Vegan on a Budget: A Guide to Shopping at Aldi

Aldi Vegan
“You are what you eat, so don’t be fast, cheap, easy or fake.” That always makes me chuckle. Okay, the fake part makes sense. Your diet probably shouldn’t be full of overly processed, fake ingredients. But fast, cheap and easy? Please. I only eat things if they’re fast, cheap and easy.  Maintaining a well-balanced diet while on a strict budget can be difficult, though. Bianca has shared some great tips for saving money while on a vegan diet, but today, we are exploring one of the most amazing places in the world: Aldi! Aldi is a discount grocery store chain with headquarters in Germany, and it. is. fantastic. The chain is sort of owned by the same company as Trader Joe’s, so a lot of the products you’ll find in each store have similar packaging and the exact same ingredients. I know “discount grocery store” has a bit of a negative connotation, but you’re not going to find dented cans, expired foods and moldy produce here. The stuff is high-quality, delicious and cheap. And they have a reputation for paying their employees better than their competitors (I worked in a grocery store through high school and most of college making less than $6/hour, so whenever anyone pays hard workers what they deserve, I try to give them support!). I typically stop at Aldi on my way home from work on Mondays to stock up on supplies for my meals for the week. My menu for this week included leftover chili from a Crock Pot batch I made late last week (recipe coming soon!), broccoli and white bean soup, vegan macaroni and cheese and Bianca’s amazing pumpkin smoothie. Jotting down a rough plan of what you want to make during the week is a great way to save money by avoiding impulse purchases. You can be flexible with what you make on what days, but having an idea of three or four big batches you plan to cook is a great place to start. Aldi 9.19.14 Here are a few of my tips for shopping at Aldi:
  • Check the hours. Aldi stores are typically only open during the most high-traffic hours of the day. After all, it isn’t very economical to run a store when there are only two or three people milling around, and those extra costs have to be covered somehow (hint: it’s by increasing the prices of groceries). Find your local store and check the hours before you try to go shopping at 10 p.m.
  • Bring a quarter and your own bags. Aldi does everything they can to cut down on costs, and bags and carts have a lot to do with that. You’ll need to put a quarter into the cart to release it from a chain, but don’t worry, you get it back when you return it. They also won’t bag your groceries for you. They’ll put them back in your cart and you can bag them at a counter in the store or at your car on a nice day! No complains here; you should be using reusable bags everywhere you go, anyway! If you do forget your bags and have no other options, you can pick up empty boxes around the store or buy plastic bags at the checkout.
  • Pay with cash or debit, but not credit. Aldi does not accept credit cards, so make sure you have enough cash on hand or money in your checking account to pay with a debit card. They also accept EBT/food stamps.
  • Don’t expect brands you know. Much like at Trader Joe’s, almost everything in the store is Aldi-branded. But don’t worry, the stuff is delicious. If you do find national brands and buying brand name is important to you, snatch them up. That stuff is usually overstock that they will not have all the time.
  • Don’t think; just buy. This probably doesn’t sound like a good money-saving tip, but let me explain: inventory doesn’t stick around at Aldi. If you see a sign that says “special buy” or “seasonal item,” stock up. This means it’s a product that they don’t carry consistently, so it will probably be gone by the next time you come back.
  • Read the labels. Below every ingredient list, there will be text in bold print that reads, “Contains: Milk, Soy, Egg.” They list common allergens, so it’s easy to see if the products contain milk or egg. Be sure to read the rest of the list for other sneaky non-vegan ingredients, but this is an easy place to start. I found chocolate chip cookies (for 99 cents!) that are vegan!
  • Don’t treat it as a one-stop shop. Most grocery stores offer everything you need under one roof. You may not find that at Aldi. They carry a wide selection, but you won’t always find exactly what you are looking for and may have to stop at another store for one or two items. But Aldi is a great place for canned beans and tomatoes, nuts, pasta and sauces, vegetables (fresh and frozen) and bagged lettuce, and pantry staples like olive oil and baking powder. Just do a little exploring and you’ll discover which of your regular purchases you can make at Aldi, and which you’ll have to get at another store.
Here’s my haul for the week (and then some) and what I paid. So cheap! At one of my local grocery stores, this probably would have run me closer to $60, especially with the typically more expensive items like organic blue corn chips (yes, Aldi sells some organic items), maple syrup, granola and whole wheat bread. And the best part: it’s all vegan. Aldi 9.19.14 Aldi 9.19.14 I also have a few things in my pantry that I’ve purchased on previous trips that were so cheap I just have to share. I found Spanish olive oil for $3.99, pitted dates for $1.89, hummus for $1.99, dried cranberries for $1.19, and unsweetened almond milk (with no carrageenan!) for $2.49. I prefer almond, but they also carry soy milk for the $2.29. And you know the Peanut Butter & Co. products? Aldi sells their own versions of the dark chocolate and white chocolate versions for $2.49. TWO FORTY NINE. The lowest price I can find for these elsewhere in my area is $4.00 and the taste is just as good. I’m so in love. I sent Bianca 14 texts about it when I discovered this. Aldi 9.19.14 Now that I’m done gushing… what are your favorite Aldi finds? Or, if you haven’t been to Aldi, what are your tips for grocery shopping on a budget? xo Sara
Please visit our other shopping guides: For more information on how to save money on a plant-based diet, download my eBook: My Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Kitchen.
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24 Comments

  1. heck yes i love this~!!! aldi is the best.

