I Tried Aldi's Delivery Service: Was It Worth It?

Every time I reflect on the fact that I had groceries delivered to me this morning, I feel like Carol Brady.  (Or maybe it's more like Alice.)  You know, there's always celery and a bare loaf of Italian bread sticking out of the tops of those brown grocery bags in old TV shows. But, anyway, aside from the fact that I didn't pay in cash, and the bags weren't brown paper, and I wasn't hoping to bribe the delivery boy into asking my distraught daughter to the dance . . . well, it seems kind of quaint and old fashioned to have a grocery store bring your food to your door.

But is it worth it?  Let me tell you about my experience and the pros and cons, and then you can decide whether or not it should be a thing for you!

Why did I try it in the first place?
Good question!  I've never even tried any of the various stores' service where they shop for you and you just drive up and pick up your groceries!  I don't know why.  Maybe I will at some point.  I actually almost did, but that's another story.  In any case, I've just recently been seeing online ads for Aldi's delivery service.  Last night, as I was making my grocery list for today's shopping, I was tired and wasn't feeling well and I kept thinking about some things I'd wanted to get done this week that I was behind on.  And I thought to myself, "Self, sometimes you've got to think outside the box.  Dare to try something new!"  Or something like that.  It still surprises me that I talked myself into it, actually.

The ordering experience
It was simple to sign up for an account, and ordering was easy for someone like me who is quite familiar with Aldi and its products.  I just searched for what I wanted and added it to my online cart.  At the end, my list mentioned some things they were low on and asked about suitable substitutions, just in case.  I liked that.

The Prices
Because I shop in Aldi so often, I noticed right away that the Instacart prices were higher on many of the products.  Some were the same; others were several cents higher; and still others were quite a difference!  For instance, a dozen eggs were almost double what I've been paying in-store.

The Total Cost
So, I was already aware of the $3.99 delivery charge.  But there is also a 5% service charge, and they automatically add a 5% tip for your shopper/driver.  This tip can be changed to a different amount or removed altogether.  (I think it's nice to tip, but that's me.)  They charge 10c per grocery bag used.  And tax where applicable.  I had a $10 off promo code (for first order) that offset most of the extra money (higher prices + delivery + service charge) I was paying compared to shopping in-store.

The Shopping and Delivery
They are quite communicative!  I received a text when "Rachel," the woman who was shopping for me, began . . . well . . .  shopping for me.  Texts came in when she had to replace something or when she had to refund an item (a head of cabbage, to be precise) because they were completely out.  (I don't think I've ever seen Aldi out of cabbage before!)  It seemed so strange picturing someone else shopping for me while I worked at home.  Another text arrived when she was en route and again when she was almost to my driveway.

She was 5-10 minutes earlier than the hour-long window I'd been given.  So keep that in mind if you ever try this service.  Make sure to schedule late enough that you'll be sure to be home.

I was greeted by the nice lady, who handed me a padded cooler-type-thing, and said she would need that back.  While she went back to her car to get the bagged stuff, I quickly unloaded the cold things onto a kitchen counter.  By the time I returned to the door, she had already set the bags inside.  We talked for a few seconds, and she was on her way!

My Overall Thoughts
It's a nice idea.  It runs smoothly.  They seem to have worked out any kinks there may have been when it began, if there were any.  My shopper/driver was pleasant and competent at her job.

For ME, though, it isn't worth it.  That doesn't mean no one would find it worthwhile.  You might.  Let me explain.

The reason I shop so much at Aldi is because their prices on many items are quite a bit lower than at other stores, and many of their products are just as good as name brands.  We have a fairly tight grocery budget that I try to stick to.  And sometimes that is harder to do than others.  I would have to be in a pretty bad way (like really sick or super stressed) to feel like I could justify those extra  costs.  As I said, this time I had the $10 off, but that won't be available to me again, as I understand it.

It saved me some time.  I didn't have to bag my own groceries and drive back and forth.  (Except when I went to Walmart this afternoon to get all the stuff I needed there.  They didn't have any slots open today for grocery pick-up, and I hear there is a winter storm headed this way over the weekend!)

Who should try this, though?  Maybe you!  If you don't have a strict grocery budget and can afford to pay somewhat higher prices, plus the fees, this could be a great time-saver for you.  Or maybe you do have a set amount of grocery money, but you have reasons that it would be worth it to you to get a bit less food for your money in order to be able to afford the service.  With a hungry teenage boy in my household, that isn't an option for me right now, but it probably is for someone else!

Also, if you haven't shopped at Aldi and experienced their lower prices before, you might try the delivery service once to see, even with those extra costs, whether or not you still save money compared to shopping at another grocery store.

Or, maybe for some it's a good option for just once in awhile:  When you're sick; your littles are sick and you don't want to take them out; an extra busy week; etc.

So, though I don't know that I will do this again, it really is a great service for people who want/need it and don't mind spending the extra dough.  Let me know in the comments if you've ever tried it, or if you plan to!  I'd love to know. :)

P.S.  This isn't the type of subject I typically cover on this blog, but I didn't see much out there when I was looking for reviews before I decided to order.  Thought I would contribute and hopefully help other searchers decide if they should try it. :)

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