Friday Five: Aldi favorites on a dime (almost)

When I quit working 3 years ago and became a stay-at-home non-parent, I was determined to make each day productive.  I had a small organizer where I wrote down what productive things I did each day - making baguettes, cleaning, organizing, etc.  One day my thing was going to Aldi for the first time since my childhood.   I had been meaning to try it for a long time, one of my sisters was a convert and kept talking it up, but I'm not big on new things and finding my way around a new store.  But one income and conscious of possible upcoming adoption fees, I went.  And I haven't looked back.  We do 80% of our grocery shopping at Aldi now, pretty much anything we can buy there we do.  Beyond the basics (flour, eggs, milk (on sale last week for $1.29/gallon!!!), frozen chicken breasts, yogurt, butter, pasta, etc.) and produce (I almost always buy whatever is on sale.  Eating some fantastic $1 blueberries as I type this, in February!!), there are some step above basics that we've found and really like.  For great prices.  Unless you are an extreme couponer, I feel like you are probably wasting money shopping anywhere else.

1) Flavored Applesauce

I have a homemade version I make semi-often and we enjoy but between that we consume a lot of this, when it's in stores.  It's another seasonal item so when we see strawberry (our favorite, although raspberry and peach are also good) we stock up.  Before my surgery I think we had 20 jars.  Even with homemade strawberry applesauce in the fridge at this moment, there are still about 4 jars of this Aldi stuff in the basement, for when the homemade is gone.  We can almost eat a jar in one meal.  $1.69 a jar.

2) Lime Chips

Matt got me hooked on these.  They are a seasonal item so we stock up when we see them.  Taste pretty much identical to the Tostitos version but only $1.39.  (Their store brand Doritos are also good and about the same price as these.)

3) Knock-off Girl Scout Cookies

I honestly haven't tried the thin mints yet because it's Lent and Matt gave up junk food and thin mints were his favorite GS cookie.  But the caramel coconut ones are FANTASTIC.  And less than half the cost of GS cookies.  I highly recommend them.

4) Applesauce Squeezies

Luke only gets these for special things because we're stingy.  But for lake trips or vacation or just long road trips...he gets a squeezie and loves it.  And these are the cheapest place I've seen them besides the super occasional sale/coupon/Cartwheel stacking.  I haven't tried these, or any other squeezie applesauce, but Luke does not have any problem sucking one of these down.

5) My favorite (cheap) wine:

Who says wine has to cost more than milk?? (#Friends)  We do buy nicer (more expensive) bottles occasionally (like once a year) at wineries, and we aren't big wine drinkers anyways, but most of the wine we buy is this.  Or a similar one that comes in a green bottle.  I partially buy this because I like the bottle but also like the taste and price!