Aldi

I didn't grow up very wealthy.  Quite the opposite.  So, if you don't know what Aldi is, then you've probably never had to shop at one.  It's like the cheapest store ever.  It is the quintessential everything-on-the-shelves-is-generic store.  You have to pay a quarter for a shopping cart, which you get back if you return it to the cart area at the front of the store.  There's a handy calculator on each cart, so you can figure out how much the check you will be bouncing will be made out for.  There are no shopping bags, you're expected to steal boxes from the shelves where the merchandise is displayed.

In short, Aldi feels like urban scavenging.  You feel like the clientele is on the verge of a fist fight.  I haven't gone to one since my first internship, where my roommate was from rural Iowa or somewhere and super cheap.  I like to think that my tastes have gotten more expensive throughout the years, but I've never really had the income to keep up with them.  Somebody else does... *cough*SugarMomma*cough*

However, there are a bunch of Aldis in Lexington, and I've been reading their weekly mailers.  They have some pretty good deals.  I'm tempted to go in one just to see if they still have some of my old favorites (strawberry or chocolate swirl ice cream cups and chocolate chunk cookies).

Annie caught me ripping out a recipe from the Aldi mailer, and now she won't stop making fun of me.  It was for Pork Carnitas Tacos.  Yes, it highlighted a bunch of brands you've never heard of, but it sounded good.  So don't judge.

And for those of you elitists, Trader Joes is owned by Aldi.  They're pretty much the same store, except TJs has way better marketing (and food quality).

I'm going to Aldi,
~RoB