Groceries are a big expense for many households, so it’s only natural that you’ll look for ways to save money on them. And a great way to do that is by shopping at Aldi.

Because Aldi doesn’t carry many branded products, it can offer lower prices than many of its competitors. But despite this advantage, shopping at Aldi can be a frustrating experience. Here’s why.

Many people are used to going to a supermarket, buying everything they need and then moving on. At Aldi, this is not always possible.

Aldi intentionally seeks out low-priced products to pass the savings on to consumers. This sometimes means that Aldi is out of stock of a staple item – or many staple items.

Now imagine going to the supermarket and realizing you can’t buy cucumbers for your salad or oranges for your kids’ lunch. It’s annoying. You either have to go without these things for a week or go to another store. Either way, it’s a hassle.

2. You could be wasting your money on no-name brands that your kids don’t like

If you’re not particularly picky about brands and are just shopping for yourself, then you should definitely stock up on Aldi products. If you don’t mind the boring beige pack of pasta that’s $0.70 cheaper than a big brand, then why not save the money?

However, if you have children at home who are picky eaters, your shopping at Aldi may end up wasting money in the form of wasted food.

Children are often picky about what they put in their mouths. Sometimes just a different looking package is enough to make a young child refuse to eat the cereal or snack bars you bought. So all in all, you may have to throw away some of your Aldi purchases, which is not good for your wallet at all.

3. You may spend more because you have to adjust your meal plan

Shoppers are often encouraged to plan their meals before heading to the supermarket. This way, you will be more efficient when shopping and waste less money on ingredients that end up not being used.

But remember, you’re not guaranteed to find everything you need at Aldi, so you may have to change your mind mid-shopping and adjust your meal plans accordingly. This could result in you buying more expensive groceries than you originally planned.

For example, let’s say you want to make spaghetti and sautéed vegetables in marinara sauce, but Aldi is out of stock of the sauce you wanted to use in your recipe. You could buy a jar of ready-made vodka or pesto sauce instead if it’s in stock, but that might cost twice as much as a jar of plain marinara sauce.

All in all, you can save money on your grocery shopping at Aldi. But be aware of these pitfalls before you go. And if you’re pressed for time and can only visit one supermarket a week at most, you might want to consider buying your groceries somewhere other than Aldi.

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