Aldi is the cheapest grocery option but there’s a reason you still don’t save

Aussies are often told shopping at Aldi will save them money – but there’s one major reason why that is not always the case.

I was standing in Aldi, considering buying a three-in-one bathroom heater, exhaust fan and light, when I realised that shopping at the cheapest grocery store actually costs me more money.

Aldi has long been heralded as the affordable place to get your groceries – the oasis of bargains. Sure it isn’t as glitzy as Coles and Woolworths, but you can buy more for less.

Recently, at news.com.au, we did a $50 shopping test to see which supermarket you get the most bang for your buck, and Aldi was the clear winner ahead of Coles and Woolworths.

In fact, we’ve also reported that people are really sick of being told that shopping at Aldi will solve the cost of living crisis.

Here’s the thing, though: You are only going to save money by shopping at Aldi if you manage to avoid the pull of the middle aisle. And good luck with that.

The iconic Special Buys section of every Aldi store is crammed full of bargains, with new stock released every Wednesday and Saturday.

It isn’t uncommon to see droves of people lining up outside an Aldi, clambering to get their mitts on anything from televisions to gumboots.

Special Buys aisle offers everything from electrical items to garden tools. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

A Facebook user put it best when they said: “The aisle of dreams weakens us all.”

So yes, you are saving a fortune by only buying coffee at Aldi, but if you’ve also bought a tent, “savings” may actually be a misnomer.

Are you actually coming out ahead financially?

The Special Buys aisle that is always situated smack bang in the middle of the store features anything and everything you probably don’t need.

Want a pair of skis? They’ve got it. A heater? It’s there. A new yellow toaster? No problem.

It’s middle location makes it almost impossible to avoid, and the temptation is hard to ignore.

Me, every time I’ve been down Aldi’s middle aisle… pic.twitter.com/EPdrpkaYs9

— Ben (@BJPCooke) April 11, 2023

I’m not the only one struggling with the pull; a Facebook group made up of bargain-hunting Aussies mums also shared their concerns that Aldi isn’t a financial saver because the middle aisle proved to be a money pit.

One commented that they only survived their Aldi trip by “keeping my eyes away from the middle aisle. It takes lots of willpower,” she wrote.

Another admitted that she stopped coming to the shop armed with her credit card in an effort to combat impulsive spending.

“I started taking cash instead, and I find I have that in my mind as I fill the trolley,” she wrote.

Although she admitted it wasn’t foolproof.

Brisbane shoppers queue to grab skis in the Aldi Special Buys sale. Picture: Claudia Baxter

“I do buy things from the middle aisle depending on what they have,” she admitted.

Another shared that the middle aisle eventually saw her break up with the budget-friendly store

“I no longer shop at Aldi,” she wrote.

Someone else said she’d developed a technique to help her not fall for the middle aisle allure.

“I go there first! Take what I think looks good, do my shopping and then if I really want the item or really need the item I’ll get it.”

She explained by tackling the middle aisle first it helps the “thrill” wear off by the time she gets to the cash register, so there’s less chance of impulse buying a camping chair.

A taste of what the Aldi middle has to offer. Picture: Instagram

Did you know you can buy a rug at Aldi? Picture: Instagram

See? Shopping at Aldi and not spending a fortune isn’t for the faint of heart.

I put a call out on my Instagram to ask fellow Aldi shoppers what they’ve been buying from the grocery store beside the obvious weekly food and the answers came rolling in.

One confessed she’d bought everything from “thermals [to] gardening supplies,” adding she’d also bought pickles in bulk.

Another shared that she’d become distracted on her weekly grocery shop and ended up buying, “arts and crafts for the kids, children’s books and slippers”.

One shared that she’d ended up with a unicycle, but she swears she actually uses it.

And another revealed she’d ended up with an “air fryer, snowboarding gear and a kilo of olives”.

Someone else explained they’d managed to secure an “office chair, lawnmower and meat slicer” during their shops at Aldi.

Another bragged they’d grabbed a “70-inch television for $800. Cracker deal!”

My personal favourite was when someone confessed, “Ski googles! Never been skiing in my life, but I like the idea.”

So, there you go. Aldi might be a cheaper option, but to keep it that way I’d suggest closing your eyes to make it past the middle aisle without blowing your budget.

Originally published as Aldi is the cheapest grocery option but there’s a reason you still don’t save