Thanksgiving 2025 is just around the corner (November 27) with some good news for some who celebrate. After years of surging food prices, the classic holiday feast — at least on paper — costs a little less this year.

The latest American Farm Bureau (AFB) Federation survey puts the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people at $55.18. That’s down about 5% from 2024.

But as anyone wandering the grocery aisles can tell you, the dip in prices hasn’t solved the challenges of local taxes, inflation on side dishes, or the hunt for a meal deal that matches last year’s value.​ Here’s more to know as you plan your celebration.

Thanksgiving meal deals

From rising food prices to state grocery taxes and tariffs, many factors are influencing this year’s feast and how retailers are responding.

Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal returns for under $40 (less than $4 per person based on a 10-person gathering). That includes turkey, several sides and dessert.

“We know every dollar and minute counts — which is why we are offering a low-priced, one-click Thanksgiving Meal Basket featuring iconic brands like Butterball and Stove Top alongside trusted Walmart private brand items,” Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner stated in a release.

As CNN reports, this year’s kit includes fewer items and more “Great Value” Walmart store brand items than last year's bundle.

Target advertises a $20 Thanksgiving meal deal kit for four, while Aldi touts deals that bring the per-person price even lower to $4 per person, which the chain notes in a press release, is “less than a pumpkin spice latte.”

Note: According to Aldi: The meal deal “includes 21 total products and ingredients to dish out a 14-pound turkey, rolls, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. Items that are part of the meal are purchased individually.”

Some meal deals might come with caveats. This year’s lowest-priced bundles might include fewer fresh vegetables and substitutions for pricier favorites.

On the bright side, the AFB notes that this year, “a 16-pound turkey only accounts for 39% of the cost of a 10-person Thanksgiving dinner.” (That’s Turkey’s lowest share since 2000.)

• Meanwhile, such side dishes as cranberry sauce and some name-brand rolls have reportedly jumped more than 40% in some markets, even as prices on frozen veggies decreased.
• The Farm Bureau says, “price increases for fresh produce and key baking ingredients reflect higher costs throughout the supply chain.”

In its latest report, the AFB explains:

“Items like fresh vegetables and sweet potatoes posted some of the most notable increases. A veggie tray is up more than 61% and sweet potatoes are up 37%. Natural disasters contributed to these higher costs. North Carolina, which produces more than half of the nation’s sweet potatoes, experienced hurricane damage that reduced yields and tightened supplies ahead of the holiday.”

Grocery taxes: Where you shop matters

State sales taxes also play a significant role in the real price of Thanksgiving dinner. As of late 2025, 13 states still impose some form of sales tax on groceries.

In Alabama and Mississippi, for instance, families can face effective sales tax rates as high as 9% on grocery staples, adding up to $5 to a typical dinner basket.

• Kansas stands out for eliminating its grocery food tax as of January 1, 2025. This means a shopper there pays just the shelf price on food and food ingredients.
• In some places, prepared foods can carry an additional local or “meals tax,” as seen in Louisiana and Virginia.

Check your state’s tax policy on food and groceries. Even small taxes can make that store-bought Thanksgiving bundle pricier than advertised, depending on where you live.

What about tariffs?

Adding to these challenges, President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs have impacted several food categories, especially those with more extensive packaging. Examples include canned vegetables, which can be more expensive due to steel and aluminum tariffs.

The Trump administration recently announced tariff rollbacks on such goods as coffee, tropical fruits and certain spices. However, many of those items aren’t traditional Thanksgiving staples.

For SNAP recipients and many working families, the checkout experience is still challenging. New federal rules and delayed benefits due to the recent government shutdown have left some with less to spend — even as food costs stabilize a bit.

Why is Thanksgiving so late this year?

Meanwhile, another question on some people’s minds involves this year's late Thanksgiving date.

Thanksgiving 2025 falls on Thursday, November 27, the latest possible date for the holiday this year.

Since Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, a tradition established by Congress in 1941, and November began on a Friday, the 2025 holiday falls near the end of the month.

This late Thanksgiving creates a shorter holiday season, with less than four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Thanksgiving 2025: Bottom line

The story for 2025: The cost of Thanksgiving dinner has ticked down a little, but the actual number on your receipt doesn’t just depend on what you buy or where you shop. It can also be impacted by a web of sales taxes and tariffs.

If you’re in a state that has eliminated or lowered its grocery tax or you find a great holiday meal deal, you might see some relief at the checkout. But as always, pay attention to the fine print in your area to savor the smartest savings.

Read More

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It all started 16 years and $50,000 ago. I needed an excuse to get my infant daughter to sleep and couldn’t admit complete failure by driving around aimlessly.

I strapped her into the car seat, hopped in the SUV, and hit the Starbucks drive-through. I'm a new mom — who doesn't need caffeine — and if she falls asleep ...

She was conked out by the time I had my drink in hand, and I spent the rest of her nap in the driveway, working in my car.

That morning ritual quickly turned into morning plus afternoon nap/Starbucks runs, and before I knew it, I had two kids in high school and was still going to Starbucks twice a day.

It didn’t matter that Starbucks was 10 minutes away from my house, that sometimes the drive-through line would take 20 or more minutes, and that even when I switched to the mobile app, they would get my order wrong more times than I care to admit. Starbucks was part of life, my routine, whether it was a workday or a holiday.

Then it wasn’t.

One day, I'd had enough. The order was wrong, and I waited too long to have it corrected. I was left frustrated and angry, and couldn’t understand why. I had been going to the same Starbucks for 16 years, and no matter how they treated me, how many times they got it wrong, I kept coming back. I was mad, hurt, and so done.

I did what any respectable woman scorned does: I broke up with Starbucks and never looked back.

All this drama got me thinking about the tons of money I’ve spent through the years at Starbucks and if it would have been better to have invested that money in a tax-advantaged retirement account, such as a 401(k), where it could have grown and compounded.

The answer might surprise you, but first, let's look at the numbers.

How much did my Starbucks habit really cost?

Before we break down my Starbucks spending in this judgment-free zone, full disclosure: This is a conservative number.

This only covers my caffeine habit and doesn’t include cookies, cake pops or any other treats for the family that Starbucks sells.

My drink: Trenta Black Iced Tea, no Lemonade (they always got that wrong), two Equals.

Price per drink: $4.83

Total per day: $9.66

Per week: $67.62

Per month: $270.48

Per year: $3,245.76

16 years: $51,932.16

Rounding it to $50,000, and assuming the money was invested in the S&P 500 over those 16 years, at a conservative annual return of 6.5%, Samantha Grupe, a financial adviser at Prudential Financial, said I would today have $88,000, a $38,000 gain.

Wait, what?!?!

I was ready to learn that I would have been a millionaire if I hadn’t bought Starbucks twice a day. I wanted to scream to the heavens that the reason I didn’t have a zillion dollars in my 401(k) was because of Starbucks, but in reality, it was the reason I didn't have an additional $38,000.

That’s not to say $38,000 isn’t a lot; it just wasn’t as much as I was expecting. All of a sudden, the Starbucks drinks, at least one of them per day, were falling into the "I earned this" category, instead of the "wasteful spending" category.

Money and feelings are intertwined

That’s the thing: When it comes to these everyday purchases, how it makes us feel can be as important as how much it costs.

“The point of working is to make money to do things we like," says David Blanchett, head of retirement research at Prudential. "It’s obviously important to manage those expenses, but in my experience, it’s not usually a Starbucks habit that’s going to put someone behind, it’s other larger expenses.”

Is $60 a week a lot to spend on iced tea? Not necessarily. Not if you're cutting back elsewhere and if it's bringing you joy and value. If it isn't fulfilling that purpose, that's where it gets dicey.

My first Trenta of the day fit the bill. But my second Trenta? Not so much. I didn’t need that caffeine jolt. Often it gave me a headache, made me nauseous, and I knew it was the main reason I couldn’t stay asleep at night. There were many days I barely touched it, basically throwing away $4.83, yet there I was every afternoon, buying it again.

There was no value in going a second time per day after my daughter outgrew nap time at 2½. I should have dropped the habit then, but I didn't.

It comes down to figuring out which little purchases are good for you and which ones aren't, and making sure they're all within your budget.

“I do think it’s possible for the little things to be too much for some people, but it’s not typically just going to be one thing; it’s going to be lots of little or medium things that end up putting someone behind,” said Blanchett.

I'm still Starbucks free

It's been more than 15 days since I spent my last dollar at Starbucks, and I’ve saved $144.90. The first few days were rough. I had headaches and broke out in sweats, but after that, I was fine. I haven't really craved my Trenta Black Iced Tea, unsweetened with two Equal ( I had to write it).

I miss it from time to time, but not enough to break my resolve. As for my new riches, I haven't noticed a difference in my budget either, which goes to Blanchett's point, but maybe I will when it comes time to pay the mortgage.

The one thing this has taught me is that you can break any habit, no matter how long you've had it, if you put your mind to it. If you think you're losing the opportunity for hundreds of thousands or even a million dollars (even if you aren’t), it's a whole lot easier.

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If you’re a coffee lover, it’s likely you’ve been counting down to the return of Starbucks’ iconic Red Cup Day, the unofficial kickoff to the holiday sipping season.

The good news is that it’s coming sooner than expected this year, and there are a few new perks and surprises brewing behind the scenes.

