Is it just my Aldi store, or has your Aldi store raised almost all the prices by at least $0.25 in the last few weeks? The girls and I stopped by there yesterday and cheese was up to $1.99 from $1.79. Milk was $3.28! And I noticed all sorts of other price increases.
Overall, their prices are still lower, but if they keep this up, it won’t be long before they aren’t anymore! I feel so badly for those of you who are on extremely tight budgets to be dealing with all these price increases. 🙁
However, I don’t mean to be complaining as I know that many of you don’t even have the luxury of an Aldi and are stuck with one over-priced grocery store. It just struck me yesterday how costly it seems basic necessities are becoming. And I’m more inspired than ever to try and do better about buying ahead when prices are at their lowest!
Now for what we bought:
1 canister oats — $1.99
2 loaves of honey wheat bread — clearanced to $0.69 each
2 packages of sweet corn — $0.99 each
3 bags of chicken breasts — $5.49 each
2 bags of apples — $2.89 each
1 jar of peanut butter — $1.49
2 packages of strawberries — $1.69 each
2 packages of baby carrots — $0.99 each
1 cantaloupe — $1.69
1 8-oz. cheddar cheese — $1.99
1 can orange juice — $1.09
My total with tax was $41.97
It seems that since Aldi’s has taken to national television advertising, their prices have dramatically increased. My normal purchases have seen huge jumps in just a month’s time. i.e. Krispy Rice was 1.19 and now it is 1.49; spaghetti sauce was .99 and now it is 1.49; eggs were .79-.99 and now they are 1.29 or higher. That’s just a sampling. I can see nickle and dime increases, but these increases are staggering!
I go to Aldi for their sale priced produce, and nothing more. The Aldi is located conveniently- across the street from my usual grocery store.
Food prices up? Inflation my friends. Write your Representatives and ask them to Audit the Fed.
I admit I don’t do all my shopping at Aldi but I do go there a probably 2 times a month for speciality items that they are the cheapest on. Can someone give me an opinion on their frozen chicken breasts? I notice that you purchased them a lot. I have not tried them, always wind up waiting for a sale at one of the local markets but something that doesn’t always happen. Appareciate any opinions.
My best deal on milk in my area is actually the Whole Foods brand. I can get a gallon of organic for around $5. The non-organic is right at $3.00. Wal-Mart brand milk is around $3.50 a gallon (Whole Foods 365 brand non-organic is actually cheaper than Wal-Mart here.)
I wish we had an Aldis though…or a Safeway or Dillons….Kroger… I’ll take any of those.
I only get the basics at Aldis anymore, as their prices have dramatically gone up. Three months ago, a bag of chips cost .99 cents. In the past three months, it’s risen to 1.39! A .40 cent increase! That’s almost 50%! It’s crazy. I find I do much better shopping the Jewel and Hy-Vee ads- getting what I can on sale with coupons, and then getting just the basics at Aldis. It’s getting harder and harder to feed a family of 7 on a budget of $80 a week!
I only hit up Aldi’s about once a month and it’s to grab either their veggie chips or canned goods. I actually stopped in yesterday and decided I may be decreasing my trips, because I couldn’t find anything I needed at an equal or cheaper price than what I can get at Kroger or Meijer with a sale or coupon. However, I do love them for their cream of celery soup for less than $0.50! (they don’t always have it, it seems to come-in around thanksgiving and easter, so if you have to stock up) I can’t ever find cream of celery (which i use regularly) for anything close to that price. And also next time I need some canned beans or fruit and haven’t found a sale/coupon recently, I’ll probably hit them up too. But I was majorly let down yesterday. We walked out with only a water and a snack only because my husband and toddler really wanted them.
I just wanted to say thank you for your pictures of real food! So many times I see “bragging rights” photos and you have to wonder what they are really eating. 10 packs of razors, toothbrushes and shampoo won’t feed your family!
I did noticed the gallon of milk went up from $1.49 to $1.99. I still find this to be cheap for milk. I hope it doesn’t go up any higher. This is the cheapest I can find milk here in Indiana.
I paid $4.23 for a gallon of milk this week (IA/MN area). This is not fancy milk (not organic or anything!), just milk. You are lucky to live somewhere where it is so cheap!
where do you find the clearanced or marked down bread? or is that the sale price for the week at aldis?
Every once in a while, our Aldi will just have a hand-written sign above one of their products with a special clearance sale.
I think everything has gone up a lot at our local stores – I bought basic sandwich stuff a few weeks ago and spent $30 – ouch! When I first started grocery shopping 7 years ago we could live on $100 a month, which sounds crazy now!
I am so glad there are sites like this that help you catch sales!! I spend several hours following them and clipping coupons, and go to the 3 drugstores, and our 3 local grocery stores every week, which takes up most of a day. But, it allows me to feed my family reasonably well – before I started couponing in November we would eat PB+J made from the cheapest bread, etc I could find every meal for a few weeks to fit in my budget. Now, I have been able to stockpile ground turkey and vegetables, etc that we can eat for the same low cost – much healthier! And there are weeks that I don’t have to shop – we can live off of my stock for probably a month and be well fed.
I have discovered I can get groceries cheaper overall by shopping sales (and using printable coupons) at Kroger and occasionally Hyvee. I have found their butter, eggs, and milk to usually be right on par with Kroger if not more expensive. I personally am not going to waste a stop anymore at a less convenient store. The only exception is if they have a rock bottom price on produce that I happen hear about. For example, a couple months back they had 4lb bags of oranges for $1. That is worth the stop with four children in the house:). It is a bummer that Aldi isn’t what it used to be – the one place you could go to buy groceries and know you were going to get rock bottom prices on (mostly) generic foods.
The prices aren’t going to stop going up either, at least not anytime soon. None of us should be looking for “permanent” price drops before 2013.
I recently stumbled across a saying in a cookbook that was a compilation of recipes used by women to feed their families during the Horrible Depression, as well as little snippets from daily life during then. This saying was very popular back then:
EAT IT UP, WEAR IT OUT, MAKE IT DO OR DO WITHOUT!
