morning soon after the products have been marked down and you won’t have to worry about supplies running out.
To find out this week’s Aldi Savers discounts, check out the sales circular in the store or at Aldi.us/en/weekly-specials/our-weekly-ads.
You can also get a heads-up by downloading the Aldi app at Aldi.us/en/about-aldi/mobile-app. Or get free email notifications by subscribing to the Aldi mailing list at Aldi.us/en/about-aldi/email-sign-up.
2. Shop Aldi Finds — on Wednesdays too
Aldi isn’t only known for their low-priced grocery staples. Fans also love the “Aldi Finds” aisle, which is a collection of bargain-priced unique food and lifestyle goods that the store sells for a limited time only. Aldi Finds include a wide array of merchandise, including cleaning supplies, cookware, furniture, gardening needs, hair products, home accessories, pet accessories and specialty desserts.
Just like with the Aldi Savers discounts, a new batch of Aldi Finds are put on store shelves by Wednesday morning. And because some of the best Aldi Finds products sell out fast, this makes Wednesday morning the ideal time to visit your local store so you have the first shot at savings.
Want to check out what new Aldi Finds products will be in your store Wednesday morning? You can see the current week’s Aldi Finds at Aldi.us/en/weekly-specials/this-weeks-aldi-finds.
Plus, you can get a sneak peek of next week’s Aldi Finds at Aldi.us/en/weekly-specials/upcoming-aldi-finds. This way, you can plan ahead!
3. Get a price adjustment when an Aldi Finds product goes on sale
Bought an Aldi Finds product only to discover the same item went on sale soon after? At Aldi, you can get a price adjustment on limited-time Aldi Finds items within 14 days of your purchase.
To get your Aldi Finds price adjustment: Take your receipt to the store where you purchased the product. Then show the store manager. You’ll get a refund for the difference between what you paid compared to the current discounted price.
Keep in mind that seasonal products and items that are available on a regular basis do not qualify for price adjustments.
4. Look for markdowns on near-expiring food at Aldi
Aldi is committed to reducing food waste. One way they do this is by slashing the price of some perishable groceries as they get close to their sell-by dates so they move off shelves faster. This way, the store doesn’t have to discard them.
“Aldi is known to discount their bread items exactly 5 days before the expiration date,” shares James. “So if you’re shopping for a loaf and you notice the expiration date is 6 days out, wait a day to buy and save some cash.”
Shopping for beef, chicken or other meat? Two days before meat products reach their sell-by date, they get reduced by $1 to $2, then by up 50% on their actual sell-by date.
Found a pack of chicken legs or loaf of bread nearing its sell-by date, but it hasn’t been discounted? Lakisha L. Simmons, CEO of The Wealthy AchieveHer advises: “Head to a cashier and say, ‘Hey, this meat or this bread is getting close to expiration. Can you give me a markdown?” Sometimes, they’ll cut the price on the spot. “But, you have to ask for it.”
5. Use a cash back app or credit card when shopping at Aldi
To squeeze even more savings out of your Aldi purchases, use a cash back app, such as Checkout 51, Fetch and Ibotta, recommends Woroch. “All you do is snap pictures of your receipts to earn points,” she explains. Depending on the app, points can be redeemed for free gift cards to a variety of retailers. Or you can opt for cash sent to you via PayPal or check.
Also smart: Use a credit card that gives you cash back for groceries, Woroch advises. “If you don't have a robust cash back card, consider opening a new card now that gives you more money back for food purchases.” To compare cash back credit cards, visit CardRates.com or NerdWallet.com.
6. Never waste cash on food with the Aldi 'Twice as Nice' guarantee
At Aldi, they stand by their products. If you’re not happy with the purchase of an Aldi Finds item or national brand, you can return it for a refund or replacement.
Even better, if you’re unsatisfied with the quality of an Aldi brand food product (excluding alcohol), you can take advantage of their “Twice as Nice” guarantee. “This means that they will give you a refund on that item and replace it with the same item,” explains Simmons. Essentially, it means you’re getting the product for free. “That's why it's called twice as nice.”
