It Turns Out You Don’t Need a Quarter for Aldi’s Shopping Carts — Not If You Have This on Hand!
Aldi is legendary when it comes to great prices on groceries, but the store is also known for something else: You need a quarter to use their shopping carts. This may not seem like it’s a big deal and you could, as I imagined I would, keep a designated “Aldi quarter” in your coat pocket or the cup holder of your car. But after one too many trips when I realized I didn’t have a quarter on me, I started hunting for a solution to my Aldi shopping cart dilemma.
How Aldi Carts Work
If you have ever been to an Aldi, you are aware that the German supermarket chain follows the European system when it comes to their carts. There is a lock attached to the handlebar of each cart, and you need to insert a quarter into the slot to release the lock.
Once you are done with your shopping, you simply return the cart to the corral at the front of the store, insert the chain from the cart in front of yours, and the quarter is released back to you. The system keeps the parking lot tidy and is one of the many ways the store keeps costs down, as they don’t have to hire extra staff to collect grocery carts.
My Aldi Shopping Cart Solution
What I was looking for: I wanted something that I could attach to a keychain so it would be impossible to forget when out running errands.
What I found: I discovered that I might not be alone in my “Aldi quarter” stress, as there are actually several items out there designed for this very problem. There are small pouches that can hold a quarter that you can attach to your keychain, even ones that can profess your love for Aldi.
What I chose: In the end, I chose an option that actually allows you to forgo the quarter all together. I bought this small aluminum trolley token keyring that just happens to be the exact shape and size of a quarter and fits perfectly into the Aldi cart system.
How Well Do These Trolley Tokens Work?
Because I am often holding my daughter in one arm and releasing the cart with the other, I love that the trolley token is something I don’t fumble with and drop. I also like that it’s slim and unobtrusive and that, since my keys are always dangling right there on the front handle bar of my cart, there’s no way I am going to lose my keys while shopping.
Finally, this solution is under $5 on Amazon and it comes in a pack of two, so my husband and I can both keep one on our key chains. Now we are ready for an Aldi trip anytime, without any quarter anxiety.
This article originally published in May 2023.