This Aldi Cart Hack Allows You to Shop, Even If You Forget a Quarter

Grocery shopping is often one stop of many errands in the day, so it’s understandable if you forget your shopping list or coupons every now and then. But if you frequent Aldi, you know there’s one thing you absolutely cannot forget to bring—a quarter.

The grocery store has roots in Germany, where customers must insert a coin into a lock to free a cart before shopping. Basically, no quarter equals no cart, and you’re on your own. Fortunately, this Aldi cart hack will save the day if you’re in a pinch.

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How to Shop at Aldi If You Forgot a Quarter

You don’t have to skip your shopping trip!

If you don’t have a quarter, the first thing you can do is politely ask a cashier to borrow one from the register. That way, you can follow the process, and return the quarter to the cashier after you check out and lock the cart back up.

If you’re in a hurry and the cashier is occupied with a long checkout line, use your house key in place of a quarter. The back end of almost any key you have hanging on your key chain should fit neatly into the deposit lock, stay held in place and release the cart. A key is obviously something you don’t want to forget, so at the end of your shopping trip, return the cart and you’ll get the key back. How clever is this Aldi cart hack?!

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Why Does Aldi Need the Quarters in the First Place?

You may have wondered why Aldi groceries are so cheap, but what about the need for a quarter in the first place? The quarter process exists not only to keep carts from being stolen and to hold shoppers accountable, but it actually saves customers—and the store—money. According to Aldi, “this 25 cent deposit ultimately saves our customers money because we don’t have to hire extra staff to collect grocery carts.” Find out the secrets that Aldi employees would never tell you.

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