Trader Joe's

Is anyone else obsessed with Trader Joe's? Because, seriously, it is possibly the greatest grocery store ever invented - or at least in a neck and neck race with Aldi. That makes sense, though, since they're both owned by the same company. Trader Joe's always has lots of fun stuff, and the prices are almost universally fantastic.

One of my friends complains about the cost of meat there, but being a vegetarian means I don't actually care that much. Frozen fruit here is a steal, and the bread prices are decidedly tolerable. Also, a dollar for a pound of pasta is good enough for me these days - though I definitely miss when it was less! Sometimes other places will have sales, but Trader Joe's is great for the consistency of their pricing.

Also, their produce?  Yeah. Go to Joe if you need some bananas. Those puppies are cheap as heck.

Trader Joe's is compact, and not cluttered up with ten thousand brands and options - nearly everything they have is own-brand, which helps both to keep the costs down and make choices easy. I tend to get a little overwhelmed in normal supermarkets, trying to work out the pros and cons of the ten thousand different types and brands of bread - at Trader Joe's, it's all the same brand, so you don't have as much thinking to do.

I'll admit it, I don't really like thinking when I'm out grocery shopping. I want to see good stuff, buy good stuff, and take it home to eat. I can do that here. It's the best.

Plus, seriously, the frozen fruit is a godsend. Frozen pineapple is way cheaper than fresh and tastes AWESOME, without having to worry about slicing up a huge pineapple and getting rid of the skin and leaves yourself. I dunno, I like low-effort food, too. Eating shouldn't be hard work, I don't think.

While there are certainly some aspects of eating and cooking that should and do require more effort, I also like the easier solutions. So: frozen.

If you have a Trader Joe's near you and haven't been, check it out! If not ... well, I kinda pity you. See if you can hit one up on vacation sometime. It rules.