Whether you’re loyal to the Peppermint Mocha, can’t get enough of the Caramel Brulée Latte, or simply want to snag the coveted reusable red holiday cup, this one-day event is not to be missed.

What is Red Cup Day?

Starbucks Red Cup Day is a fan-favorite annual event where customers receive a free, limited-edition reusable holiday cup with the purchase of a handcrafted holiday beverage. The offer is valid in stores while supplies last, and these collectible cups often go quickly.

The promotion began in 2018 and has since become a seasonal tradition, drawing long lines and early morning visits from customers eager to enjoy their favorite winter drinks with a festive twist.

While the red cups change designs each year, the goal remains the same: bring some cheer to your cup while encouraging the use of reusable drinkware.

When is Red Cup Day in 2025?

Mark your calendar: Red Cup Day 2025 falls on Thursday, November 13.

That’s one day earlier than last year’s event and a full two weeks ahead of Thanksgiving. This decision definitely positions Starbucks to get a head start on the busy holiday shopping season.

The earlier launch aligns with broader retail trends we’ve seen over the past few years, as brands compete to capture consumers’ attention (and wallets) ahead of Black Friday.

To participate, customers simply need to order a handcrafted holiday beverage, hot, iced, or blended in any size, and they’ll receive this year’s reusable red cup at no additional cost, while supplies last.

What’s on the Starbucks holiday menu?

The return of Red Cup Day also signals the full rollout of Starbucks’ holiday menu. Fan favorites are back, including:

• Peppermint Mocha
• Caramel Brulée Latte
• Iced Sugar Cookie Latte
• Iced Gingerbread Chai

The Chestnut Praline Latte and fan-favorite Eggnog Latte will return later in the season.

You’ll also find a festive lineup of seasonal bakery items, such as the Polar Bear Cake Pop, new Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread, and returning Snowman Cookie, Cranberry Bliss Bear and Sugar Plum Cheese Danish.

In addition to the returning stars, Starbucks has hinted at new twists on old favorites and potential exclusive merchandise drops tied to the red cup launch. The 2025 red cup design is said to feature a bold “modern nostalgia” theme, balancing tradition with a fresh look, but Starbucks is keeping full design details under wraps until the official release.

More than just a cup

Beyond the eye-catching holiday design, this year’s red cup rollout comes with a deeper push toward sustainability and digital convenience.

Starbucks continues its effort to reduce single-use cup waste and promote reusable drinkware. Last year, the red holiday cup qualified for the chain’s 10-cent discount and 25 bonus Stars in the Starbucks Rewards program when used on future orders. Hopefully, the same discount (or an even better one) will apply again this year.

Customers using the Starbucks app can now opt to bring in their own reusable cup and still order ahead which is a move that removes one of the biggest barriers to reuse.

Behind the scenes: Staffing and seasonal support

Red Cup Day is one of the busiest days of the year for Starbucks, and the company has taken steps to prepare accordingly.

In recent years, Starbucks has responded to employee feedback by boosting staffing levels, improving training programs and investing in wage increases and scheduling flexibility for baristas.

Ahead of the holiday season, the company shared that it is investing in seasonal employees nationwide and prioritizing appropriate staffing for the day of the event. This is part of a broader strategy to improve customer wait times and maintain high service levels during peak hours.

These efforts come on the heels of continued labor discussions and unionization efforts at some Starbucks locations. While the Red Cup Day promotion is primarily a consumer-facing campaign, it also highlights the tightrope Starbucks walks between meeting high seasonal demand and supporting its frontline workers.

Tips for scoring your free red holiday cup

Want to make sure you don’t miss out? Here are a few tips to help you snag your red cup:

• Go early. Cups are first come, first served and tend to run out by mid-morning at busy locations.
• Use the app. Order ahead on the Starbucks app to beat the line, but double-check that your store is participating.
• Know what qualifies. Only handcrafted holiday drinks (hot, iced, or blended) are eligible (brewed coffee and bottled beverages don’t count).
• Keep the cup. Bring it back for future visits to earn rewards and save on your drink.

Red Cup Day is more than just a freebie. It’s become a cultural moment for coffee lovers and a clever way for Starbucks to usher in the holiday season. With its earlier-than-ever launch date, expanded digital features, and commitment to sustainability, Red Cup Day offers something for loyal fans and first-timers alike.

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Before the air has even cooled in many places and tree leaves have yet to fall, Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) has once again returned to signal the unofficial start of autumn.

Since its debut more than 20 years ago, the PSL has become beloved by many fall enthusiasts worldwide. Starbucks reports that hundreds of millions of PSLs have been sold, making it the company’s most popular seasonal beverage.

This year, Starbucks officially launched its fall menu on August 26, 2025, marking an early start to the season, catering to eager pumpkin spice lovers.

However, some consumers feel that the price tag of their favorite fall beverage has steadily increased. In recent years, that concern has given rise to talk of a so-called “pumpkin spice tax.”

But is that pumpkin price premium real? And what happens with Trump tariffs in the mix? Here’s more to know.

Pumpkin spice latte: Starbucks fall menu 2025

Despite inflation pressures and looming tariffs, the 2025 Starbucks fall menu launched without a PSL price increase compared to last year.

A Grande PSL is priced between $5.75 and $7.25 in U.S. company-operated stores. (Note: Prices for Starbucks items can vary by region and individual store location.)

But last year, LendingTree found that "on average, pumpkin-flavored products cost 7.4% more than their nonpumpkin alternatives."

This year's "Pumpkin Premium" report by Empower finds that 44% of those surveyed believe tariffs and inflation are making pumpkin-flavored items cost more. About "39% say the 'pumpkin spice tax' or the premium price on seasonal items is real."

But according to the research, more than half (54%) of those surveyed said "buying these products is something they look forward to every fall."

About one in three shoppers said they were willing to pay more to enjoy the seasonal flavor, spending on average $32 per month on pumpkin spice items during autumn, with millennials doubling that amount at $64.

So, what about the “pumpkin spice tax”?

• The pumpkin spice tax isn’t a literal tax. It’s essentially a nickname for the small premium consumers pay for pumpkin-flavored goods each fall.
• What contributes to the premium? Wholesale pumpkin prices fluctuate seasonally but typically range from $0.30 to $0.60 per pound, which is more costly than synthetic flavorings.

Also, Starbucks reportedly uses real pumpkin puree in its PSL recipe, which is made from kabocha squash. That and the drink’s perennial popularity likely factor into the price consumers pay.

What is a pecan cortado from Starbucks?

Starbucks’ 2025 fall menu also includes a new pumpkin-inspired drink called the Pecan Oatmilk Cortado, along with returning favorites like the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, and Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte.

On its website, the coffee company describes the Pecan Oatmilk Cortado as a combination of "three shots Starbucks Blonde Espresso with notes of pecan, rich brown butter, and holiday baking spices and steamed oatmilk...then sprinkled with a pecan crunch topping and served hot in an 8-ounce cup."

It’s also worth noting that the pumpkin spice tax notion extends beyond Starbucks.

Retailers like Dunkin’, Dutch Bros, and 7-Eleven cater to the pumpkin-flavored trend. The prices of their products are sometimes in a similar range, contributing to the overall seasonal cost premium that consumers experience with fall coffee.

So while pumpkin spice lovers might grumble about paying a premium for their seasonal fix, the “pumpkin spice tax” is mostly a reflection of seasonal demand and ingredient costs.

Will Trump tariffs drive up coffee prices?

But...coffee prices are expected to be pushed higher partly due to President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. That’s in large part because, since August 6, 2025, Brazil, the largest coffee exporter to the U.S., has faced a 50% tariff, adding significantly to the cost of imports.

That tariff increase comes alongside existing challenges, like drought and global demand, which, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, have already driven prices up by about 11% year-over-year as of May 2025.

Some analysts warn that these costs will likely be passed on to consumers.

So pumpkin spice aside, the combination of tariffs and supply pressures means your favorite brew could soon feel pricier at the checkout this year. Stay tuned.

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The Trump administration is expanding work requirements for food stamp beneficiaries, and the new rules could leave some vulnerable households at risk of going hungry.

The recently passed tax cuts and spending legislation includes a provision that eliminates work exemptions for veterans receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the federal food assistance program previously known as food stamps.

Under Trump's new tax legislation, able-bodied adults ages 18 to 64 must work, participate in job training, or volunteer at least 80 hours a month to be eligible for benefits — that includes veterans. Only those who are pregnant or disabled would remain exempt. This rule change might start as soon as 2026.

This is troubling, given that the majority of the 1.2 million veterans in SNAP households are under 65, don't have a disability, and don't live with children, as reported by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).

Critics argue that the newly expanded work requirements could cause millions to lose food stamps. That includes thousands of veterans and their families, since many vets struggle to transition to civilian jobs after their service.

“Millions of Americans will be at risk of going hungry — including a significant number of military and veteran families,” a coalition of military and veteran organizations wrote in a letter (PDF) urging Congress to reject provisions that would “leave behind” Veterans with low income.

Here’s what you need to know about how the new SNAP requirements are changing under President Donald Trump’s new 2025 tax law.

New SNAP work requirements impact veterans

Trump’s new tax legislation reshapes the eligibility standards for the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, and it could hit close to home.

