Voorhees, NJ—ALDI held a ribbon-cutting event on July 12th at 9am to open their newest store, located in Camden County New Jersey. This location marks ALDI‘s 100th store in their Division for New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware areas.
To celebrate the opening, local store managers handed out gift cards to the first 100 customers. I was one of the lucky few to have that little extra to spend on my weekly groceries; the gift card was worth $10. Being a person who has to eat, any additional money off is always a good thing.
As I took in the excitement to have one of my favorite stores open a location closer to me, the rest of the crowd reflected that happy emotion. I don’t know which of us received the “golden ticket,” but one of the early attendees was given a gift card for $100.00. The frugal side of me could do a lot with that amount of money to spend on free groceries! Although I did not get the special gift card, I certainly felt appreciative for the one I did receive.
Then the time came for the store manager, Katlyn Mohrmann, to cut the ceremonious ribbon. Once it was cut, the elated shoppers (including myself) filed in. I walked around the aisles, picking up produce and my favorite—a selection of cheeses. While doing that, I had to maneuver around the many other people who came out to see the new store.
It was quite a sight to see too, because when we entered through the doors, everyone received a free ALDI eco-friendly shopping bag. So the store was filled with well over 100 shoppers, all of whom were holding the eco-friendly bag, and trying not to bump into one another.
I’ve been to other ALDI stores, and this one has a much larger area for their home goods and more importantly—their produce section. I love that, because incorporating healthy ingredients into dishes I make is imperative to a balanced diet. And the cost to do so has steadily increased, so finding a way to shop healthy and stay within my budget is equally important.
Upon checking out, the lines formed from the front of the store to the back; there had been an enormous turn-out for the grand opening day. I was a little overwhelmed with the wait, so I opted to come back later (and purchase the same items I had picked up). I did leave and come back, buying a little more than I had initially shopped for. The store was still packed with shoppers, but the check out lines weren’t as long.
When I did check out, I used the coupon along with the $10 gift card given to me in the morning. In the end I saved a good amount of money and filled my fridge with vegetables, fruits, and several