constanz22
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Aldi's
Jan 16, 2011 15:59:23 GMT -5
Post by constanz22 on Jan 16, 2011 15:59:23 GMT -5
They take debit cards. I use mine there all the time... Doesn't make sense to get a debit card just to shop at Aldi's... Um, ok.... Your initial post said you don't like shopping there because they don't take credit cards and you "don't carry cash", which led to my response that they DO take debit cards. Sorry...I just assumed if you didn't use cash, you'd at least have a debit card, like 99% of the country.
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Deleted
Joined: Apr 28, 2024 22:08:52 GMT -5
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Aldi's
Jan 16, 2011 16:24:02 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2011 16:24:02 GMT -5
They take debit cards. I use mine there all the time... Doesn't make sense to get a debit card just to shop at Aldi's... And some people do that very thing.... Use one for paying bills, one for shopping, etc.... It's all in how you look at it! Personally I hate GreenDot cards.... They bost they don't charge return fees, but damn........Their monthly fees are just as high!
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Deleted
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Aldi's
Jan 16, 2011 20:06:32 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2011 20:06:32 GMT -5
Doesn't make sense to get a debit card just to shop at Aldi's... Um, ok.... Your initial post said you don't like shopping there because they don't take credit cards and you "don't carry cash", which led to my response that they DO take debit cards. Sorry...I just assumed if you didn't use cash, you'd at least have a debit card, like 99% of the country. Seriously? 99%? I don't think so... Besides, CCs are safer and have better perks than debit....
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Deleted
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Aldi's
Jan 16, 2011 22:22:03 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2011 22:22:03 GMT -5
Um, ok.... Your initial post said you don't like shopping there because they don't take credit cards and you "don't carry cash", which led to my response that they DO take debit cards. Sorry...I just assumed if you didn't use cash, you'd at least have a debit card, like 99% of the country. Seriously? 99%? I don't think so... Besides, CCs are safer and have better perks than debit.... Both of my debit cards have perk pints! I perfer to use my credit card more, because of security breaches with merchant data bases. I can't tell you the number of people I speak to on a daily bases saying that they got a new debti card and had all kinds of money taken from their account. It's a pain in the trying to recoup that money. Forms left and right having to be filled out. With my credit card, it's still the same process, but it's not my cash! I need cash to pay my bills not credit!
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museumgal
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Joined: Jan 11, 2011 1:24:36 GMT -5
Posts: 164
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Aldi's
Jan 16, 2011 22:27:49 GMT -5
Post by museumgal on Jan 16, 2011 22:27:49 GMT -5
I usually go there for basics -- canned goods, dry boxed goods. I don't usually trust their produce or fresh food there, but for pantry basics they're very cheap and I've never had a problem.
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Aldi's
Jan 17, 2011 10:41:19 GMT -5
Post by sidney on Jan 17, 2011 10:41:19 GMT -5
I like Aldi's milk cause they claim it has no antibiotic or growth hormoanes. We shop there also on our loop. I can get a whole cart full of food for under a $100. We don't mind generic food though.
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singlemomky
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Aldi's
Jan 17, 2011 11:33:35 GMT -5
Post by singlemomky on Jan 17, 2011 11:33:35 GMT -5
Aldi and Trader Joe's are owned by the same family - 1 brother owns Aldi and the other brother owns Trader Joe's. TJ is mainly on the west coast and Aldi is mainly on the east coast/midwest.
I've found that you cannot beat the milk at Aldi. Not only is it usually $1.49/gallon but will last much longer than other brands I've bought. It really does stay fresh until the sell by date and usually a few days beyond.
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Deleted
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Aldi's
Jan 17, 2011 11:58:34 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2011 11:58:34 GMT -5
They are a German grocery store. You'll get a good idea of how depressing it is to go grocery shopping here!
I have found they are hit and miss and would rather shop where I know I can get certain things vs buying on spec and needing to make another trip. They just opened a new one nearby and I know we'll stop by at some point but I'm not in a hurry. We have German friends who think they are wonderful but honestly I'd rather load up on non Grocery specials at Costco when we make our trips to the States!
