• Trader Joe’s was my go-to for 13 years, but I couldn’t believe how much I saved at Aldi.
• It’s more bare-bones than Trader Joe’s, but I can easily still find all my essentials.
• My salary decreased after career-switching into education, so Aldi’s deals are more appealing.

My family moved from the outskirts of Washington, DC, to Richmond, Virginia, 13 years ago. With Trader Joe’s less than a mile from my doorstep, grabbing groceries with my 1-year-old daughter in tow was, frankly, relaxing.

The fragrant flowers, $1 greeting cards, and paired tastings were my weekly Nirvana. With daughter No. 2 on the way and pregnancy cravings mounting, my trips became even more frequent.

But I’m now switching careers from consulting for emergency management and homeland security to education. I’m excited to work with students, but my hourly consulting rate now is now what I make for a whole day of teaching.

Moreover, my daughters are now just a blink away from driving cars and going to college. With less money coming in and expenses ramping up, I needed a better bargain.

This is why I — a loyal shopper — started cheating on Trader Joe’s with Aldi.

My teacher friends swear by Aldi — and I saw why on my first visit

A friend of mine told me she started shopping at Aldi after leaving her lucrative job at a bank to teach middle-school math. She said Aldi had the best deals and was a favorite among her teacher friends who wanted lower-cost items that were still high quality.

So once I made my career switch, I did the same.

Three weeks ago, I grabbed my Trader Joe’s totes and headed to Aldi to pick up olive oil, lemons, and coffee.

At first, I was a little lost. I needed a quarter just to use my shopping cart, and there wasn’t anyone in a bright floral shirt I could ask for help finding things. Overall, my Aldi seemed to have a more limited staff.

But it wasn’t long before I found the lemons.

Although the products weren’t displayed with quirky signage like at Trader Joe’s, the bare-bones set-up still had a huge variety of produce.

As I continued to scan the aisles, I was pleasantly surprised by the plethora of organic products available at Aldi for a reasonable price.

Even the generic-brand coffee cups I found were fair-trade certified, 100% Arabica, and organic. They were also cheaper than what I’d been buying before.

After eyeing my receipt, I was an immediate Aldi convert

I was loyal to Trader Joe’s for over a decade, but after one shopping trip, I’m an Aldi convert.

So far, I’ve returned to the store five times in one month. My weekly cart of quality meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables has been ringing up at only $100 — a feat I haven’t achieved anywhere else.