My husband and I made a little sign using that saying and hung it on our refrigerator! If our great grandparents made it through that horrific time, won WWII and went on to create the economic prosperity that we have enjoyed and reaped the benefits of for almost 50 years, then WE can not only survive these times, but THRIVE in them too!
So little hinges on what our ACTUAL circumstances are, but on what we PERCEIVE our circumstances to be!
We are modern day Rosie the Riveter’s, doing what it takes to maintain our family!
Couponing is more important than ever for our family! Buyer beware though. Not only are prices going up, package sizes are going down!! To avoid raising prices, manufacturers are shrinking packaging! Keep an eye on the per unit prices. Blessings!!
http://www.cnbc.com/id/40909380
Bananas at our Aldi’s used to be the cheapest in town @ $.39/lb. I noticed in last two weeks they are now $.49/lb, which is the same as the grocery stores around here. 🙁
I agree that Aldi’s prices have been higher but they also seem to change a lot more than other stores. I feel that the items that go up and down are the produce and dairy products whereas the shelf stable stuff tends to be the same. I love Aldi for all of my baking supplies, they have continued to be the least expensive time and time again. For things like milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables I watch the sales and go where the best price is.
Our Aldi’s is too far away to make it feasible to go just for groceries. If we are in that part of town for another reason we might stop in, but generally I find that I can get the same (equivalent) items elsewhere for the same or lower price. We are preparing for a rough summer by stocking up now. Last week Fareway had a good price on hamburger and we stocked up enough to get us to the 4th of July. I figure by the 4th they will have more meat sales and we will be able to restock to carry us through to Labor Day. We are doing this on as much as we can. Our kids have really started eating more and it is showing in the food budget. Luckily I work by one grocery store and the other is only two blocks away. Between the two I am stocking up like crazy!
Green grapes were $4.99/lb at Publix in Gainesville, FL, so I think prices are just higher everywhere. (I did NOT buy them!) Think it’s gonna be a rough summer.
Maybe I should look into buying a pet cow 🙂 then we could get milk, butter, and cheese! I’m not sure that the neighbors in our residential suburb town would like it…..
We don’t have an Aldi’s in CO when we lived in NE they did and I loved that store. Our milk right now is 2.78 at King Soopers but Safeway is always having in store deal buy 2 for $4 but you do have to buy 2. We have been sticking to KS lately for the gas point and KS and City Market and Bakers are all owned by the same company. I went this past wknd and bought 220.$ in grocery and paid 85$ but my gas points were on before coupons. yeah!!! That and the buy 10 get $5 I did it 3 times.
Christina
Our Aldi is cheaper than yours but comparatively their prices have gone up. I know you have said you can beat their prices but Sam’s has great meat prices here un Dallas. I bought 10 lbs of chicken breasts for $22.00 the other day much less than any grocery store in our area.
Thanks for a your hard work. I am loving this blog and finding it very helpful.
I send my husband to Aldi’s to pick up the smaller list of groceries….and the main staple on his list is milk. It was 2.64 a gallon which is less than Costco….but he went this week…and it was up to 2.79!!
I don’t shop at Aldi but prices are increasing while packages shrink. Yesterday I paid nearly $5 for a 2 pound bag of rye flour (not organic). I’m seeing more 2 pound bags of flour and fewer 5 lb bags. Walnuts were 9.99 a pound. I’m now buying at least 1 extra stock up item each time I shop and buying in bulk when the price is right. Off to Costco now and hoping to find some affordable walnuts, LOL.
My Aldi is going up too. I just learned I could freeze dairy and luckily Aldi milk was below $3 this week so I got two. Hopefully my freezing doesn’t fail!
Yes our Aldi’s has been slowly raising their prices, but still under WalMarts & HyVee & Fareway. I believe, though, that Aldis’ will always be under the competitors just due to the others raising theirs first. we have a local dairy that sells their milk for $3/gal and they have stated that they won’t go up – PTL!!!
May I ask what state your in?
I would love to find a local dairy!!
You said, “And I’m more inspired than ever to try and do better about buying ahead when prices are at their lowest!” We’ve definitely noticed that prices have gotten higher in recent months in our area. However, we’ve also seen the sales ads in our area have gotten much poorer as well. It seems most items now are only very slightly discounted; very few items can be stocked up on with significant savings.
I was happy when Fresh and Easy came to Southern California but their prices have gone crazy too.
There is indeed inflation in the world food market, while there are still falling prices in the real estate market. From what my husband (IMF Economist) reports, the reason for the rise in food prices is that as poorer nations (India, China) are growing their middle classes quickly at this time and those citizens are looking to eat better foods, such as meat and dairy, whereas previously, they were eating simple grains and rice. So it’s actually a case of supply and demand. Food supply, for the moment, remains the same, while demand on more “luxury” foods such as meat and dairy, increases – thus increasing the price of those foods.
What ever the reason, it still stinks that prices at Aldi are rising!
food prices everywhere r up and will continue to go up. The country is in an inflationary period and will be for sometime to come . Get use to it sadly it’s here for a while … likefor years.
I’m in TX, we don’t have Aldi here. Everything here is much more expensive than yours.
Can’t remember where I read it last week, someone was saying food price will go up a lot more towards later part of this year, and some stores have started to raise prices by 10-25cents to test customers’ reactions. I’ll definitely follow up your blog to learn more about couponing.
I just posted the same thing on FB. I went to Aldi for staples today~bread, milk, fruit, eggs, frozen veggies, ect~and spent $69. The only “luxury” item I had in my cart was ice pops for $2.89.
Milk at my Aldi is $2.89 now~same price as Target and Kroger. Kroger’s sale price was better this week. Should have bought it when I was there.
I went to our Aldi’s on Sunday and the price was still 1.79 near Cincinnati as it has been for a while now. Not sure what day they change their prices. I’ve noticed prices increasing at the other stores though and not as many good deals.