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Aldi's
Jan 17, 2011 12:23:28 GMT -5
Post by thinblue on Jan 17, 2011 12:23:28 GMT -5
Ok....I am intrigued, there is an Aldi's 10 miles from my house and I think I will give it a try next weekend!
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973beachbum
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Aldi's
Jan 17, 2011 12:25:41 GMT -5
Post by 973beachbum on Jan 17, 2011 12:25:41 GMT -5
I used to live in an area that had an Aldi's near by. I would shop there about once a month for things like crackers and fruit cups and stuff for the kids lunches. They always also had very good prices on dairy like people have mentioned. Since we moved I don't go there very often. But if I was in the area I would stop once in a while. The prices on dairy are now really close to the prices everywhere else. A gallon of milk is normally $4.00 and a dozen eggs is normally $3.00. Their prices are only $3.85 for the milk and eggs were $2.59. Once i factor in the prices of gas I am not sure I could buy enough stuff to make it actually save money anymore. Now I just really look for the loss leaders in my area and try not to over buy of anything that will spoil. I have cut down my grocery budget simply by getting almost everything on sale and eliminating the waste of over buying. (Unfortunately milk and eggs never go on sale here. I haven't figured out a way to eat the money though so I just suck it up. ) ETA the dairy prices I listed are from a few weeks ago which I consider to be more normal. The prices in the past few weeks have been crazy! I probalby am guilty of wishful thinking that they would go back down closer to normal.
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Deleted
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Aldi's
Jan 17, 2011 21:30:04 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2011 21:30:04 GMT -5
Aldi and Trader Joe's are owned by the same family - 1 brother owns Aldi and the other brother owns Trader Joe's. TJ is mainly on the west coast and Aldi is mainly on the east coast/midwest. I've found that you cannot beat the milk at Aldi. Not only is it usually $1.49/gallon but will last much longer than other brands I've bought. It really does stay fresh until the sell by date and usually a few days beyond. $1.49 @ gallon for milk?
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marvholly
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 5:49:56 GMT -5
Post by marvholly on Jan 18, 2011 5:49:56 GMT -5
Aldi prices on milk and eggs vary almost daily. This is partly in response to the specials at the market next door. I suspect milk will be a bit cheaper this week as the other market is advertising $2/gallon.
I suspect I will stop in this week since I want a bag of nacho chips. I want to indulge during the Bears Game Sun and have a new recipe to try that needs them.
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 6:47:06 GMT -5
Post by piratesparrot on Jan 18, 2011 6:47:06 GMT -5
I was in Aldis yesterday. It is a fairly new store and almost as soon as I entered the store I smelled something awful. I went down the first aisle then the second and it just kept getting worse. I thought maybe their toilets had backed up or something like that. Then I saw at the checkout a homeless person whose clothes were covered in dried feces and God knows what else waiting to pay. I swear to goodness the odor nearly made me barf But then I thought at least he was using whatever money he panhandled to get food and in a cheap way. But everyone in that store was looking around for the source of the odor. Made me spend less cause I really wanted out of there and fast. I really felt for the cashier.
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doxieluvr
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 11:19:18 GMT -5
Post by doxieluvr on Jan 18, 2011 11:19:18 GMT -5
I don't know about the rest of the country, but around here, the locations are not so great. We have one about 30 minutes away, but its an area that you take your life in your own hands, especially after dark.
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dogmom
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 12:36:39 GMT -5
Post by dogmom on Jan 18, 2011 12:36:39 GMT -5
I did notice that quite a few of their prices went up as of late, but they are still cheaper than the Jewel in my area. I usually shop using coupons, but the coupon Gods and the sale Gods don't seem to be working together recently. Aldi is a good alternate to stock up with. They are owned by the same people who own Trader Joe's.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 14:33:54 GMT -5
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Jan 18, 2011 14:33:54 GMT -5
Our local Aldis is now just as high priced as the other grocery stores in the area. I found the produce at ours to be subpar and now their butter and milk cost just as much as at the regular store so there isn't any point in me going there.
