5 Trader Joe’s Products That You Can Find Cheaper Elsewhere
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Trader Joe’s has built its reputation on great prices and unique products, but even the fan-favorite grocery chain isn’t immune to inflation. While TJ’s still offers solid deals on many items, some products have crept up in price or simply aren’t the bargain they used to be.
Here are five products where Trader Joe’s prices can be beat by other stores.
Bananas
For decades, Trader Joe’s sold individual bananas for 19 cents each, making them one of the most iconic deals in grocery retail. That changed in late March 2024 when the price jumped to 23 cents per banana.
It’s still cheap, but it’s no longer the rock-bottom price shoppers had come to expect.
Where to buy instead: Walmart sells bananas for around 20 cents each, splitting the difference between TJ’s old and new pricing.
Teeny Tiny Avocados
Trader Joe’s markets these small avocados as a convenient option, but the convenience comes with a markup. A bag of 6 costs $3.99 at Trader Joe’s.
The problem is you can get a similar bag of small Hass avocados at Walmart for $2.78. That’s over a dollar less for essentially the same product.
Where to buy instead: Walmart saves you about 30% on small avocados without sacrificing quality.
Organic Strawberries
Trader Joe’s charges $8.99 for a 2-pound container of organic strawberries. That works out to about $4.50 per pound, which sounds reasonable until you compare it to bulk pricing.
Costco sells 4 pounds of Kirkland Signature organic strawberries for $12.93. Do the math and you’re paying roughly $3.23 per pound at Costco, which is about 28% less than Trader Joe’s.
The catch is you need to buy twice as much, but if you eat a lot of strawberries or can freeze extras for smoothies, the savings add up fast.
Where to buy instead: Costco beats Trader Joe’s significantly on per-pound pricing if you can handle the larger quantity.
Shaving Cream
Trader Joe’s Moisturizing Cream Shave costs $4.49 for 8 ounces. It’s a perfectly fine product, but you’re paying a premium compared to alternatives.
Pure Silk Sensitive Skin Shaving Cream at Ralphs offers comparable quality at $2.29. Other drugstores and grocery chains regularly run sales on shaving cream that beat Trader Joe’s everyday pricing.
Where to buy instead: Ralphs, CVS, Walgreens or any drugstore during a sale will save you money on shaving cream without downgrading quality.
Ramen Noodles
These noodles with soy and sesame sauce are trendy and tasty, but Trader Joe’s charges $5.49 for a 13.4-ounce package. Not bad, but Grocery Outlet sells Jin Ramen Spicy Noodle Soup in 4-packs for $3.99. Bonus points for Grocery Outlet: It usually stocks a huge rotating selection of discounted ramen and noodle options.
Where to buy instead: Grocery Outlet, Asian markets or even standard grocery stores have much cheaper ramen and noodle options that taste just as good.
Editor’s note: Pricing is accurate as of March 11, 2026. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
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