More than 40 million families with low incomes rely on SNAP (formerly known as "food stamps") to put food on the table each month. That’s one in eight people, including one in five children across the country.

The so-called ‘big beautiful bill’ proposes significant changes to the life-saving food assistance program. To fund tax cuts, the bill slashes federal SNAP funding by nearly $187 billion in the next decade — the largest cut in the program’s history.

The new legislation also requires states to contribute to the federal benefit program's costs and expands work requirements for eligibility.

Trump’s expanded work requirements will soon impact all SNAP beneficiaries, including Veterans.

• Currently, able-bodied SNAP recipients ages 18 to 54, without dependents or disabilities, are required to work, volunteer or attend training for 80 hours per month to receive benefits. Veterans are exempt from those rules.
• The new law requires able-bodied adults ages 55 to 64 to work to receive food stamps. This rule change is expected to take effect as soon as 2026.
• Under Trump’s tax legislation, veterans, youth aging out of foster care, and individuals experiencing homelessness will no longer be exempt from work requirements. This rule might also begin as soon as 2026.
• Only pregnant individuals or those with a proven disability are exempt from work requirements.

Critics of the measure characterized Trump’s provisions to SNAP as “cruel and harmful,” indicating that expanded work requirements will deny thousands from claiming benefits.

Current work exemptions for veterans, unhoused individuals, and youth aging out of foster programs enable as many as 400,000 people to access SNAP, according to the CBPP.

Millions of veterans rely on food stamps

Trump’s new tax rules are expected to impact approximately 1.2 million Veterans who currently rely on food benefits to afford meals for themselves and their families.

That’s about 8% of the total veteran population of 16.2 million that will eventually be required to work at least 80 hours a month (at least 20 hours a week) to be considered eligible for SNAP benefits.

The problem is that many veterans face unique challenges seeking employment. Lack of work experience beyond military service, discrimination from employers, or other health conditions can make it difficult to maintain a job, according to an analysis from the CBPP.

Some veterans are only offered low-paying jobs or are underemployed, which often leads to other hardships like homelessness. That makes key programs such as SNAP essential for these households.

Rolling back working exemptions for Veterans will likely do more harm than good, particularly in states with a high volume of vets.

• California has the highest number of veterans participating in SNAP: 115,000.
• Florida and Texas have as many as 99,000 Veterans who claim food stamps.
• Oregon and Washington, D.C., have the highest share of veteran participation in SNAP, at 14%.
• That’s followed by Louisiana, New Mexico and West Virginia, with 11%.

Food stamps for veterans: What’s next

If you are a non-disabled veteran under age of 65 who receives SNAP benefits, keep in mind that soon you will be required to work at least 20 hours a week (80 hours a month) to maintain eligibility for food assistance. These changes might begin as soon as next year.

If you're pregnant or have a reported disability, you’ll be exempt from work requirements.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs might be able to assist you with resources to find work that matches your skillset. There are also other community support groups, such as Hire Heroes USA that can help you seek private-sector jobs.

Stay tuned for more information as we cover how Trump’s new work requirements for SNAP may impact different households.

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It’s hard to beat the satisfaction of getting something valuable — or just plain fun — without paying a cent for it.

Take learning a new skill, for example. Online learning platform Coursera offers a host of free courses.

Recently, for example, you could take a free beginner-level course on financial markets from Yale economist Robert Shiller or on computer programming with Princeton instructors Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne. EdX also offers free online courses.

Want to become handier around the house? Home Depot has free webcasts on topics such as removing and installing carpet or replacing light fixtures. Because the workshops are streamed live, you can ask the instructors questions.

Your kids can get in on the fun, too. Home Depot and Lowe’s both offer free monthly in-store building workshops for children.

During the workshops — which are usually on the first Saturday of the month at Home Depot and on the third Saturday of the month at Lowe’s — children make crafts ranging from model airplanes to miniature fire stations.

Get birthday and holiday treats

Some retailers and restaurant chains give you a complimentary item for your birthday if you’re a member of their rewards program (but check the rules — you may have to make a purchase of a certain amount before you can redeem the birthday offer).

To name a few: IHOP provides a free stack of pancakes, Panera Bread offers a pastry, and Ulta Beauty lets you choose a small cosmetic item. Budgeting website The Penny Hoarder lists more than 100 places that offer birthday freebies.

You can also find free items from restaurants on food “holidays” throughout the year.

For example, on National Ice Cream Day, which takes place on the third Sunday in July, vendors including Dairy Queen and Dippin’ Dots have offered complimentary treats. Watch for promotions on restaurants’ websites and apps.

Find more goodies

The website FreeStuffFinder.com is a catch-all resource for discounts, coupons and free offers on a variety of products, services and events.

Its “Free Stuff” page recently included information on the summer Kids Bowl Free program — through which more than 1,500 bowling alleys nationwide allow children two free daily games — and a state-by-state listing of days that you can go fishing without purchasing a license, among many other freebies.

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.

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Food-focused trips are definitely a thing, and James Beard Awards often flag the best spots that are worth the journey. By pairing a standout dining experience with local exploration, you get more than just a great meal — you get a deeper sense of place, culture, and community.

These five U.S. destinations are anchored by Beard-recognized restaurants. We’ve included quick tips on when to go, where to stay, and how to balance splurge-worthy dinners with delicious local finds.

1. New Orleans: Compère Lapin (Chef Nina Compton)

Chef Nina Compton’s Compère Lapin blends Caribbean heritage with Gulf Coast ingredients and French technique. This restaurant earned the 2018 James Beard Award for Best Chef: South. Diners enjoy dishes like curried goat or sweet potato gnocchi that reflect both St. Lucian roots and Louisiana’s bounty.

Located in the New Orleans Warehouse Arts District, Compère Lapin sits amid repurposed Victorian warehouses now hosting galleries, boutiques and bars. You can easily stroll from your hotel or guesthouse to the restaurant, then continue on foot for an art gallery crawl or craft-cocktail tasting.

The French Quarter and Central Business District are also within walking distance or a short ride-share, so you can mix fine dining with casual po’boys or café au lait and beignets at a neighborhood coffee shop.

Aim to visit this restaurant during late winter through early spring or fall to enjoy milder weather and fewer crowds.

2. Minneapolis: Spoon and Stable in the North Loop

Spoon and Stable, led by Chef Gavin Kaysen — James Beard Best Chef: Best Midwest Chef winner — showcases refined, French-inspired cooking. The menu emphasizes local ingredients, including fish from nearby waters and produce from regional farms.

Spoon and Stable occupies a converted horse stable, lending historic character. From there, you can walk to the Mississippi Riverfront trails, Mill City Museum, or hop a bike-share for a ride along St. Anthony Falls.

Summer and early fall are ideal for outdoor activities like farmers markets, riverfront parks and patio dining. During the winter, a cozy indoor meal at Spoon and Stable pairs well with a museum visit or a night at the theater.

3. Tucson: El Güero Canelo in America’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy

El Güero Canelo received a James Beard America’s Classics award in 2018 for its iconic Sonoran hot dog which is a bacon-wrapped dog with pinto beans, onions, tomato, jalapeño sauce in a bolillo-style bun.

Tucson’s 2015 designation as the first U.S. UNESCO City of Gastronomy underscores deep culinary traditions blending Indigenous, Mexican and frontier influences.

The original stand sits near central Tucson; while a car rental is handy for exploring wider areas, once you arrive, you can walk short distances to local markets, murals and historic Barrio Viejo. Beyond that, you can explore local tortillerias for fresh tortillas, regional salsas and sweets like churros or atole from neighborhood stands.

Visit in late fall through early spring to avoid extreme summer heat. Spring also brings wildflower blooms and outdoor events. Plan early-morning or evening outings to enjoy street-level dining comfortably.

4. Portland: Le Pigeon in East Burnside

Le Pigeon is home to, Chef Gabriel Rucker, a James Beard Best Chef: Northwest winner 2013 and Rising Star Chef 2011. This restaurant delivers adventurous French-inspired cuisine while also involving Pacific Northwest ingredients. Its intimate setting and inventive dishes compliment Portland’s reputation for culinary creativity.

Located just east of downtown on Burnside/Division, Le Pigeon sits amid a mix of dive bars, cafés, boutiques and craft breweries. It’s walkable to other Eastside eateries, Powell’s City of Books (a short ride or longer walk) and the Eastbank Esplanade for riverside strolls.

Summer and early fall let you pair dining with outdoor markets, food cart pods and day trips to the Columbia River Gorge.

A winter trip could bring rain but the lower lodging rates may be ideal if you don’t mind cozy indoor plans whether it’s museum visits, brewery tours and a reservation at Le Pigeon to warm up. Book well in advance due to small capacity.

5. Charleston: Bertha’s Kitchen in Union Heights

Bertha’s Kitchen earned a James Beard America’s Classics award in 2017 for its authentic Gullah cuisine like its fried chicken, okra stew, rice dishes which are rooted in African-American Lowcountry traditions. It offers a connection to the region's living culinary history, distinct from the elevated Southern fare in downtown.

The restaurant is situated north of downtown in Union Heights, where it’s best reached by car or rideshare. Once there, savor the warm, family-run atmosphere. Combine with a stay in the historic district downtown to walk iconic streets, the waterfront Battery and enjoy free walking tours.

