How a Family of 3 in Massachusetts Spends $125 a Week on Groceries at (Mostly) Trader Joe’s

Name: Alison
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Number of people in household: 3 (soon-to-be 4!); me, my husband (M), and my toddler (V)
Age: 35
Occupation: I am in higher-education administration, and my husband is in finance.
Where you shopped: Trader Joe’s and Price Chopper
Weekly food budget: $100; plus some wiggle room for takeout during the week
Amount spent: $124.59 (plus $32.55 for our Saturday takeout)

We did most of our weekly shopping at Price Chopper, which is the most convenient for us. About once a month, we go to Trader Joe’s to stock up on some items we like there (usually freezer and pantry staples), and every six to eight weeks we go to BJ’s Wholesale Club to mostly get bulk proteins, paper goods, and diapers. 

We don’t usually go to two grocery stores in one week if we can help it, but we were running other errands by Trader Joe’s and thought it made sense to pick up a few things there. 

We base most of our shopping at Price Chopper around the weekly ad. Besides staples, we try to shop almost exclusively from the flyer. This week, the sales on pork shoulder and Ben & Jerry’s (!) caught our eye.

We don’t always shop with just the week ahead in mind. We like having ingredients on hand so we have some flexibility when it comes to meals. We’re not often starting a week completely from scratch, which makes it easier to focus on the sales and work with what we already have. It also helps when a busy Wednesday night suddenly comes along and we call an “audible,” making tuna melts and tomato soup instead of whatever we originally planned. Most of our proteins are portioned and frozen, so very little goes to waste.

Especially right now (eight months pregnant and with a hungry toddler in tow),  I find myself erring on the side of caution when it comes to groceries. I’d rather have plenty of fruits and vegetables on hand so we always have options. I also like keeping a decently stocked freezer and pantry so I can make something well-rounded and filling, rather than giving into pregnancy cravings and exhaustion and settling for snacks at lunchtime. It doesn’t always work out that way, but that’s the goal.

I know “nesting” is a thing when you’re pregnant, but is there such a thing as grocery nesting? Because I kind of feel like that’s what’s happening right now.

We usually base our groceries on what’s on sale, so we plan our meals around that. Normally, M and I alternate cooking dinner, depending on who is in the office and who is working from home. I’m working from home every day this week, instead of my usual two days in the office, and M has after-work plans on Tuesday, so things aren’t as clear-cut. Still, our plan depends on sharing the load, which works out well because we both enjoy cooking.

Trader Joe’s

• 4 avocados, $4.99
• 3 limes, $1.47
• Salmon fillet, $9.89
• Half gallon of 2% milk, $3.99
• Quart of half-and-half, $3.49
• Whole milk mozzarella, $5.49
• Cage-free eggs, $3.99
• Whole wheat bread, $2.49
• Hot dog buns, $2.49
• Baking powder, $1.99
• Organic coconut milk, $1.69
• Black olives, $2.29
• Garbanzo beans, $0.99
• Lemon pesto, $3.49
• Pizza sauce, $1.99

Total: $50.24

Price Chopper

• Romaine lettuce head, $3.99
• Organic carrots, $2.50
• Pint of blueberries, $3.33
• Asparagus, $3.41
• Yellow onions, $2.79
• Mango, $1.50
• 2 pears, $2.50
• Raspberries, $3.33
• Seedless cucumber, $1.50
• Pork shoulder, $15.78
• Plain Greek yogurt, $4.99
• 2 pints of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Ice Cream, $11.96
• Canned salmon, $1.99
• Dried New Mexico peppers, $3.99
• Organic basmati rice: $5.79

Total: $74.35

Grand Total: $124.59

I don’t know about everyone else, but weekend meals are really hit or miss in our house. Between lazy mornings, errands, and pulling together a grocery list, M and I sometimes end up eating more like recent college graduates than people who have supposedly been “adulting” for a decade and a half. (And then we wonder why we’re dragging by 2 p.m.!)

Fortunately, we always manage to get V her three square meals. She gets a couple of frozen banana pancakes, milk, and strawberries before we head out the door for church and errands. 

