You'll Want To Stop Buying Cereal At Trader Joe's After Reading This
There's obviously a lot to love about Trader Joe's, and the store was made to bring quality grocery items at a low price to its customers, who are often "overeducated and underpaid" as they like to say (via NPR). Though Trader Joe's is one of the most popular grocery chains in the United States, making more than $13 billion in 2017, it isn't perfect (via Business Insider). There are some items that you should just leave on the shelf because they are actually overpriced, and that includes Trader Joe's cereal.
While some of the chain's unusual and quirky items are worth springing for because you won't find them anywhere else, breakfast cereal isn't a novelty. Nor is it an outstanding product even if it does appear to be cheap. According to Lauren Greutman, a frugal shopping expert, "They do such a great job marketing and packaging and making everything look pretty, so we spend a lot of extra money. One thing I think is really overly expensive is their cereal and snack food." So, it is definitely worth the time and energy to selectively shop and compare prices for everyday items like your favorite cereal (via CNBC).
Another reason to skip Trader Joe's cereal
In January 2019, a 13.5-ounce box of Trader Joe's Honey Nut O's cost around $2.49, but you could get a 17-ounce box of Honey Nut Cheerios on sale from RiteAid for $2.50. A less noticeable example was the 15-ounce box of Joe's O's, which was $1.99. For the same price at Aldi, you could have gotten an extra ounce of organic toasted oats cereal, according to CNBC. Not to mention, Joe's O's tend to be kind of bland and don't have as good of texture when compared to the name brand (via Eat This).
Some sources, like Business Insider, think Trader Joe's cereal is a win. But that largely appears to be when comparing full-priced name-brand cereals. The key to getting the best cereal cheap is finding it on sale, using coupons, or being a rewards program member at another grocery chain.
Something else to consider while buying cereal, however, are the nutritional facts. Most cereals contain tons of sugar (via Healthline). So, read your labels and make sure you are saving money without forfeiting your health.