Tell Me about Trader Joes!

[jakenjess]

We are going to have a new Trader Joes in town! We've never had one in our area, but I've heard great things. Tell me what's good, what's great, what's not to miss! We have a Whole Foods close by but it's soooo expensive. Is Trader Joes going to be a better deal? DH and I both work full time and have two very busy teenagers, so I'm hoping for some good food that can be prepared fast and not break the bank.

Thanks!!

 

[figment3258]

we love whole foods but like you say it is way expensive! We have just taken a liking to trader joes. They are one the smaller scale and don't carry as much as whole foods. The meats are cheaper and the produce is great. We like it. this week I went to trader joes just for veggies and fruits and meats and I bought some cookies that they were passing out and my bill was 60$ not too bad and i manged to get the rest at wal mart and i stayed in my budget.

 

[jacksmomma]

Trader Joes is great! Their brand of foods are great quality with a great price. Some items are about half the price of what you can find them elsewhere. Do not miss their snack bars, gnocci, or frozen indian meals. Check your produce carefully, it spoils quickly. (On the upside, if something goes bad give them a call and the cost of the item will be refunded.)

 

[bettymae1121]

If you like corn bread...GET THEIR CORN BREAD MIX!!!!! Best ever!!!

Great produce, great dairy (including a fab cheese selection). If you like wine, they have a huge wine selection. Meat selection isn't huge, I actually get my organic ground beef from Costco for less, so I only buy free range organic chicken, pork chops, and some of their sausage.

Their prices are quite good, unless one of the usual supermarkets around here has a big sale on organics (which is rare), TJ's is always cheaper.

 

[mistysue]

We do a ton of our shopping at Trader Joe's. We love everything. The thing is they are small and turn over their stock quickly so if something doesn't sell, they discontinue it and get something new... so nearly everything in the store is there because people love it and buy it frequently.

They have great coffee.

 

[Swimalie]

Their snacks are great as are their frozen foods. I buy milk, bread (especially their take and bake loaves), chicken dogs, mini pizzas, breakfast bars, etc. There is so much there that it's hard to list. I suggest you take the time to walk up and down each isle and check every thing out. They have so many things that each time you go you will find something new and neat.

 

[mommy2princesses0309]

If you like chinese, get the orange chicken (in the freezer section) it's sooo good! you bake it in the oven and then toss it in the sauce. I add rice and broccoli. it's yummy!

 

[robinb]

First of all, I don't think the words "Budget" and "Trader Joes" go together unless you are looking for a cheap "Three Buck Chuck" drunk.

That being said, the Charles Shaw wine is quite cheap and reasonably drinkable. They also have some other cheap wines and beers but the wine variety seems to change to whatever they picked up cheap that month.

I really like the frozen foods at Trader Joes the best. I stock up in their three-color peppers, their frozen artichoke hearts and their sweet corn nibblets. I was not impressed with their frozen fish and while their frozen meal bags look good that kind of thing is not what I do. They do look like a real convenience for someone who doesn't have time to cook. I found their fresh produce, dairy and meats to be very expensive.

 

[Kathi OD]

Let's just say that I'm not a fan. It probably has more to do with how small and overcrowded our local TJ's is, along w/ the crazy parking lot. Just not worth the stress level.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

I find it crazy expensive. Just my 2 cents.

 

[FergieTCat]

Let's just say that I'm not a fan. It probably has more to do with how small and overcrowded our local TJ's is, along w/ the crazy parking lot. Just not worth the stress level.

Exactly. The last time I was in TJ I got so irritated I walked out without buying anything.

 

[idtwinsmom]

If you are looking for organic foods, non-processed foods, those types of things--TJ's is way cheaper than the normal grocery store with a larger selection. If that's not your interest, TJ's will seem overpriced. Wish I had one closer. I make an hour drive every two weeks to stock up

 

[karenos]

I find it crazy expensive. Just my 2 cents.

I find it rather inexpensive, but I guess it depends upon where you live. I'm in Northern NJ and as you probably know it is a high COL area.

karenos

 

[MEM]

If you are looking for organic foods, non-processed foods, those types of things--TJ's is way cheaper than the normal grocery store with a larger selection. If that's not your interest, TJ's will seem overpriced. Wish I had one closer. I make an hour drive every two weeks to stock up

That's how I feel too, regarding their prices. You get what you pay for there.