I have noticed raising prices at Aldi’s and other stores. Aldi’s, Walmart and Target are all a 20 minute drive for me while I have four chain grocery stores within 5-10 minutes. I usually visit Aldi’s once a month for the things that tend to be consistently cheaper like milk, tortilla chips, bread and produce. Their produce can be really questionable at times though and I have definitely noticed higher prices.
I recently started a produce co-op to save money (about 45-50% off of the chain store prices!) and that has helped tremendously. We even beat the Aldi’s price by about 30%! If you have a co-op nearby, you might consider looking into that option. If you are in the Odenton, MD area (Anne Arundel county), check out http://odentonproduce.wordpress.com and contact me through that site if you are interested in joining us.
Thanks for the great blog; love it!
Yes. I too have noticed some price increases at Aldi. As a matter of fact, Kroger had them beat on a least one item last week. I think it was the hotdog and hamburger buns. They were on sale for .77 at Kroger. They were like .79 if not just a bit more at Aldi. Now, I know that’s not much of a difference to say the least. I was just shocked that they were more expensive at all.
But like you said. They still offer very good prices in comparison to other places, overall.
And packages are shrinking, too. I bought a “pint” of ice cream that wasn’t really a pint–14 ounces. I kept staring at it before I put it in my cart. It was such a petite little thing.
That’s one of they way food manufacturers try to trick consumers. They advertise new packaging and lower the price for a while hoping most of us won’t notice. Then they’ll raise the prices again with the smaller amount–notice a lot of cans are now 14 or 15oz instead of the 16 they used to be. I recently read an article about it, but I can’t remember what it was so I don’t have the link.
Food prices around the globe are increasing, in part due to natural disasters. It’s not an uncommon news story.
From the US Bureau of Labor Statistics: “Over the past 12 months, the index for food at home has risen 3.6 percent with the index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs up 7.9 percent.” (April 2011 press release)
Gas has gone up nearly 15 percent in the last three months!
That’s what I was thinking. It isn’t limited to just Aldi. Costco and Kroger are going up weekly in my area. Some of the increase is the cost of fuel to transport the food to the store.
The prices at Aldi in Minnetonka, MN have really gone up lately on meat. It does not seem to me that the prices have gone up in the produce or other items I buy there. If anyone else is in MN or WI, you can’t beat Kwik Trip’s prices on milk ($1.98/gallon plus rewards to lower it more), butter ($1.99/lb), eggs (99 cents/dozen), bananers and onions (39 cents/lb.) Crystal, can you please ask your readers for advice on books that help people with black thumbs learn to garden so that they actually save money? I love to garden but I don’t think I come out ahead some years because I don’t do a good job of it. Also, how do you bargain at the Farmer’s Market? The farmer’s markets I’ve been to are definitely not a way to save money.
Look for small farmers , pick your own places and roadside stands. You’ll often do better buying from someone’s driveway than from a farmer’s market.
Black-thumb advice: good soil and 6 to 8 hours of sun exposure daily (if not more). Start small. A package of cucumber or carrot seeds costs less than $2. If they don’t make it, you’re not out too much money. Read the directions carefully and research tips online.
Also, while there are lots of little road-side stands where I live, each only sells one or two different crops. I plan ahead and stop at a stand when I’m out doing errands.
I learned last year that the sweet corn/melon/etc stands in my area are all actually “franchised” by one woman that buys up from the local growers and sells it all at the same rates and each stand with no room for bargaining since the person working the stall isn’t the grower, just an employee. That was a crazy thought to me.
I was just in the Minnetonka Aldi today! I agree about produce still being a decent price. That’s just about all I buy there now! Ditto about Kwik Trip…I love that place!!!
I love Kwik Trip too. Especially their monthly coupons. This month includes FREE bread, a FREE donut, a FREE pound of either onions, potatoes or bananas along with other great coupons. I have a source to get several copies of their coupons and have been stocking up on the FREE onions and soon I’ll change to stocking up on the potatoes. I’ve got several loaves of different breads in the freezer too. I probably won’t have to buy bread/potatoes or onions till next fall!
I didn’t realize Kwik Trip had monthly coupons….where do you find them?
They have printable coupons on their website and they also send some out with their credit card statements.
We get them in the Northfield News and Star Tribune Southern edition in our area on the first Wednesday of the Month. They also are inserted in that week’s Northfield Shopper. I don’t have a May copy with me today but the April edition included: 6 coupons for $.05 off gas and two $.07 coupons off gas, FREE donut coupon, $1.00 off 4 cinnamon rolls, $1 off Fresh Case Parfait, FREE pound of bananas, onions or potatoes, and coupons for $1 off ice cream, $1.00 for a piece of pizza, $1 off any hot sandwich, $1 off soup or chili, $.10 off gas if you buy regular priced pizza, Thin Crust pizza for $3.99, Regular crust pizza for $6.99, $.10 off gass if you purchase a elite car wash, three $5.99 elite car wash coupons, FREE fountain drink, and $1 off a smoothie malt or shake. Plus, they accept ALL competitor’s gas coupons up to $.10 per gallon. I suggest that you contact their corporate office to find out what other newspapers they put the coupons inserts in. I do know that they don’t do this for their Wisconsin locations, just Minnesota. I also work for a non-profit and we use Kwik Trips non-profit program. A lot of churches also join this program.
I didn’t realize either, however, my husband came home with a coupon “magazine” on Tuesday and was surprised by all the coupons. He was joking that he can go and get a free lunch of bread, bananas and a fountain drink. I told him he just needed to grab some peanut butter from home to make PB&B sandwiches!
Love that the one for May includes cash wash coupons too! I also get text coupons as well for gas and then something either discounted or free every week!
I check the papers because someone ALWAYS has milk on sale for $1.99. I rarely ever pay more than that. Even CVS is doing that pricing! Aldi HAS gotten much higher. There’s a farmer’s market close and their prices on all veggies/fruits are nearly 1/3 the cost as any grocery store. When the red peppers were so high, I got a gigantic pepper that weighed 3/4 lb for only 75 cents (they were priced at 75 cents ea) where all local grocery stores were charging minimum of $2.99 #!!!! Another suggestion is that local grocery stores seem to be marking clearance the pre-chopped fruit (ie. Meijer) for dirt cheap! When I see that, I stock pile and freeze it.
