A lot of things have changed since my last review. I still go this location almost once a week and have seen a slow improvements with their produce corner, which I was most picky about. I can't say that it is all the time, but most of the times...their product corner is much clean. They definitely tried to listen to their customers about produce not being fresh, finding molds growing on berries, and etc - I rarely notice them now. I can't speculate, but seems like there has been a slight change with staff since I no longer see certain people rather seeing newer faces that I have not since the late 2021. I love the part that ALDI tries to keep a lot of thing low - making customers to use quarter to get the cart (that their parking lot isn't loaded with carts), not having plastic bag (love that! but they do have bags for sale and boxes for free), and a lot of their products can be found at low price. Although, they are not familiar brand names, but thy taste about the same! Lastly, ALDI FINDS being changed out every week (wednesdays) to score your good goods! read more

I went shop for a few things earlier today around 630, was there for over an hour, I go happily to the register just to have a very rude and unprofessional Clerk, practically yell, Put the items on the counter , I felt very rushed and then ordered me to move the cart. She was rude to every other person after me, except to a gentleman and woman who were both African American decent. So I'm wondering how many times she has done this and yes she was also African American. Ruined my whole shopping experience. read more

Could use more staff! But the team and service is always great! Love to see nice rotation of offerings like house hold organizers and plant solutions. read more

Love ALDI, but this one wasn't too organized. When we got to the register, the checkout person was on her phone. She said hi, and I said hi back but also trying to put groceries onto checkout. I think they didn't notice because they seemed kind of rude after. I tried this one after going to the Old Denton one before. I will most likely return to the other store instead. read more

When I'm actually holding true to my meal plan & working out, Aldi has EVERYTHING on my list, which makes it much easier to follow...and to budget for. A weeks worth of selective items totals not even $30/week. I also like they're selections of wine and beers, albeit the beers are rather limited (the "beer of the month" has been Karbach Hopadillo for the last 6 months!). They are limited on a lot of box, can, and bag foods, but they do sport a decent amount of organic options and the produce is rather fresh! NOTE: bring a quarter to unlock a cart, and when you return it after dropping off your groceries in your car you'll get that quarter back. Also, bring your own reusable bags since you have to bag your items yourself too...I have no qualms bagging my own groceries and find their solution to rogue carts admirable and entertaining read more

Aldi is great. You can get a about a week's worth of groceries for $30 or less. Things to remember: 1. Bring a quarter for the shopping cart (you get it back) 2. Bring your own bags (how else do you think they can offer heap prices) or you can buy them. 3. Only cash or debit card and NO COUPONS. You can get some good stuff here if you can get past the brands. Don't to receive great service or employees in the aisle to help point out things. They do double duty. Cashier/stock. It's kinda set up warehouse style. 4. Double check your receipt. They are trained to scan fast. Just keep an eye out for mistakes. 5. Leave happy knowing you got a crap load of stuff for hella cheap! read more

I love Aldi they always have good bargains. I come here whenever they have deals on meats and fruits.

This store is ALWAYS clean and in order. I overheard the manager speaking to some staff members and he was respectful/direct/concerned for their health. FAVORITE store. read more

