Who knows what items in a grocery store are YUMMY better than the employees who work there? Nobody. This is especially true when the store is Trader Joe’s and employees are munching on free samples all day and using their employee discount to take home new items to try out. Here are some of the best buys at Trader Joe’s, according to crew members, so you can make the most of your next trip.

1. Italian Food

A Trader Joe’s manager summed it up nicely, “The pasta is imported from Italy and is 99 cents.”

Prices at similar stores typically range from $3 to $4 per box.

Also, check out other Italian staples like olive oil and vinegar.

In particular, the manager singled out the white Modena vinegar mixed with California Estate olive oil as a BIG winner, especially when used as a salad dressing.

2. TJ’s Private Label Beer

Their Mission St. Pale Ale came in 1st place in a taste test of 30 private label beers.

The Trader Jose Premium Lager also did quite well as did the Mission Street Brown Ale and Josephsbrau Heller Bock.

The price per 6-pack is quite competitive as well. Pick up a bottle or two and give it a try, you just might become a convert.

See Also: 8 Brilliant Trader Joe’s Shopping Tips (Shop Smart and Save)

3. Wine

While the 2-buck Chuck still does well in taste tests, the one bottle that employees rave about is the Tribunal red blend for $9.99.

The ten dollar price tag keeps it from being in most wine racks, but apparently it’s a real show stopper.

4. Frozen Meals

A few employee favorites include the Mac & Cheese Bites, Quattro Formaggio Pizza, and their Mandarin Orange chicken.

Keep an eye out for free samples of all 3 so you can give them a try without having to buy.

5. Coffee

According to an employee, “Our coffee is inexpensive compared to most other places. We have so many coffee options, there’s something for everyone in our tiny little coffee section. We’ve got the spicier coffees, the nuttier coffees, and there’s usually an affordable alternative to each one.”

6. Five Seed Almond Bars

Because the name makes it sound like something you’d feed your hamster, the Five Seed Almond Bar gets very little love.

But according to employees it’s off the hook delicious.

Best explained as a very fresh tasting and chewy Nature Valley bar, they’re universally loved by all those brave enough to make the plunge.

7. Bananas

At $0.19 per banana, the price at Trader Joe’s hasn’t changed in over a decade.

At the grocery store, you’re paying per pound for bananas which of course includes the peel. Unless you’re a goat, you ain’t eatin’ the peel, so why pay for it?

8. Cage-Free Eggs

Cage-free eggs are about $2.70/dozen at your typical grocery store….at Trader Joe’s you’ll only pay $1.99/dozen for cage-free eggs.

Or you can just do what I do and raise you’re own laying hens.

See Also: The Best Buying Guide to Learn How to “Time” Purchases to Save

9. Scandinavian Swimmers

If you love Swedish Fish candy, you’ll really love Trader Joe’s alternative named Scandinavian Swimmers.

Apparently there a little less sweet than Swedish Fish and you can get a HUGE bag for only $2.99.

Bonus Tip: Specialty Cheeses

I had several employees tell me that their specialty cheeses and a GREAT deal, up to 40% cheaper than Whole Foods.

Think smoked cheddar, gouda, creamy toscano, port salut, havarti, and brie to name a few. Both delicious and CHEAP.

Ask the Reader: What say you? What are some of your favorite buys at Trader Joe’s? Let me know in the comments.

By Kyle James

Photo by Liz West.

Sure Walmart’s everyday price is fairly low, but why not try to save even more. In this vain, I found some great tips directly from a current Walmart employee talking about how to find Walmart clearance deals when shopping in-store. We are talking like next-level stuff here and tips that you can start using TODAY to save big at Walmart. Hint: Stop looking on the clearance shelves. Here is what you need to know…

Find “Hidden” Walmart Clearance Deals

STOP looking for good clearance deals in the actual clearance section, it’s mostly “unwanted or crappy” items.

From Reddit user blong217, a current Walmart employee, “Most marked down, high end electronics are held in cabinets near or under their respective items”.

The employee went on to explain that most reduced items are not displayed and rarely have price tags.

They didn’t explain why, but it’s pretty obvious that Walmart does this for security reasons as marked-down, high-end electronics are highly targeted items for shoplifters.

So Off I Go To Walmart To Test This Out…

So I walked into my local Walmart to see if this clearance tip held true or if it was a bunch of baloney.

I head straight for the electronics section and was surprised to see that the “clearance” section was filled with little of value, both in terms of selection and savings.

So I then turned my focus to the cabinet cases and the items “hidden” below the full-retail stuff.

To my amazement, there were many items which had NO noticeable price tag.

I then asked the employee working the department, “What’s the deal with these items buried down low?”

She told me they’re “excess inventory items”.

I then asked if any are clearance items, and she told me “Yes, many are”.

I asked if I could take a look and was blown away with some of the deals I found.

For example, I saw Samsung tablets, Western Digital external hard drives, and even a JBL Bluetooth speaker.

After some quick research on my smartphone, many of the prices were 20-30% LESS than prices on Amazon and Best Buy.

