Why I Allow Myself to Make Impulse Buys Every Time I Shop at Trader Joe’s

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It’s a practice I’m more than okay with. 

I don’t happen to have a Trader Joe’s supermarket in close proximity to my home. Rather, the nearest one is a good 30-minute drive away. That’s why I only tend to visit Trader Joe’s once a month — I don’t have the time in my schedule to go food shopping so far away on a weekly basis.

When I do pay a visit to Trader Joe’s, it’s often to stock up on items I can only find there — things like a specific type of veggie burger and the crackers I find myself snacking on frequently between meals. And I try to set a budget when shopping at Trader Joe’s so I don’t wind up with an excessively large credit card tab.

But it never fails. Pretty much every time I set foot in Trader Joe’s, I wind up making an unplanned purchase. That’s not a problem, though. In fact, it’s something I’m fine with.

When you actually plan for the unplanned

One of the great things about Trader Joe’s is that it tends to introduce new products on a rotating or seasonal basis. Sometimes, those new products stick around for the long haul. Other times, you’ll find them for a number of weeks before they disappear off of shelves for the rest of the year or, in some cases, forever.

But either way, since Trader Joe’s is constantly unveiling new items, I often find myself scooping up products I didn’t know existed. Only those purchases don’t put me in a financial bind, because I actually plan for them.

I know full well that I’m going to be tempted to try out new products at Trader Joe’s. So I work those impulse purchases into my grocery budget. What I’ll do is limit the non-essential grocery purchases I make at other stores so I have more room in my budget for “fun food purchases” at stores like Trader Joe’s and Costco (which also sometimes surprises me with new products on its shelves, especially during the holidays).

It’s all about enjoying the experience

Shopping at my main supermarket isn’t really all that fun. I tend to run in, scoop up a bunch of essentials, and get out. And while my Costco runs tend to be more entertaining (due to the “what will they introduce this week?” factor), even those can get a little monotonous, since I tend to mostly stick to the same list of milk, fruits, and vegetables.

But shopping at Trader Joe’s is a different experience — and one I look forward to every month. That’s why it makes sense for me to carve out room in my budget for impulse buys. The snacks and pantry items I bring home from Trader Joe’s make me happy and, frankly, make it so I’m not munching on the same old goodies night after night.

Granted, I’m not the type of person to complain about eating peanut butter cups 46 nights in a row. But if I can mix things up with some Trader Joe’s almond butter cups, why not?

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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