Life

16 Things You Should Only Buy From Trader Joe's And Nowhere Else, According To Reddit

by Megan Grant
Michael Nagle / Stringer / Getty

If Facebook offered a relationship status saying, "In love with Trader Joe's and it's starting to get weird," we'd be on it like white on rice. Over and over again, we've expressed our deeply rooted love for Joe — his dessert goods, his frozen meals, his skincare products... the obsession is real. In fact, there are certain things people only buy at Trader Joe's because they're better and tastier and, well, cheaper.

There's a reason Joe's is able to offer their products at such ridiculously low prices, all day, every day. By cutting out some of the middlemen when purchasing products — something that other stores don't do — TJ's saves major cash in the process. As a result, they're able to pass those savings along to you, the budget-savvy shopper. This makes us very happy. Because their prices are already as good as they can get, Joe's doesn't have sales or discounts — just affordable and delicious food items, 24/7.

It's these consumer-friendly price tags that keep us coming back for more and more. In fact, there are certain things we refuse to buy anywhere else. Even if they did cost more at Joe's, why would you shop anywhere where the employees aren't wearing Hawaiian shirts? I dare you to answer me.

Redditors recently offered their two cents on cheap-o products they'll only go to Joe's for. Here's what they had to say. Write this down.

1

Vino

I don't say "YAAASSSSSS!" very often; but if I did, now would be the appropriate time. Is there anything better (or cheaper) than Trader Joe's wine? No siree Bob. Why do you think they call it Two Buck Chuck? Give me a straw and a bib. I'm about to go ham on this.

2

Frozen Dinners

Joe's frozen dinners are so beautiful because you can host a dinner party and pretend you know how to cook, when really, you defrosted a bag of frozen stuff. Their meals are that good. And the fact that they offer Indian meals is the cherry on top — your guests will be so ~*impressed*~ by your multicultural culinary skills.

3

Florals

The keyword here is "long-lasting," particularly for people like me, who have whatever the opposite of a green thumb is. I don't typically allow any living organism inside my home other than humans because I'll probably inadvertently kill them — including but not limited to goldfish and plants — but for Joe's, we can all make an exception.

4

Frozen Veggies

Ya hear that? Pieces of the actual FLORET. Not the stubby, disgusting little stem part. That certainly won't make a good side dish for my homemade from scratch/frozen Indian dinner.

5

Nuts

Who else loves munching on some nuts but refuses to buy them because they're so farking expensive? Me! TJ's has stupendous prices on nuts so that you can get your vitamin E and fiber and iron and whatever the heck else is so good about them.

6

Cheese

Depending about what you're in the market for, Trader Joe's might make all your cheesy dreams come true with unbeatable prices — especially if you want fancy cheese. The price of fancy cheese at any other store is enough to haunt your dreams. $10 for a one-inch cube of gouda? Thanks, but no. Not at Joe's, though. Not at Joe's.

7

Coconut Everything

Sometimes, when I'm feeling a little bit #extra, I like to dunk my hand in a tub of coconut oil from Joe's and rub it over literally every inch of my 5'9" body. I can only do that with TJ's oil because it isn't $5,000 a jar like it is at every other store.

8

Frozen Fruit

Why is frozen fruit so expensive? You buy a bag of frozen raspberries that comes with eight wimpy little pieces of fruit and it sets you back $10. No wonder none of us bother making smoothies at home. Never fear — Joe's is here!

9

EVOO

God didn't put extra virgin olive oil on this earth for us to merely stare at it on the shelf before moving on to other cheaper and less satisfactory kinds of oil. He wants us to cook our veggies in it. He wants us to drizzle it on our salads. He wants us to dip our fresh bread in it. TJ's EVOO is what you need.

10

Tea Tree Oil Products

If your mop is greasy and out of control, skip the chemical-laden crap at all the other stores. Joe's shampoo has the words "tea" and "tree" in it, so you know it must be natural and good for you.

11

Fresh Organic Bananas

HECK TO THE YES to cheap organic produce! You know what that'll pair perfectly with? All the cheap frozen fruit you can also buy at Joe's for the smoothie you're going to make later.

12

Peppermint Liquid Soap

Amazon is supposed to have the best prices online. It's a web of lies. Joe's peppermint soap is a holiday dream come true, except they sell it year round. I know. I just blew your mind.

13

Syrup

And it's the good stuff, too. None of that low-quality garbage you might buy elsewhere. Don't insult your pancakes. Get your syrup at Joe's.

14

Organic Milk

I'd like to point out that most stores don't even carry organic milk; and if they do, it's so expensive that you willingly volunteer for the chemical-packed, antibiotic-treated, definitely-sprayed-with-weird-toxins kind of milk. Trader Joe's is better than that, though.

15

Skincare Products

One time, I decided to go full-blown vegan, and my skin erupted. Don't take what I'm saying lightly. I mean it literally blew up. Short of wearing a bag over my head, I tried everything. It wasn't until I switched over to Joe's skincare products that the mountain range covering my face finally went away.

16

Coffee

You already spent all that money on your fancy, schmancy Keurig machine. Totally worth it, but now it's time to give your wallet a break. Enter: Joe's coffee.