When I first had to switch from Hy-Vee to Trader Joe’s, I dreaded it. I wasn’t familiar with Trader Joe’s outside the handful of staples I would pick up every few weeks, and change is hard, isn’t it? But I’d committed to following through on this challenge and so we shopped week 1, week 2, week 3 and week 4.
What do I like about Trader Joe’s?
1. Price. I was pleasantly surprised that the cost of items, and consequently my entire bill, was reasonable. I never spent more than $100 at Trader Joe’s. Win.
2. There is a decent variety of organics. Although it’s not always fantastic (see #1 below), for being a small store, I’ve been impressed.
3. There is less “food clutter.” I think this probably helped keep my bill low, too. There aren’t 12 options for 1 item which also helped me make the best use of my time. The store simply isn’t big enough for 9 varieties of black olives. As I try to minimize all the clutter in my life, I really appreciate this.
4. In addition to there not being so much clutter, this cuts down on toddlers reaching for unhealthy items. Sugary cereals aren’t at eye-level, and certainly not boxes with cartoon characters. Most of the sweets/treats are located on the counters above the frozen items for my eyes only. Again, this is appreciated.
5. According to Trader Joe’s, their TJ label is GMO-free. When I was going back and forth between 2 items, the TJ brand usually won as I knew the label sourced non-GMO ingredients. This is a huge selling point for me.
6. TJ’s color codes price labels based on organic or conventional. This helps with frozen and fresh price comparisons. It’s easy to understand and effective for the shopper.
7. Even though Finn and I are dairy-free, I really like the TJ cheese selection. Sometimes I just stand there and drool. There are a variety of raw and organic options.
What do I like least about Trader Joe’s?
1. Sometimes the selection is disappointing. One week there will be organic grapes, the next week there are no organic grapes. The eggs aren’t our favorite and they are pricey. They don’t have fresh beets. They’ve been out of scallops for a few weeks. Some weeks I feel the selection is hit and miss.
2. Some of the allergy-friendly brands I use often aren’t carried by Trader Joe’s, ex: Enjoy Life.
3. The carts are small. While I understand the store is not built for large carts, having an 8-month-old, a toddler and food to haul is tough with a tiny cart. I end up having to “wear” Evie in the Baby Bjorn and put Finn in the front of the cart (ummmm… super heavy to lift a 35 lb child while wearing another). Just not real convenient for me with the kids. And if my items take up more than 4 bags, fitting them in the carts with the kids in tow gets complicated.
Do I like Trader Joe’s?
Yes.
Do I love Trader Joe’s?
We’re still dating. DTR = Defining The Relationship, if we must label it. It wasn’t love at first sight, but there is certainly potential.
Will I continue to shop at Trader Joe’s?
Yes. This will most likely be my new weekly shopping joint.
Summary for next week?
Whole Foods
** After I blog a summary of each grocery chain, I’ll spend a little time sharing price comparisons, as I know some of you are interested in that. But before looking at prices, I wanted to give an overview of each monthly experience. Go back and check out Hy-Vee. **
Hi there! I stumbled upon your blog through your sis-in-law, Kristin
I definitely agree with you about Trader Joe’s. While it has some great finds that you can’t find anywhere else, I sometimes feel like the selection is limited and I dislike how small the produce section is. I feel as though it’s always picked over. I don’t go there once a week but maybe once a month.
Glad we found one another
Where do you regularly shop?
Just an FYI for your readers – Prudent Produce (prudentproduce.net) is another option in the metro. It’s an organic produce home delivery service. A bin of fresh produce shows up at my door each week, and I’ve been able to cut my shopping down to about once a month for staples and dry goods (mostly from Costco). It cuts down on the meal planning (I just work with what I have), helps me maintain a diet full of variety, and my 2 year old thinks it is a fun game to open and identify all the food each week. Although it won’t work for people who want a lot of control over what they buy and receive.
YES!!! Thank you for sharing this. I would love to try Prudent Produce sometime.
We live literally just a couple blocks from TJ’s and I would have to share your conclusion about the store as a whole. I loved this past summer that if I just needed a thing or two I could send my kids to fetch it for me! (Are we living in Mayberry?) However, like you, I do miss knowing that whatever I need, they will have. Kind of hit or miss on some things. Overall, I have been very pleased and the sheer proximity of the store wins out over Whole Foods almost every time. We try to go organic/GMO free/as close to the source as possible with all of our food so I do appreciate their entry into the DM market as I do of Whole Foods as well. Gives the local guys some competition and ups our choices!!!
And will hopefully keep prices (somewhat) down. Jealous you’re so close!!!
After going back to TJ’s last week from shopping at Whole Foods for about 2 months, I’m feeling the same vibe. We go through 30+ apples a week, and $0.79/lb vs. $2.99/lb for organic apples is much more affordable.
I used to shop at Fareway when my kids were small – and one of my favorite things is that they’d take the groceries out of the cart for you and walk you to your car. Sounds silly, but it’s the little things. TJ’s takes the groceries out of the cart for you as well.
It IS the little things!!!
Love shopping at Trader Joe’s! I notice sometimes, too though, that some of my staples are missing on some trips. I love that it’s an easy choice with TJ brands not containing GMO’s. And thanks for the tip on the color coded labels! I didn’t know that one.
I want to say the price labels on organics are yellow and conventional is blue. Sometimes helps me realize there actually is an organic option… I just need to look for it!