One of my favorite parts of the week is waking up next to David on his day off with no, plans and we get into the car and drive to find new and local businesses to check out. Our adventure the other day took us over toward North Richland Hills and Fort Worth area.
I wanted to check out Troop’s Bookstore which was in a new area we hadn’t shopped in before. While we were over that way, we ended up spotting a different Aldi than the one we normally go to. So we decided to pull in and see what they had. And I’m glad we did, because it was such a neat experience.
This store felt completely different from ours. It was clean, well lit, and just had a more open, organized feel to it. Everything was easy to walk through and nothing felt crowded or rushed. It honestly made the shopping trip feel slower in a good way—like we could actually look around instead of just grabbing and going.
And what really stood out is that they had items our regular Aldi had but they were on clearance. Which is a Godsend when your trying to feed a family on a budget. While David gathered those items I ventured down the aisle of shame to see if they had anything new.
Right away, I started noticing Father’s Day items that I knew David would actually use. There was a lunch cooler he pointed out and said he would like to have, and there was also a fan that caught his attention too. Those are the kinds of things I always look for—practical stuff he’ll actually use instead of just something that sits around.
Going inside this Aldi turned into one of those unexpected little Father’s Day shopping moments where you’re not even planning to shop for gifts, but you end up finding things that fit perfectly anyway. I also like finding a Father’s Day Car for David’s dad which was cheaper than anyone else has cards priced at.
We also picked up a few groceries during this stop, and this is actually where we got a few things we’ve been enjoying at home lately. Including the chicken bacon Alfredo meal on clearance, a bag of onion rings on clearance, and even a sweet potato casserole that was on sale David is excited to try out because it has Walnuts on it. It ended up being one of those trips where we came home with more than we planned—but in a good way, especially since we were able to get Charlie’s favorite meal and save money at the same time.
Later that same day, when we stopped back at our regular Aldi, I noticed the exact same items were regular price there. That right there really showed the difference between locations. That’s actually something we’ve started noticing more over time—some Aldi stores rotate deals differently, and certain locations just seem to have better markdowns or different seasonal stock than others.
So now, at least once a month, we plan on making a trip over to that side of town just to see what they have. Because this helps stretch our groceries, gives us new dinner ideas, and sometimes we end up finding items like Father’s Day Gifts we weren’t even expecting to see.
The seasonal aisle was also already starting to shift into summer and early holiday colors. You could see Memorial Day items still mixed in, but the red, white, and blue for July was already showing up too. Those are always fun for porch decorating or just small touches around the house.
But honestly, the best part of the whole trip wasn’t just what we bought—it was the experience of it. It felt like a little outing together, not just a grocery run. We got to talk, look around, compare stores, and just enjoy being out for a bit while I got my steps in for once.
And those are the kinds of moments I like turning into content, because they’re real life. Nothing staged, nothing forced—just us, doing what we normally do, and finding a few surprises along the way. While spending one on one time together which we don’t get enough of.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
