We usually spend $40 a week at Aldi. I took the same list to Piggly Wiggly and didn't come close to sticking to my budget.

I love having a box of penne on hand for quick dinners, whether I'm drowning it in tomato sauce or pretending to be a gourmet chef with some olive oil and garlic.

A box of pasta at Piggly Wiggly cost me $2.09, which is over $1 more than the same-sized box I usually get at Aldi for $0.98.

Throughout the week, I throw organic mixed greens in salads or blend them into my smoothies for an extra kick of nutrients.

I found a container at Piggly Wiggly for $3.50. The same size usually costs me $2.89 at Aldi.

The Mexican-blend shredded cheese at Piggly Wiggly costs $2.79. I use it on pretty much everything — tacos, sandwiches, eggs — so I like to have a bag in the fridge.

Unfortunately, this bag was $0.60 more and 3 ounces smaller than the $2.19 cheese I get at Aldi.

Flour tortillas are perfect for my simple black-bean tacos with melted cheese and hot sauce, and Piggly Wiggly had a 20-count pack for $4.49.

This was one of the larger price differences I found during my shopping trip — Aldi usually sells a 20-pack of flour tortilla for just $1.99.

I grabbed frozen mixed vegetables to throw into our Asian-inspired stir-fries. We usually pan-fry the veggies with ginger, garlic, and soy sauce and serve them with cooked rice.

The bag at Piggly Wiggly cost me $2.79. I've found it for $2.10 at Aldi in the past, but sometimes it's also $2.79 there.

The pack at Piggly Wiggly was also slightly bigger — 16 ounces to Aldi's 12.

I found a pound of ground turkey for $4.99. There was a Piggly Wiggly reduced for quick sale instant coupon on the pack for $3 off, but I forgot to have my cashier scan it, so I didn't get the deal.

The sale price would've been amazing — I don't see meat for less than $2 a pound very often. But I can get a frozen tube of the stuff at Aldi for $2.75 a pound without a coupon.

It's a versatile protein that's great for tacos or burgers.

Canned black beans are a staple in my kitchen. They're a cheap and easy protein for meals or snacks, so I picked up two cans for $2.98.

Aldi has a much better deal on the beans. I usually get two cans for $1.62 there.

Café Bustelo is my espresso of choice. It brews nicely in my Moka pot or regular percolator, and I think it's rich enough to drink black.

Luckily, Piggly Wiggly had the brand in stock for $3.99. That's not terribly more than the $3.85 I paid for the same size at Aldi.

A half gallon of whole milk is $2.49 at Piggly Wiggly.

I actually prefer drinking 2%, but whole milk is versatile for guests who add creamer to their coffee or for stirring into oatmeal. I also use it for baking and cereal.

A half gallon at Aldi usually costs me $1.67 — nearly $1 less.

Piggly Wiggly's grade-A medium-sized eggs cost $3.29, which is still a better price than most of my friends who live outside the Midwest pay.

But a comparable carton of a dozen eggs at Aldi cost me $1.54 on my last visit.

Piggly Wiggly's clementines are $2.99 a bag.

I eat these (or mandarins) religiously as a snack, so I was glad to see these listed at a low price.

Aldi typically carries packs around the same price, but I've seen a bag go for as much as $3.59 at the budget grocer.

The most shocking price comparison was my bag of green grapes.

It's already one of the pricier items I get at Aldi (typically between $3 and $4 a bag), but they cost me a whopping $7.33 at Piggly Wiggly.

The most similar bar of dark chocolate I could find at Piggly Wiggly was a 3.5-ounce Lindt one for $3.89.

It's a great ending to any meal — especially with a glass of wine. But I usually get a 4.4-ounce bar at Aldi for $1.99, so this was another pretty stark difference.

I bought the cheapest loaf of generic wheat bread I could find at Piggly Wiggly, but it was still $2.29.

I'm used to getting the basic item for $1.25 at Aldi.

I'll spread peanut butter on toast or just eat it straight out of the jar — no judgment here.

I found a generic $2.79 jar at Piggly Wiggly, which is $1 more than I usually pay for the same size jar at Aldi.

I always pick up a bunch of bananas each week.

A bunch cost me $1.70 at Piggly Wiggly, which isn't terribly far off from the $1.40 I pay at Aldi.

An 18-ounce box of oats at Piggly Wiggly cost $3.29. Lately, my 42-ounce boxes at Aldi have cost $3.95, which would be an exciting development if it weren't over twice the size.

I like to eat these at breakfast, but my fianceé also uses them for baking recipes.

My total at Piggly Wiggly came to $57.89 with tax — almost $18 over my budget.

I think The Pig, as the locals call it, has a lot of charm and variety, but the items I look for on a regular basis were pricier than Aldi on the whole.

If I'd been able to find comparable generic products for everything on the list, things might have been different (at least closer). But I ended up with a lot of name-brand items in my cart.

Although Aldi stocks some name-brand products, it has a long list of in-house brands. I can typically find cheaper, generic versions of anything I want.

When I'm in a rush and it's the closest store around, I'll still pop in Piggly Wiggly for last-minute items. But Aldi is the way to go when I want to save some cash.