Spring (March–May) and fall (September–November) bring pleasant weather, fewer crowds and events like Spoleto Festival USA. Summers can be hot and humid, so plan early-morning historic tours and midday indoor dining.

These five are just starting points. Cities evolve: new chefs rise, local scenes shift. Use these anchor restaurants as inspiration for future trips and keep an eye on James Beard announcements for emerging talents.

Embrace culinary tourism and let each award-winning meal guide you to a richer appreciation of culture, history and community wherever you travel.

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Shoppers nationwide will soon have more options for their grocery shopping with 41 Trader Joe’s stores opening in 2025. Known for its quirky culture and affordable prices, Trader Joe’s stores may be part of a chain, but they deliver an experience that feels more like stopping into a local family-owned store.

The stores are smaller than many other grocery stores and have no self-checkouts, making for a more intimate shopping experience that many shoppers prefer.

In fact, in a ranking of the best and worst grocery store chains, Trader Joe's made the top of the list for the best chain in the United States.

Update: As of September 4, 21 of the 41 announced Trader Joe’s stores have already opened, while the rest remain forthcoming with no opening dates announced yet.

Where are the new Trader Joe’s stores opening?

According to Trader Joe’s store locator, new stores are scheduled to open in these locations in 2025:

Alabama

• Hoover, Alabama: 1771 Montgomery Highway - Now Open

Arizona

• Goodyear, Arizona – Address coming soon

California

• Northridge, California: 9224 Reseda Boulevard - Now Open
• Sherman Oaks, California: 14140 Riverside Drive - Now Open
• Tarzana, California: 18700 Ventura Boulevard - Now Open
• Tracy, California: 2530 Naglee Road - Now Open
• Yucaipa, California: 31545 Yucaipa Boulevard - Now Open
• Costa Mesa, California – Address coming soon
• La Verne, California – Address coming soon

Colorado

• Westminster, Colorado: 9350 Sheridan Boulevard - Now Open

Connecticut

• Hamden, Connecticut – Address coming soon
• Shelton, Connecticut – Address coming soon

District of Columbia

• Washington, DC: 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW - Now Open
• Washington, DC: 701 Monroe Street NE - Now Open

Florida

• Melbourne, Florida – Address coming soon

Georgia

• Peachtree City, Georgia – Address coming soon

Louisiana

• New Orleans, Louisiana: 2501 Tulane Avenue - Now Open

Maryland

• Rockville, Maryland: 225 N Washington Street - Now Open

Massachusetts

• Boston, Massachusetts: 1999 Centre Street
• Newton, Massachusetts – Address coming soon

Missouri

• Columbia, Missouri – Address coming soon

New Jersey

• Iselin, New Jersey: 675 US-1

New York

• Glenmont, New York: 388 Feura Bush Road
• Miller Place, New York – Address coming soon
• Staten Island, New York: 6400 Amboy Road
• Williamsville, New York – Address coming soon

Oklahoma

• Broken Arrow, Oklahoma – Address coming soon
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: 6920 Northwest Expressway

Oregon

• Gresham, Oregon – Address coming soon

Pennsylvania

• Berwyn, Pennsylvania: 550 Lancaster Avenue
• Exton, Pennsylvania: 125 West Lincoln Highway

South Carolina

• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: 115 Sayebrook Parkway

Texas

• Kingwood, Texas – Address coming soon
• Bee Cave, Texas – Address coming soon
• McKinney (West), Texas – Address coming soon
• San Antonio, Texas: 117451-10 West

Utah

• Holladay, Utah – Address coming soon
• Ogden–Riverdale, Utah – Address coming soon

Virginia

• Virginia Beach, Virginia – Address coming soon

Washington

• Bellingham, Washington: 4255 Meridian Street - Now Open
• Lacey, Washington – Address coming soon

Visit the company’s announcements page for the most recent store openings and updates.

Where have new Trader Joe’s stores already opened?

The grocery chain’s expansion is already well underway. As of early September, Trader Joe’s has opened new locations across multiple states, including Alabama, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and the District of Columbia.

Several other locations are still in the works, with openings yet to be announced. These include stores planned for Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

While Trader Joe’s has confirmed the cities, specific opening dates and addresses have not yet been released.

What makes Trader Joe’s different?

If you don’t yet have a local store and haven't had the experience of shopping at Trader Joe’s, you may not yet be aware of why this national grocery store chain has developed such an enthusiastic following.

“Through our rewarding products and knowledgeable, friendly Crew Members, we have been transforming grocery shopping into a welcoming journey full of discovery and fun since 1967,” says the Trader Joe’s website.

Rather than stocking multiple brands of products, these stores feature only items under the Trader Joe’s brand. There are no sales, coupons, loyalty programs or membership cards to worry about, which makes shopping easy and straightforward.

Trader Joe’s is able to forego those money-saving specials because the company works to deliver consistently low prices through its unique approach. The company buys direct from suppliers when possible, and also buys in volume to ensure they get the best prices.

Additionally, while many other grocers charge suppliers fees for putting items on the shelf, resulting in higher prices, Trader Joe’s doesn’t follow this policy.

The result is a competitively-priced shopping experience that boosts customer trust and brand loyalty. But, with so many loyal Trader Joe’s shoppers, the stores are often crowded, making the addition of these new stores a welcome announcement for many shoppers.

Trader Joe’s expansion shows no signs of slowing down

If a location isn’t yet opening up near you, keep checking the Trader Joe’s website.

The fact that Trader Joe’s is opening new stores while so many other stores are cutting back on spending and closing locations indicates that the retailer is thriving.

Chances are, we may see even more new locations in the future.

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The latest dessert sensation at Costco is the Kirkland Signature Tiramisu Cheesecake, which was featured by the popular Instagram fan account @costcohotfinds just over a week ago. The post has already racked up more than 138,000 likes.

Likewise, The Sushi Guy, a self-described Costco fanatic, rated this bakery delight a 9.7/10, calling it “the second best dessert” at Costco — just behind his all-time favorite, the rich and indulgent Tuxedo Mousse Cake. That’s high praise for a cheesecake.

But it seems this isn’t any ordinary cheesecake, especially when it sells out minutes after reaching the shelves. And, similar to other fan favorites, like the Cake Shop’s 8” Round Carrot Cake or David’s Cookies Mile High Peanut Butter Cake, the tiramisu cheesecake comes in at a hefty 4.5 pounds.

Is Costco’s tiramisu cheesecake worth the price?

Besides the size, this bakery superstar is a riff on the sought-after Italian dessert — tiramisu — combined with cheesecake. However, there are no lady fingers and no Marsala wine, Fernet, rum, Cognac, brandy, or coffee liqueur, although it does have mascarpone and coffee.

You’d think at 4.5 pounds, this confectionery masterpiece would be expensive, and you’d be right. It’s $23.99, which is more costly than most other desserts found at the warehouse. Even so, if you consider it can serve 12, (that breaks down to about $2 per slice), it's a steal.

A closer look at Costco’s tiramisu cheesecake

In a review for The Kitchn, Mara Weinraub, Director of Groceries & Shopping, had high praise for the cheesecake. “The first two ingredients are cream cheese and mascarpone cream, so I knew right away this cheesecake would be rich,” she wrote.

The whipped topping — described as light, airy and almost cloudlike — offers just a hint of sweetness and coffee, thanks to the dusting of powder on top.

Weinraub noted there’s plenty of cold brew coffee flavor folded into the velvety, creamy filling, with the mascarpone adding richness and just a touch of tang. “If the warehouse sold this on its own in a container (à la Magnolia’s banana pudding), I’d gladly purchase and snack on it by the spoonful throughout the week,” she added.

As for the crust? It didn’t disappoint. Over a quarter-inch thick (yes, she measured), the buttery graham cracker base had “a bit of mocha-meets-burnt-caramel flavor” and helped balance the richness of the filling. Weinraub even said the cheesecake could easily stand in for a Costco birthday cake for those who aren't a fan of traditional cakes.

Yes, Costco has a bakery

When you visit a Costco warehouse, you will find a dedicated bakery section, usually at the back of the store, where members can pick up fresh bakery items during their regular shopping trips.

There, you’ll find an assortment of cakes and a wide selection of bread, including various bagels, rolls, loaves, specialty breads, croissants, muffins, danishes and cinnamon rolls.

However, not all Costco bakery items are made from scratch or even on-site. Many are delivered fresh daily from regional bakeries. If you have a special occasion coming up, you can also order a custom cake from Costco’s bakery — something to keep in mind before the next big birthday celebration.

What’s more, thanks to Costco's partnership with Instacart, you can order select bakery items and have them delivered to your door; the perfect addition to your morning coffee or after-dinner treat.

Is Costco’s tiramisu cheesecake worth trying?

If you're a fan of rich, creamy desserts with just a hint of coffee flavor, the Kirkland Signature Tiramisu Cheesecake might be worth a spot in your cart. At $23.99 for 4.5 pounds, it’s not the cheapest option in Costco’s bakery, but it does serve 12 — making it a reasonable pick for gatherings or special occasions.

With high marks from reviewers, it offers a nice balance of mascarpone, cold brew coffee and a mocha-flavored graham cracker crust. Just keep in mind, it tends to sell out quickly, so run (don’t walk) to your local Costco.

