My partner and I spend $40 a week at Aldi. Here are 17 things we love to buy and how we use them.

• My fiancée and I spend about $40 buying groceries at Aldi each week.
• In the summer, I love snacking on green grapes, mandarin oranges , and bananas.
• Some of our favorite easy meals are tacos, sandwiches, and stir-fries.

My fiancée and I live in a small Midwestern town with limited grocery options. But, thankfully, we have an Aldi, which I frequent once a week.

Two years ago, we could get by on a grocery budget of $20 a week, but rising inflation changed all that. Although food prices are finally starting to stabilize, according to the USDA , they aren't supposed to drop much this year.

These days, my grand total at Aldi usually clocks in at or under $40.

On my most recent trip, I picked up 17 items for just about $39 before tax. Here's everything I got and how we'll use it.

Penne rigate: $1

Reggano's penne rigate is a great budget option for pasta night . At $0.98 a box, I always add some to my cart.

The penne is especially good with a homemade tomato sauce . In a pinch, I'll keep it simple with olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan.

Mixed greens: $2.90

I'm a big fan of Simply Nature's resealable, premixed salad boxes . During a busy workday, it's easy to grab a handful of leaves, throw in dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, and chunky blue cheese, and have a quick and light lunch.

Plus, I think $2.89 is a fair price for this healthy staple.

Shredded cheddar cheese: $2.20

Happy Farm's thick-cut shredded cheddar is a must in our household.

A bag costs $2.19, and it's great for melting onto scrambled eggs , tacos, and sandwiches — all of which we eat frequently.

Flour tortillas: $2

I go back and forth between corn and flour tortillas . Right now, I'm on a flour kick.

A 20-count of Pueblo Linda's small fajita tortillas costs $1.99 at Aldi.

They toast up great in a pan or soften perfectly in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds.

Frozen Asian veggies: $2.10

Season's Choice steamed-broccoli stir-fry is a good frozen veggie option to pair with any meal, especially at $2.09 a bag.

As an impatient cook, I simply throw this mix in a pan with a dash of olive oil and cook until it's sizzling.

The water chestnuts are a nice touch — I never buy the crunchy vegetables on their own, but I love eating them.

Frozen ground turkey: $2.75

The possibilities are endless with Kirkwood's all-natural ground turkey , but we like to use it as the protein in our tacos.

A pound costs $2.75, and we like to cook the whole thing in a pan with a can of black beans, diced onions, garlic, and cumin. We serve everything on lightly browned flour tortillas and top it off with shredded cheese.

Black beans (two cans): $1.65

My partner and I love black beans . At $0.81 a can, it's easy to stock up on these bad boys.

The beans are great in our taco mix, a bean-based salad, a breakfast burrito , or as a side dish.

Café Bustelo: $3.85

When it's time for morning coffee, I use a moka pot , which requires thinly ground espresso.

I think Café Bustelo is the perfect coffee for this brew method, and it keeps me energized well into the afternoon.

A 10-ounce bag is $3.85 at Aldi, and if I'm lucky, it'll last me through the week.

Whole milk: $1.70

I usually drink almond milk , but we still get a lot of use out of a ½ gallon of Friendly Farms whole milk.

It only costs $1.70, and it's thick enough to serve as a creamer for my espresso, light enough to drink on its own, and great for oatmeal or baking.

Wheat bread: $1.25

Honestly, I hate buying bread. If it were practical to make it ourselves every week, I would.

Until I figure that out, I find myself grabbing Aldi's cheapest loaf for our weekly sandwiches.

L'oven Fresh's split-top wheat bread cost me $1.25 on this trip.

Peanut butter: $1.80

Peanut butter is a necessity in our house — we probably eat it with a spoon more often than we should.

A small jar of Peanut Delight's no-stir creamy peanut butter is $1.79 at Aldi. When I'm not eating it out of the jar, I like to put a small dollop in my morning oats.

Oats: $3.95

I usually grab a large box of Millville rolled oats for $3.95.

At breakfast, I tend to add honey, cinnamon, and brown sugar to the cooked plain oats.

Bananas: $1.45

When I need a fiber fix, I love a plain banana. One bunch cost me $1.43 on this Aldi run.

Sometimes, I'll let them ripen, freeze them solid, and blend them with milk and a dash of peanut butter. If you get your ratios right, the end result tastes like peanut-butter-banana ice cream.

Eggs: $1.55

Eggs are a staple for a healthy breakfast or a quick lunch. Goldhen's large grade-A eggs cost me $1.54.

I eat them scrambled, fried, poached, over easy, or hard-boiled.

They're a cheap source of protein — our dog, Peppa, even occasionally enjoys them.

Mandarin oranges: $4

I can never eat just one mandarin orange. In fact, I usually eat two at a time.

A bag costs $3.59, but it's worth it. I like to eat them as a healthy dessert .

Green grapes: $3.45

Green grapes never last me a week, especially in the summer. I'm snacking on them right now as I'm writing this.

They're the perfect hydrating snack, so I never bat an eye at paying $3.42 for a bag.

Dark chocolate: $2

When the day is over, and I've done everything I need to do, there's nothing better than a square of dark chocolate .

A $1.99 bar of Moser Roth's 85% dark chocolate is always in our fridge. Paired with a glass of cabernet, it's the perfect treat.

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