What ever happened to no regional pricing? That was their motto when they first opened here in CT.
I’ve been shopping at Aldi’s here in Maryland since we moved here in February. I’ve found that although their prices fluctuate every week (milk ranges from $1.99 up to $3.29 and changes weekly) I still shop primarily at Aldi’s. Other grocery stores in my area (outside D.C.) are outrageous! Even the stores that double coupons is STILL more expensive than just going to Walmart or Target for items I can buy with coupons.
I did a price comparison one week and created a spreadsheet based on my 3 local grocery stores, Walmart, Target, Aldi’s and Sam’s club. I had noticed that the grocery stores (Safeway in particular) were a LOT more expensive but I had never actually tracked the prices to compare. I found that many items at the grocery store were nearly DOUBLE what they were at Walmart and Target. “Buy 1 get 1 free” sales here are a JOKE! A few weeks ago, for example, they had Quart size Ice Cream on special B1G1 free…..for $6.29. Ridiculous.
I am sticking with Aldi’s, even if some weeks I have to pay a little more sometimes.
I’ve been noticing this for a while. I’ve found I can beat Aldi prices by sticking to loss leaders. It takes a little effort to compile a list, but by buying only fruits & veggies (and other items) that are on sale each week and using coupons, I can still keep my grocery budget low. I also stockpile and garden. I’m fearful as well what prices are going to look like this summer. Here’s a link to my blog post comparing Aldi prices to loss leaders, if you’re curious:
http://simplifylivelove.blogspot.com/2011/01/which-is-cheaper-loss-leader-or-aldi.html
I do the same thing and am finding food items at the drug stores and dollar stores as well. Walgreens has eggs for $1.29 often when they are higher at the grocery stores. With Register Rewards, I can usually bring that price down. Right now Bi-Lo has eggs for $1.00/dozen so I will be stocking up. Keep your eyes out for good deals and stock up when you can!
Here in Southern California, my daughters and I have tracked 20-30 percent increases in prices overall at Costco, grocery stores and discount stores.
It’s gas. Plain and simple. However our milk, in central NC, has gone down $.25 in the last week. Now we’re paying $3.49! Produce prices have risen sharply that’s why we’re gardening and shop/bargain at the farmer’s market.
Holy Lord, where are you buying milk? I never pay over $2.55 here in Cary.
Chapel Hill—The Land of High Prices- Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Lowes Foods their all high. I guess I could drive to Costco and buy milk for $2.25 but their milk is too watered down AND the last time I bought milk there it was bad even though the date was still OK.
Oh that is just a shame. Why can’t they all have “triangle friendly” pricing? :/ We have corporate-given memberships to Costco and BJ’s but rarely use them because of the drive involved. Are you able to get bargains on milk during super doubles? I heard a rumor that triples are coming around May 18th, and with the new Smart Balance coups that just came out Sunday we should be able to score free milk (which is usually what I do + hoard my $1.00-$1.50 coupons for Silk).
2.55 a gallon? it is up to 4.50 in Louisiana right now!!
I remember awhile back noting that they had repackaged some of their products to be smaller….something else to watch for! Though they are great for getting your staples..it’s just that ALL food prices are going up I guess. I have an Aldi literally down my street so I go there all the time as it is convenient and easy and not much work for getting at lest decent prices.
I could not believe it when I went to Shaw’s the other night and spent $100. $100!!! That was with a killer cereal sale and a $5/$50 coupon from Recyclebank! I discovered how to make yogurt, hamburger buns, and tortillas at the right time, I guess. I am really hoping to be able to plant 2 or 3 fruit trees and blueberry bushes this year to combat the rising fruit costs, and starting to revisit the idea of keeping chickens and bees.
Food prices are increasing dramatically here in Wisconsin – at every store. We have no grocery stores in town (less than 1,000 people), so I drive a minimum of 30 minutes to any store.
I do shop Aldi, along with Walmart and a few other grocery stores. I’ve noticed price increases at every store, including Aldi. It’s usually .20-.30 at a time, but it all certainly starts to add up.
I’ve had to increase our grocery budget, but that means a cut in other areas. Our income is not increasing along with this, though. 🙁
I’m afraid of what’s going to happen over the next few months…tough for many families.
Our choices here are Kroger, Meijer, and Aldi. Hands down, Aldi beats Kroger or Meijer, even with double and triple coupons… I still go to Kroger and Meijer to get free and extremely cheap stuff with coupons, but Aldi is still the staple of my budget.
Yes, their prices are going up. Milk was $1.49 a month ago and is $2.50 now… but the other stores are going up as well.
Bigger garden and pray pray pray. The Lord knows our needs!
I noticed that when we used to shop almost exclusively at Aldi and Price Rite. (we lived in one of the most expensive states to live in – Connecticut – for years) Eggs would run 99c per dozen for weeks then BAM – up to $1.69. When that happened, we would use my MIL’s BJ’s membership card and buy 5 dozen eggs for $5.00. Bread was one of the items that really fluxed as well. Sometimes it would be $1.00/loaf, others it would be $2.00 and UP. If it weren’t for our garden, bartering with local farmers AND going strict vegetarian, our whole family would have been going without quality food indefinitely.
Once our income increased, my husband wanted to try an expiriment based on information our D.O. and chiropractor’s gave us. We started eating less super-processed food from stores like Aldi and Price Rite, and started shopping at Whole Foods to supplement our garden and farm hauls. Almost immediately we had a shift in health – from the baby all the way to my 70-something in-laws.
Now that we live in central NC, I haven’t set foot in that store but twice in the past 12 months. The quality here is sorely lacking and the prices at Harris Teeter (super doubles!), Lowe’s, Kroger, Trader Joe’s and even Whole Foods tend to be lower! Example: pasta at Aldi? 99c to 1.29 per package. Whole Foods 365 brand is 99c EVERYDAY. Trader Joe’s as well, or you can buy organic for 1.29 per 1 lb package.
I miss Whole Foods so much! Love their 365 brand!