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​Your next trip to the grocery store may soon come with a higher price tag, as President Donald Trump's administration has implemented significant tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China. Effective March 4, these measures include a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico and a 20% tariff on Chinese imports.

These tariffs could have a noticeable impact on grocery prices in the near future, particularly because Mexico and Canada are two of America's largest suppliers of fresh produce, meat and beverages. In 2023, the U.S. imported over $45 billion in agricultural products from Mexico, with nearly three quarters consisting of fruits, vegetables, beer, tequila and other beverages, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Similarly, the U.S. imported about $40.5 billion in Canadian agricultural goods, including beef, pork, grains, potatoes and canola oil. A 25% tariff on these imports could drive up costs significantly, depending on how much of the burden businesses choose to pass along to consumers.​

Beyond individual grocery bills, the broader economic implications of these tariffs, such as potential retaliatory measures from trading partners and disruptions in supply chains, could affect the availability and pricing of various products.

What food the US gets from Mexico and Canada

​The United States relies heavily on Mexico and Canada for a substantial portion of its food supply, with these neighboring countries serving as key contributors to various agricultural sectors.

Mexico stands as the largest supplier of fruits and vegetables to the U.S., providing essential produce such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapeños, limes and mangos. Notably, approximately 81% of avocados consumed in the U.S. in 2024 originated from Mexico, according to USDA data. ​Canada also plays a pivotal role in supplying the U.S. with grains, livestock, meats and poultry.

In the beverage sector, both Mexico and Canada rank among the top four providers of alcohol to the United States. Mexico is the largest exporter of beer, with 18% of all beer consumed in America originating from Mexico, according to the Beer Institute.

However, the recent implementation of a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada by Trump's administration is poised to disrupt this equilibrium. Given that grocery retailers typically operate on thin profit margins, they may have limited capacity to absorb these increased costs, potentially passing them on to consumers.

The broader economic implications are also significant. The U.S. traditionally exports more agricultural goods than it imports; however, the value of imports has risen faster than that of exports over the past decade, according to the USDA. Factors such as climate change have increased U.S. reliance on countries like Mexico, where growing conditions are more favorable.

How soon will new tariffs impact grocery prices?

Despite the administration's assurances that these tariffs will not raise prices for consumers, industry leaders express concerns about imminent cost increases.​

Target CEO Brian Cornell highlighted the company's reliance on Mexican produce during winter months, indicating that the newly imposed 25% tariffs could necessitate price hikes on fruits and vegetables as early as this week. He stated in an interview with CNBC, "Those are categories where we'll try to protect pricing, but the consumer will likely see price increases over the next couple of days." ​

While the exact magnitude of price changes will depend on various factors, including how much of the increased costs retailers choose to pass on to consumers, it is reasonable to anticipate that products heavily reliant on imports from Mexico and Canada will see noticeable price hikes and limited availability in some cases. Consumers should be prepared for these adjustments as the market responds to the new trade policies.

How to save on groceries amid tariffs

​In light of potential increases in food prices, consumers can adopt several strategies to manage their grocery expenses effectively. Here are some practical tips to help you save on food:

Stock up on non-perishable items and buy in bulk

Purchasing non-perishable goods in bulk can lead to significant savings over time. Items such as canned goods, pasta, rice and grains have long shelf lives and are often more affordable when bought in larger quantities.

Memberships at warehouse clubs like Costco or Sam's Club can provide access to bulk purchasing options, allowing you to stock up on essentials at reduced prices.​

Grow your own produce and preserve seasonal foods

Starting a home garden allows you to cultivate fresh vegetables and herbs, reducing reliance on store bought produce. Even with limited space, container gardening can yield substantial results.

Preserving seasonal fruits and vegetables through methods like dehydrating or freeze drying ensures you have access to nutritious options year-round. Utilizing equipment such as dehydrators and freeze dryers can extend the shelf life of your garden's bounty.​

Plan meals and be flexible with ingredients

Creating a meal plan helps in organizing your shopping list and reduces impulse purchases. Being adaptable with recipes — such as substituting unavailable or expensive ingredients — can also keep costs down.

For example, if eggs are scarce or pricey, consider using alternatives like applesauce, mashed bananas or commercial egg replacers in your baking and cooking.

Shop at value retailers and local sources

Exploring discount grocery stores can uncover deals on everyday items. These stores offer quality products at lower prices, often through cost-cutting measures like private-label brands, streamlined store layouts and bulk purchasing.

Whether it's using tips and tricks at Aldi’s no-frills shopping experience, seeing Trader Joe’s curated selection of affordable specialty items, or making use of Walmart and BJ’s bulk savings, these stores provide great deals on everyday essentials without sacrificing quality. Even wealthy shoppers have been flocking to Walmart due to the deals.

Additionally, purchasing meat and produce directly from local farms can be economical and support local agriculture. Buying meat in bulk from local sources often results in lower per-pound costs and ensures fresher products.​

Maximize your credit card rewards

​Leveraging your credit card's cash-back incentives can be a strategic way to offset rising costs in groceries and dining out. Many credit cards offer rewards in these spending categories, allowing you to earn back a percentage of your purchases.

To fully benefit from such rewards programs, it's crucial to pay off your balance in full each month. Otherwise, accruing interest charges can negate the advantages gained from cash-back incentives.

For example, the American Express® Gold Card offers 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X) and up to $50,000 per year then 1x at restaurants worldwide.

Additionally, new cardholders can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. It’s important to note that this card has an annual fee of $325. See rates and fees.

Below are a few cards that can help you save on food costs:

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express can help you save at U.S. supermarkets by offering 6% cash back on the first $6,000 charged and 1% back after exceeding this limit. Cash back is received in the form of reward dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

If you spend $50 per week on groceries, you could earn $156 in annual cash back, according to The Points Guy. This excludes purchases at big-box retailers like Walmart and Costco.

American Express® Gold Card

If you spend big on groceries and dining, the American Express® Gold Card offers valuable rewards. You’ll earn 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 annually) and at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 annually). After reaching these limits, you'll earn 1 point per dollar.

These rewards can equate to up to 8% cash back based on their valuations.

Preparing for rising food costs and potential shortages

As new tariffs take effect, consumers should anticipate not only increased grocery prices but also potential shortages of certain imported goods. Implementing measures like bulk purchasing, meal planning, sourcing food locally, growing your own produce and maximizing credit card rewards can help mitigate rising costs and limited availability.

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This article only reviews select credit cards with dining-out and grocery store rewards. We may get compensation if you visit partner links on our site. We may not cover every available offer. Our relationship with advertisers may impact how an offer is presented on our website. However, our selection of products is made independently of our relationship to advertisers. Bonus offers and rates checked as of March 5, 2025.

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Thanksgiving is sneaking up, slowly but surely. Once it's here, dinner may not be the only thing on your mind, but it probably ranks high on your to-do list. Thankfully, Target has just announced that its Thanksgiving Meal is back, and it is better than ever at $5 less than last year. That means you can serve a family of four for only $20.  

That’s huge, especially when you consider that in August 2022, the rate of inflation for food stood at 11.4%, which was the highest since May 1979, per the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In October alone, the price of food jumped 5.3%. 

Thanks to Target, the $20 Thanksgiving meal includes everything you need for a traditional Thanksgiving feast for a family of four, which can easily be doubled to serve eight. 

The Target Thanksgiving Day Meal

• Good & Gather Premium Basted Young Turkey (Frozen) – up to 10 lb.
• Stove Top Turkey Stuffing Mix – 6 oz.
• Heinz Home Style Roasted Turkey Gravy – 12 oz.
• Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce – 14 oz.
• Good & Gather Russet Potatoes – 5 lb.
• Del Monte Cut Green Beans – 14.5 oz.
• Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup – 10.5 oz.

What’s more, from November 13-16, all Target Circle 360 program members can select one frozen pizza and redeem it for free at checkout when using same-day delivery. It’s just one more way Target is making it easier to prep for the holiday.

More ways to save at Target

Target is making the holidays even more affordable and festive by offering an array of side dishes, pies and desserts for under $5. Turkeys for just 79 cents per pound, or 20% lower per pound than last year. Plus, there are nearly 700 new food, beverage and entertaining items sure to elevate every celebration all season long.

"When it comes to our goal of celebrating food and beverage, big events like Thanksgiving — and smaller moments throughout the holiday season — are where Target shines the brightest," said Rick Gomez, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Target. "From lowering the price of our Thanksgiving dinner menu to just $20 to a range of hosting and gifting options and special Target Circle 360 offerings, we're serving up the kind of exceptional quality and value that sets Target apart."

More Thanksgiving and holiday entertaining options

Target is bringing even more value to Thanksgiving with meals, hosting and gifting options.

• Hosting and gift-giving options, which include fresh flowers, wines, Good & Gather charcuterie trays at just $11.99, desserts and more.
• Turkey at 79 cents per pound, 20% less per pound than last year.
• Side dishes like Good & Gather Cheddar Mac and Cranberry Goat Cheese, and desserts including Favorite Day apple and pumpkin pie for under $5.

Easy shopping

You can also save time and money this year with Target's price match guarantee, free Target Circle and paid Target Circle 360 membership, which includes unlimited same-day delivery with no delivery fees on orders over $35, free two-day shipping and extended returns. Have your Thanksgiving meal delivered straight to your door the same day you place your order. Or, take advantage of free drive up and order pick up. Plus, you can save an extra 5% with your Target Circle Card. 