How do you get Aldi’s "Twice as Nice" refund and replacement? If you’re unhappy with an Aldi brand food because of its quality (for instance, you found mold in a package of strawberries), bring the remaining portion along with the item’s packaging to your Aldi store manager.
“So, let’s say you bought fruit or meat or another perishable item and it wasn’t fresh,” says Simmons. “You bring it back and they will give you that same item again and they'll give you a refund.”
To receive a refund in the form that you paid (such as cash or a credit card), a receipt is required. Lost your receipt? You’ll still get a refund, but in the form of an Aldi Merchandise Credit gift card equal to the current retail price of the returned item.
7. Save with Aldi coupons—yes, they do exist
Most folks think Aldi doesn’t accept any coupons, but that’s not entirely true. Sure, they don’t accept manufacturer coupons for the 10% of brand name items they sell. And they don’t issue a weekly batch of coupons in their circulars or apps like other grocery stores.
However, every so often, Aldi releases their own coupons for a regional promotion or special event.
For example, to celebrate the grand opening of a new store or re-opening of an existing store after it’s been remodeled, Aldi frequently issues coupons for $5 off a purchase of $30 or more that you can use at the new or remodeled location.
But, you won’t find these coupons online or through a digital app. (So, don’t believe it when you see fake Aldi digital coupons show up on Facebook or other social media sites.) Aldi issues old-fashioned paper coupons that are mailed directly to your home. So, keep an eye on your mail and scour any flyers you receive from Aldi.
8. Get freebies at Aldi grand openings and re-openings
Coupons for $5 off aren’t the only way that Aldi celebrates store grand openings and re-openings. They offer money-saving giveaways, too. For instance, they often give the first 100 customers who arrive when doors open a free goodie bag full of Aldi products and a “Golden Ticket” that could be worth up to $100. On top of that, during the opening week, you can enter for a chance to win a $500 Aldi gift card by scanning a QR code using your mobile device. Aldi also gives away free shopping totes while supplies last.
To find out when a new Aldi store is arriving in your neighborhood or your current Aldi is re-opening after a remodel, visit Aldi.us/en/about-aldi/grand-openings.
9. Look for holiday and seasonal Aldi food price cuts
Aldi’s everyday prices are already famously low, but the grocery chain reduces their prices even more on certain foods for holidays and seasons.
For example, for summer, Aldi dropped prices on more than 250 popular items that you might take on a hike, pack up in a picnic or simply enjoy for dinner. These included Southern Grove Trail Mix (reduced from $2.79 to $2.19), 8-ounce Emporium Selection Havarti Cheese (reduced from $2.99 to $2.49) and Bremer Angus Cheeseburger Melt (reduced from $5.49 to $4.99).
in 2022, Aldi kicked off the holiday cooking season by dropping prices from October 12 through December 31 on dozens of top-selling foods, including baking ingredients, bacon, cheese, fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables and ground beef. Just a sample of items that got their prices cut included 1-pound frozen 85% Lean Ground Beef Chub (reduced from $4.49 to $3.89), 3-ounce Specially Selected Cold Smoked Salmon, (reduced from $4.99 to $4.39) and 8-ounce Carlini Canola or Butter Cooking Spray (reduced from $2.25 to $1.99).
On top of that, between November 2 and November 29 of 2022, Aldi launched an additional money-saving promotion: Their “Thanksgiving Price Rewind” turned back the clock and offered holiday appetizers, desserts, sides and beverages at 2019 prices, saving shoppers up to 30%.
Find out about more holiday and seasonal price cuts that can save you money on groceries by checking your Aldi’s store circular or visiting Corporate.Aldi.us/en/newsroom/news.
Gabrielle Lichterman is an award-winning author and journalist who has been reporting on health, personal finance and lifestyle topics for Woman's World since 1997. Gabrielle is best known for pioneering the worldwide "cycle-syncing" movement that began with her groundbreaking women's health book, 28 Days: What Your Cycle Reveals About Your Moods, Health & Potential. Learn more at GabrielleLichterman.com.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman's World.