What’s really interesting about your comment Mollie, is that Trader Joe’s and Aldis are “related” in some business way…not sure exactly what it is, but they are connected.
Yes, I think I heard that they were started by brothers. I could be wrong, though.
Nope, you’re right. 🙂 The man who owns Trader Joe’s is the brother of the man who owns Aldi (and vice versa), and other than a “commitment to low prices”, that’s where the similarities stop.
One of the Aldi Brothers owns Trader Joe’s.
And TJ’s prices are going through the roof lately. Most things I buy have gone up 35 to 50% recently!
Really? That’s a shame. I haven’t noticed a difference at the one we frequent, but it could be because we don’t buy meat/meat-based products there …?
So it wasn’t just me! I shop at Trader Joe’s as well and it just seems like my dollars aren’t stretching as far there as they used to!
I’ve also seen increases at Whole Foods, an increase in the price of the local brand of milk I buy from The Fresh Market and increases in the price of grass-fed beef and pastured eggs at our farmers market.
Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper
We’re getting Trader Joe’s in the DFW metroplex soon!! I just hope they decide to open some on the Fort Worth side…since I still have to drive almost 40 minutes to Sprouts or Whole Foods…and Central Market (the only “healthier” store close by) is pricier on almost everything.
Prices everywhere are going through the roof! 🙁 Thank you for mentioning that aldi has raised their prices! I haven’t been in forever! But milk is on sale this week at Meijer!! $2.50/gallon!
i noticed Monday when I went to Aldi’s(I only go once a month) that prices were up…eggs up to $1.19/dozen(from $1.09 the month before) oranges from $1.47/bag to $2.49, and more!
Grocery prices have gone up everywhere. Inflation is spiraling even if the government claims the CPI is low. Look up the GPI for more info on why the stated inflation rate is actually too low!
My Aldi’s has been raising prices the last few weeks also. As gas prices have climbed, so have all grocery prices in my town (which there’s only 1 other grocery store plus Walmart). The other store is over $1 more for milk and their prices in general are always high and the ads not very good! I’ve just had to be less liberal on the “extras” I purchase.
Maybe it’s time to start growing some food yourself! Sweet Corn, Strawberries, Melons, Apples (if you have room for a tree) can be grown in your yard to save money at the store, added bonus being that you are saving not only money, but fuel.
I recently found a book called “The Backyard Homestead” which has so much information; I can’t believe the print is readable!
That’s a great idea for those who can do it. We rent and don’t have a yard that we can plant anything in. I do have some indoor plants, but I have limited space for them.
If you have a little space by your door you can plant some food in pots – I live in a small apartment and there is space beside the front door that you can plant in, and I have several things growing behind the building in pots as well. Some of our neighbors have the topsy turvey tomato planters by their doors too 🙂 It won’t be a lot of food, but it will help a little.
3lb bags of frozen chicken breasts were on sale at Dillons last week for $4.98. I haven’t looked at the ad to know if it’s still on sale this week, but I know sometimes their sales will go 2 wks.
The 3lb chicken breasts at Dillons are 6.99 this week. My store was out last night at the 4.98 price, so
I got a raincheck.
The Aldi store where I live up the street has milk for 1.69. When the store first opened the milk was 0.99cents. Quite a jump for a store that just opened 2 months ago.
I don’t have an Aldi, but I have definitely noticed that prices are going up. Every week it seems like the prices are increased and there are less “good” deals out there. Very few online stores are offering free shipping anymore and I just paid $4.39/gallon for gas.
Crystal, do you have any ideas on how we can continue to keep our grocery bills low as well as other expenditures while inflation is at our doorstep?
Yes, follow the suggestions in my 31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget:
https://moneysavingmom.com/31-days-to-a-better-budget-series
Menu planning, buying ahead, using coupons, etc. are all huge helps in lowering your grocery budget –no matter how much groceries cost!
Milk was $1.58/gal at our Aldi last week. Milk is usually cheap for us, but that was ridiculously cheap! However, in general, most prices in the store had gone up by .25-.50 since the last time I was there. 🙁 It wasn’t just a few items here and there – I would say 75% of the items that I buy regularly had gone up in price – and I buy the same things again and so I am very familiar with what their prices usually are. Not looking forward to more inflation this summer!
I was just at Aldi the other day and our prices haven’t gone up. Milk was a $1.98, strawberries were 99 cents and most other items I bought were comparable to what they have always been. I’m wondering if the price increases are coming though after reading everyone’s posts. I did notice that at my local Target everything grocery-wise had gone up at least 25 cents or more.
Same here. I didn’t notice any price changes when I saw last week’s receipt (my daughter shops for me), but we’ll be watching carefully. We still find Aldi to be cheaper than Wegmans (very expensive), PriceRite, and often WalMart. Their employees are much kinder than WalMart’s, so I’d be willing to pay a bit more than that. (My daughter came home in tears tonight because of horrible treatment by a WalMart employee.) We live in western New York, and most prices here are much higher anyway.
I noticed that locally here in the Chicago suburbs almost 2 months ago. Most things went up at least 20c. While not a big deal, it is now almost cheaper to go to Food 4 Less for many of the same things.
I’ve noticed the same thing in the northern ‘burbs of Chicago. Aldi’s is not the “cheap” store any more. I still there but really only for produce and ground beef , which I’ve found to still be pretty inexpensive compared to Jewel’s or Dominicks.
I’ve seen increases at Whole Foods, an increase in the price of the local milk I buy and even some increases at our farmer’s market – grass-fed beef increased to $5.25/lb from $5/lb, pastured eggs from $3.50 to $4/dozen. It’s becoming a challenge to stay in budget each week!
Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper
OUr aldi charges 5.99 for chicken and they have for several months. I think the other prices were similar, I havent been for a couple of weeks because its an hour away. I have noticed their coffee went up too.
I can’t really comment on Aldi, but I have noticed prices going up in general, even before the gas prices started to rise. I am sure the increased gas prices will be reflected in what we are charged at the stores.
