Trader Joe's — weekly: $31.44
I love Trader Joe’s — there are plenty of vegan options (read: delicious junk food that’s conveniently marked as vegan, like cookies and vegetable panang curry), their store-brand products are solid, and the produce is usually high quality. I’ll occasionally treat myself to a new-to-me vegan item, but for the most part I stick to my staple foods:
- Canned garbanzo beans — $3.16
- Tofu — $5.37
- Canned corn – $1.78
- Spinach — $1.99
- Sweet potatoes – $3.67
- Avocados — $2.99 (Note: I won’t buy these when the costs is more than $1.50 per avocado)
- Bananas — $1.33
- Fuji apples — $4.67
- Cucumbers — $1.49
- Grape tomatoes — $2.49
- Cauliflower — $2.50
Trader Joe’s — monthly: $13.44 (or more)
There are also some items I buy at Trader Joe's only about once a month.
- Vegan tikka masala — $3.69
- Bell peppers — $1.99
- Pasta — $1.29
- Marinara sauce — $1.79
- Marinated artichoke hearts — $2.69
- Peanut butter — $1.99
Safeway — every other week: $10.61
For some reason, Trader Joe’s doesn’t have cheap staples. I can’t justify buying small amounts of organic rice when I so frequently use it, so I usually go to the local Safeway to stock up on those. Lucky for me, it’s on my way home from Trader Joe’s, so I can easily pick up a few items:
- Rice — $4.12
- Cracked wheat sourdough — $2.99
- Almond milk — $3.50