For lunch, we basically do a second breakfast: peanut butter toast and scrambled eggs. I have a slice of peanut butter toast, too, and then M makes egg and cheese breakfast burritos for the two of us while we get V ready for her nap.

Despite the shaky meal planning earlier in the day, we know we’re having homemade pizzas for dinner. We got an Ooni pizza oven as a gift a few years ago, and we definitely take full advantage of it. The first year we had it (during COVID-19 times) we literally made pizza every weekend for six months, which was maybe too often. M is always tweaking his dough recipe (now with sourdough starter!), and this time he ends up with a super hydrated dough. We usually stick with cheese pizzas, but tonight we also make one with pepperoni and olives.

The three of us sit on our patio for one of the first times this summer (it seems like it’s been raining every weekend late) and enjoy a lovely little dinner. After V goes to bed, we eat ice cream, watch TV, and get ready for the week ahead.

This is one of those days in late pregnancy when I’m just not that hungry. Not too surprising, given that my stomach is basically pushed up into my chest at this point.

For lunch, M and I have a few slices of leftover pizza (we’re both working from home). I drink some water and some decaf green tea with honey, then feel way too full to eat anything else. Normally, when I’m working from home, I have a hard time not constantly snacking. Not an issue today. M has a Coke Zero and a seltzer in the afternoon.

V’s meals and snacks are prepared at daycare, which has turned out to be a real gift (her breakfast and lunches come from daycare). When she started at this school last year, I mourned no longer needing to pack her lunches. But I’m convinced she eats more vegetables and tries more foods because she sees her buddies eating the same things. Plus, it saves time and groceries. Today, she has a waffle and apples; turkey sliders, green beans, and pineapple; and sun butter, crackers and pears. Plus, of course, milk, which she adorably still calls “nilk.”

For dinner, M takes the reins and makes salmon and roasted asparagus. The salmon is glazed with a quick marinade of miso paste, soy sauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar. He’s always tweaking the ratios, and this one is definitely a winner. V tries a little bit of the salmon and also has sliced carrots and strawberries.

After V’s bedtime, I have a little bit of ice cream and Matt makes himself a paloma while we watch a refresher childbirth class on YouTube. Things are starting to get real! 

I start the day with a cup of decaf coffee, a peanut butter-Nutella sandwich, and some raspberries. The combination of peanut butter and Nutella is truly one of life’s little pleasures, and it’s been a go-to for me lately. Chocolate and nostalgia seem to be the driving forces behind my pregnancy cravings.

In an ideal world, I’d be one of those people who does superefficient meal prep on Sunday and then feeds her family elaborate meals all week. That never quite happens. However, I’ve noticed that this kind of problem-solving, using things up to make something new, scratches a creative itch for me. 

When I whip up some muffins from a zucchini that’s this close to being tossed or make a batch of frozen waffles for on-the-go breakfasts, I feel productive, resourceful, and like I’m doing something good for the environment, our budget, and usually our health. I try to make some kind of meal prep happen each week for that feel-good benefit alone.

Today, I have a little extra flexibility to prepare meals during my lunch break because I’m working from home and listening to a webinar. While it plays, I prepare brown rice and a lentil stew for dinner. I feel like I overcook brown rice 90% of the time when I follow the package directions, but 0% of the time when I cook it like pasta (in a deep pot of salted water for 40 minutes). I credit Caro Chambers’ book What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking for that tip, and it hasn’t failed me yet.

For the lentil stew, I follow the basic recipe from Perfectly Good Food by Irene and Margaret Li. It’s helped me focus on wasting less and better using what’s already in the fridge, pantry and freezer. This version includes shredded carrots, red lentils, and chopped romaine lettuce. Usually the only thing I need to buy is a can of coconut milk (if I don’t already have one). 

I have the last piece of leftover pizza, then make a quick two-egg omelet with Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar and some leftover asparagus from last night. I add a side of blueberries and drink a couple of cups of decaf green tea with honey.

M is at a Red Sox game tonight, so V and I tuck into our stew and rice. V isn’t feeling it, unfortunately, but she eats a lot of brown rice and mango, then declares herself “full full full.” M grabs a slice of pizza before the game. We use our personal accounts for outings with friends, so his dinner doesn’t factor into this week’s grocery budget.

