The Savinly team is obsessed with Trader Joe’s. Whether they’re gushing about must-have products or raving about the store’s policies, my coworkers can’t stop talking about TJ’s.
So I’m the odd one out in the office, because I’ve always been loyal to Winn-Dixie. I appreciate its fuel rewards program and the convenience of its app.
Plus, I work full time and attend school full time, so I don’t have the bandwidth to run to several grocery stores. Winn-Dixie almost always stocks everything I need, and that’s a major reason it’s my go-to market.
Recently, though, I started wondering: Should I make the jump to Trader Joe’s? Everyone’s so infatuated with it — maybe it could be my single-stop, cheaper option!
I decided to shop solely at Trader Joe’s for a trip — and I was surprised by the outcome. Here’s how it went.
How I Allocate My Grocery Money at Winn-Dixie
I’m not into clipping coupons; with my packed schedule, it just isn’t realistic. I want to get in, get what I need, and leave — not spend hours prepping for a shopping run.
I also follow a strict eating plan and don’t want an understocked refrigerator. I’ve had to balance these needs within limited time while keeping costs down and sticking to my diet.
The best approach I’ve found so far is shopping at Winn-Dixie. It carries everything I require: I score discounts with my Winn-Dixie card and I earn 5 cents off per gallon of gas for every $50 I spend there.
Here’s what I spent on my most recent Winn-Dixie haul:
- Veggie chips: $3.99
- New England Coffee: $6.00 (with WD card discount, originally $7.69)
- Package of five chicken breasts: $8.99
- Ready-to-cook beef: $17.30
- Cauliflower head: $2.99
- White mushrooms: $3.59
- Spaghetti squash: $4.39 (93 cents off with WD card)
- Jumbo red onion: $1.43
- Organic bananas: $2.09
- Three-pack romaine hearts: $2.99 (30-cent discount with WD card)
- Sabra hummus: $3.99
- Cabot light cheese: $5.00
- International Delight sugar-free coffee creamer: $3.59
- Fage nonfat greek yogurt: $7.50
- Almond milk: $3.39
- Weight Watchers cheese sticks: $4.29
- 2% milk: $3.59
- WD frozen mixed fruit: $3 (with 69-cent discount)
- Frozen broccoli: $2.59
- Frozen brussel sprouts: $2.59
Total (before tax): 93.29
Since I shop for myself and one other person, that breaks down to about $46.65 per person. This quantity of groceries usually lasts us about a week and a half.
Even better, this purchase helped me earn 5 cents off each gallon with Winn-Dixie’s fuelperks! program. Winn-Dixie also runs special promotions on select products that can provide anywhere from 5 to 25 cents off a gallon per item (learn more about the Winn-Dixie fuelperks! program in this post).
How Much These Groceries Would Cost at Trader Joe’s
I’d heard a lot about Trader Joe’s — mainly that it’s incredibly affordable and wonderful — but I wasn’t sure what to expect when I tried to do all of my shopping there.
I aimed to find items that paralleled what I bought at Winn-Dixie, which wasn’t always straightforward because Trader Joe’s largely sells private-label products.
Here’s what comparable items cost at TJ’s:
- Veggie chips: $1.99
- New England Coffee: no match, so I picked Joe medium roast for $4.99 for 14 ounces
- Package of six chicken breasts: $5.49 per pound, $8.78 total
- Ready-to-cook beef sirloin tri tip: $8.49 per pound, $14.52 total
- Cauliflower head: $2.99
- White mushrooms: $1.99
- Spaghetti squash: $3.29
- Jumbo red onion: $0.99
- Organic bananas: $0.29 each
- Three-pack romaine hearts: $2.49
- Hummus: $1.99
- Cabot extra-sharp cheddar Cheese: $6.99 per pound, $4.33 total
- Coffee creamer (regular; no sugar-free option available): $3.49
- TJ’s nonfat greek yogurt: $4.99
- TJ’s almond beverage: $2.99
- Light cheese sticks: $2.99
- 2% milk: $2.49
- Frozen mixed fruit: $3.49 for 12 ounces
- Frozen broccoli, organic: $1.99
- Frozen brussel sprouts: $0.99
Total (before tax): $73.22, or $36.61 per person
Where My Grocery Dollars Stretch the Most
Before taxes, shopping at Trader Joe’s saved me $20.07. That would quickly add up to roughly $60 each month. Whoa.
But what about my prized fuelperks!? Would they offset that difference?
For every $50 spent at Winn-Dixie, you get 5 cents off per gallon of gas, up to 20 gallons. If your purchase exceeds $50, the extra amount carries over to your next trip. So when I spend $93.29 in groceries, I earn 5 cents off per gallon, and the first $6.71 of my next purchase earns me another 5 cents off per gallon.
If I made the same $93.29 grocery run three times a month and held on to my fuelperks until month’s end, I could redeem 25 cents off each gallon.
My car’s tank holds 15 gallons and it requires premium fuel, which cost $2.949 at my most recent fill-up, so redeeming my fuelperks! would make a tank cost me $40.49.
But I fill up three times a month, and the other two fill-ups would still be at the regular price of $44.24 each.
That means my fuelperks! would only reduce my monthly gas bill by about $3.75, compared with paying full price for every tank.
Even if I were more tactical with purchases — picking items that offer double or triple fuel rewards and stacking fuelperks! to attempt a free tank each month — shopping at Winn-Dixie still wouldn’t be the most economical choice for me.
Switching to Trader Joe’s would save me $56.46 per month — which could amount to $677.52 a year.
Those savings come with a couple of caveats.
TJ’s didn’t carry sugar-free coffee creamer, which was a minor letdown. I’ve cut back on pricey lattes and now brew coffee at home — and because of my dietary needs, I rely on that sugar-free creamer. To buy it, I’d have to stop at another grocery store — something I try to avoid.
Also, I’ve noticed TJ’s dairy items sometimes spoil sooner than I expect. Maybe that’s on me for not checking the dates, or maybe it varies by location. Whatever the reason, it made me a bit hesitant.
Overall? I should probably stay focused and grab my sugar-free creamer elsewhere. Imagine what I could do with an extra $600 a year!
Hannah Collins is a former contributor and engagement specialist at Savinly.