I get much better deals watching the flyers at the regular grocery stores for deals on what I want. I got myself convinced for awhile that Aldi's was "cheaper" because it was "Aldis". Once I price compared I realized I wasn't saving any significant amount of money to make the drive out there worth it.
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chicg
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 15:25:18 GMT -5
Post by chicg on Jan 18, 2011 15:25:18 GMT -5
I love Aldi! It IS a discount store though. At first I was kind of grossed out by the whole experience but now I'm a regular. I pick through the healthier products and work it into my grocery store rotation, Aldi for basics, produce store/farmer market for organic/local produce and cheese, regular store or farmers market for meat. I don't coupon often(Chicago doesn't double) and our regular chains are pricey so Aldi combined with a produce store/farmers market has helped me lower my grocery bill by about 50% since I originally started posting on the WIRR thread. In terms of staples, Aldi prices can't be beat in downtown Chicago, it's not even close. I prefer their 100% whole wheat bread to anything I've tried, they carry soymilk for less, staples like Olive Oil, canned tomatoes, whole wheat pasta, baking goods, frozen fruit, dried beans, party foods like cheeses and chips and some of the Fit & Active line (their version of healthier products) are really good. I can make a huge pot of chili with ground turkey from Aldi for about $5. Their bagged salad and spinach are great but otherwise I'm not a fan of their produce, but I prefer organic/local and a discount chain just doesn't have that. If you really need to watch your budget, give it a shot (if convenient), take your time and search out the more healthy products. You can do a lot with $20 there.
ETA - Question - where are these areas that Aldi is the same price as regular stores? In chicagoland Aldi is way cheaper, but I'm wondering if that's because our regular chains are so high or if Aldi is raising prices. I'm there at least 1x/week and the items I listed are mostly what I purchase, still way cheaper then our regular chains. I tried couponing for a while but don't buy enough products that offered coupons here. I still try for CVS deals but didn't find couponing worth my time or money to buy a paper here.
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chicg
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 15:30:56 GMT -5
Post by chicg on Jan 18, 2011 15:30:56 GMT -5
another point- different Aldi's also have a little different selection. There are about four within 2 miles of my house (I have a ton of grocery access so it's really easy to shop several stores for best prices), I've tried them all out and definitely have my favorite location.
There is one larger grocery store here that is lower priced then our 2 big chain competitors. That less expensive chain is just enough of a pain for me to get to that I don't shop it regularly but if I did, I can see where prices might approach Aldi's to the point I could eliminate it.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 15:59:05 GMT -5
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Jan 18, 2011 15:59:05 GMT -5
We have one Aldis in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Milk last time I went was $2.19 a gallon. At Hy-Vee regular price it is around $2.25 a gallon. Not near enough savings to make driving out to Alidi's worth it.
I have sensitive skin so if I cannot recognize the brand I don't use it so shopping there for hygiene supplies or detergent is out. I don't care if they are "just like name brand" if I cannot see what name brand they are comparable to, it doesn't go into my cart. It isn't worth saving a couple bucks to get a contact rash.
Then their meat is crazy expensive. I hold out till it is onsale in 10 lb tubes for less than $2 at SuperSaver. Aldi's sale price on a pound of beef was $2.89.
I think it is the regular supermarkets are running better and better sales to keep customers. Aldis was cheaper for awhile, but they have been quickly outpaced by the regular supermarkets in the area. I get much more bang for my buck holding off for deals there than I do shopping on a regular basis at Aldi's.
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Wisconsin Beth
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No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 11:59:36 GMT -5
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 16:35:27 GMT -5
Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jan 18, 2011 16:35:27 GMT -5
I guess it depends on your area. We have an Aldi's within 1 mile of the house and another one within 3 miles. Milk is $1.79 a gallon there. As you go west from the city, the price of milk at Aldi's goes up. it's $2.09 at the store about 5 miles west of our house and $2.49 about 15 miles west (DH works near there so he checked it out.) I won't shop at the Aldi's closest to our house - parking lot is inconvenient and the store feels dirty to me. DH won't shop at the one within 3 miles because he doesn't like the neighborhood. I like the store better, it's bigger, cleaner and the parking lot is pretty easy to get in and out of. And I don't think the neighborhood is that bad.
