I've utilized reviews on Yelp for so many things in my life but had yet to post my own opinions about anything. That changes...NOW. Having heard the name "ALDI" by a few others (who live 1000 miles away) I decided to see where there might be one in my neck of the woods. The closest one to me is an HOUR away in Longview. So I figured the supposed savings could NEVER be worth the 2 hour round-trip. But today I got a wild hair & made the trip to see what all the fuss is about. I'm so glad I did! The prices on the majority of food items is SO MUCH LOWER than even normal advertised "discount stores"...and for great groceries! Gluten-free? They got it. Organic? They got it. Fancy cheeses, meats...definitely not things I thought I'd find in a "cheap" store and yet, there they were. The REASON they are able to pass along savings are many small things I observed. For example...when u grab a shopping cart outside, it costs a quarter (which you get BACK when you return the cart)...clever. If you don't bring your own bags, it costs I think about 10 cents per bag, but that's if you want bags. I brought 6 cloth bags I had from home. They ring your items up so quickly that they pass over the scanner and directly into your waiting cart. Once you pay, you simply move to the side & bag your own or roll it to your car & do it there! I FILLED UP all 6 large cloth bags and a big cooler in my car...for $115. I was stunned. I estimate the same groceries would have normally cost me over $200, easy. I got a bag of plum tomatoes (about 8 of them) for 99 cents. I got 4 giant chicken leg quarters for $1.38. I even grabbed a bag of asst flower bulbs for less than $2! Sorry I'm rambling but really...from someone who has never posted a review...I just wanted to encourage you to go, esp if you're like me and find it harder and harder to stretch that food budget. I'm a picky cook...and I left completely satisfied & committed to returning. Note: like any other store, there are a few items that I passed up just because I didn't think the price was that much different than most places...sodas seemed a bit high. Oh, and I've been noshing on my groceries since unpacking and nothing has disappointed! I'm fixin to throw my giant deli-style ALDI pizza in the oven for dinner...it was $5. read more