    1. I am so glad I’m not the only one with this obsession. It’s a little out of control.

  2. Sounds like an awesome store! I wish there was one here!

  3. such a helpful post! always looking for ways to cut down grocery costs :)

  4. I sure hope so! It’s definitely better than it was a few years ago, and I’ve noticed changes even over the past few months. They’re now carrying more organic items than ever.

  5. Big Lots also has some great deals on non-perishables! I have great luck finding name brand organic foods for several dollars cheaper.

    1. Good call! I shop there a lot for things for my house, but I’ll need to start checking the food section, too.

  6. You’d be a very happy Vegan indeed if you were to visit an Aldi store in Germany ;o). We’ve got at least one Aldi in every town over here. Prices are reasonable, to say the least: You could get a delicious organic rice+soy milk for $1.53, and there’s even a small, but high quality assortment of organic soy products in their refrigerator, like organic Tofu (400g), Seitan+Tofu deli (140g), Tofu Bolognese sauce (250g), Soy Schnitzel (175g) etc for $2.20 each. And what’s best, they’re in the process of labelling their products explicitly as “vegan” where appropriate, so that it’ll finally be safe for me to shop at Aldi’s even though I managed to forget my glasses again. Might as well spill over to the US branch of Aldi.

    1. That sounds amazing! The Aldi stores here have really been improving, so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time until ours are lIke that, too.

  7. Love aldi, we always do our shopping there. They have all sorts of nuts for a very reasonable price!
    Lou

    http://vegantarianlifestyle.com

    1. I love Aldi for staples like nuts and canned/frozen veggies!

  8. Great post! “You are what you eat, so don’t be fast, cheap, easy or fake.” -Love this quote too, fantastic opening. :-)

  9. Love Aldi! One tip that I have is stock up when canned goods go on sale every 6-8 weeks is the store cycle. I also recomend buying their produce from their organic line. I have been very happy with it!

    1. Mine just started carrying organic produce, and I’m very happy with it too! And their guacamole is my favorite ever.

  10. We love Aldi’s too! Just returned to a location that has locations and are inspecting everything available. I love their gluten-free, organic options too. I’m not sure if I would compare them to TJ’s but they are right up there. If now they would only start to add the German products available overseas! I read the one comment about it there, sounds amazing! I too also love organic options at Big Lots- save tons of money rather than buying everything at Whole Foods.

    1. I’ve heard that comment about Big Lots before! I don’t shop there often but I should start making it part of my shopping trips! It’s fun to poke around in there and see what you can find.

  11. […] #4: Vegan on a Budget: A Guide to Shopping at Aldi […]

  12. YES! I love those two peanut butters as well. I get so excited when it’s peanut butter season at aldi lol. They have great apple cider, sometimes in the summer they have Kale burgers which are so good, their hummus is delicious – especially the one with pine nuts, and they have their brand of Thin Mint cookies that are vegan and SO GOOD. Also, their Mild German roasted coffee is my favorite coffee of all time and it’s only $4.99. Aldi may not be a one stop place to shop (say…if I need Daiya or to get my coffee creamer) but they are always my first stop.

  13. I’m late here but I love their organic pasta sauces. Their organic simply nature brand makes a marinara and a tomato basil that are both totally organic and free from oil/sugar/unnecessary stuff. The marinara is bomb!!!

  14. I’ve gotten 2 lb bags of dry garbanzos for .89 cents , simply organic chili beans .89 cents (sale). They now carry septic pack silken tofu -mori-nu brand, they have a Simply Nature Tahini Goddess dressing that’s just like Amy’s (I think Amys) that I love on steamed veggies -not so much for salad. They have an Asian snack mix that I have to stay away from-the rice crackers, nuts, wasabi pea mix! Their organic produce seems to be growing.
    I bought the Kitchen Living nutrition extractor and it’s JUST like the name brand one! $30.00. They had a Vitamix look alike too! $70.00
    My stainless steel pressure cooker is also Kitchen Living and I love it-$39.00

  15. When I moved first moved to Australia, I was unfamiliar with almost all of the brands and different names for things. I also found that a lot of my cheap “go to’s” weren’t available here. My grocery bill went through the roof! Granted, some of that was because I had a steep learning curve (including changing how and what I cooked a little), but when I discovered Aldi… WOW! What a huge difference it has made. I can’t find everything there, but I get at least 80-90% of my weekly groceries there. And when you have to feed seven, the savings really adds up! Thanks for sharing the good news with others!

    1. Julayn – so happy to share the good news with others… it really is an amazing place to shop!! We’re huge Aldi and Trader Joe’s fans. You just can’t beat the price! xx

  16. I love aldi for their variety of almond milks. Unsweetened, sweetened , vanilla and sometimes chocolate. Aldi has played a huge factor in getting my husband. My 11 year old and my 5 year old have cow’s milk for 2 years now.

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