I'm a single adult who shops at Trader Joe's. Here's how I spend $65 on a typical grocery run.
Kaitlin Stevens
- I usually spend about $65 a week at Trader Joe's as a single adult.
- Some of my favorite staples for quick meals are penne pasta, tomato sauce, salmon, and rice.
- I also like to have sweet treats on hand, like chocolate-covered bananas or mini stroopwafels.
It's not a secret that food is getting more expensive. But as a single adult, I know my grocery budget stretches farther at Trader Joe's.
Here's what a typical $65 grocery run looks like for me.
Kaitlin Stevens
I don't often run to the deli for lunch meat because it's kind of pricey. Instead, I buy prepackaged turkey at Trader Joe's.
It's great for making quick meals like sandwiches, snack plates (with cheese, fruits, and veggies), and breakfast scrambles.
I've also found that it tends to stay fresh in my fridge for a while, which is good since I'm the only one eating it.
Kaitlin Stevens
Trader Joe's is the only store I go to for bread.
There are several great options, but I find the multigrain Rustico loaf to be the most versatile.
It's delicious toasted with butter, slathered with peanut butter and jelly, or topped with avocado and an over-medium egg.
Kaitlin Stevens
One of my favorite snacks at Trader Joe's is tortilla chips, and the veggie-flaxseed bag has subtle flavors of spinach, garlic, carrot, tomato, and onion.
I use them as a vehicle for hummus, salsa, or even leftover tuna or chicken salad for a quick lunch. The bag is pretty big, too, so it lasts me a few weeks.
Kaitlin Stevens
One of my favorite midday or evening snacks is pretzel slims dipped in hummus.
The Trader Joe's ones are basically half the price of the name brand, so they're a staple for me.
Kaitlin Stevens
There are a lot of hummus brands out there, but in my opinion, Trader Joe's has the best garlic hummus on the market. I always have some on hand.
I never get tired of hummus with chips or carrots as a snack, and this flavorful dip is why.
Kaitlin Stevens
I'm not super picky about my pasta, but I do have some preferences.
Having tried plenty of different brands, including the organic penne that TJ's offers, I keep returning to the basic penne rigate.
It tastes great and costs less than a dollar per bag. Sometimes I'll buy two or three when I visit to have extra on deck.
Kaitlin Stevens
The roasted-garlic marinara sauce is so flavorful and helps me pull together one of my favorite 15-minute dinners.
While I boil a pot of penne, I cook ground chicken in a pan with Italian seasoning. Then I add a jar of this sauce, mix well, and serve it over pasta.
It's such a hearty meal, and it gives me plenty of leftovers.
Kaitlin Stevens
The frozen jasmine rice is a godsend when I want a quick carb to go with my lunch or dinner.
The box comes with three packets, and each packet is enough for two or three servings for me.
I like to pair it with a veggie or salad alongside my protein at dinner and save the leftovers to pair with a fried egg and hot sauce in the morning.
Kaitlin Stevens
Trader Joe's single-serving frozen salmon is great when I'm drained at the end of the day but still want a nourishing meal.
I quickly thaw it by soaking the packet in a bowl of water for 30 minutes, then bake it in the oven for 10 minutes. The herb butter melts into the salmon, making a perfectly rich and flavorful sauce.
Kaitlin Stevens
The flavored chicken sausages from Trader Joe's are always a must-buy for me. Sweet apple is my favorite, but you can't go wrong with the other varieties, like roasted garlic and sweet Italian.
They can be grilled and eaten in a bun, tossed with pasta and sauce, or stir-fried with veggies. But my favorite way to use them is in a roasted sheet-pan dinner with potatoes and a veggie (usually broccoli or Brussels sprouts).
Kaitlin Stevens
I'm someone who needs a little dessert after every meal, and being able to grab one or two of Trader Joe's dark-chocolate-covered banana slices is the perfect sweet treat.
The cold bite is so refreshing, too, especially in the summer.
Kaitlin Stevens
If I don't have at least one pack of Trader Joe's fried rice in my freezer, I freak out.
It's my go-to for a quick dinner with a scallion pancake or a side when I have nothing else.
I heat oil in a wok, pour the bag in, and crack and scramble an egg or two. I usually mix in some Trader Joe's soy sauce for color and flavor, too.
Kaitlin Stevens
Edamame is one of the many frozen sides I love to get at Trader Joe's because it lasts forever in the freezer and pairs well with so many different meals.
It's even great as a quick snack, especially when tossed with chili oil.
Kaitlin Stevens
I love a good citrus juice, and Trader Joe's tangerine juice always tastes fresh-squeezed. Because it's made from tangerines and not oranges, it's also a little sweeter than typical orange juice.
I drink a cup in the morning with breakfast or use it in smoothies for some extra vitamin C.
Kaitlin Stevens
When I'm in the mood for a breakfast sandwich, I love having chicken sausage patties on hand.
They're flavorful, the perfect size and shape for Trader Joe's Rustico bread or an English muffin, and low in calories but high in protein.
Kaitlin Stevens
When I need to eat something green but don't wanna think about it too much, I know I can always rely on some baby arugula topped with a squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh cracked salt and pepper.
I love it on the side of my breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. But it also works well on sandwiches or as an extra leafy green in a spring-mix salad.
The peppery bite even makes it delicious enough to snack on right out of the bag.
Kaitlin Stevens
I tend to switch up my bagged salads from Trader Joe's, but the organic baby-lettuce mix has been my favorite lately.
The varieties of lettuce in the mix are seasonal, but it almost always has baby romaine — one of my favorite salad lettuces.
I also love the look of the different shades of red and green.
Kaitlin Stevens
Grape tomatoes are another snacking and salad staple, and the 16-ounce container at Trader Joe's is a great value for the price.
The mini pearl grape tomatoes are always perfectly sweet, and the large container lasts me a couple of weeks.
Kaitlin Stevens
I love a bite-sized sweet treat, and caramelly, cinnamony mini stroopwafels are my absolute favorite.
I keep the little bag on my bedside table and have a few at night with my nighttime tea.
Kaitlin Stevens
Mandarins are another sweet staple for me.
The older I get, the less I crave sweet candy, but I'm not always in the mood to cut up fresh fruit.
When I need a quick sugar fix, dried mandarins are my go-to. I like to keep them in my bag, so I always have them on hand.