Curiosity got the best of me. Just had to check out this place. Glad I went. I probably won't ever go back. Let's start with the following: Planning is important, which is actually my strong suite. But not with grocery shopping.. Take your own grocery bags; forgot mine today. Will I keep a supply in my trunk for shopping here? Think, Not :( Have a quarter for the shopping cart? Not usually. :( Thought I had it in my hand walking up to the cart area today, but it was instead a dollar coin which I didn't recognize. (Get those glasses checked!) Darn thing wouldn't fit into the shopping cart slot. (Where the heck did I get that?) Okay, off to a great start, an ominous beginning of things to come? After feeling STUPID, the attendant assisted me while I dug and found a quarter lurking in the bottom of my purse with people standing in line behind me. :( ARGHH, why am I here? Go back, read the first sentence of the review. CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT ! Paying for a shopping cart even tho you get a refund - what a HASSLE !! Debit Cards or Cash Only- not an issue for me, but may be for others. 9 cent charge for shopping bags should you forget your own (like I did today) - okay not bad, but just plain downright annoying. Okay, small store, only 4 aisles. Hmmm, can't wait to check this out. Yes, prices are "cheap". (I really hate that word!). IMO, it is probably a great option for the family with 2.5 kiddos who eat 4 boxes of cereal a week; ($1.89 for off brand Raisin Brand, but same @ Tom Thumb for Kellogg's on sale); and breads for packaged deli meats for that school lunch bag. The store was crowded @ 1400 in the afternoon; for those who are willing to experiment with "off brands", which I am NOT opposed to trying, this might be a good option. Many store brands will suffice for those BRAND labels we all love. I use them too. Tom Thumb/Safeway brand Arribiata Pasta Sauce is awesome, as is Kroger's brand of creamed spinach. I am not a snob when it comes to saving a dime or two just based on brand names. Many are quite comparable. The presentation/display of items; was I at Sam's today? Sure felt like it. The "cartons" stacked with the individual package-ings? The only name brands I observed were Ramen Noodles, which are not in my list of foods, along with some laundry products, Certainly, not to say that the store brands are deficient in flavor and taste and functionality; just names I've never heard of. However, gotta have my Hellman's, my Heinz, my Green Giant, my Hunt's petite diced tomatoes; my fave cheeses, etc; my bad; those are some of things I just won't sacrifice;. In the laundry section, I did see some Tide products, & Suavitel, my fave fabric softener, which were 2-3 cents less @ Aldi's than my local Dollar General Store, but which is just mere moments from my 'hood, compared to a 15 minute drive to Aldi's. Dairy products - no Lactose Milk which I gotta have; real downer; off brand Yogurt which I hesitate to try; butter package pricing is comparable to Kroger's & Tom Thumb's on sale. No deal here. Produce - yep, limes were less expensive @ .15 each compared to Kroger @ 4 for a $1.00. Also, vine ripe tomatoes @ 1.99 lb, compared to about $2.49. Cherry tomatoes were again much less expensive at Aldi, saving about .60 cents. Again, wouldn't drive the extra miles just for this savings. Ah, the most important......lean ground turkey which I purchase for my adorable fuzzy cocker (sauteed with rice, her 3x a day treat - note * my friends want to come back as my puppy * in their next life!) was $2.49 a package; same as Kroger. Again, for those families who have a $$$ monthly grocery budget, this will probably offer some significant savings. I am a last minute frequent grocery shopper with Kroger and Tom Thumb less than 5 minutes from the crib for a quick in and out. An important NOTE - IMO, the three most important decisions for any business? 1) Location 2) Location 3) Location. And Aldi opened directly across the street from Walmart @ Frankford & George Bush??? With Walmart's recent promos of roll back prices, it will be a watch & see if they survive. Hmmmm, who in Germany Corporate made that decision? Good Luck folks! read more

OK--Aldi has great organic foods, excellent-quality household items and much more. The reason I'm giving a two-star-rating is solely based upon the safety and cleanliness--or lack therein of--at this location. The shelfs are usually disorganized and trashed, while the floors are the opposite of meticulous, ie: dirty diaper left on the floor, an open box of spilt-cereal, etc. In addition, I've also seen some VERY low-class people in this Aldi, and the shopping center itself. My advice: Go to a different Aldi. read more

Hey, if you can cope with Tito the Tiger instead of Tony or Betty Cracker instead Crocker, this is the place for "us" and you can save a few bucks while your their, but by the word "us" I meant the other poor people in the world. I'm super happy and fully in my own opinion! they created a democratic supermarket to counter the selfish Republican place called Market St. but the whole quarter thing? A bit much, no need for that. They accept debit/cash/probably food stamps and some government cheese as payment, so throw a diaper on that screaming bastard and give him a ride in an ALDI cart for a quarter . read more