I noticed.yesterday that bananas at Aldi were .44/lb, instead of .39
Yes, our Aldi has raised prices over the past few weeks. I only get about 25% of my things there because we don’t eat meat and it “fills in” the gaps with lower price veggies, beans, condiments, and some snack food. Aside from the actual “sport” of couponing and getting freebies, if I were to go to just Target or Wal-Mart and use coupons as I need them…ie, actually get 50 cents off a box of 1.50 pasta, etc., I feel I do just as well if not better than going to several places to get my menu items for the week. I’ve contemplated doing this just in order to have more free time with my daughter.
Milk this week at our Aldi’s (SC, just south of Charlotte NC) is only $1.79 but other items seem a bit higher. It must be dairy sales week for us though b/c even Harris Teeter has a gal of milk for $2.77–wish Milk didn’t spoil 🙁
Dana, don’t be afraid to freeze milk when you can get a good price on it. Just poor a little bit out to leave room for the milk to expand while freezing. The milk will look yellow when it defrosts but a good shake will fix that.
Dana,
Are you in Fort Mill? Which location? The new one on 160, Indian Land or Rock Hill? I stopped by Tuesday to get some of the green peppers on sale but milk was still $3.29. I know the new sale starts Wednesday and also each location has different prices. I’m about 1 mile south of Carowinds…
Thanks,
Meredith
It’s inevitable with the price of gas. But keep in mind that we Americans pay a smaller % of our income for food than anyone else.
Yes we do pay a lower price on food than the rest of the country and lower gas prices as well, but much higher price for prescription drugs.
Not to mention medical insurance.
Agreed. We do work in Uganda. Over the last six months the price for posho (like grits), the cheapest staple in every Ugandan’s diet, has nearly TRIPLED in price per kilo. Very disheartening. The country is in a lot of political unrest because of inflation. It helps me put things in perspective when I’m tempted to gripe at the gas pump.
Our Aldi has raised prices as well, and I echo the other commenters about how food has increased in price! On a positive note, if you have a Harris Teeter nearby, milk is only $2.77 a gallon!
After hearing all the great stories about Aldi, I decided to give it a second look. I have to say, I was not impressed at all! The only thing that was cheaper was fruit. Even that would not be worth it if I had to go out of my way to pick it up. I did see my ad had regular milk (not organic) for $1.79 a gallon. We drive right by it on the way home from church, so I will probably stop and get milk and check out the fruit. My friend and I were just discussing on Sunday how we plan on cracking down on the grocery budgets and keep an eye out for stock up items , especially mark down meat! Everything around here is going up $10 here and $20 there, which really adds up over time. We are looking for even MORE ways to save. I take it as a challenge!
I’ve never been to an Aldi. Living in a town of 12,000 with the nearest big city at least 3 hours away is always challenge to stay on my budget. But now with all the price increases it has gotten even tougher. I also live 12 miles (one way)from town and with gas at $4 a gallon I can only make one shopping trip a week. No local stores double coupons, no large chain grocery stores to shop at. We do have a Target and a WalMart SuperCenter but since they are the only show in town it seems they can get away with much higher prices than I see posted on blogs from those living in more urban areas. Thank goodness for all the coupon and money saving blogs such as this one. You all put in so much time and work to help others make ends meet. You may not hear it enough but Crystal, THANK YOU!
Yes, I have noticed an increase at our local Aldi’s too!!!!
Although the Aldi’s closest to us is less expensive then one that is across town. The diary section was where I noticed the biggest increase (Milk and Cheese). The price jump was almost 50 cents one week on just the Milk!
I have actually stopped buying diary at Aldi’s because they are now more expensive then another store in our area, which is actually closer to us, plus BiLo will often offer additional mark downs on the almost expired milk in the mornings (Aldi’s Milk – $3.29 / BiLo Milk – $2.99).
On a positive note we currently do not have to pay food tax so that does made a difference in the budget. Thankful for the little blessings!
I’ve never gotten a good yogurt at aldis, they will always give your money back, but the hassel isn’t worth it. I shop kroger for cheese, becaues Aldis is now more expensive than they are (on their store brand)
Milk is ridiculous, should we put gas in our cars or gas in our cars?
At the end of last year, my husband started warning me that food prices were going to be rising. So, we started stocking up on non-perishables at that time. I believe the last I heard, food prices were up around 10% since the beginning of the year in our area. We are also using produce from our garden to cut down on the prices. Otherwise, we have had to readjust our food budget several times just since January to accommodate the rising prices.
We did the same thing and I am so thankful for the stockpile we were able to accumulate before prices started skyrocketing. We could live off our pantry, freezers and garden for many months, if need be.
It really causes you to be more careful with what you buy, which I think could turn into a good thing, but it’s hard to be creative all the time 🙂
Crystal, you might notice that the prices at Aldi change quite often. One week they are up, the next week they’re down. One week fruit is really cheap, the next week it’s crackers or milk and eggs. I once asked our store manager why this happens. She told me that’s how Aldi works. They make a different deal on every item w/ their suppliers every week. So, there will be some things that stay the same for a long time, and then they go up in price for a couple of weeks. The 3.28 milk thing happened to us a couple of months ago for just a couple of weeks, but now it’s back down to 2.18/gallon. Now, some of the items w/ raised prices will stay that way for many months and then go back down, or that may become the new ‘normal’ price. This too is why, every once in a while, something will go on a ridiculously low sale at Aldi for just a week or two, and then it goes back up.
that’s really good to know that their prices go in “rounds”…might make it easier to stock up when the prices are lower…
Yeah, when our Aldi’s opened they had eggs for 49 cents/dozen for a while, then they were comparable to Walmart (which was still pretty decent…just more). Then today I saw they were back down to 49 cents/dozen again so I got a couple dozen.
They do have limits on how many cartons of eggs or gallons of milk you can buy though when the prices are lower. I think at our Aldi’s it’s four of each (but since there are just three in my family I just got a couple dozen eggs and a gallon of milk).