Sure, you’ll have to ask for assistance for this tip to work, and the employee might have to do a price-check on an item, but it’s totally worth the extra effort.

See Also: Wondering When Walmart Restocks? Here’s Everything We Know

Bonus Tip #1 – Success Increases at End of Season

Every January, new electronics are released in coordination with CES show in Vegas.

This makes February and March a great time to look for “hidden” clearance deals as Walmart tries to move out older models.

Besides February and March, your best bet is to keep an eye out in May and October when Walmart tends to rotate stock for the Summer and Winter season.

Bonus Tip #2 – Wait if Inventory is High

The Walmart employee also gave the great tip of waiting if inventory levels are high in the clearance section.

Specifically, “If you see an item that’s a great price, but there are ten more, wait to buy”.

This means the item is NOT selling well and will typically keep getting marked down the following week.

Be patient and score a GREAT deal.

Ask the Reader: How do you find clearance deals at Walmart? Let me know your best tip in the comments.

By Kyle James

Whether you’re doing a large home improvement project, buying sports uniforms, or maybe stocking an office with technology and furniture, there’s bound to be a time when you can take advantage of a retailer’s “quantity discount” program. But often these bulk buying programs are a bit of a mystery and not openly advertised. Because of this, I’ve gone ahead and done the research and found a bunch of quantity discount programs that you can hopefully take advantage of.

The Retailers that Offer Quantity Discounts:

Best Buy

A Best Buy Advantage Account can be a great way to get quantity discounts for your business.

An account will get you access to your own account manager who can assist you with “sourcing difficult-to-find items or technology to high-volume pricing and ordering, we provide the products and services you need to succeed.”

Cabela’s

The Volume Discounts available at Cabela’s are fairly generous.

The discount amount is on a sliding schedule depending on how much you spend annually and starts at no more than 10% off your retail purchase.

Costco

Available to all Costco members, their Volume Sales Department can easily save you 10% or more if you’re making a minimum order of at least $10,000.

Find all the details here including how to make a volume sales request.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

When buying uniforms and equipment for teams, schools, and community events, be sure to look into Volume Discounts at Dick’s.

You can also call them directly at 1-800-589-0487.

Home Depot

The Home Depot has a quantity discount program they coin Volume Pricing Discounts and it’s worth a look if you’re doing a DIY project and buying a lot of stuff.

Basically, you assemble your project list and if your total adds up to at least $2500, you’ll probably qualify for a volume discount.

Talk to a Home Depot Pro associate at the Pro Desk and request a quote to see how much you can save.

Lands’ End

Via the Business Outfitters department at Lands’ End, you can get a quantity discount up to 12% off your total order.

They also frequently offer free logo embroidery and free shipping on corporate orders so keep an eye out for those too.

L.L.Bean

The L.L.Bean direct to business program offers some of the best quantity discounts in the industry.

If you order over $750, you get a 10% discount. Order over $1,500 and get 15% off. And if you order over $3,000, you get a fantastic 20% discount.

Lowe’s

Lowe’s offers 2 ways to get a quantity discount: Lowe’s Contractor Packs and Volume Discount Pricing.

Contractor Packs get you discounts on items you might need in bulk. Things like nails, caulk, screws, and coaxial cable.

To learn more about Contractor Packs, contact a ProServices Specialist at your local Lowe’s, or look for the yellow-and-black Contractor Packs label on in-stock products and materials.

Unlike their Contractor Pack bundles, their Volume Discount Pricing is good on any item they have in stock in-store, as long as you meet the minimum purchase requirement of $2,500. Just  stop by the Lowe’s ProServices desk before you check out and request a customized quote.

Sam’s Club

They offer what they term, Pallet Quantity Items, which can save you substantial money on items like stacking chairs, dining chairs, office copy paper, office tables, bottled water, folding tables, sports drinks, gift baskets and office chairs.

Great program if you’re stocking a new small business.

See’s Candies

See’s has specific brick & mortar retail locations which offer quantity discounts. To see a full list of such stores Click Here.

Staples

While not advertised openly, Staples does indeed offer quantity discounts. From their website, “Buy in large quantities and you can save even more.

Simply call 1–800–315–2724 to see if you qualify for a volume discount.” You can also fax your bid proposal to 1–877–638–6779, or mail your proposal to: Staples Business Delivery, Attention: Large Quantity Group, P.O Box 9253, Framingham, MA 01701.

Tractor Supply Company

From their website, “Tractor Supply Co. offers volume discounts on agricultural, pet and livestock supplies, maintenance, clothing, fencing and more! Individuals, municipalities, organizations, farmers, fleet operators, pet agencies all can benefit.”

It appears the average discount is in the 10% off range, making it a no-brainer if you need to buy products in bulk.

Walmart

They have a little-known online “Bulk Buys” section that offers some pretty substantial quantity discounts.

A few of their popular categories include kitchen items, travel accessories, dining items, and fan shop.

Ask the Reader: Any national retailers that offer quantity discounts that I might have missed? Let me know in the comments and I’ll look into it. Thanks.

By Kyle James

Photo by Martin Pettitt.