People are complaining about the quarter for the shopping cart (that you get back) and the cost for the paper bags. Not only do these things help cut costs and result in lower prices, but I think this is an environmentally friendly method that more stores should adopt. In many countries, you pay for the grocery bags. Sure, I forget to bring my tote many times, but making this a habit helps reinforce the fact that we should be using less plastic/paper. I don't think this is a valid complaint. If you don't like it, then just don't shop here. The products that they carry are really interesting. You'd think that it would have Fiesta or 99cent store products, but they actually have a lot of cool European things. They had this German stoller (kind of like that panettone), some MARZIPAN products (delicious and impossible to find), HARIBO gummies, and even some imported cheeses, like blue stilton, gorgonzola, feta, etc. The breads all look really fresh- regular white, wheat, 12 grain, fluffy potato rolls, etc. All of their stuff looks FRESH- like Kroger signature brand, not Walmart knockoff brands. Sometimes they'll carry namebrands, like the Ghiradelli chocolate brownies. The prices are cheap, but they aren't dirt cheap. I'm sure Walmart across the street will still be cheaper on some items or when Kroger/Randalls has a sale. But I think that they carry some higher end products compared to the traditional generics. For example, they may not have the cheapest generic jam for $1, but they have a raspberry or apricot preserves for something like $1.50. And surprisingly, they also carry chocolate soymilk, a generic version of Eggbeaters, frozen salmon/tilapia/flounder, and white crabmeat. Can your dollar store do that? There really are some things here that are just cheap, cheap, cheap. Like the gallon milk here is 99 cents! And the pack of eggs is only 49 cents! They limit it to four each per family. Overall, I think the store is well run and an interesting business model. It's like a convenience store, but with better products and cheaper prices. You might even find some new favorites! Don't forget to bring your debit card/cash, grocery bags, and a quarter. read more

If you are one of those green-friendly, serious planners in grocery shopping folks who stretches every dollar and don't care for brands or labels. Then you have come to the right place. Although it is not as lively as one of the major grocery stores and they are do not have as many options as the other major chaing stores, but you do get quite a deal. Please do not forget to bring your own sack bag for grocery shopping at Aldi because they do NOT provide plastic or any kind of paper bag to take home. If you want a bag, you have to purchase the brown paper bag before you walk in. Another thing, if you need a cart, be sure to have a quarter in your bag with you for deposit. You need to deposit the quarter in order to get a cart, then once you put the cart back where you got it, the quarter pops back right at you. I go there if I felt that I need to cut back on my spendings. Warning: Do not froget to bring cash with you unless you have a debit card because credit cards are not accepted there. read more

Clean, fresh food at fantastic prices. I would often buy fruits at other places such as Costco and it would rot in just a couple of days. The fruits and vegetables that I buy at Aldi's is usually good for at least 4 days and often their stuff is good for 7 to 14 days. This is because the price is so low that nothing ever sits on the shelf for long. They have the lowest prices on fruits and vegetables. Their organic stuff is not very fresh, though. That's because this is a low rent neighborhood where people can't tell the difference between organic and regular produce. The only thing that they'll notice in this neighborhood is the price. Their meats are also often annoyingly in plastic bags soaking in some funky juice. I'll bet that they weigh the juice and include it in the weight of the meat that I've paid, too. Just buy fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, foreign beer and wine here. You can't go wrong. Don't buy meat nor organic fruits here. Their organic vegetables are ok, though. read more

I realize Aldi is a minimalistic/basics grocery chain, but this one was looking pretty drab. I was second in line and there were maybe 2-3 parties behind me. The register or the transaction was having issues and no one stepped up to open another register. Everyone was just trying to clock out, which is annoying because it was late and I wanted to go home as well. read more

In case you've never heard of Aldi, this is a chain of super low price grocery stores from Germany. Seriously, think Walmart on a diet. The basic premise is a store with a very limited number of items - maybe 1,000. Few of the items are name brand, and you have very little selection between the items. For example, there was only one type and size of canned corn. There were three types of pasta sauce, Traditional, Mushroom, and Meat, but just one size - 26 oz. You can pick between bottles and cans of soda, but there are maybe three types. The store is so small there are only four aisles. When you visit, bring a quarter with you so you can get a shopping cart. (You'll get it back when you return the cart.) Also bring your own bags, bags are $.08 otherwise. Finally, you'll need to bring cash or have debit ready as they don't accept checks or credit cards. Aldi definitely lives up to its' reputation, prices are low. Whole chickens at $.79/lb (vs. $.89 at Kroger), 26oz of pasta sauce for $1.19 (vs. $2.11), 8oz of 5 cheese stuffed pasta for $.99, and 13oz of Cocoa Rice for $1.89. They have fresh fruits and veggies, but there is no deli or bakery. Breads are trucked in, and meats are in sealed packages and refrigerated or frozen. So far I've only tried the pasta sauce and stuffed pasta, but I'd say both are very good. I think I'll be rotating Aldi into my grocery store list for basics like pasta and milk. Some things, like catchup, just have to be name brand. read more

