My fiancée and I live in a small Midwestern town with limited grocery options. But, thankfully, we have an Aldi, which I frequent once a week.
Two years ago, we could get by on a grocery budget of $20 a week, but rising inflation changed all that. Although food prices are finally starting to stabilize, according to the USDA, they aren't supposed to drop much this year.
These days, my grand total at Aldi usually clocks in at or under $40.
On my most recent trip, I picked up 17 items for just about $39 before tax. Here's everything I got and how we'll use it.
Penne rigate: $1
A quick bowl of pasta is a great weeknight dinner.
Joe Opaleski
Reggano's penne rigate is a great budget option for pasta night. At $0.98 a box, I always add some to my cart.
The penne is especially good with a homemade tomato sauce. In a pinch, I'll keep it simple with olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan.
Mixed greens: $2.90
I can add leafy greens to a number of meals.
Joe Opaleski
I'm a big fan of Simply Nature's resealable, premixed salad boxes. During a busy workday, it's easy to grab a handful of leaves, throw in dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, and chunky blue cheese, and have a quick and light lunch.
Plus, I think $2.89 is a fair price for this healthy staple.
Shredded cheddar cheese: $2.20
Shredded cheese is a must for tacos, grilled cheese, and eggs.
Joe Opaleski
Happy Farm's thick-cut shredded cheddar is a must in our household.
A bag costs $2.19, and it's great for melting onto scrambled eggs, tacos, and sandwiches — all of which we eat frequently.
Flour tortillas: $2
I like to toast my flour tortillas when I serve them with tacos.
Joe Opaleski
I go back and forth between corn and flour tortillas. Right now, I'm on a flour kick.
A 20-count of Pueblo Linda's small fajita tortillas costs $1.99 at Aldi.
They toast up great in a pan or soften perfectly in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds.
Frozen Asian veggies: $2.10
Frozen stir-fry mixes make dinner so much easier.
Joe Opaleski
Season's Choice steamed-broccoli stir-fry is a good frozen veggie option to pair with any meal, especially at $2.09 a bag.
As an impatient cook, I simply throw this mix in a pan with a dash of olive oil and cook until it's sizzling.
The water chestnuts are a nice touch — I never buy the crunchy vegetables on their own, but I love eating them.
Frozen ground turkey: $2.75
We usually make our tacos with ground turkey.
Joe Opaleski
The possibilities are endless with Kirkwood's all-natural ground turkey, but we like to use it as the protein in our tacos.
A pound costs $2.75, and we like to cook the whole thing in a pan with a can of black beans, diced onions, garlic, and cumin. We serve everything on lightly browned flour tortillas and top it off with shredded cheese.
Black beans (two cans): $1.65
Black beans are a pantry staple for us.
Joe Opaleski
My partner and I love black beans. At $0.81 a can, it's easy to stock up on these bad boys.
The beans are great in our taco mix, a bean-based salad, a breakfast burrito, or as a side dish.
Café Bustelo: $3.85
I love making Café Bustelo in my moka pot.
Joe Opaleski
When it's time for morning coffee, I use a moka pot, which requires thinly ground espresso.
I think Café Bustelo is the perfect coffee for this brew method, and it keeps me energized well into the afternoon.
A 10-ounce bag is $3.85 at Aldi, and if I'm lucky, it'll last me through the week.
Whole milk: $1.70
Whole milk has many uses in our kitchen.
Joe Opaleski
I usually drink almond milk, but we still get a lot of use out of a ½ gallon of Friendly Farms whole milk.
It only costs $1.70, and it's thick enough to serve as a creamer for my espresso, light enough to drink on its own, and great for oatmeal or baking.
Wheat bread: $1.25
I buy the cheapest wheat bread I can find every week.
Joe Opaleski
Honestly, I hate buying bread. If it were practical to make it ourselves every week, I would.
Until I figure that out, I find myself grabbing Aldi's cheapest loaf for our weekly sandwiches.
L'oven Fresh's split-top wheat bread cost me $1.25 on this trip.
Peanut butter: $1.80
I absolutely love peanut butter.
Joe Opaleski
Peanut butter is a necessity in our house — we probably eat it with a spoon more often than we should.
A small jar of Peanut Delight's no-stir creamy peanut butter is $1.79 at Aldi. When I'm not eating it out of the jar, I like to put a small dollop in my morning oats.
Oats: $3.95
A hot bowl of oats is a great breakfast.
Joe Opaleski
I usually grab a large box of Millville rolled oats for $3.95.
At breakfast, I tend to add honey, cinnamon, and brown sugar to the cooked plain oats.
Bananas: $1.45
I love snacking on bananas.
Joe Opaleski
When I need a fiber fix, I love a plain banana. One bunch cost me $1.43 on this Aldi run.
Sometimes, I'll let them ripen, freeze them solid, and blend them with milk and a dash of peanut butter. If you get your ratios right, the end result tastes like peanut-butter-banana ice cream.
Eggs: $1.55
Eggs were really expensive for a bit, but 12 for under $2 is a great deal.
Joe Opaleski
Eggs are a staple for a healthy breakfast or a quick lunch. Goldhen's large grade-A eggs cost me $1.54.
I eat them scrambled, fried, poached, over easy, or hard-boiled.
They're a cheap source of protein — our dog, Peppa, even occasionally enjoys them.
Mandarin oranges: $4
Mandarin oranges are so sweet, I can eat them for dessert.
Joe Opaleski
I can never eat just one mandarin orange. In fact, I usually eat two at a time.
A bag costs $3.59, but it's worth it. I like to eat them as a healthy dessert.
Green grapes: $3.45
Green grapes are the perfect summer snack.
Joe Opaleski
Green grapes never last me a week, especially in the summer. I'm snacking on them right now as I'm writing this.
They're the perfect hydrating snack, so I never bat an eye at paying $3.42 for a bag.
Dark chocolate: $2
Dark chocolate curbs my sweet tooth.
Joe Opaleski
When the day is over, and I've done everything I need to do, there's nothing better than a square of dark chocolate.
A $1.99 bar of Moser Roth's 85% dark chocolate is always in our fridge. Paired with a glass of cabernet, it's the perfect treat.