Additional savings

Earlier this month, Target announced price reductions on more than 2,000 items, perfect for when you're prepping for holiday entertaining. You’ll find discounts on items for your home, clothing, gifts, cooking essentials, and so much more. 

Let's talk turkey

Did you know that there are four U.S. Towns Named Turkey! They are in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana and North Carolina. Every year it is estimated that 46 million turkeys are prepared to provide the traditional Thanksgiving feast. That's not all, every year Americans devour three billion calories from turkey alone. Can you imagine how high that number would be if every other dish were included! 

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Despite a  year of pricing pressure and a majority of Americans holding a negative view of tipping, there are still parts of the country where people are comparatively big tippers. Or at least they are when it comes to ordering food via a delivery app. 

A June 2024 survey by Toast, the all-in-one digital platform built for restaurants, showed the best and worst states for tipping when ordering food through take-out using a credit card or digital payment in select U.S. cities. Cash tips and transactions without tips are not included in the analysis. Not surprisingly, tips took a slight dip in the second quarter of 2024 compared to earlier in the year, dropping a tenth of a percent across the board. 

Although many reasons for the drop may exist, from inflation and the high cost of living, tipflation may also play a part. A recent survey by Bankrate suggests two-thirds of Americans now hold a negative view of tipping. What’s more, the number of people who always leave a tip is declining in just the last two years. Our separate story looks at the worst tippers.

Average tips across the U.S.

Total tips averaged 18.8% in the second quarter of 2024, compared to 18.9% early in 2024 with average full-service restaurant tips dipping to 19.3% and average quick-service restaurant tips dropping to 15.9%. 

Delaware was again the best state overall for tipping, with a total average tipping percentage of 21.5% in 2024. However, this number dipped from 22.5% earlier in the year. California is once again at the bottom of the list for overall tips, averaging 17.3%, a slight dip from an average of 17.4% in the first quarter of 2024.

Which states tip the most and the least

According to the June 2024 Toast survey, these are the states that tip the most and the least.

Origins of tipping

Tipping dates back to the Roman era, and before that to medieval Europe, when visitors to homes would leave tips for servants who provided good service. The actual word “tip” dates to the 17th century, when London coffee houses and taverns would put out signs saying, "To Insure Promptitude" alongside boxes or bowls where customers could leave an extra coin if they wanted faster service.  

In America, tipping was almost nonexistent before the Civil War. In the mid-1800s, wealthy Americans, visiting Europe, brought the practice to the U.S., where they were eager to mimic European customs. But it took root as a business strategy during the reconstruction period, according to Restaurant Business, when hospitality companies encouraged customers to leave tips for freed slaves who were paid low wages.

As recently as last month, tipping took center stage as both former President Trump and Vice President Harris called for the elimination of taxes on tips. And, reform efforts are underway in the 43 states where workers who rely on tips earn subminimum wages as low as $2.13 an hour. 

Why tip?

Tipping is not usually mandatory. However, for years, people have complained that they feel they must tip for nearly everything, as more and more people feel it is becoming an obligation rather than a choice — to tip or not to tip? 

For a majority of servers and bartenders in America, tips make up a substantial part of their income. Hairdressers, ride share workers, valet parking attendants, food delivery workers, are only a few of the many workers who also rely on tips for income. 

However, roughly 66% of U.S. adults have a negative view about tipping, according to the Bankrate survey. Most people, or 41%, also believe that businesses should pay employees better rather than relying so much on tips, and many (30%) feel that the tipping culture has gotten out of control. But if you’re someone who works in an industry that relies on tips, you may argue that tips help pay the rent in an inflated economy. 

While the debate rages on, at least when it comes to having your delivery order brought to your door, many people still opt to tip. 

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Have any plans for a Fourth of July cookout? Let me guess — you’re attending, or even hosting, a cookout or barbecue to celebrate the birth of American independence. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that 66% of Americans will attend a cookout, BBQ or picnic this year, and according to WalletHub, Americans plan to spend an estimated total of $9.4 billion on Fourth of July food in 2024. The average cost? $71.22 for ten guests (around $7 per person), up 5% from 2023.

That’s a lot of money on hot dogs and potato salad. But don’t worry, you actually don’t have to spend a fortune to keep your guests happy and full. Many grocery chains across the country are offering deals and discounts on cookout staples — like hot dogs and potato chips — to make July Fourth grocery shopping a bit easier on your wallet. 

One deal in particular that stands out is Walmart’s Summer Cookout Basket. With it, you can feed a party of eight for under $50. The basket, which includes 18 classic cookout items, costs just $45.43 before tax, a little under $6 per person. 

But is it a good deal? Or just a well-designed marketing tactic? We compared similar products from both Publix and Kroger to see if Walmart's Fourth of July cookout basket gets you more bang for your buck, as well as to identify items that you can get cheaper from somewhere else. Here's what we found. 

Fourth of July cookout basics

After comparing prices per item, Walmart came out as the cheapest option for Fourth of July cookout essentials, costing just $45.43 (pre-tax). If you shopped at Kroger you'd pay almost $10 more ($55.10) and if you filled up your cart at Publix, you could expect to pay almost $25 more ($69.54) than you would at Walmart. And that includes any additional coupons, sales or BOGO promotions both Kroger and Publix offered. Keep in mind that for all stores, additional pick-up, shipping or delivery fees may apply.

Another plus side to Walmart's deal? You don't have to search for each item individually (like we did sourcing these prices). Just follow the link, hit "add all to cart" and checkout. On the other hand, if you have some extra time, you could strategically shop at all three stores to get the cheapest option for each individual item. For example, you could forgo the watermelon and hot dogs from Walmart and buy them at Kroger, which will save you a couple of dollars.

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Two things in life are certain, people love donuts and people love getting a deal. National Donut Day combines the two. In fact, the first National Donut Day was established way back in 1938 by the Salvation Army as women served donuts (and other goodies) to soldiers during World War I, and the holiday is still going strong today. 

If you love donuts, doughnuts, or donut holes, you’re in luck. Check out these purveyors of all things sweet, offering deals, freebies and bargains.

Krispy Kreme

Drive or walk to your nearest Krispy Kreme to find your favorite doughnut in person on June 7. You can also get a $2 original glazed dozen with the purchase of any dozen at participating Krispy Kreme locations, either in-store or via drive-thru. Special or “limited edition” doughnuts are not part of the promotion. Find your nearest Krispy Kreme here.

Dunkin’

National Donut Day means free donuts at Dunkin’. On June 7, head on over to any Dunkin’ location nationwide to enjoy a free classic donut of your choice with the purchase of any beverage, while supplies last. If that’s not enough, join Dunkin’ Rewards today to start receiving exclusive offers and earning points to redeem for FREE Dunkin’ — including a FREE medium drink with purchase, just for signing up.

But that's not all:

• Jelly Roll, the country star, is sharing his expert donut advice just in time for the big day in a new video.
• Plus, the brand is releasing an entire collection of donut and Jelly (!!) inspired merchandise today at noon on ShopDunkin.com. 

Duck Donuts

Duck Donuts is offering a free cinnamon sugar doughnut on June 7. No purchase is necessary, but the deal is available in-store only. Then, sign up for text alerts from Duck Donuts today and enjoy a free donut with any purchase. 

LaMar’s Donuts & Coffee

Get a free Ray’s Original Glazed doughnut when you visit any LaMar’s participating locations on June 7.

Shipley Donuts

Get a free doughnut with any purchase while supplies last at participating Shipley Donuts locations. No substitutions are allowed.

Voodoo Doughnuts

Get a dozen pink raised glazed doughnuts at Voodoo Doughnuts for only $10 (that’s like getting two for free). And, so you don’t miss out on this deal, pre-order by calling the custom order line at 661-786-6366.

Burney's Sweets & More 

Get a FREE plain glazed donut or croissant this Friday, June 7, at Burney’s. Or, get a dozen plain glazed donuts or croissants for $9.99. The offer is only valid at the Raleigh, NC, location, while supplies last.

Daylight Donuts

Daylight Donuts is offering a free glazed donut with any beverage purchase on June 7. Plus, at the end of the day, two lucky customers who signed up can win 1/2 dozen donuts free per month for the next 12 months. Raleigh, NC, location only. 

7-Eleven

7-Eleven is offering a buy-one-get-one-free doughnut deal Friday through June 5 for 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards members at participating locations, including Stripes stores.

Sheetz

From June 7-9, receive a free donut with the purchase of any Sheetz Bros coffee. Find the deal on the Sheetz app under the OFFERZ tab.

The Salty Donut

The Salty Donut, with locations in Florida, is offering customers $5 off 1/2 dozen donuts or $10 off one dozen. You can also receive free delivery through The Salty Donut app all day on Friday.

Hole-in-One Donuts

Hole-in-One Donuts, located in the Tampa Bay and Tarpon Springs, Florida areas is offering one free regular donut per paying customer while supplies last. 

Randy's Donuts

Randy’s Donuts is synonymous with California, and on June 7, the store is opening a brand-new location in Chula Vista. Visit the new location from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. for a free glazed donut. Plus, the first ten people to arrive will win free donuts for a whole year. 

