I shopped at Aldi and Lidl. After comparing prices and experience, I found my winning budget grocery chain.

Although Aldi had slightly lower prices for most items on my list, I really enjoyed my shopping experience at Lidl.

Elliott Harrell I visited my local Aldi and Lidl to compare shopping experiences and prices for my grocery staples.

Prices may vary, but Aldi's prices were marginally lower on most of the items I checked.

Both budget grocery chains were solid, but I preferred my shopping experience at Lidl.

Life feels especially expensive these days as inflation and rising costs of many essentials stretch household budgets.

However, we still need to eat.

Two of my biggest money-saving strategies right now include cooking more meals at home and seeking out cheaper groceries for my family of four.

Luckily, a lot of grocery chains are betting on price cuts to attract shoppers right now — and the discount grocers Aldi and Lidl are especially on my radar.

Both German-owned retailers primarily stock their own private-label products, which allows them to cut out the middlemen and offer lower prices to customers.

Since I have both a Lidl and an Aldi within a 10-minute drive of my house, I decided to visit each to compare the selections, shopping experience, and prices to find the better store for me.

I didn't love that I needed a quarter to use Aldi's carts.

Elliott Harrell At Aldi, shoppers must insert a quarter into a special slot in order to use a shopping cart.

They get their quarter back when they return it.

It sounds like a smart strategy to incentivize people to put carts back and keep the parking lot clean.