Trader Joes

Hey all!

I have a trader joes about 30-45mins from my house, i've always been curious to check it out. I was wondering what the consensus is on the prices.. are they lower or higher?? I'm not gonna drive out there if they are higher because it won't be worth my time. Would it be a good idea to check it out??

Thanks!

theyre higher because its all organic, if your part of the organic movement its worth the trip.

i dont like trader joes, maybe its the one by me but i find the selection to be a little small. I prefer a regular supermarket.

I LOVE Trader Joe's. It's a smaller selection, definately not a substitute for the grocery store. The Trader Joe's brand stuff is usually way cheaper than any other brands (and healthier than most name brands). The produce, pastries, meat and dairy is definately more expensive, but they have cheap soy 1/2 & 1/2, a box of Trader Joe's high fiber cereal is like $2, whole wheat pizza crust a buck, my mother in law raves about their cheap ezekial bread. But if you're going to compare them to Whole Foods, they are cheaper all around.

Basically the prices are lower and higher, depending on why you're there and who you're comparing them to.

I go maybe once a month for pantry type stuff, and maybe some special treats. I think it's definately worth checking out.

Definitely worth checking out. There are some things that probably arent cheaper and they do have lots of packaging on their things, but as a college student I couldn't survive with out it.

In San Diego it is WAY cheaper than Ralphs, and for most things cheaper than grocery stores. If you are a coffee drinker they have good coffee for about 1/2 the price of normal stores.  I usually find their produce cheaper than other places, but now live in an area with a farmers market so don't get it there. They have really cheap canned things (beans for $.69 etc)

Trader Joe's is a mixed bag.  They get deals on brand name foods and repackage them as their own stuff.  So, you will get it cheaper.  If you are health conscious, I'd do homework first before stepping into one.  They are designed for browsers, like being in a mall.  

I would be careful with snacks that are promoted as healthy, "baked" because they are still snacks and are cooked in canola.  Trader Joe's sells a lot of stuff full of it.  Canola isn't necessarily that good for you. 

They make their big profits on impulse buying, so if you are an emotional eater, be very careful.  You may find "wonderful things" that aren't helpful to your diet.  I only go there for staples that I know are cheaper and I don't go to any other part of the store.  (maple syrup, kefir, Fage, eggs and milk) 

I used to do sooo much shopping at Trader Joe's....I moved to another state and the closest one is 115 miles from my home...I miss it terribly. 

I cannot find a lot of the things I was used to buying in the stores by my house.   I make hubby a huge list for Trader Joe's when he travels! 

My closest "healthy" store now is New Frontiers and its a 50 mile round trip.  They are OK, but not nearly as great as Trader Joe's. 

Check it out.  Just buy carefully.

LOL mrsdagle is SO on the mark with the impulse buying. I do it every time I go to Trader Joe's unless I go in with a list and vow not to stray.

BUT Trader Joe's is both the love of my life and my savior as a college student. They have a lot of cheap, easy to prepare, frozen things that aren't as bad for you as the alternative (think TV Dinner or dare I say Top Raumen)... and the Trader Joe's brand foods are much cheaper.

Plus, they add great variety and spice to my life.

I love it and I think you should make a trip as soon as possible and see if you find anything you like. You might get addicted :)

We shop at Trader Joe's at least twice a week ... I love that store. It is significantly cheaper than Bentley's, Catalano's and Whole Foods ... the other stores we shop at.

MOLLY

Trader Joe's is much, much cheaper than the supermarkets in California--I'm not sure where you live, but out here I won't shop anywhere else.  The food is wonderful...and it can definitely be tempting.  Their produce may not be as large but the quality is 110% better than any other supermarket I've been to.  Definitely give it a shot!

Call me old fashioned but I try to do as much buying as possible from the local farmers markets. Maybe I like the fact the food is fresh and didn't have to spend tons of oil/gas to travel 1,000 miles but the fish, meat and veggies I'm getting didn't even have to go 100 miles. Maybe I like the fact that I'm supporting the local economy.

Could just be the whole open atmosphere.

As for places like trader joes well - they do carry "special" items that many other regular stores don't carry. If you're not willing to look for them anyways. I'll get something from there maybe like once every 6 months.