For breakfast, it’s another peanut butter and Nutella sandwich and some iced coffee after dropping V off at daycare. (She wants some freeze-dried apple slices and milk before school.) I make a smoothie for a midmorning snack with milk, yogurt, frozen grapes, frozen strawberries, frozen pineapple and chia seeds. Despite making a lot of smoothies, this one somehow yields way more than expected. I save some for V to have when she gets home from school.

I go for a walk before lunch because I’ve been moving around less than I normally do when I’m in the office. By the time I get back, I’m pretty hungry. I make a salmon bowl (one of my favorite work-from-home lunches when I have leftover rice). I mix a can of salmon with sriracha and mayo, stir soy sauce into the rice, and chop up avocado and cucumbers. Then I top it with everything seasoning, furikake, more sriracha, and some Japanese barbecue sauce. (Sushi and smoked salmon: the two foods I miss the most during pregnancy.) 

In the afternoon, I snack on pretzels with peanut butter and Nutella, and some Goldfish.

Dinner is spaghetti with the lemon pesto sauce from Trader Joe’s. When V hears that, she declares she would like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead (she already had pasta for lunch). I hate when I accidentally serve her the same food twice in a day — and she’s unusually insistent — so I agree. I make the sandwich with blueberry jam (all we have on hand) and cut it into shapes with cookie cutters, which she’s delighted by. (When she FaceTimes with her grandma during bathtime, she yells that she just ate an ice cream cone and a flower — something that definitely requires clarification.) She also has some mango and, as it turns out, wants a few noodles after all. Sneaky!

The spaghetti is fine. I underseason the water because I can’t remember whether I’ve already salted it and only add a pinch — and I probably should’ve used more of the sauce. It tastes good, though, like the inside of Trader Joe’s lemon ricotta ravioli. I have every intention of adding a side salad (which M prepped earlier in the week and has been eating for lunch), but I just cannot be bothered.

M is very jazzed when he sees the pork shoulder on sale this week and immediately starts strategizing. M’s cooking personality is the guy who goes above and beyond and is a little bit extra. My cooking personality is more about staying budget-friendly and figuring out ways to get our kid to eat fruits and vegetables. Also, if I’m cooking on a weeknight, I go from fine to hangry in about 20 minutes so I need something I can get on the table quickly once I pick V up from daycare. Anyway, I have a feeling that dinner is going to be more of an event than the thrown-together pasta I made last night.

For breakfast, I have tea, a piece of avocado toast (using the other half of the avocado from yesterday’s lunch), and some yogurt topped with blueberries, raspberries, sliced almonds, flax and honey. I stock up on nuts, seeds, honey and peanut butter when I visit my parents, who live near a lovely Amish store that sells bulk ingredients for less than I see at most grocery stores. I like eating yogurt this way because it’s both aesthetically pleasing and pretty filling.

For lunch, I have leftover lentil stew with rice and a pear. (Pears are so good! I guess I haven’t had one in a while, but wow, it really hits the spot.) I refill my big water bottle, which I’ve been hit or miss on using this week in my efforts to stay hydrated.

At this point, I ask M if he needs help prepping dinner. “No, it’s pretty easy,” he says. Famous last words? I ask what he’s eaten so far today, and he replies, “Coffee.” Then he has some frozen dumplings. This is a man who sometimes forgets to eat meals, but also loves food? I’ll never understand that. I don’t think I’ve ever forgotten to eat once in my 35 years.

In the afternoon, I snack on some Goldfish crackers and a little bit of ice cream. When I wrap up work and get ready to pick up V, the house smells amazing. M is braising the pork in the Dutch oven with a few dried chiles, some light beer, and citrus. This is exactly the kind of time-intensive but hands-off recipe that’s perfect if you’re working from home. M’s office is near the kitchen, so he just pops in to check on it every so often.

When we get back, V eats some more freeze-dried apples and milk, and then we actually manage to sit down for an early dinner, not always easy with two working parents and a toddler! M warms up tortillas, I make a classic guacamole, and I sauté frozen corn with olive oil, butter and elote seasoning. The pork is so rich and tender. V eats the guac by the spoonful and announces that she loves the corn “so much,” which is news to us. She also tries a bit of the tortilla and pork.