Finally, got to check out this place after curiosity got the better of me. Boy, was this visit ever a drag. This place is barebones spare, unadorned and completely boring. I believe that was the original intent, to keep things undecorated and strictly functional. Like big box warehouses, you'll find sundry goods stacked and packed in their original cases and pallets, ready to pick up and go. Unlike the big box stores, everything is within arm's reach, negating the need for powered vehicles to pull down the stock. Prices are cheap--as in, grocery-store cheap. Which means, not cheap at all, just average. However, I didn't recognize 75% of the brands on the shelves--and I had to wonder about the quality of these goods. I gotta admit, I'm brainwashed by big name brand media and advertising--so much that I was rather disgusted that I couldn't find a name that was familiar to me. (Except for the occasional candy and laundry detergent.) I did purchase a 2 pack of cheesecake from freezer section, but the checkout person couldn't look me in the eye...as if he'd rather be someplace else. In fact he seemed to be the only employee on staff on the floor--and had that look on his face like the last man on earth. Not the Will Smith version...but the Vincent Price version. Who could blame him? The overall feel of the place was oppressively boring and unappealing. I think the one or two patrons I saw in the place shuffled down the short aisles like zombies who missed out on the buffet across the street. Oh look, there's a Walmart across the street. Time to go some place nicer (yep, I'm shocked to hear myself say that) and alive. read more

I love this place! I wouldn't buy everything from here (I really don't like their hummus), but you can find some great deals. I love their produce. Now, it doesn't last as long but it's great for cooking the day of or sometime in the next 3 or so days. They have a good wine selection, considering. This is a great place to buy condiments and spices. They also have great can good selection (if you buy canned). I come for the produce. While the selection doesn't vary week to week I am always able to get my staples here. I encourage you to try it out. Important information: bring your own grocery bags, bring a quarter if you want to use a cart, they only accept cash, debit, and EBT for payment. read more

Pro: it's super cheap. Con: it looks super cheap. Lots of canned and processed foodstuffs, probably a go-to place if you are counting pennies. There is a decent produce section. Walking in reminded me of a timewarp to 1982. My transformation to yuppiedom is probably complete, in that I moved on to Kroger despite it being less convenient. read more

Aldi is a German supermarket...and if you know about German supermarkets, they have good produce and amazing prices. Aldi's reputation is that it carries low-quality food, for low-income people. I don't agree.I think it's for people who love the same food, with a different brand name at a discounted price. I shop here every week, and I love it. The store's always clean, organized and well stocked. Be aware: Aldi only accepts debit or cash...They're not fond of credit. read more

When you get a cart, you put a quarter in it to retrieve the cart (sucks for people who don't carry change. I hardly do, and if I do I rarely have quarters so it was my lucky day, I had a quarter). It's pretty cool though, it's fun I guess. A co-worker was raving about Aldi and how they're going "all organic." My sister had bought their Butternut Squash Sauce and it's delicious (recommend that). The place looks run down.. it's not very appealing to me. I don't feel as if I'm shopping in a "quality" place, especially since they advertise quality food. Right when you walk in, there's lines of food. I spent may 15 minutes before I go into the "main section" of store. It's kinda small, but it's quiet. Once you checkout, the cashier (that's sitting) quickly scans your items and throws them in the cart.. I'm kind of OCD I organize everything ON the conveyer, so to just mix it all up in the cart just kind of irritates me. I know, I'm going to organize it back into my bags but it'd be nice to not have to scuff around the cart and re-organize it. Once you pack up your items, you return the carts to retrieve your quarter. Honestly, to me it's a quarter, if I was evil, I'd just leave the cart in the lot (hey, free cart for someone shopping!) But, I was nice enough to return it and get my quarter back. I bought some Buffalo Chicken Strips and it tasted okay.. I wasn't too pleased (maybe because I microwaved it?) But the chunks were huge so that's a plus. All in all, I feel as if the customer does more of the work than employees. I mean, a cashier sitting down, while I'm standing? (it looks lazy) Also, they don't have people that help you pack (my items were heavy). No one asked if I needed assistance during shopping, I couldn't really tell who was even working. And, you have to return your own carts all way to the front? (It'd be nice if there was a spot in middle of parking lot put carts in). I understand, saving money. But I felt like I was doing more work than employees were. I probably won't be back, all the foods seemed so foreign to me.. brands I never even heard of. But I did get a lot of food so that's a plus read more

They don't have many things I can find in other stores. Coconut water more expensive.