We buy milk and cereal there. I really like their Fit and Active chicken broth.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 16:39:44 GMT -5
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Jan 18, 2011 16:39:44 GMT -5
Ours is extremely small and next to Wal-mart. My best guess after stopping at Wal-mart is that Aldi's has aligned their prices to compete with them.
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chicg
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 16:44:54 GMT -5
Post by chicg on Jan 18, 2011 16:44:54 GMT -5
Sounds like every Aldi store runs different prices. Some by my house are nice but as you get further into the fringe neighborhoods, well...it's a discount store in a low income neighborhood and the quality reflects that. Also sounds like the value depends on other stores in the area. We don't have anything like Super Saver or HyVee, there are basically two large chains or ethnic markets here and the large chains are very expensive. I'll keep Aldi in the rotation until the prices catch up to the main chains here or it's no longer convenient. (I haven't tried Aldi soaps or detergents either, not quite ready for that, I'll stick to CVS!)
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Frugal Nurse
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 18:28:05 GMT -5
Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 18, 2011 18:28:05 GMT -5
We live near an Aldi's and I do most of my shopping there. When I started shopping there, ground turkey was only 89 cents per pound. The price has gone up to $1.39 but it's still a bargain. I didn't realize their ground turkey was so cheap! I'll have to check it out. DH doesn't eat red meat, so when I cook for him, I use ground turkey instead of beef. Thanks for the info!
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Frugal Nurse
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 18:41:43 GMT -5
Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 18, 2011 18:41:43 GMT -5
I don't know about the rest of the country, but around here, the locations are not so great. We have one about 30 minutes away, but its an area that you take your life in your own hands, especially after dark. We have two, one is near the large shopping mall in town (like literally in the next parking lot!), the other is near a car dealership. Both are clean and tidy, but also both less than 3 years old. I feel safe walking by myself in both areas of town. The one near me is only a 5 min. drive, and on the way home from the rest of the stores I frequent to get my good deals. I may have to start going there again (its been a few months). I had kinda forgotten their prices on certain things were so awesome
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Tiny
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Aldi's
Jan 18, 2011 22:00:03 GMT -5
Post by Tiny on Jan 18, 2011 22:00:03 GMT -5
Yeah, I avoid Aldi's the first weekend of the month... it's just crazy! Mine has a security guard type guy --- I'm not really sure how much "security" the 90 year old guy or the 400 pound guy can actually provide... but they are there.
I buy dairy and eggs (milk, sour cream, cream cheese, different sandwich cheeses, occasionally yogurt - just not a big yogurt fan). I also buy "staples" there: flour, sugar, brown sugar, Iodinized Salt (they have plain salt too), vanilla, and Brownie mix. I like their baby dill pickles (it's the perfect sized jar of pickles not ginormous and not too small). I tend to buy "staple" produce and fruit - they always have the best price on fresh brocolli, better tomatos than the other stores, green peppers, onions, red potatos, and bagged salad, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. They always have apples, pears, bananas. I sometimes buy meat (pot roast sometimes ground beef) but not too often. I don't buy alot of meat - I'm nearly and ovo-lacto vegetarian. Their frozen veggies are OK. I'm 50/50 on their canned beans and tomatos - I'd rather have brand name on sale for a nickle more. I like that I can "ninja shop" at Aldi... I don't need a golf cart (cause it's so big) and a map to find my way around the store. Even with a long line of customers checking out is faster than the Big Name Store. I can walk out of Aldi with a ton of staples for $20.00 without worrying about "sales" (is it even a sale?) or "coupons" or having to choose between 5 different brands on any given day at Aldi. Can't do that at the Big Name stores...