TJ's is my favorite store and here in Greater Boston I have 4 of them within an easy drive.

To the OP: not all Trader Joe's carry wine.

 

[ssawka]

We love TJ, but it can get crowded. As for prices, it depends on what you are buying. You have to do an apples to apples comparison. Also, don't expect generic prices even if the product carries a TJ label. TJ labled items are not generic. They are often manufactured by the same manufacturer as some brand name items, they just put on a different label and sell it to TJ cheaper. If you keep that in mind, comparing TJ labled products to name brands, TJ does look significantly cheaper. The only negative thing is that you will not know who manufactured the TJ labled products.

 

[tink2dw]

You sure get what you over pay for there, every food disease imaginable!!!!!!! Mexican cheese made people sick, mexican jello, it seemed every month they had something going bad that they had to put out a news alert about!! I would NEVER buy anything at trader joes!!

 

[cirquelovers]

we love their fruit bars, ie...This strawberry walked into a bar.They are reasonably priced and are much better for you than the nutrigrain type bar. They taste better too.
We love many items there especially now that winter is coming! The bottles of spiced apple cider were wonderful last year. When I heated some at Christmas time the whole house smelled divine. The mini meringues are tasty and at 1 calorie each you can't go wrong Don't even get me started on the candy cane Jo Jo's, it's like an Oreo but so much better!

Staples that we buy there are maple syrup, ketchup, broth, pancake mix, soyaki, spices and nuts, We also enjoyed the corn bread mix, vanilla bean cake mix, refried beans and roast beef hash. The handmade tortillas are good too but use them quickly. They have a great selection of pretzels. My husband likes the rye and pumpernickel. I love the peanut butter filled ones, both salted and unsalted. The sweets are wonderful too. We get cookies and red licorice and many treats around Christmas.

I think you should try out what looks good to you. We have found many things we love and it's worth the drive to me.

 

[MEM]

You sure get what you over pay for there, every food disease imaginable!!!!!!! Mexican cheese made people sick, mexican jello, it seemed every month they had something going bad that they had to put out a news alert about

I think you are exaggerating just a tiny bit. I have shopped at TJ's for years and any "food alerts" I can recall were for products not limited to Trader Joe's.

OP here are some of my favorite products from Trader Joe's: wine (but not the Charles Shaw brand), gorgonzola crackers, chile lime chicken burgers, frozen peppers, granola with pumpkin seeds, orange chicken, turkey meatballs, peach salsa, fire-roasted salt-free salsa, very low sodium chicken broth, jams, Indian simmering sauces, Jasmine brown rice, whole wheat couscous, oatmeal with flaxseed, Charlie Bear cookies for dear pooch, orange blossom French liquid hand soap, dried cherries, nuts, chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels,to name just a few...

 

[MEM]

we love their fruit bars, ie...This strawberry walked into a bar.They are reasonably priced and are much better for you than the nutrigrain type bar. They taste better too.
We love many items there especially now that winter is coming! The bottles of spiced apple cider were wonderful last year. When I heated some at Christmas time the whole house smelled divine. The mini meringues are tasty and at 1 calorie each you can't go wrong Don't even get me started on the candy cane Jo Jo's, it's like an Oreo but so much better!
Staples that we buy there are maple syrup, ketchup, broth, pancake mix, soyaki, spices and nuts, We also enjoyed the corn bread mix, vanilla bean cake mix, refried beans and roast beef hash. The handmade tortillas are good too but use them quickly. They have a great selection of pretzels. My husband likes the rye and pumpernickel. I love the peanut butter filled ones, both salted and unsalted. The sweets are wonderful too. We get cookies and red licorice and many treats around Christmas.

I think you should try out what looks good to you. We have found many things we love and it's worth the drive to me.

Those candy cane Jo Jo's are like crack! Still, we continue to buy them!!

 

[kdfogliano]

We LOVE TJ's,
their prices on their brands are very reasonable... I do find that you can get produce and fresh meats cheaper in the grocery store,

but their brand is very good with lots of variety and very good prices

The fruit bars are great as well as their frozen dinner and appetizers.
They can get very crowded, if it is the only one in your area try to go when the first open!