Parlor Doughnuts

Parlor Doughnuts, with locations in Colorado, is only charging $1 for a carnival donut and $5 off of a dozen.

Tim Horton's

This Friday, Tim Horton's rewards members can get a free doughnut by ordering a hot or iced drink on the app or online. Offer excludes fountain drinks and bottled beverages.

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If you love the yummy and delightfully greasy taste of one of America's favorite foods, you're in for a treat—today is National Hamburger Day. In fact, Americans are so in love with the hamburger that they consume an average of 2.4 per day or more than 50 billion burgers each year. That’s a lot of juicy goodness. 

Is your mouth watering yet? If so, grab a fistful of napkins and get hold of the 30 best deals from restaurants and burger joints celebrating National Hamburger Day 2024 on May 28 or all week long.

Wendy’s

For only 1 cent, you can get a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger with any purchase when you order through the Wendy’s app or on Wendy’s website through June 2.

Arby’s

All Arby’s rewards members can get 50% off any burger when ordered through the Arby’s app through June 2.

Burger King

In celebration of Burger King turning 70 this month, Burger King Royal Perks members get a free hamburger with a purchase of 70 cents or more. Then, check out more juicy deals all week long:

Jack in the Box

Place an order of $1 or more and get a free Jumbo Jack burger.

Applebee’s

Applebee’s is offering its Classic Cheeseburger, Classic Burger and Classic Bacon Cheeseburger with fries for $8.99. The offer is valid in-house, online or via the Applebee’s app.

Dairy Queen

All Dairy Queen rewards members can get a Signature Stackburger for just 99 cents when they purchase another Signature Stackburger of equal or greater value.

Smashburger

Get a classic single Smashburger for just $5 — online and in-store — using code CLASSIC24.

Dave and Buster’s

Dave & Buster’s loyalty reward members get 50% off a burger, May 28 only.

Wahlburgers

Wahlburgers is offering 50% off any Brothers’ Choice burgers.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings rewards members can buy one burger get one free while dining in or ordering takeout or delivery.

Wayback Burgers

Buy one Classic Burger and get one free.

Bad Daddy’s

Order a limited-edition Birria Burger at Bad Daddy’s and get a Modelo pint for $3. (Offer not valid in North Carolina).

BurgerFi

BurgerFi customers who buy a Coca-Cola Freestyle drink can get a BurgerFi Burger for only $3. (Offer valid at participating locations for dine-in guests who mention the deal when checking out).

Next Level Burger

Buy one plant-based burger and get one free (of equal or lesser value) at Next Level Burger. Just mention the offer while ordering.

Johnny Rockets

Johnny Rockets is giving you the chance to win a limited-edition Pepsi and Johnny Rockets pool float. When you place an order on your next visit, you’ll receive an email voucher for $5 off a burger and a secret menu item (Offer valid May 28 — June 30).

Kona Grill

Kona Grill has burger deals all month long. Get a Kona Grill Bacon Cheeseburger for just $15, a Steakhouse Burger for $25, a Double Stacked KG Cheeseburger for $20, or a takeout and delivery cheeseburger for only $9.99.

Dog Haus

Dog Haus rewards members get two Haus Burgers for the price of one if you order on the app or website. (While supplies last).

Bar Louie

Bar Louie rewards members earn triple points on craft burgers. If you’re not yet a rewards member, register by 7 p.m. on May 28 to take advantage of the offer.

Krystal

Krystal customers can get a Krystal Burger Meal for just $4.99. 

Del Taco

Del Taco rewards members can get one free Double Del Cheeseburger with the purchase of another Double Del Cheeseburger via the app or website. Offer not valid with any other discounts or third-party delivery. (Limited to one offer per guest per day).

Omaha Steaks

Get the Perfect Burger Pack for $79.99; four free Omaha Steaks Burgers with shipments of over $149, or 50% off Omaha Steaks Burgers with the purchase of other items from Omaha Steaks. 

Outback Steakhouse

From May 28 - 30, get $10 burgers from Outback Steakhouse. 

Smokey Bones

Smokey Bones customers who buy a $2.99 soft drink or alcoholic beverage can get a cheeseburger with a regular side for $6.49. (Dine in only, while supplies last).

The Greene Turtle

All burgers are 50% off for customers who dine in at The Greene Turtle. (Can not be combined with other discounts).

Farm Burger

Build your own burger for only $5 at Farm Burger.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar

Get the limited edition Hopdoddy Burger Bar Hoppy Meal for $15. (A Coke or Mini Shake can substitute for the alcoholic beverage).

Rock & Brews

Get Rock & Brews Cheeseburger Rolls for $5.28 (normally priced at $14.99).

Farmer Boys

Farmer Boys customers can get a Big Cheese Burger for $4 after 2 p.m.

Sonic

Get your favorite burger (and other treats) for under $4 at Sonic.

McDonald's

Get a free McDonald’s Big Mac w/ $1 minimum purchase.

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If there is anything that gives traditionally good ‘ole apple pie a run for its money, it might just be barbecue. And if just the thought of juicy tender barbecue has your mouth watering, then you’re in for a treat. 

Yelp just released a list of the Top 100 Barbecue Spots in 2024. From across the country, people weighed in on which barbecue hotspots had the best sticky sweet baby back ribs, smoked apple whiskey pork tacos or smoked brisket, and came up with the best 100 spots. We've narrowed that list down to the top 10. With Memorial Day weekend coming up and summer vacation not too far away, you'll have some good opportunities to try these barbecue joints out.

1. Wright’s Barbecue

Located in Johnson, Arkansas, Wright’s offers up the smoky tenderness of real barbecue cooked on an open flame, 100% wood fire, on a pit. Try their half-rack of ribs, smoked brisket, chicken and turkey with sides of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or mac and cheese. And, don't forget dessert.

2. CorkScrew BBQ 

With almost 1,000 5-star reviews on Yelp, the sweet tenderness of CorkScrew’s Texas-style barbecue can’t be denied. From prime Creekstone brisket, pork ribs and house tacos to sides made from scratch, it might be hard to find a better barbecue in all of Texas. CorkScrew BBQ is located in Spring, Texas.

3. Eric’s Family Barbecue

Who says you can’t get great Texas barbecue in Arizona? Sink your teeth into tender beef ribs, brisket sandwiches, pork ribs and jalapeno cheddar sausage at Eric’s Family Barbecue located in Avondale, Arizona. And don't forget the sides, like delicious mac ’n’ cheese and perfect French fries. Craving great barbecue? You are in for a treat.

4. Tyler’s Barbeque

Yelp reviewers can’t say enough about the tasty goodness of Tyler’s Barbecue, located in Amarillo, Texas. Just a quick look at the menu will have your stomach growling over their chopped brisket or pulled pork sandwiches, satisfying meat plate with up to four meats, two sides and Texas toast, or their green chili mac ’n’ cheese — and that’s just for starters. 

5. Fox Smokehouse BBQ

Located in Boulder City, Nevada, Fox Smokehouse BBQ will satisfy your need for good old-fashioned barbecue with tender brisket, pulled pork, tri-tip, burnt ends, Flintstones-style beef ribs, and award-winning rubs and sauces. And, be sure to try the fried okra, a customer favorite. 

6. Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que

Located in a former gas station in Kansas City, Kansas, a city known for barbecue, Joe’s boasts smoky tender burnt ends, beef brisket, a sandwich called the Z-Man and more, served up with champion-level super-secret spices, rubs, and marinades (and more than 3,500 5-star reviews on Yelp). 

7. Haywood Smokehouse

Craving some good Texas-style barbecue outside of Texas? Haywood Smokehouse serves over-the-top tender and delicious beef brisket, pulled pork, burnt-end baked beans, Brunswick stew and complimentary sides. In fact, this place is so good that it can be crowded at 4:30 pm on a Wednesday. Ready for good old-fashioned barbecue? Check out Haywood Smokehouse located in Waynesville, North Carolina. 

8. Firehole Bar-B-Que

The Firehole Bar-B-Que restaurant, located in West Yellowstone, Montana, is open every day at noon until sold out. The food is so good that chef Guy Fieri once paused his family vacation to film a segment of his TV show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” at this barbecue joint. Stop in and you’ll feast on pulled pork and beef brisket sandwiches, pork ribs, buffalo sausage and their amazing corn salad.

9. Hot Spot Barbecue 

If you have a passion for authentic Southern barbecue, stop by this family-owned and run restaurant in Pensacola, Florida. You’ll be glad you did. You’ll feast on fall-off-the-bone riblets (burnt ends and tips of the pork ribs), beef brisket and pulled pork, and for dessert, their famous lemon cream pie. Hot Spot Barbecue makes sure only the best meats are selected, seasoned with their special dry rub, and cooked in outdoor smokers. 

10. Delauder’s BBQ

Yelpers say they’d give “50 stars” to this irresistible food stop in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Smothered in a salty-sweet rub before smoking, Delauder’s sneaky pig sandwich and beef brisket are some of the best you’ll find anywhere. And their homemade condiments and tasty sides, like fried mac ‘n’ cheese, make Delauder’s one of the top 100 restaurants in the country to visit, according to Yelp.

Ready for more “cue”?  Check out the complete list of all 100 Top Barbecue Spots.

National Mimosa Day

And, in case you missed it, May 16 was National Mimosa Day — a day set aside to be celebrated with gusto. 

