How Aldi Shoppers May Be Able To Score Discounts On Bakery Items

Aldi is a widely known hot spot for bargain shoppers. The German grocery company boasts a plethora of deals, including several foods you can buy for less than $1 and its sought-after monthly Finds. The store's bakery section has also gained its share of fans. According to multiple shoppers, loaves of bread are discounted shortly before their expiration date (one of the secrets of the Aldi bakery aisle you'll wish you knew sooner). If customer accounts are accurate, the key is to find an item that's close to its expiration date and ask the cashier for a markdown when checking out.

According to a Facebook post by personal finance influencer Casper Capital, Aldi's unofficial policy is to discount bread that's within five days of expiring. The cashier might first ask to replace it with a fresher product, but the customer may counter with a request to keep it and pay a reduced price. YouTuber @RossenReports put the rumor to the test and reported successful results. "There's no formal policy, but I went to Aldi this morning and tried it," the content creator said. "They gave me 50% off, so it's worth trying at Aldi and also at your local grocery store."

In addition to trying the five-day discount idea, you can time your shopping trips to maximize savings. As we've previously reported, the best time to buy bread at Aldi is generally Wednesdays when most stores are restocked (according to employees). A Reddit user who claimed to work for the chain offered another pro tip — get to the store as early as possible. In part the person asserted, "Company policy is that store employees mark down soon to expire items in the morning before open ... If you're after anything in particular then pay attention to expiration dates and prepare to be there at open on days you expect markdowns to happen."

When it comes to narrowing down the prime item to score at half off, we've ranked the Specially Selected Sliced Chocolate Chip Brioche as the best bread you can buy at Aldi. And, if after scoring loaves upon loaves, you find yourself buried beneath a mountain of bread that's past its expiration date, don't fret. We've researched how to revive stale bread, and it's easier than you might think. Simply use the it to make other staples (for example: homemade croutons); or fluff it up in the microwave or oven until it's sufficient to eat again.