90% of my food comes from ALDI. Personally, I enjoy going there knowing that whatever I buy is a decent price. Sure, shopping sales at traditional grocers might save a few cents here and there, but sometimes you need something now. Certainly beats waiting a week or two for the next ad to come around or clipping coupons. I like that for almost any given item, there is one brand, one size one price. Need a block of mozzarella? At a traditonal grocery store, you're comparing the prices of 3-4 brands of the same cheese. Is one little rectangle of mozzarella better than another? IMO, no. ALDI? One brand, one price that beats any of the brands at the traditional grocery store. I also appreciate that the cashiers are lightning quick at ALDI, which I can't say for the other grocers in town. And really, the only time I've noticed a difference between and ALDI product and a name brand was the boxed Mac N Cheese. Yes, the Kraft is better. But for 1/3 of the price, college me bought the ALDI stuff- and it's far more palatable than other store brands. Oh, and soda, but in reality, all store brand sodas suck.
If you like Malt-O-Meal cereal- go to ALDI, they make most, if not all of the store brand cereals. I work in the shipping industry, I've seen the proof.
Overall, use your head. Some things with proprietary recipies are not going to taste the same or as good as the original- Doritos, Cola, etc, you are going to notice the difference. But for basics- lunch meat, cheese, milk, eggs, butter, bread, chicken, sugar, flour, baking soda, chocolate chips, nuts- you're never going to know the difference and if you can deprogram your brain's attachement to the brand, your wallet will be much happier.I'd say we save hundreds every year buying at ALDI vs. going to the grocery store. Only way I'd get close to that savings is at Walmart- but the downside is you have to shop at Walmart, and you still aren't saving as much, in my experience.