A big thank you goes out to my friend, Amanda, over at The Martha Initiative for the following deal. At Jewel, buy 4 Kraft 2% milk cheeses (bricks or shreds) and 4 Planters Trail Mix, pay only tax (after $13 in cats). Yep, love it. And for me, that $10 Jewel giftcard will come in quite handy - and it did. 5 times, in fact! Judging by the amount of stock left on the shelves, I'm not the only one following Amanda's advice!

Then it was over to Dominicks for some cheap Quaker granola bars, Peter Pan peanut butter, Tropicana Pure Premium (OJ), Ritz crackers - hey, I need something to eat all that cheese on, and 18 ct. eggs - only $.97! Yep, love it there, too.

Though, here's where I'm not feelin' the love: At Aldi (yes, I went there, but am trying to reduce those visits to every other month, I swear!), the generic peanut butter, house brand granola bars, OJ, and eggs, milk, and bread were ALL priced higher than Jewel or Dominicks sales this week!!! Using 12 different items as a reference, I found only 2 that were cheaper at Aldi than elsewhere this week.

What truly surprised me was the crowd gathered at Aldi. The aisles and parking lot were filled. Considering how budget conscious society is now, (obviously, I'm no exception), I was stunned to hear the totals while I bagged my groceries. Most shoppers spent well over $100 for what they could've gotten for half that at Jewel, Meijer, Dominicks, and Ultra this week. And, most of the time - they'd be receiving better quality, flavor, and nutritional value, too!

So, if anyone out there can help me find a better deal on ground turkey, onion soup mix, tomato sauce, and canned cream of mushroom soup, please let me know. I'd love to never shop Aldi again!