ALDI Price Drops, ALDI Finds, and the weekly ad
Updated
ALDI keeps things simple: low prices on its own brands, a new ad every Wednesday, and no coupons. Here is how the different kinds of ALDI deals fit together.
Three kinds of ALDI deals
ALDI uses a few names for its deals, and they are easy to mix up.
- Price Drops are grocery items ALDI has lowered in price, listed with the regular price next to them. These are the markdowns that matter for dinner.
- ALDI Finds are limited-time items that come in once and are gone when they sell out. Most are non-food: kitchen tools, garden gear, clothes, and seasonal decor. Some are specialty foods.
- The weekly ad is where ALDI lists the new week’s Price Drops, featured groceries, and ALDI Finds together.
Why Wednesday matters
ALDI’s new weekly ad and its new ALDI Finds start every Wednesday. If you want first pick of the Finds, go early on Wednesday, since popular ones can sell out fast.
Price Drops last for the week, so there is no rush on pantry items. You can shop any day and still get them.
For a small household, it often works to plan meals on Tuesday night from the next day’s ad, then shop once on Wednesday or later in the week.
No manufacturer coupons
ALDI does not take manufacturer coupons, so the shelf price is the price. Most of the store is ALDI’s own brands, which don’t have coupons anyway.
That makes ALDI easy to compare. What you see in the ad is what you pay at the register, with no clipping, no loyalty card, and no minimum quantity to get the price.
It also means ALDI is often cheapest on the basics before any deal at all. The Price Drops are a bonus on top of prices that are already low.
Reduced meat stickers
Reduced fresh meat is the best deal in the store. ALDI marks down fresh meat close to its sell-by date with a reduced sticker, and those are not in the ad.
Check the meat case every time you shop, including the ends and the bottom shelf. Each store does this on its own schedule, so if you want to know when, ask the staff at your store.
Cook reduced meat that night or freeze it the same day. Fresh poultry and ground meat should be cooked or frozen within 1 to 2 days of buying, according to the USDA.
Building dinners around ALDI
Pair a Price Drop protein with ALDI’s everyday cheap staples: pasta, rice, canned tomatoes, and frozen vegetables. That is a full dinner without paying full price for anything.
A few combinations that work most weeks:
- Price Drop chicken thighs roasted with potatoes and a bag of frozen green beans.
- Reduced ground beef in a pot of chili with canned beans and canned tomatoes.
- Price Drop sausage with pasta, a jar of sauce, and frozen spinach.
- Eggs, tortillas, and a can of black beans for breakfast tacos on a busy night.
Shopping tips
ALDI runs a little differently from a regular supermarket, and a few habits make it easier.
- Bring a quarter for the cart. You get it back when you return the cart.
- Bring your own bags, or buy them at the register.
- Bag your groceries yourself at the counter after checkout.
- ALDI Finds are mostly non-food. Plan dinner around the grocery Price Drops instead.
Seeing this week’s Price Drops
Penny Meals reads ALDI’s Price Drops for your local store, with the regular price ALDI lists next to each one, so you can see how much each item actually dropped. Plus members also get dinner recipes written from that week’s sales at their stores.
Questions
What are ALDI Price Drops?
Price Drops are grocery items ALDI has lowered in price for the week. ALDI lists them with the regular price next to each one, and they last for the week.
What day does the ALDI ad start?
ALDI’s new weekly ad and its ALDI Finds start every Wednesday.
Does ALDI take coupons?
ALDI does not take manufacturer coupons. The shelf price is the price you pay at the register.
Does ALDI mark down meat?
Yes. ALDI puts reduced stickers on fresh meat close to its sell-by date. They are not in the ad, so check the meat case each time you shop.
This week’s markdowns
Cheap recipes
Related guides
See what’s marked down near you
Penny Meals checks the stores near your ZIP code and shows this week’s markdowns store by store, with cheap dinners to cook from them.
Find deals near meFree to browse: 5 deals a store without an account, 10 with a free account. Plus shows every deal and writes dinner recipes from your stores’ sales.