The best news:
a) There are leftover carnitas for tomorrow.
b) Because the pork shoulder was massive (10.5 pounds!), we’ve got two more chunks in the freezer for future dinners.

V wakes up early and we read a few books in bed and then we make a smoothie to share, per her request, with milk, yogurt, and frozen banana, strawberries, mango, and pineapple. Then we watch some Sesame Street while M works out and gets ready to drop her off. I have to relish these lazy Friday mornings while I still can. In less than a month, everything will be completely different!

I go up to my office and get to work. Just when I’m contemplating going downstairs to hunt for a second breakfast, M returns from drop-off and surprises me with a pistachio iced coffee and a pistachio muffin to split from our local café. He knows I am all-in on pistachio, and I am touched by his thoughtfulness. As my grandma says every time I talk to her, even though M and I have been together for 14 years and he’s clearly not going anywhere: “He’s a keeper.” He sure is, Gram.

For lunch, I figure I should probably eat some salad (I have not had any this week despite the fact that it has been prepped and ready). If I was feeling slightly more ambitious, I would make a peanut-soy dressing that actually makes me crave salad. Instead, I just air fry a couple of frozen chicken tenders and use the Caesar dressing that I have. I also have the little bit of spaghetti left over from Wednesday night. M mows the lawn during his lunch break and then makes himself a hot dog.

For dinner, we use the leftover carnitas to make breakfast burritos. M scrambles some eggs and wraps them in tortillas with some Monterey Jack cheese, hot sauce, and carnitas. Breakfast burritos are a big staple for M, so we always have those ingredients on hand. We make V’s into a tiny quesadilla and serve it up with sliced pears and guacamole. Fridays have become “couch dinner” nights. We watch a little of The Princess and the Frog or, as V calls it, “Tiana and Charlotte movie!” I don’t think it’s going to beat Moana or Frozen in the power rankings, but she enjoys all of the jazz music. 

Saturday mornings sometimes means pancakes at our house, and today is one of those days! We try to always have the Kodiak protein pancake mix on hand (purchased in bulk from BJ’s, because it’s too expensive otherwise), and this makes it easy to make a batch in short order. I like to have mine with berries on top; V and M prefer their berries on the side. M also brews up some coffee. We have cannoli coffee from Utica Coffee Roasting Co., which my mom recently discovered at her local grocery store and we are big fans of, especially iced.

We have big plans for the afternoon, the iffiest part of which involves V forgoing her usual midday nap. She often skips her nap at daycare, so we know that she will probably be fine. We head to Sommerfest at a local German club. Friends have invited us to go with their big group the last few years, but we’ve always been unavailable. The weather is a bit gray (for approximately the 15th weekend in a row), but we get a table under a pavilion and the rain lets up. We order a currywurst with fries (for me) and a bratwurst (for M) (total: $24). I’ve never tried currywurst but have been intrigued for a while. The sauce isn’t quite what I expected, but in a good way! And the bratwurst is nice and tender. V also enjoys the sauce, and shares some bites of currywurst and fries with me. 

V, of course, also has goldfish and a fruit and yogurt pouch for additional snacks. M tries a couple of German beers. We wander around a bit together and I eye a big piece of fluffy, layered cake but don’t end up getting it. I’m still kicking myself over that one — always get the cake! V napped briefly on the drive to the festival, but apparently that was all the rest she needed because by mid-afternoon she is rocking out to the live music like she’s at a rave. She is so delighted, and so we are so delighted.

On the way home, we realized we didn’t plan for dinner at all. It’s like every weekend I’m newly surprised to learn that we’re supposed to eat three meals every day, not just weekdays. Anyway, M has a coupon for Domino’s, so we give up and get a large pepperoni pizza ($8.55). V eats some leftover pears, too. I would say it’s a little poetic or symmetrical or something to start and end the week with pizza, but maybe that’s being too generous. 

Ultimately, it’s where we are at this moment of our lives: thriving for well-roundedness but being fine with okay takeout pizza and giving ourselves a break sometimes. When it comes down to it, I’m just grateful to be home with my little family, tired and full after a fun day, knowing there are many more ahead.

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