ALDI — Local services in Temple

I LOVE ALDI's and am so happy they have finally made it to Killeen, TX. The prices are awesome. I have repeatedly purchased my weekly groceries for under $100 as opposed to under $200 at other US Grocery chains.

In response to the nay-sayers, I have to say this: Aldi is a German company doing business in America. There is a very large German population in America who the stores are tailored to, I would suppose.

I've shopped at Asian stores and many things are very different, such as people crouching in the middle of the isles, chit chatting. Or some Arab restaurant in New York that told me and my women friends that we were not allowed inside unless we covered our heads. This is America, and we are free to do business as we seem fit (provided we do not bring harm to anyone.)

Get over it, this is a German store. People who came from Germany, or lived in Germany, love it. Depositing the quarter in the cart ensures the carts being returned to the store. It's no big deal. Most Germans are naturally helpful people and if you express to someone that you don't have a quarter for the cart, I am sure you can trade them 25 pennies for a 25 cent coin, or they may leave their quarter in the cart so you can use it.

Bringing your own shopping bags, or loading groceries into baskets in your car is environmentally friendly and reduces paper and plastic waste. You have to understand that Germany is a very small country, where trash has be dealt with conservatively, and no resource is being wasted.

As for the bagging.... There are tons of bags for purchase in the store (just like HEB or Walmart). For 6 cents you can buy a big ole paper bag that will safely hold your groceries...

It always is out of the Aldi finds/seasonal stuff within a few hours. Their breads and roles, because they are frozen solid until they are put out for sale become stale or spoil within a couple of days after purchase. The salespeople tend to become disgruntled if you ask them questions. Careless checkers damage stuff like avocados during check out by tossing them bruskly into the cart assuming that a hard avocado can be treated like a rock. The occasional brand name item if often significantly more expensive than at HEB or Walmart. Can't buy stuff online and pick up later. Too many fabric covered cardboard items that aren't sturdy enough for their intended purpose (like trunk organizers) To much processed food or frozen sourced in China where food safety is a serious issue (think gutter oil) or doesn't say where it was imported from. Their Canadian contractor for some frozen meals uses canned meats (I'm assuming) in their meals, because that's the only way I can think of to make it taste so terrible with the consistency of sawdust glued loosely together. Too too many items are made with HFCS instead of cane or beat sugar. I used to enjoy shopping there, but the enthusiasm seemed to make some employees uncomfortable killing the fun I had...

You have to understand what Aldi is. It originally started out as a German owned store. They were trying to reach the German Market that exists here in Texas. Especially here in Killeen where Fort Hood, the biggest Army Post in the nation, is located. We have a large German community. However, the stores are small, and you have to pay for grocery bags when you check out. Always bring a quarter, because the shopping carts require a 25¢ coin, and then they return your quarter to you when you park your cart. Their selection is small. During Christmas, you will see a clutch of German ladies grabbing there Liebkuchen and other German Christmas treats. Staples such as eggs and milk are surprisingly low priced, and I go there for cheeses and some of their canned goods. Their Bakery selections are not widespread, but what they do have is very reasonably priced. I highly recommend you check this place out. It's homie, and while their store runs on a skeleton crew, you can usually find someone to...