I took the same shopping list to Trader Joe's and Target. The bigger chain had more sales but still cost me way more.

Amena AhmedOct 22, 2024, 19:55 IST

I was able to find similar products at both Trader Joe's and Target.Pamela Brick/Shutterstock<ul class="summary-list"><li>I took the same shopping list to <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trader-joes-shopper-for-years-switching-to-aldi-better-value-2024-9">Trader Joe's</a> and Target to compare the chains' stock and prices.</li><li>I expected prices to be similar, so some larger differences were surprising.</li></ul>I recently discovered that it's much cheaper for me to get my weekly groceries at Walmart than <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trader-joes-vs-walmart-grocery-shopping-which-is-better-review-2024-8">Trader Joe's</a> or <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-vs-target-grocery-shopping-which-is-better-review-2024-9">Target</a>.Unfortunately, even though there are over 4,000 locations across the US, Walmart is also the farthest chain from my house. So, this time, I wanted to <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lidl-vs-publix-grocery-shopping-which-is-better-value-review-2024-10">compare the same lists</a> at Trader Joe's and Target to see which of those chains offers the best deals.Here's what my shopping trips were like.

I started in the produce section at Trader Joe’s.

I like the Southwest salad kit at Trader Joe's. Amena Ahmed

Target’s salads were around the same price.

I also found a Southwest salad kit at Target. Amena Ahmed

Next, I looked at cucumbers.

Trader Joe's had packs of Persian cucumbers. Amena Ahmed

Target’s cucumbers were the same price.

Target's mini cucumbers came in a bag. Amena Ahmed

I moved on to the meat aisle to grab some salmon.

Trader Joe's sells fresh Atlantic salmon fillets. Amena Ahmed

Target sold a smaller pack of salmon for the same price.

I didn't get as much salmon at Target. Amena Ahmed

For a frozen treat, I looked for boxes of mochi.

Trader Joe's had a surprising variety of frozen mochi. Amena Ahmed

The cheapest mochi ice-cream I found at Target was from My Mochi.

Luckily, Target had some mochi boxes on sale. Amena Ahmed

Cereal was next on my shopping list.

I opted for frosted shredded-wheat cereal at each store. Amena Ahmed

Target sold bigger boxes and they were on sale.

I found brand-name Mini-Wheats on sale at Target.Amena Ahmed

I love that Trader Joe’s sells Clif bars.

Clif bars are my go-to snack. Amena Ahmed

I only found 10-pack boxes at Target.

Target sold 10-packs of Clif bars for about $14. Amena Ahmed

In the same aisle, I looked for trail mix.

Trader Joe's offered an array of trail mixes. Amena Ahmed

The trail mix was cheaper at Target, but the contents were different.

I couldn't find an identical trail mix at Target. Amena Ahmed

Then, I looked for bags of ground coffee.

Trader Joe's had a lot of coffee options. Amena Ahmed

Target didn’t have the same roast, but all its coffee was around the same price.

Target also had quite a few store-brand coffee bags. Amena Ahmed

I looked for cheese puffs in the snack aisle.

I could only find reduced-fat cheese puffs at my Trader Joe's.Amena Ahmed

I found a big bag of Cheetos at Target, but they were more expensive.

Target had name-brand Cheetos. Amena Ahmed

Finally, I looked for packaged noodle kits.

Trader Joe's has some squiggly-knife noodle packs. Amena Ahmed

The only noodles I found with similar ingredients at Target were way pricier.

The Momofuku noodles were the only thing close to Trader Joe's offering. Amena Ahmed

Overall, I prefer Trader Joe’s offerings and price range.

I'd shop at Trader Joe's over Target. QualityHD/Shutterstock

I tried 12 store-bought red sauces, and the major brands couldn't compete with the specialty jars

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