STOCKING up on your weekly essentials can often be a shock to your wallet.
But now one cash-savvy woman has spilled the beans on what she bought at Trader Joe’s to feed two people for under $100 for a week.
The cash-savvy foodie, 26, took to TikTok to show off her monster haul to last a week[/caption]
There was plenty of fresh produce, as well as protein-rich items and goods from the dairy section[/caption]
Taking to TikTok, Jackie Mitchell, from Colombus, Ohio, explained that she had set herself a strict budget of a mere $80 for two people to last several days.
The trendy food lover, who posts under the username @jackiemitchellll, has previously done similar challenges at Whole Foods.
To make sure she doesn’t go over the set amount, the 26-year-old only bought what she had pencilled down on the list, ranging from dairy products to cupboard staples.
”I only got once fancy snack item – and it wasn’t even fancy. It was $1.99 for dried bananas and they look crazy,” she said whilst showing off the trolley packed to the brim.
In total, she shared in the video, came to $78.07, saving her extra money from the original budget.
With the stocked up goodies the foodie was going to whip up numerous dishes throughout the week, which included BBQ chicken flatbreads and salad, as well as pesto burrata pasta.
Other dinners she’d be prepping with the monster haul included salmon burgers with dill yoghurt sauce, pasta Bolognese and red curry chicken and rice.
In the weekly dinner plan, the thrifty shopper added that she was also attending a wedding over the weekend – so Jackie enjoyed a free meal then.
”I always try to use up whatever I have leftover from last week. This week, I was using up Memorial Day party items, so I had BBQ sauce, breadcrumbs, buns and iceberg lettuce.”
The bargain haul consisted of heaps of produce, such as bananas, celery, carrots, peaches, dried bananas, Brussel sprouts and an onion.
Meanwhile, for pantry essentials Jackie had snapped up pizza crusts, penne, pesto, red curry sauce, pasta sauce and tagliatelle.
Whilst bagging the goods for the week, the shopper also purchased several items from the dairy section, including burrata, Greek yoghurt, milk and mozzarella.
There were also plenty of protein-rich items, such as eggs, ground chicken, salmon burgers and two packs of chicken breast.
How to cut the cost of your grocery shop
BELOW are some tips on how to reduce the amount you spend on groceries.
- Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley
- Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping
- Never shop hungry – You are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling
- Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering
- Use social media – Follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals
- Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains
- Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more
- Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards
”Me and joe go wayyyy back. good to be reunited,” the 26-year-old joked in the caption.
Dozens of fellow foodies flocked to comments, with many praising the lower prices.
One said: ”Trader Joe’s is the most inexpensive grocery store I’ve been to I spend less there then at Safeway or fredmeyers.”
Another wrote: ”It really is possible at TJ’s, I think the snacks and fun foods are so tempting and distracting.”
”Those dried bananas are really good chopped up in chocolate chip cookies!” a third added.
