Everything that Aldi does is in the name of affordability and efficiency. Take one trip through the checkout line and you’ll just find one associate at the register scanning packages with exceptionally large barcodes at lightning speed. There’s nobody there to bag your groceries as you check out, either, and that’s OK.

Whenever I shop at Aldi, I skip the bagging counter entirely. Instead, I head straight to my car and the cooler I always keep in the trunk. Here’s why.

I’m pretty particular about how I load and unload my shopping cart. It helps keep items that are alike together (and in peak condition) and makes checkout easier. Efficient organization doesn’t stop when I leave the store. I keep a large cooler in the trunk of my car to corral all of the frozen and refrigerated items. 

Once I leave Aldi, I pass by the bagging counter and head straight for the trunk of my car. I unload raw and frozen meat into the cooler first, add a piece of cardboard rescued from the recycling bin to act as a divider between these uncooked and ready-to-eat foods to help avoid cross-contamination. I fill the cooler with the remaining perishable items from my grocery cart, including frozen meals, cheeses, lunch meats, and ice cream. 

If I’m heading home directly after grocery shopping and the cooler is full, I don’t worry about adding ice packs. My cooler method also helps if grocery shopping is just one stop on my schedule. It’s just as easy to toss a few reusable ice packs into the cooler when I gather my keys, shopping cart quarter, and reusable shopping bags. The ice packs keep the food chilled — and there’s less chance of having the ice cream melt all over the back seat. 

Do you have any smart tips that make grocery shopping easier or more efficient? Share your ideas in the comments below.