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Aldi's
Jan 19, 2011 15:44:48 GMT -5
Post by mpzsgds on Jan 19, 2011 15:44:48 GMT -5
Aldi is my place for dairy products, not-from-concentrate OJ (yes, thank you, I will save that buck a half gallon), and a myriad of other staples, frozen whole fruits and veggies, too. Bought a whole Dole pineapple for $1.69 - the "sale" at the grocery was $2.99. FYI, their laundry detergents and softener work just fine on my clothes. I haven't bothered to buy name brand stuff in years. Aldi gets the lion's share of my grocery money. I do buy my meat at the grocery store because the selection at Aldi is not so great, but what I have purchased there has been fine. Yep, no complaints about the stores locally, their products or their employees. No complaint about them taking only cash, debit or gov't food cards either. At the grocery stores I seem doomed to be behind the unlucky folk who max out their credit card and have to paw through their wallets looking for another card to swipe.
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Tiny
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Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
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Aldi's
Jan 19, 2011 17:07:03 GMT -5
Post by Tiny on Jan 19, 2011 17:07:03 GMT -5
Hmmm, haven't encountered a ragged homeless person at my Aldi's. But judging from the condition/age of the cars in the lot most of the shoppers are either barely getting by or are millionaires . I will say that the Aldi Shoppers are way less rude than the shoppers at the Big Name Store. I've had shoppers at the Big Name Store accidently back up into my cart (it was crowded) only to turn around and snarl at me to get out of their way! I've had a kid of a Big Name Store Shopper come barreling around an aisle corner and slam into my cart, fall down, start screaming, and then their Angry Parent started screaming at me for "intentionally hitting Jr". I've also seen Big Name Store Shoppers ignore a Little Old Lady who couldn't quite get a product off the top self. I stopped and helped her. I've seen people help other people at Aldi's (sometimes the bananas are a bit of a challenge to get to and they put the potatos/onions up high on this rack thing over some bins - I'm not sure who's bright idea that was). People don't seem so uptight and stressed at Aldi. could be lack of annoying overloud music, could be the smaller store. I'll also say the food moves thru Adli's quickly. The Big Name Store has milk with use by dates 5 or 6 days in the future and bags o' salad with good by dates 2 or 3 days into the future. Aldi's milk (and other refridgerated products) are typically 10 or way more days before their good by date. I get concerned when I'm buying eggs that have date 10 days into the future - where the HECK have they been for the last 30 days? Refridgerated correctly or not?? Same thing with Milk that's 5 days before the good by date - has it been correctly stored for the last 10 - 15 days?? I can get bags o'sald with 7 to 10 day (or more) lead time from Aldi - too.
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Frugal Nurse
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Aldi's
Jan 19, 2011 19:21:26 GMT -5
Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 19, 2011 19:21:26 GMT -5
This thread reminded me of something DH told me.
His co-workers were discussing the best places to grocery shop, and someone mentioned that aldi was cheap. His co-workers came to the conclusion that Aldi only accepts food stamps and only poor people shop there. DH kept quiet about what good deals we get there (and we are not on food stamps. I think we'd be laughed at if we applied...) He was so frustrated at the small-mindedness of these people. I thought it was amusing. These same people live in little apartments and have no real asset accumulation to speak of.
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Peace77
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Aldi's
Jan 19, 2011 20:03:53 GMT -5
Post by Peace77 on Jan 19, 2011 20:03:53 GMT -5
I suppose I should have mentioned that this is for the frozen ground turkey. The fresh is more expensive. I don't always thaw it ahead of time, though. It comes out of the package easier when it's frozen. I just add a little water and cook it on low until it's thawed out.
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Deleted
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Aldi's
Jan 19, 2011 21:28:10 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2011 21:28:10 GMT -5
I don't know about the rest of the country, but around here, the locations are not so great. We have one about 30 minutes away, but its an area that you take your life in your own hands, especially after dark. Let me guess Pulaski highway(former Golden Ring Mall-- I live around the corner from it) or Joppa Town
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