The Little-Known Hack To Save Big On Aldi's Baked Goods

Fans of Aldi know this much: Shopping at the German discount grocery chain is going to save you money. While it doesn't sell viral TikTok sheet cakes like Trader Joe's, Aldi still offers a decent bakery selection. That includes breads and buns, cookies, danishes, brownies, muffins, and more. And if you're patient — and vigilant — you can take advantage of a little-known hack that can help you save even more on the chain's baked goods. The trick? Keep an eye out for discounted items, and learn to anticipate when they might get marked down.

To do that, it's important to know that all of Aldi's baked goods have expiration or sell-by dates (which differ from "use-by" dates) stickered on them. These are small, rectangular white labels with numbers printed on them — indicating the date the product should be pulled from shelves. They can be located anywhere on the packaging, so be sure to turn items around and check thoroughly for the sticker. Sometimes, when a manager gives the go-ahead, employees will mark down muffins, cookies, or other bakery items a day or two before the expiration or sell-by date — occasionally by as much as 50%. If you live close enough to a store, you can check the date, then return a day or two before it hits to see if the item has been marked down.

Happily enough, this hack also applies to Aldi's meat department. It makes sense — meat is highly perishable and has a short shelf life. If a pack of steaks or a cedar plank salmon fillet is nearing its sell-by date, the store is naturally going to want it gone fast, and reduced-price stickers are the go-to method. You might find discounts of a few dollars off, or you may hit the jackpot with 50% off stickers.

It's important to keep in mind that while markdowns on baked goods aren't a super competitive find, grabbing discounted meat is something of a sport among devoted Aldi fans. So if you're after that discounted pack of Aldi's ground lamb, you'll need to get there early — as in, right when the store opens. And if you do strike gold, unless there's specific signage stating otherwise, there's no limit to how many discounted meat (or bakery) items you can load into your cart.