16 Items You Can Buy at Trader Joe's for Much Cheaper Than Publix
If you haven’t comparison shopped at Trader Joe’s versus Publix, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at all the ways you can save money.
Most Trader Joe’s departments, including fresh produce, the freezer aisle, eggs and pantry essentials, have grocery staples which cost a lot less than Publix’s prices.
We rounded up 16 of the best grocery deals (yes, 16!) where you can save a lot more money at Trader Joe’s. Best of all, every item we found costs less than $6 apiece.
Pasture Raised Large Brown Eggs
Price: $5.99
The best deal on pasture raised large brown eggs is at Trader Joe’s. Shoppers pay $6 for a dozen brown eggs while brands like Pete & Gerry’s and GreenWise retail for $6.31 to $7.75 at Publix.
Breaded Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
Price: $5.49
Both Trader Joe’s and Publix have their own private label take on frozen breaded mozzarella cheese sticks, but it’s a lot cheaper to grab a bag at Trader Joe's. Shoppers save $3.36 compared to Publix’s pricing.
Seasoned Waffle Cut Fries
Price: $3.99
Need a bag of frozen seasoned waffle cut fries? Swap out the Rally’s brand at Publix (which can cost as much as $6.87 per bag) for the same frozen fries under $4 at Trader Joe’s.
Strawberry Ice Cream
Price: $3.79
Which grocer has the better deal on strawberry ice cream? You could shop for name brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs and pay $6.91 or save a little over $3 picking up a pint from the Trader Joe’s brand.
Campari Tomatoes
Price: $3.79
A pound of Campari tomatoes is a better deal at Trader Joe’s than at Publix. The same amount of fresh tomatoes typically costs $5.53.
Crustless Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Sandwiches
Price: $3.79
If you’re not picky about the brand, it makes more sense to buy the TJ’s take on frozen crustless peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches. This Uncrustables dupe comes in a four-count pack with savings of $1.52 compared to Publix’s prices.
Graham Cracker Squares
Price: $3.49
It’s way cheaper to shop for Trader Joe’s graham cracker squares than buying any similar offerings at Publix. This is true of major brands like Honey Maid ($5.83) and the Publix’s generic take on graham crackers which cost $5.19 per box.
Pineapple
Price: $3.49
You can save as much as $2 buying a fresh pineapple from Trader Joe’s, making this one of the best under-the-radar produce deals worth knowing about.
Organic Earl Grey Tea
Price: $2.99
Popular tea brands like Bigelow charge up to $4.41 for a box of Earl Grey tea at Publix. But the TJ’s brand also offers 20 tea bags for just under $3 per box.
Hash Browns
Price: $2.99
Trader Joe’s hash browns are wildly popular with shoppers and cheaper than virtually every brand of hash browns or tater patties we found at Publix. Did we mention you get 10 frozen hash browns inside every package?
Gourmet Jelly Beans
Price: $2.79
A bag of Jelly Belly brand jelly beans can cost as much as $5.09 at Publix, while Trader Joe’s take on gourmet jelly beans is comfortably priced under $3 per box.
Whole Grain Waffles
Price: $2.69
Fuel your mornings for less when you shop for whole grain waffles at Trader Joe’s. Similar frozen offerings from Publix’s private label are $4.97 per box.
Creamy Salted Peanut Butter
Price: $2.49
Name brands like Jif price their creamy peanut at $3.59 per jar at Publix, which is over $1 more than TJ’s line of creamy salted peanut butter. (Pro tip: Try price matching other PB blends like crunchy or with honey to Publix’s offerings and see how much you can save.)
Pink Lady Apple Chips
Price: $2.29
If you’re shopping for dried fruit, you can save $1 snagging a bag of pink lady apple chips at Trader Joe’s. Seneca dried apple chips will cost you $3.33 at Publix and upwards to $7.19 for the bare brand.
Classic English Muffins
Price: $1.99
We had a hunch early on that English muffins would be cheaper at Trader Joe’s, and we weren’t wrong.
Because Publix’s lineup of English muffins are all major brands, the least expensive are the Bays brand which usually cost $4.45 for six muffins. That positions TJ shoppers to reel in nearly $2.50 savings on this breakfast staple.
Organic Baby Spinach
Price: $2.29
You can’t beat the deal on organic baby spinach at Trader Joe’s. A fresh bag is $2.29, which is almost half the price of fresh bagged spinach sold at Publix for $4.41.
Editor’s note: Prices and availability are subject to change.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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