$20 At Aldi

So I walked out of Aldi yesterday with my bank account $20 lighter. Earlier I posted about what my $20 bought at Reasor's, so I thought I would share what it bought at Aldi!

1 Fresh Pineapple
1- 3# Bag Gala Apples
2- 8oz Blocks of Cheese
1 dozen eggs
1 Box Graham Crackers
1 Box Saltine Crackers
1 Box Snack Crackers
1 Bunch Celery
1- 2# Bag of Carrots
1 Bag Corn Chips
8oz Ranch Veggie Dip
8oz Light Sour Cream
1 Can Chili Beans
1 Bag of Wavy Chips
1qt Half & Half

That is a lot of stuff! No, this is not a normal grocery haul for us. I was buying for a baby shower also.

Their produce prices are great. The bag of apples cost $1.29 which is $.43 a pound. Sometimes, as with all places, the produce can be iffy. But what I got yesterday was perfect. Their cans are reasonably priced as well. It beats Wal-Mart hands down. Their chip and cracker prices are comparable to Wal-Mart and so is the quality. But overall, worth the trip if it's near you!

*Nerd Alert* The Cost of Homemade Bread

Maybe it's because of this sweet little thing

That rope looking thing in her hand is her blankie. She's had it since she was a baby and this is pretty much all that's left. We don't travel without it.

The stuffed animal she's holding is Gracias. She's had her for nearly 3 years. Her daddy got it for her when she was almost 3 and sick. She's sick today.

Nothing makes the house smell yummier than baking bread! And she loves my bread.

Here comes the nerdiness. Don't say I didn't warn you. I want to know if it's cheaper to make my own bread. I love the fact that I know exactly what is in my bread. There are no weird chemicals or additives. Just the ingredients from my pantry. It makes me smile.


The first ingredient to a 1 pound loaf is water, which I consider free. Yes it's not, but 5/8 cup per loaf is not enough to register unless I make like 100 a month.

Next I add the applesauce. The recipe calls for oil, but I prefer to not use oil if I can help it. The applesauce costs $1.98 for a 46 oz jar. A tablespoon is 1/2 an ounce and for this loaf I use 1/2 a tablespoon. The cost is $.01 per loaf for applesauce.

Next up is brown sugar. 1 pound box = 9 loaves (1/4 cup each). That adds up to $.11 per loaf.

And then we have salt. I paid $.42 for the large container of iodized salt. 1/2 tsp doesn't even register as a penny in the calculations.

Flour is next! I used All-Purpose. Yes, I know it says bread flour, but this was in my pantry. Usually I use half all-purpose and half whole wheat. Still delish! A 5lb bag has 20 cups of flour. This recipe take 1.5 cups. It cost $1.90 for the bag, so that's $.14 for the loaf.

 Wowza for the oatmeal! There are 3 cups per pound of oatmeal. This recipe calls for a half cup, so that means $.07 per loaf.

And my last ingredient is yeast. The large jar is under $4 but I prefer to round up to a whole number. Each jar has 16 packets, this takes half a packet. Per loaf cost is $.13.

Close the lid on my trusty $10 garage sale bread maker, and 3 hours later my house smells like heaven on earth. But how much was the ingredient total? A whole $.46 per loaf. Of course, there is electricity used, but I haven't seen a raise in my bill yet!

I told you I'm a total number nerd.

Be forewarned, though. Making your own bread means you eat a lot more bread. It's yummy and comforting and tastes way better in the mornings that store bought toast. I personally love super thin slices for everything, so our bread can last quite a while. Usually though, only about 3 days tops. Maybe we'll eat less when homemade bread is old news in our house. We aren't there yet.