Original Post by elizabethberg:

theyre higher because its all organic, if your part of the organic movement its worth the trip.

i dont like trader joes, maybe its the one by me but i find the selection to be a little small. I prefer a regular supermarket.

Must be different where you live.  When I lived in San Francisco, Trader Joes was always a LOT cheaper than the Safeway or Albertson's.  There was always a LINE of cars waiting to get in the parking lot, it was so popular.  I'm not a stickler about organic at all, but the prices got me in there, plus the fact that a lot of their food just tastes better than a lot of the corporate chemical foods in the supermarkets.

Trader Joe's is the BEST!!! I cannot imagine NOT having one nearby. They have lower-cost versions of many, many name brand items and they have a lot of low-fat, high fiber, low calorie products. 

While I would love to shop at local farmers' markets, my wallet simply can't afford to... but Trader Joe's waaaay more affordable than farmer's markets and other supermarkets here in Portland.

They have improved a LOT in their variety of produce in recent months, so I can get just about everything there. Some of my favorite staples: Kozy Shack 90-calorie pudding cups (tapioca is my fave), Gnocchi all Sorrentina, Breaded Chickenless Nuggets, Non-fat cottage cheese, fat free feta, chunky peanut butter (no salt, preservative free!) and carrot ginger soup.

TJ's is my favorite! ...it is usually the only thing i miss when I am abroad...

 

I'd call Trader Joes a semi-supermarket.  Some things I wouldn't buy anywhere else - no-nitrite bacon, frozen berries, Valrhona chocolate, Poland Spring water, frozen large scallops, coffee filters - these are either unavailable elsewhere or super bargains.  I know a lot of people that are addicted to their inexpensive Charles Shaw red wine, too.  For me most everything else there is either uninteresting or overpriced, and I would never buy fresh produce there (way too expensive).  It might be worth the 30 minute drive to find out.  I'm sure you'll find at least a few things you like. 

I Live in California, so I don't know if the prices vary state-to-state.  I do most of my family grocery shopping at a Wal-Mart Supercenter, but being that my husband was a vegan for 8 years and now is a vegetarian, I shop at Trader Joe's to get meatless products that don't taste like cardboard.  In fact, there is a Morningstar brand "faux chicken strips" bag that I buy at Wal-Mart, and Trader Joe's has the same thing (its only Trader Joe's brand, not name brand) and its nearly $1.50 cheaper at TJ's.  I am a new mom of twin boys, so I enjoy buying healthy, organic products, and honestly, I've never bought anything at Trader Joe's that I didn't like.  Also take advantage of their policy where you can taste things before you buy it!  hope this helps, good luck!

I actually prefer Whole Foods, bigger selection for me because I am vegan. The Whole Foods brand products are pretty cheap and I love that there are no salt & lightly salted versions of things available.

They also buy local products along with their organic stuff that is shipped in from South America in the off season. I live 20 miles north of Boston so farmer's markets aren't a year round option, yesterday in my Whole Foods I had the choice of a hot house tomato from 125ish miles away, or a hydroponic tomato from 15 miles away. :)

Trader Joes is basically amazing. (and yes, MUCH cheaper that regular grocery stores).

ps, Try the "Tortilla Chips with an Identity Crisis"- yes, that is really the name and they are SO good!

Unless COSTCO carries it, Trader Joe's is the cheapest.  In many cases I'll buy from there even though COSTCO is a bit cheaper because I don't have to buy in bulk.

Dairy, organic, & frozen is all cheaper.

If you do go, make a list of the items you need and avoid the fru fru extra stuff.  The fancy stuff is cheaper than buying it elsewhere, but you tend to add in a lot of little extras that you just don't need or even want because it's relatively inexpensive.  I rarely get out of there without at least one extra treat.

I usually get:

• non-fat yogurt
• unsweetened soy milk
• tofu
• Chili Lime Cashews
• Tomato Red Pepper Soup
• Bananas
• Frozen enchiladas
• Frozen broccoli
• Frozen green beans
• Curry chicken
• Rice
• Cards
• alcohol
• water

I find that they are a lot cheaper.  $1.29 for eggs.  Where else can you get that?  There milk is cheaper, too.  They are owned by the German grocery store chain Aldi.  I lived in Germany for 4 years, so I enjoy finding the occasional German goody there, like stollen at Christmas.