I Saved Hundreds by Switching Grocery Stores: Why I Went From Whole Foods to Aldi
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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With the rising costs of living, many families are feeling squeezed financially. Groceries make up a significant portion of most household budgets, so finding ways to trim spending in this area can lead to major savings.
As someone who previously did all her shopping at Whole Foods, Teresa Britton of MomsWhoSave.com discovered firsthand how switching to a more budget-friendly grocery store like Aldi could help cut her grocery bill dramatically without sacrificing quality.
By changing her main grocery store to Aldi, Britton was able to dramatically cut her grocery costs while still enjoying high quality for certain fresh items.
Packaged and Frozen Goods
The first piece of advice from Britton is not to waste money paying premium prices on things like packaged foods, canned goods and frozen foods.
“For packaged, frozen and canned goods, there is absolutely no reason to pay more at a ‘higher-end’ store,” she said. “Even if you’re brand-loyal, those brands are almost certainly less expensive at stores like Aldi, Lidl, Walmart — or Food Lion, here in the South. I’m talking about foods like breakfast cereal, crackers, soup, canned vegetables, chips and snacks, rice, coffee and frozen foods, to name just some of the things you should be buying as cheaply as you can.”
Why pay more for the same box of crackers at Whole Foods compared to Aldi? It simply doesn’t make sense from a cost savings perspective.
Think critically about what you actually gain by paying more for packaged items at fancier chains compared to the savings you might get at stores focused on keeping prices low. If all you care about is enjoying your favorite cereal or canned soup, the store you buy it at is irrelevant.
Trying Out Store Brands
Along with scoring deals on name brands you already love, Britton recommended keeping an open mind about trying out some of the store brand items available at places like Aldi and Lidl.
“It’s always a good idea to try the store brands at Lidl and Aldi, since they can be just as good or even better than the name brands — saving you even more money!” she said.
You might just find a new favorite cereal, snack or frozen meal among the Aldi or Lidl offerings. Even if some items end up not suiting your tastes, the ones that do are likely going to save you a bundle over sticking solely to name brands.
Higher Standards on Certain Items
While shifting much of your packaged grocery shopping to stores like Aldi is smart advice, Britton cautioned that this strategy may not work across the board for all items. In particular, she has higher standards when it comes to specific product categories.
“Since I am particular about produce, deli and bakery items, and meat — like most of us are — I’m sticking to the stores that seem to have better quality for those items,” she said.
If you pride yourself on always picking up fresh, high-quality fruits, veggies, meats and artisanal breads, you may not wish to abandon your trusted grocers for those categories. Paying a bit more for exceptional taste and freshness can be worthwhile if it’s important to your lifestyle.
Think through where you are and aren’t willing to compromise based on your grocery priorities. Britton acknowledged that some cheaper stores actually may meet your produce and meat standards: “Depending on where you shop, your lower-priced grocery stores might be just fine for those things too,” she said. So it’s worth scoping them out with an open mind.
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