This is a report on three trips to the newest Aldi in town. I have enjoyed shopping at Aldi and enjoy trying new items. I have spoken with some people who think that Aldi is a horrible idea. They don't want to bring their own bags and do not realize they are nice, thick, strong bags. I also hear complaints that the items are not brand-named. These are obviously people who have been fooled by marketing. Mind you, I don't complain about the concept of marketing. After all, that's how my husband makes a living. But I have found items such as Pine Sol, Colgate, Pringles, Anchor, and the same names I see on produce at Costco. I give these people the benefit of the doubt and call it an oversight. So, shopping at Aldi is a personal choice, but I do recommend evaluating Aldi's long history. It is a grocery store that has been around in Europe very successfully for quite a long time. Other American states have grown to like them. Orlando will, too.

The following is a list food items that deserve mentioning.

To Be or Not To Be

• Clancy's Multigrain Chips-At nearly half the recommended price of a bag of Tostito's, these chips are a better value. The Aldi brand has slightly more pointed edges, which improves their dipping. The "marketing scheme" is that Clancy's has shorter bags than Tostito's even though the wait of chips is the same. Buy Them!
• Refried Beans-We made a mistake and fell for the $0.57 price tag on a can of refried beans without reading the label first. A couple weeks later, I went back to find the label had Lard in the ingredient list. Not acceptable for vegetarians. Don't Buy!
• Bananas at $0.45 a bag-A far better price than local grocery stores. I purchase these followed by a larger bag of the green ones from Costco (they have the same brand label) and we can eat the ripe ones and give the green ones time to turn. Any that get too ripe become bread or pancakes. Buy Them!
• Fresh Frozen Fruit-Large bags of frozen fruit from Costco might be cheaper, but if the bag quits sealing and the fruit gets freezer burned, where's the benefit? The selection at Aldi is the same, but has their label "Fit and Active" on it. Give it a shot when you want small doses of mixed berries, strawberries, or pineapple. Think about it.

FYI, I brought my plastic Aldi bag back to reuse it and the cashier did not notice; subsequently charging me an extra 10 cents. I learned of the fact too late and have since decided non-Aldi bags are appropriate for shopping in the future. As a final note, we were very happy to see a vegetarian soup option available at Aldi. Unfortunately, it hasn't been cold enough for us to want to eat soup. We'll wait until January.