Find The Cheapest Meat At Aldi With This Simple Trick

If you're seeking extra discounts at Aldi and don't want to stroll down the "aisle of shame," it's a little tricky. Aldi doesn't do traditional coupons which grant you additional price cuts on produce or meat. Luckily, regular shoppers have a simple tip for people in search of cheaper protein. If you want to avoid buying this item at Aldi for full cost, you can cut your meat spending in half just by shopping early mornings.

The hack works daily because Aldi shelves are stocked in the morning, often with meat that's marked half-price. Workers may also put out discount meat throughout the day, depending on whether it's busy, but first thing in the morning is the most common time. One of the reasons Aldi meat is so suspiciously cheap in the morning has to do with expiration dates, but don't panic yet. The meat you see discounted will usually have a sell-by date of the following day, meaning it should be perfectly good on the day you buy it. You can also safely freeze chicken, fish, beef, or pork and use it later.

Customers attest to this trick being reliable, in case you still have doubts. One Reddit user says, "I always stock up and buy any 50% off beef or salmon at Aldi." On the same thread, another confirmed that employees are aware of the excitement this morning discount causes, saying, "The shift lead said they had a ton and I should have seen the chaos at 9 am lol. I'm set for months now between the beef and steelhead."

It's true that Aldi Finds always arrive on Wednesdays, but this meat hack happens almost every day. The cause of this dependable discount comes down to when employees check the sell-by and expiration dates. In the morning, before the store opens, employees will discount all food that is due to go bad the following day, often at 50% off. If they find meat that expires that same day, it's thrown out or donated to food banks.

If there's going to be a holiday and the store is due to be closed, this discount may happen two days before instead of one. Sometimes, employees will add discounts near the end of the day to try to get rid of meat, but this is less reliable. When in doubt, you can always ask an employee when they check their meat and add half-off stickers so you can be sure of the best time to buy.

For anyone worried about the quality of the meat, fear not. You can safely cook and eat meat before midnight on an expiration date, then consume that cooked meat up to two days afterwards. On top of that, dates on most Aldi products are sell-by dates, not expiration dates, so you likely have an extra day or two to use or freeze them. Aldi meats are low-priced, but they use the same distributors as many other grocery stores. That means this discount meat is a must-buy Aldi item for first-time shoppers and regulars alike. As one Aldi faithful on Facebook advised, "When the doors open, walk straight back to the meat department."