Venturing into the supermarket was like any other except that all the products were stacked in boxes and with none of the brand names that I knew. Where was Kellogs, Lego's, Arnotts and Cadbury?? I tried to keep an open mind and filled my trolley with brands like 'Remano, Asia Specialties & Farmdale' instead of familiar brands that have filled my pantry my whole life.
I zoomed around with 2 kids in tow grabbing products in a hurry in case of a child meltdown. I did come armed with snacks though so I had a little time up my sleeve.
I think my biggest shock came when I hit the conveyor belt and the groceries started flying through the checkout like it was a race for my life. I had a baby strapped to my chest so unloading the groceries onto the conveyor belt was a challenge in itself and then racing the cashier to get the groceries back into my trolley was a disaster! Everything was backed up and I was a little flustered and just ended up pushing them all in - into a big jumbled mess.
My trolley was loaded up and I was expecting to have to sell a vital organ to pay for it and BAM!! Another surprise when the cashier told me how much it was - really?? Is that all? I cant' remember what that amount was as it was almost 4 years ago now but I distinctly remember thinking that there must be some mistake as it can't be this cheap. All this would have cost me about $150 more at another supermarket!
I was pretty chuffed with myself for saving so much money when I got to my car and realised that I had to unload a whole trolley of groceries into my boot without bags. Oh man!!
It left me thinking that it is hard work to shop at ALDI but if I save sooo much money, it might be worth it. The rest is history for me. It was actually my mindset that had to change and once I got familiar with the ALDI brand names it was actually quicker than shopping elsewhere. I find the quality of the products excellent, including meat, fruit & veges. Now I have it down to an art form and can zip around and do a full food shop in no time at all.
I am still blown away each week when I fill my trolley with the small price tag at the end. Score!! Once you get into ALDI, there is absolutely no going back so if you don't shop there already, I'd encourage you to give it a go. We save approx $80 per week which is a big deal for a family on a budget.
What was your first time like?
Amanda