Hate to say it, but prices are set to jump considerably over the summer; it seems “we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” This article is pretty depressing, if he turns out to be right:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2011-03-30-wal-mart-ceo-expects-inflation_N.htm
I our local Aldi went up on their prices to about 2 weeks ago. Most things I buy are still the same price and ALOT cheaper than going to a larger chain grocery store. I discovered Aldi about 2 months ago and it has shaved almost $50 or more from what I was paying a the larger chains. 🙂 Our milk is $3.29 at Aldi and $4.00-$4.15 at the larger chain stores. I asked about the price change once when milk went from $3.19 to the $3.29 and the associate said the prices can change everyweek especially in the produce section. 🙁
I had to stop buying cucumbers for our guinea pig because the price doubled!
Just be glad you don’t have city grocery prices. At the only nearby grocery store? Apples are 99 cents each, eggs are $3/dozen… even a box of generic pasta is $2.
We don’t have an Aldi where I live, but Wal-Mart’s grocery prices have gone up so much they are often more expensive than Albertson’s and Winn-Dixie. I think it’s grocery prices overall that are rising. Inflation is really hurting us.
Here in AZ we have a 2% sales tax on food for the next 4 years. It was voted in in 2010 to help fund some programs. I have noticed prices increasing on everything, everywhere. No Aldi’s here.
I did my two weeks worth of shopping at our Aldi here in TN for $112 including tax. Our food tax rate here is 9.25%. Milk was $2.99 a gallon and our regular bread was $.79. Everything still looked the same price-wise to me. If I go to the Aldi near my in-laws in KY I can get the same amount for around $90. KY’s food tax rate is 0%
Holy moly – 9.25% tax on food! Indiana doesn’t pay tax for food. Now if I buy a 2 liter of coke, I pay 7% sales tax on it, but then it’s not really food is it?
I know…I saw that 9.25% food tax rate and my jaw dropped. I should feel lucky to live in Texas….no food tax (on food items, not junk) and no state income tax!
We have almost the same tax rate on food where we live in KS. Ours is 9.025%.
Well, we don’t have state income tax here in TN, but they sure do make up for it in sales tax. The sales tax rate is 9.75% and food tax 9.25%…if I drive an hour to the “big city” of Knoxville the food tax rate drops to 7 something % but it was still a HUGE shock moving here from KY where sales tax is 6% and food tax is 0%. I still haven’t adjusted my brain completely and we’ve been here about 8 months. I now understand why people from TN always came to our Walmart in KY to get their groceries (we lived right on the border of KY,TN & VA)
Not sure if my local Aldi was just running a sale or whatnot, but thankfully yesterday when I was there the milk was only $1.99 a gallon. It was in their weekly ad posted at that price, so it may be higher next week.
I’d agree though that it could be because of gas prices. Even our local McDonald’s has a sign that says their prices are rising due to increase in fuel prices. :/
Prices are being raised everywhere here! Sales are fewer and stingier. And it seems like “rock bottom” sale prices aren’t as rock bottom as they used to be. Sigh. It’s getting to be more and more of a challenge!
I haven’t found the Aldi stores in our area to have great bargains on much of anything. Save A Lot seems to have better prices but I am not sure they are in all states. Good thing staples go on sale so you can stock up!
Funny, because here in PA Save A Lot is at least several cents more expensive on all but a few items. So I choose Aldi over them.
I find Save A Lot cheaper too (Maybe because we have both of them and also a Price Rite so they compete against each other)
Gallon of Milk is $1.69 here
Yes some states pay food tax. It was a shock when I moved to KS (pay food tax) from Nebraska (no food tax except on dining in/out). No sense to have tax on such a basic necessity right?
Some places have no income tax, but instead tax everything at a high rate including all food purchases, like Tennessee.
here in Missouri we pay tax on food(and everything else!)and we have income tax
We here in Illinois also pay an income tax then another tax on everything else we purchase. A few years ago the state did lowered the food tax.
I moved to IL just over 2 years ago and still haven’t figured out the tax system!
Same here in NC
MN does not have tax on food OR clothes! I just moved to WI where they have tax on clothing :/ (still no tax on food though) I will move back to MN in a few years, so I can’t wait for my non taxed clothes!
We have income tax and high taxes on everything else.
I live in KS, too, and I am not happy about our high sales tax here (9%). I was used to not having to pay sales tax on food in ND and before that not even on clothes in MN.
Prices have gone up at Walmart and Kroger, too, not just our Aldi. 🙁
I have noticed that here too in Rockford, IL – butter went from 1.99/lb a few months ago to 2.69!!! I do like their .65 for frozen corn though and strawberries were .99/lb last week…..also, a couple of months ago I got a boatload of bread that was clearanced at .25 and .50 a loaf! however, that was rare and I usually get our wheat bread from Kroger when it is clearanced at .49 and .59 a loaf and then freeze it =)
Our grocery stores in MN are over 5.00/lb for butter! Target’s brand is over 3.00/lb. I have to stock up at our gas station/convenience store right now because they have it for 1.99/lb.
I just bought 5 pounds for the freezer at Kwik Trip now because it’s at 1.99 per pound! 🙂
hey, Jen and Emily……could you send me some?!? haha =)
Laurie, I would love to if I could find a cheap way to do it! 🙂
I actually ended up buying 5 at Kwik Trip yesterday and want to plan one more trip before the sale ends on Friday!
It’s not just Aldi’s, it’s every store. Manufacturers have had to raise their prices because the cost of fuel and commodities has gone up so much.
Yup. The rising petrol and commodity prices are to blame here. Another reason to buy local when possible!
I went to Aldi for the first time a month or two ago and really wasn’t impressed with their prices. There were a few things (milk, butter, & chocolate chips) that were cheaper than other stores, but everything else that they carry I can get cheaper at Kroger or WalMart. I was pretty disappointed after hearing so many people rave about Aldi’s amazingly low prices.
Krysten,
I couldn’t agree more. I don’t understand the hype over Aldi! Their prices may look cheaper (in some cases, but like you I’ve found that overall the prices can be cheaper elsewhere) but oftentimes the size of the product is smaller so you end up paying more.
