I walk to Trader Joe's each week.Zoe Yu
- I'm a student without a car, so I walk about 30 minutes to get groceries at Trader Joe's each week.
- I stick to a $30 budget and grab crunchy snacks like the chile-lime rolled-corn tortilla chips.
I live on a college campus, and the nearest Trader Joe's is a half-hour walk into town.
Rain or shine, sun or snow, I always make my monthly trek to stock up on snacks I can't live without.
Here are nine of my favorite things to get at Trader Joe's on a $30 budget.
Prices may vary by location.
When it comes to healthy snacks, mandarins are my fruit of choice.
Mandarins are the perfect size for a quick snack. Zoe Yu
When I call my parents back home, they always tell me to eat more fruit, like mandarins.
The mandarins from Trader Joe's are the perfect way to get more fruit into my diet. The tiny oranges are equal parts adorable and yummy.
A bag of mandarins costs $3.50 at my local Trader Joe's.
My suitemates and I love the jalapeño-seasoned corn-and-rice puffs.
Trader Joe's jalapeño-seasoned corn-and-rice puffs are organic. Zoe Yu
One day, I was devouring these puffs in my dorm when my suitemates poked their heads into my room to see what I was munching on.
All it took was a singular piece to convert them into jalapeño-puff lovers, and the green bags are now essentials on our snack shelf.
The spicy, crunchy snacks are super satisfying when I need to munch on something as I study.
A bag of jalapeño puffs is $2.50 at my store.
I truly can't get enough of Trader Joe's mini chocolate Hold the Cone ice-cream treats.
Trader Joe's mini chocolate Hold the Cone ice-cream treats come in a few different flavors. Zoe Yu
The mini chocolate Hold the Cone ice-cream treats are perfect for satisfying a midnight sweet tooth.
The cones come with a chocolate ice-cream filling and a hard-chocolate coating. The mini-fridge-sized snacks are so good that I once ate half the box in one sitting.
A box of Hold the Cones is $4 at my local store.
I always have to grab Trader Joe's dark-chocolate peanut-butter cups.
Trader Joe's dark-chocolate peanut-butter cups are delicious. Zoe Yu
I have a thing for chocolate, especially Trader Joe's dark-chocolate peanut-butter cups.
The rich chocolate perfectly complements the creamy peanut-butter filling. I don't think you can name a better duo than chocolate and peanut butter.
A container of peanut-butter cups costs $4.50.
Trader Joe's Many Things snack mix is salty and crunchy.
Trader Joe's Many Things snack mix has plenty of crackers and crispy components. Zoe Yu
Trader Joe's Many Things snack mix has a lot going on: It's sweet, salty, crunchy, spicy, and above all, absolutely delicious.
I think of it as an upgraded version of Chex Mix, and I always grab at least two bags.
Each bag contains honey-roasted peanuts, spicy and honey-butter cereal squares, corn sticks, pretzels, and bread chips.
The Many Things snack mix costs $3 per bag.
Trader Joe's tangy turtles are the ideal gummy candy.
Trader Joe's tangy turtles are perfectly sour. Zoe Yu
If I'm writing an essay or running on concerning levels of caffeine, I'm probably chowing down on some tangy turtles while I work.
The cute, sweet-and-sour candy is perfect for mindless snacking.
A bag of tangy turtles is $2 at my Trader Joe's.
Barebells protein bars taste like candy.
There are plenty of flavors of Barebells protein bars to choose from. Zoe Yu
If you're looking for a protein bar that tastes more like candy, I highly recommend the Barebells brand.
They're my favorite afternoon pick-me-up when I'm running to class, and they taste just like Snickers. At my local store, the protein bars are available in salty-peanut, cookies-and-cream, and caramel-cashew flavors.
Each bar costs $2.30 at my location.
When I'm craving something salty and spicy, I get Trader Joe's chili-lime rolled-corn tortilla chips.
Trader Joe's chili-lime rolled-corn tortilla chips are delicious. Zoe Yu
I love having Trader Joe's dark-chocolate caramel hearts as a sweet treat.
Trader Joe's dark-chocolate caramel hearts are perfectly sweet. Zoe Yu