don't have one too close to me, but one pretty close to my parents or my MIL's so we stop occasionally. It's a must stop around the holdays - their prices on nuts (cashwes, walnuts, macadamias) are always a better buy than the regular supermarket. Their Clif bars are cheaper too. I try to have a little extra fun $ in there because you can always find something new to try.

I love Trader Joes! My kids love the Trader Joes version of Pirate Bootie. Its only 1.99 a bag compared to almost 4 dollars for the "real" version in the grocery store. I also like to get their yogurt for the kids. They have a 6 pack of the smaller cups for around 2 dollars.

Love, love Trader Joe's...for their prices, unique items and yummy samples of their great food and coffee, too.

They have a great selection of RBST (artificial hormone) free dairy products at super fabulous prices. Most often, if you want RBST free dairy products these days, with the exception of milk, you pretty much have to buy organic. TJ's has a great selection of RBST free products that are both organic and not, so you can afford to buy hormone-free without the bigger price tag. That being said though- TJ's organic products are generally much cheaper than any other grocery store out there, so you're going to save at this store any way you look at it.

The list I'm giving you here are items that are at least double the price, if not more, if I buy them elsewhere (we live in the Seattle area and I usually shop at Kroger/Fred Meyer, Albertsons or Safeway). I go about twice a month and stock up on a variety of what is listed below, plus a little more of the fun snacky-stuff, and spend about $35-$45 on average each time. Here are my family's all time must have- HUGE money savers:

their cheese is, overall, super cheap- these are some of the biggest deals:
*goat cheese
*fresh mozzarella balls
*RBST free string cheese
*Mascarpone cheese
*RBST free cream cheese

*RBST free butter (TJ's brand, salted and unsalted)
*Kerry Gold butter- (Irish butter- high butter fat-so good- I've seen it almost triple the price elsewhere)
*RBST free half & half and whipping cream
*creme fraiche
*dried cherries
*spices
*cocoa (drinking- both flavored and plain/organic)
*breakfast bars (box of 6 always under $2)
*coconut milk (theirs is also the only coconut milk I have ever seen that only has 2 ingredients (coconut milk & water)- every other brand, including the Asian markets- all have thickeners and lots of other stuff added)
*olive oil
*balsamic vinegar
*organic jams/jellies
*organic applesauce
*bagged lemons and limes (I don't usually like to buy bagged stuff, but these are always in top shape and you get a bunch for next to nothing)
*frozen wild mini-blueberries
*frozen corn- so, so sweet- tastes like it is fresh off the cob. They have two different kinds I think but the one I'm talking about is from the Columbia Basin in the Pacific NW- look at the back by the label
*Valrhona chocolate bars
*Marinara sauce- in big glass jars- no salt added
*boxed free range/organic chicken stock or broth
*organic (RBST free) sweetened condensed milk (SO CHEAP and really hard to find elsewhere)
*vanilla extract
*maple syrup- the real deal, in glass jars- this pick is not half the price of the grocery stores- but it is at least always about $2 cheaper
*naturally cured hot dogs (no artificial nitrites/nitrates) these are almost impossible to find and when you do, it's almost always organic, which is fine but super expensive and usually a little rubbery. TJ's taste like ballpark dogs- yum!
*naturally cured bacon (no artificial nitrites/nitrates)
*naturally cured corned beef (in March) & ham (around the holidays)- no artificial nitrates/nitrites and cheaper than the stuff with the added artificial nitrites you find in the big grocery stores. You'd have to go to Whole Foods or a natural/organic grocer to find an equivalent to this and you'd pay at least 3x the price!
*TJ's brand of dishwashing detergent


I'm sure there are so many more favorite deals to be had- but this is what I can come up with off the top of my head for my go-to's at Trader Joes.

Oh- their Joe-Joe's (cookies) are so good- one of the best Oreo knock-offs out there (and they don't have high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils) and at Christmas time, they have peppermint cream Joe-Joe's that are better, I think, than the peppermint Oreo's. They also have them fudge dipped..... I could go on!

Have fun shopping.

I dont go there very often either since its 30 mins away but I have found their prices on oils and real vanilla extract to be great compared to the grocery store. Also last time I got some box mac and cheese, it was good and cheaper than Annie's unless you get it on sale. I plan to check out their frozen broccoli (read on another blog about how it was almost all florets not stalks) and their frozen garlic cubes. I always use the jarred stuff so I would like to check these out.

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Laura

I load up on frozen fruits & veggies (TJ's organic sweet corn is SO good, and around $1.20/bag), nuts (won't find them cheaper anywhere else, and a great variety), and frozen fish (salmon, grouper, flounder, etc.) It's just DD11 and I and she won't eat fish so TJ's single-serve portions of fish really come in handy. I love TJ's Kung Pao chicken stir-fry (even the chicken is included). I make up a bag and have 2-3 meals ready to go, low-fat, and oh so good!

I avoid most of the produce, fresh meat, etc. at TJ's (although I agree, you can't beat the bagged lemon/limes for the price). Basically, I do most of my shopping in the frozen foods section of TJ's. I live 45 minutes from the nearest TJ's so I don't go often but when I do, I manage to replenish my chest freezer and walk away with a FULL cart and never usually spend more than $70.

Our favorite deals are their dried fruits/nuts, cheeses and wines. Nothing beats them!

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"When we are no longer able to change a situation — we are challenged to change ourselves."
— Victor E. Frankl

I recommend signing up for their email newsletter:
Welcome to Trader Joe's - Your Neighborhood Grocery Store - Newsletter Signup

Also, I wait to buy until the Fearless Flyer is out (I get mine in the mail). You can still check it out online monthly:
Welcome to Trader Joe's - Your Neighborhood Grocery Store (click on "The New Fearless Flyer is Here!")

Their salads ($2.99 and up) and their Apple Chicken sausage are healthy and taste good ($3.99).

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Thank You both, my new Trader Joes is supposed to open sometime this summer.

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls

Thanks. I used to get their flyer in the mail but it doesn't come anymore so I just signed up!

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Ty I signed up as well