The savings!

I went to Aldi today. 

I haven't been to Aldi for over a year and a half, simply because once we moved to Atlanta I didn't know where to find one, and then because I knew where one was, but it was "too far away". Since I live inside the perimeter "too far away" has to go in quotation marks because it's not really that far, just seems that way to my urbanized brain. It's less than 10 miles from me, and the ease in which I can get in and get my shopping done and get out should count for a lot. 

Oh, and the savings. The savings! Here's my haul, which I got for under $35. 

A bag of raw almonds, celery, carrots, two bunches of bananas, bag of organic potatoes, a cantaloupe, two avocados, strawberries, broccoli, corn on the cob, cauliflower, unsweetened applesauce, frozen peas, frozen corn, frozen strawberries, and frozen mixed berries. 

Not pictured: baby portabella mushrooms and organic spinach. 

I'm glad that the Aldi here is getting in some organic produce. Not much, but it's a good start. My kids were so excited to pick out their own treat - Finn chose the cantaloupe and Evelyn chose the strawberries. The kids also love frozen corn, they like to eat it frozen. Don't ask, I don't know. 

For me the best part is how quickly I can shop. It is not crowded there, and because I buy little to no processed foods, we can zoom straight to produce and then get out quickly. The other best part (they're tied) is the savings. This would have cost me so much more somewhere else. 

This reintroduction to Aldi comes at a perfect time, as I have just been wondering how to cut our grocery bill down, but maximize our fresh food. We eat a lot of fruits and vegetables in this house, but there's always room to improve. If I do my produce shopping at Aldi I think it will be very easy to meet budget, and maybe have a little extra for a sweet treat - they do carry dark chocolate bars there. ; ) 

How do you keep within your grocery budget, if you have one? Do you have a place you like to go to save money?