We are fortunate to live near Wegmans, our beloved grocery store and we can shop smart and still save. The biggest benefit to shopping at Wegmans is the quality of products purchased, which time and time again I’ve found lacking in Aldi products.
I LOVE MY WEGMANS! We moved to NC last year and I miss that store like crazy! Just the W-kids center made shopping so much easier! They have the best products , delish takeout and really nice employees! I miss it!
I live in NC, but one of the first places I go to when I visit inlaws in Buffalo is Wegmans! I’d give anything for them to open one down here.
I live in SC (1/2 mile from NC border) and although I’ve never been to a Wegmans, I miss all of my grocery stores from out west. I find myself going to multiple stores just to get things I need. Harris Teeter has everything but I needed soy sauce the other day and it was 4 dollars! So I have to skip stores all of the time. I go to Aldi, Trader Joes, Harris Teeter, and Super Target. I’m getting tired of it! NC isn’t grocery store friendly in my opinion!
Ha! I grew up in S. Charlotte, close to Pineville. Harris Teeter has become a joke. I alternate between Food Lion and Super Walmart. Wegman’s is like a fancier Harris Teeter, but with Food Lion prices.
Our Aldi’s in Orlando has raised prices, too. I agree it has to do with the gas but I am sure there are other reasons that contribute.
I have lived in FL for over 15 years and still miss and love my neighborhood Wegman’s. I remember when they used to have a fabric department! Yes I am old but that’s what I grew up with in town. Every time I go into a grocery store down here I just think about how much better I like Wegman’s. My husband laughs at me because when I go back to upstate NY we have to visit a Wegman’s and buy recycle bags with their name on it! It is a special stop on our itinerary and everyone in the family knows it.
Ok, now I am REALLY excited we are getting a Wegmans in November!
Enjoy!
Maybe it varies by location. Aldi’s prices on most things are a lot lower where I live than the prices at any other stores (with the exception of some sale prices), even Wal-Mart store brands. We don’t have most of the other stores that I see people posting about–Kroger, Wegmans, Food Lion, Publix, etc. Even with the recent price increases, I still save a lot of money by shopping primarily at Aldi, and I love their produce.
Sadly, my aldi here on white horse road in Greenville, SC has also raised many of their prices. I first noticed it on the apple juice, which used to be $1.19, now it’s 1.29. Several other items have gone up as well. Maybe it’s because of the gas prices.
You pay food tax? How many pounds are the bags of chicken breast? My Aldi has raised its prices as well.
I was wondering that too. The bags of boneless, skinless chicken breasts used to be 3 lbs. I’ve noticed this week they’ve gone down to 2.5 lbs but the price is still the same. That’s at the Walmart and Food Lion here in NC.
I live in Kansas also (like Crystal) and we do have tax on food…8.6% where I live in western KS!!!
Sales tax on food where I live in KS is 9%. We used to live in ND and didn’t have to pay sales tax on food there. I miss that; sales tax adds a lot to our grocery expenses.
I went to my Aldi today and the prices are higher than yours listed on everything. Milk was 3.49, apples 2.99 for 3lbs, oranges 2.99 for 4lbs, corn 1.99. I am not sure of the other items.
🙁
Our milk is $3.94! I was just mentioning this same topic to my husband this past week. It is hard to even keep up with the basics. Time to plant a bigger garden.
Milk at the Aldi’s not to far from my house was 4.10 🙁 Thankfully I can get it at the grocery store for 2.99!
I agree, milk is one you have to shop around for the best price. If you have a Bi-Lo nearby check out their Clear Value brand it is $2.99 per gallon.
In PA it is state regulated. We pay the same at Aldi’s, Walmart or the gas station.
Suprisingly, the best price on milk in my town was at Walgreens! Go Wags!
I must be lucky because I live in a very small town. Milk, right now, is $2.79 a gallon at Kroger and Wal-Mart. The closest Aldi is about an hour away, so I don’t shop there.
Our milk has been 4.50ish for the last several weeks for the store brand – and around $6 for the ‘good’ brand…
Our Aldi’s milk was $1.79 this week. I have seen prices go up but not as much as yours have. whew..
Ditto, milk was $1.69 at our Clarksburg, WV Aldi yesterday. But I did notice cheese was $1.99. Still, I’m so thankful for Aldi because we live 30 minutes from “town” and coupled with a 1-year-old, I don’t have the luxury of shopping as many loss leader stores as I used to before the move & baby. I mainly just shop at Aldi for staples and Kroger for their produce/meat and random markdowns.
I have had the same experience! Eggs at our Aldi’s have gone from $0.75 a dozen to $1.25 and milk from $2.79 to $3.29! The prices are climbing!
Wow – prices really do vary across the nation. I read your post and thought, gee, only $1.25 for a dozen eggs?! I typically pay $1.39 here in PA.
I never pay more than 99 cents in California, unless they are free-range or organic or other specialty egg!
Whew! I pay $4.50 for 18-count carton of eggs. But, they are omega, organic and organic feed chickens (non-GMO feed), so we really think its worth it.
One word: inflation!!!!!
I really believe that Aldi’s doesn’t have a choice but to raise their prices as all of the other stores. Gas prices keep rising, and so will our groceries because of Truck deliveries. What I get angry about is how in Pennsylvania the State decides the lowest minimum price for milk. Two dairy farms near me went under recently. I live rurally. The farmers were our neighbors. They were only receiving .30 cents on the gallon. Crystal, I always marvelled how much you pay in milk prices. Trust me, it is always way way less than what I pay. I’ve decreased our dairy intake a little bit, and have been feeding my family more spinach because of the calcium nutrients. My husband and I just tilled about 1/2 an acre for our family garden and I’m going to use the freezer to the max, and learn how to can this summer! Much love and peace to you and all your families, my dear friends!
Inflation is definitely the word. I’ve been shopping at ALDI for almost 10 years and their prices have been steadily rising (For comparison sake, I used to be able to buy a full cart load for about $100 and today that same cart costs me around $160+). Even so, they continue to be the lowest price option (overall) since every grocery store has been hiking prices at about the same rate.