Didn't even want to give it 1 Star Misty is very rude the manager chandler allowed her to be extremely rude to me all because I was upset she let a customer cut me in line he told me I could leave the store I have worked in customer service for 10 yrs and I have never experienced this type of treatment it was clear that I was being treated that way because I was black ! Then the cashier pushes my cart at me and says I can bag my stuff up over there or I can leave unbelievable ! So customers can't complain anymore is this how you treat your paying customers !! Never again I will be going to social media about this mistreatment and how management handles there complaints read more

I grew up with Aldi up in KC, so I was pretty familar with the concept and how they worked. For the uninitiated, it can see how it would be a culture shock. I remember it being good quality generics for really cheap. Their generic sodas would be the ONLY generic sodas that I would ever drink. Yeah, to some it might be considered "ghetto," but we never had a problem with the products or the store. Can't say the same for Walmart, for instance. I went to this Aldi the first day they opened, and they had employees standing outside explaining to customers how the carts worked, and what forms of payment they took. So, I thought they did a pretty good job at introducing Aldi to people. They also had spare quarters so that customers who didn't bring their own that day wouldn't be stuck. I believe they also gave out free bags too. As for the food: My husband is allergic to MSG, and we were pleasantly surprised and how many of their products didn't have MSG or trans fat. Even their cheap pizza ( knockoff of Totinos ) had no msg or transfat ( and it was pretty good too! ). If you're not a brand whore ( aka: have to buy brand everything ) this is a great trade off for walmart ( which I'm getting throughly sick of ). Be warned - this isn't Whole Foods, or Walmart, or a regular grocery store. It is what it is. It's a good supplement to your regular monthly grocery trip. So, the Aldi I remember from my youth has actually gotten better! They have neat things, like hummus, that I would have never seen 20+ years ago up north. I hope they do well down here. Yes, they are across the street from Walmart, but I think there's room enough for both in the market place. They fill different niches. So, go check them out and see for yourself. =) read more

Prices are fine. The customer service sucks! There's one employee, Kevin, who remembers faces, assists if needed, and understands customer service. The rest all seem annoyed that they have to be working. Would rather pay more at a competitor just to hear a "thank you for shopping with us" . read more

Great place to do your groceries as they have great prices on everything. However, you have to $0.25 for the shopping cart which is the only bad thing about them. read more

Great location, friendly staff, and very easy to get what I need. You get the idea, highly recommended.

10 stars!!! I can't express how much i love this store! Clean, wide isles, big carts, extremely good costs for good quality food! AND they have different home/bathroom/garden furniture and accessories every week!! My kitchen looks so organized and nice, Thank you Aldi!! read more

I love Aldi. This is where I shop for my groceries. Pretty much everything besides sodas and paper goods I buy here. I interviewed with Aldi out of college to be a district manager so I know a bit about the company. It is originally from Europe (Germany if I remember right) and keeping prices low is their bottom line. So yes you bring your own bags and you pay a quarter for the cart---but hey look there are no carts flying around the parking lot looking to ruin my paint job! Also, they move the inventory weekly so they leave everything on cartons. Cash or debit cards are only accepted to avoid credit card fees and any returned check fees, etc. They pay their workers pretty well (at least $10/hr I think) and offer benefits so they are ahead of the curve on that front from your Wal-Mart or regular grocery store. You will not recognize the brand names (many are Euro) but the taste and quality match up to brand name or store brands. If you are a baker, their eggs, milk, butter and sugar prices can't be beat. Produce and bread are inexpensive as well. read more

We love this store! I 1 great reason- I save enough on my groceries now to pay the monthly bill to fix my daughter's teeth! 2nd reason- Some items are better quality than name brands! 3rd- If you have children you can go down the chip aisle in under a minute because there are not 10,000 varieties!!! (they have Pringles : ) Milk is usually a dollar and it's great! Eggs .45 cents everyday, their bake it yourself pizzas 6.50 for a large with amazing ingredients. Everything is cheaper by about 40-50%. My 13 yr old daughter loves this store. There is no trash out in front of the store or in the store, very clean! Only use recycled bags, friendly to the environment. 6 Hershey chocolate bars for $3.00! Frozen gourmet foods like crab cakes, kabobs, grill items, frozen salmon, talapia, CATFISH, trout etc... vegetables to steam $1 a bag. Gourmet party desserts, giant tubs of Ice Cream for $4.99, Angus fillet steaks... great quality at a great price, what more could you want? read more

I last went to this store in the end of August or September. They have nee management apparently and I noticed that the prices went up. There was a girl with fuschia hair in the aisles moving boxes around and straightening up cans while there was a line down the middle aisle of people waiting. This fuschia colored hair girl was mumbling angrily to her self instead of ringing people up and there was a Muslim lady checking customers out by herself. She did a wonderful job with a smile and she was obviously new because I had never seen her before but the fuschia colored girl had been there all this year, We waited in the long line while this girl gave no service and left the Muslim girl to wait on all the customers in the store by herself. i complained thru the info on the receipt and some Regional Manager called and offered me a $10 gift certificate. He was trying to put it on the Muslim lady saying that she should have asked for help. The Muslim lady was doing wonderfully and working fast. I won't ever return to this Aldi. I go tp Plano now or in Carrollton. That Regional Manager insulted me with a $10 gift card for me to pick up in store. He seemed to be a racist jerk as well. read more

This place is great I always spend 10 dollars and under here and it buys me the weekly necessities like eggs , milk, bread, chips, fresh fruit too !!! 4 stars because they need to have more people working and checking people out, the wait sucks when you only have one item and there is only one cashier working .(happens very often) read more

Always liked Aldi BUT beware of produce. Just cut into the cantaloupe - it was green as grass !!!TOTALLY UNRIPE.

I'm so glad we discovered this nearby ALDI! AMazing price for grass-fed ground beef among other things. I save so much money shopping here.

I've slowly increased what I purchase at ALDI. First let me just put this out there... I never buy packaged meat so I will not even put it in my review. My first and only purchase was the Friendly Farm coffee creamer /italian sweet cream/ for a long time. Then I added cereal and then yogurt and juice. Started to try more items... paper towels... if you use Bounty... then get the Aldi equivalent (Boulder) Same thing with Napkins. Trash bags. Now in a pinch I did buy carrots. Zucchini. Eggs. Avocados small and hard. But really cheap... give em a few days on the counter and they'll be perfect.The German cakes are all good. The German sauerkraut is great. Less salty. So bit by bit I have increased my selections and quite a savings. I'd recommend you start with a few basic items. Try some other items bit by bit. And credit to Aldi that they keep increasing the products they carry. Bring a quarter and your own bags. Carts are locked. You get your quarter back when u return the cart. Also usually one cashier, but they will open another ck out when busy. read more

I love Aldi. I actually did a price comparison between Aldi and Walmart price per ounce. Aldi is cheaper for 97% of what I personally buy. That was in comparison to the Walmart brand. I have been happy with everything I have bought there except for one frozen pizza. They don't have everything that I need to buy, but what they do have saves me a lot of money. read more

I love this store! By far the best prices of any place I've gone shopping to! Wal-mart included. Can feed my family of 4 on very little cash! read more

You need to understand that Aldi's is generic shopping for those who cannot afford the Kroger, Albertson's or Tom Thumb budget. If you spend $300-$350 at Walmart, you will only spend $150 at Aldi's. By far, Aldi's house brand tastes much better than Walmart's house brand. Aldi's does bring in some name brand items, but they charge the same price as other typical grocery stores. Considering the location of the Carrollton/Dallas store, the quarter in the cart is perfect. Many times, Walmart's carts get pushed home with the consumer who had no choice but to walk there; large carts are not cheap. Additionally, there is insufficient staff at Aldi's to police the parking lot for carts that lazy consumers preferred not to return. The single-checker is a bit tideous, but he or she does not waste time telling personal stories or taking time to get to know the consumer. The good checkers can ring up an entire cart of product in five minutes or less - no complaints about that. Yes; Aldi's is green. Be prepared to bring your own totes or recycled bags as Aldi's charges for their bags. Aldi's sells totes in a couple of different sizes; the largest can hold eight to ten boxes of cereal and can even hold more cans of soup than one can imagine (without falling apart). read more