A mimosa is a cocktail made with equal parts orange juice and champagne or sparkling wine, usually served at brunch. But you can enjoy this cocktail at any time of day and with any meal, even barbecue. So grab a couple of friends and a fistful of napkins (barbecue can be messy) and say cheers to a day worth celebrating. 

Summer has started early at Starbucks with new Summer App-y Days specials for May. This summer, the best deals will be available exclusively in the Starbucks app. And new app users will get an additional bonus. 

You must download the app to enroll in the Starbucks Rewards program to access the Summer App-y Days deals. New Rewards members get 50% off any handcrafted drink during May by signing up through the ‘New Members Get 50% Off' link in the app.

Today, Wednesday, May 29 only, there is a special Starbucks BOGO deal. All Starbucks Rewards members can buy one handcrafted drink and get one free from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

Starbucks and DoorDash delivery special

You don't have to leave the house or change out of your pajamas to enjoy a hot or cold beverage with this deal from DoorDash and Starbucks. You'll receive $4 off a Starbucks order on DoorDash of $20 or more. This offer can only be used once from 5/9 -5/14. 

50% off Fridays

Every Friday throughout May, enjoy 50% off one grande-sized handcrafted beverage of your choice from 12-6 pm local time only on 5/17, 5/24 and 5/31. You’ll need to join the rewards program by noon PT on the Thursday before that week’s offer to get access to the deals.  

Monday deal drops  

Starting Monday, May 13, enjoy a personalized offer that will be revealed in your Starbucks app every Monday throughout May. Offers will range from Triple Star Days to BOGO offers and drink discounts. Monday offers drop on 5/13, 5/20 and 5/27.

New drink and snack menu items

Starbucks' official drink of summer is the new trio of summer-berry Refreshers® beverages. The berry Refreshers are a sweet summer blend of raspberry, blueberry and blackberry flavors, shaken with ice and poured over raspberry-flavored pearls. You can choose from the the basic Summer-Berry Starbucks Refresher, Summer-Berry Lemonade Refresher or the Summer Skies Drink Starbucks Refresher, which includes coconut milk. 

Their new snacks are fruity and sweet. The Orange Cream Cake Pop is a mix of orange cream cake and buttercream dipped in white-chocolate icing and the Pineapple Cloud Cake is layered with lightweight pineapple cream and pineapple spread with whole fruit pieces.

Starbucks x Stanely Collaboration

Stanely and Starbucks have a new colorway for summer. The 40oz Sunset Gradient Starbucks x Stanley Quencher is presented in the warm orange and yellow hues of a summer sunset. 

So while you’re picking up a new Summer-Berry Starbucks Refresher, grab the new Stanley. It will definitely come in handy if you’re planning beach days, picnics or going to any outdoor events.

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Mother’s Day is a yearly celebration to honor mom’s and mother-figures everywhere for all they do. It's also often an opportunity to have a nice meal with family. This year, Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12. 

With as many as 54% of Americans planning to dine out for Mother’s Day this year, OpenTable released its Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in America for 2024 to help families everywhere find the best places to treat their superhero moms.

They scanned diner metrics and over 14 million diner reviews to narrow down the restaurants where people rave about brunch. We scanned the list and came up with these 30 (out of 100) places to tempt your taste buds. 

Arizona

English Rose Tea Room – Located in Carefree. The English Rose Tea Room provides an exquisite “Afternoon Tea” experience.

California

FARM – Located in Palm Springs. A traditional Provencial-style restaurant in downtown Palm Springs in the historic Plaza, tucked away from traffic. 

Colorado

North Italia – Located in Denver. Featuring handmade Italian pastas and pizzas made with seasonal, fresh ingredients.

Connecticut

Baldanza at the Schoolhouse – Located in Wilton. This comfort food restaurant offers seasonal, farm-to-table American and Italian food made primarily from organic and local ingredients. 

District of Columbia

La Piquette – Located in Washington, D.C. A neighborhood bistro providing French dishes. The Mother's Day brunch menu includes Coq au Vin and Pan Seared New York Strip.

Florida

Columbia Restaurant - Ybor City – Located in Tampa. Florida’s Oldest Restaurant has earned acclaim for old-world charm and its award-winning Spanish/Cuban cuisine.

Georgia

Casi Cielo Mexican Cuisine – Located in Atlanta. Oaxacan inspired restaurant with a focus on traditional Mexican cuisine.

Hawaii

Orchids at Halekulani – Located in Honolulu. Casually elegant open air, oceanfront restaurant, serving Innovative Italian culinary amidst a myriad of exotic orchids. 

Illinois

Mon Ami Gabi – Located in Chicago. A traditional French bistro located in the heart of Lincoln Park. Dine on Fruit de Mer and Classique Steak Fritz from the Mother's Day menu.

Indiana

The Cake Bake Shop - Carmel City Center – Located in Carmel. Everything on the menu is house made from scratch daily including the Afternoon Tea. Try the special Mother's Day Afternoon Tea available in the week surrounding Mother's Day.

Kansas

Wandering Vine at The Castle – Located in Shawnee. Get ready for an extraordinary wine and dining experience in the most romantic setting in Kansas City.

Kentucky

OBC Kitchen – Located in Lexington. The restaurant is known for its mix of distinctive dishes, rare bourbon and pub like atmosphere. The brunch menu includes crab cake benedict and steak and eggs.

Louisana

Jack Rose – Located in New Orleans. An eclectic and engaging dining experience, where guests can savor classic Creole and New Orleans-style dishes reimagined with a modern twist.

Maryland

Monocacy Crossing – Located five miles south of Frederick. Offering American dishes in a country style setting. Sunday brunch includes chicken biscuit topped with a fried egg, and two bacon-wrapped petite filet with poached eggs. 

Massachusetts

Silver Dove Afternoon Tea – Located in Boston. Full service tearoom specializing in English style afternoon tea service.

Minnesota

Baldamar – Located in Roseville. Every steak is aged 40 days and 40 nights and the crazy-fresh seafood means it was caught during your morning commute.

Nevada

Bacchanal Buffet Caesars Palace – Located in Las Vegas. Hundreds of dishes are available at this large buffet.

New Jersey

Tops Diner – Located in East Newark. Providing a diverse menu of high quality options set in a recreated 1920’s renaissance diner.

New York

Little Owl – Located in New York. Bold-flavored Mediterranean cuisine served in a cozy indoor and spacious outdoor setting on Bedford Street. 

North Carolina

Afternoon Tea at the O.Henry Hotel – Located in Greensboro. The service, ambiance, tea, scones, finger sandwiches, and treats are made in-house by a team of pastry chefs. 

Ohio

Pier W – Located in Cleveland. Serving the best Cleveland seafood while overlooking Lake Erie. The brunch menu includes grilled beef sirloin and seasonal vegetables ricotta cheese blintzes.

Oklahoma

Cheever's Cafe – Located in Oklahoma City. Contemporary comfort food with Southwest influences.

Pennsylvania

Talula's Garden – Located in Philadelphia. Warm and elegant Washington Square eatery with a modern menu, prepared with carefully-sourced ingredients and a light European touch.

Rhode Island

Boat House Waterfront Dining – Located in Tiverton. Fresh New England seafood and local produce overlooking Mt. Hope Bay. 

South Carolina

Bistro 217, located in Pawleys Island. The eclectic menu includes seafood, steak, pasta, and homemade desserts and ice cream. 

Tennessee

House of Cards – Located in Nashville. Underground in a 10,000 sq. ft space, House of Cards celebrates classic American cuisine and fine hand-crafted cocktails.

Texas

Al Biernat's - Oak Lawn – Located in Dallas. A great steakhouse that also offers incredible seafood and over 650 wine choices.

Virginia

Le Yaca – Located in Williamsburg. Featuring French and European dining. Brunch includes beef and crab benedict, and filet au poivre.

Vermont

Simon Pearce Restaurant – Located in Quechee. Using fresh local ingredients, the American cuisine is served with the backdrop of the Ottauquechee River waterfall and covered bridge.

Washington

Tilikum Place Cafe – Located in Seattle. Featuring fresh, handcrafted meals, and a broad spectrum of libations.

Find the complete list of all 100 restaurants here. 

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Saturday, April 20th is National Cold Brew Day, and to celebrate, Dunkin’ and a few local favorite stores are offering up crave-worthy cold brews. 

Dunkin’

In honor of National Cold Brew Day, Dunkin’ is offering DD Perks members 5X points (that’s 25 points per dollar rather than five) on any Cold Brew drink on Saturday, April 20. Earn points toward a free beverage reward five times faster and enjoy Dunkin’s bold Cold Brew beverages — it’s a win-win for everyone!

Choose your preferred milk or flavor shot, or pick from a variety of flavor swirls. And don’t forget to add Cold Foam! Or, if you’re craving a cocoa experience, try Dunkin’s Caramel Chocolate Cold Brew. Made with Dunkin’s ultra-smooth Cold Brew and flavor notes of gooey caramel and rich milk chocolate, this crave-worthy sip is topped with Chocolate Cold Foam and Cocoa Caramel Sprinkles for a perfect balance of flavor and crunch.

Not a Dunkin’ Rewards member? Don’t miss out! Sign up for free on the Dunkin’ app or online at dunkindonuts.com

Pilot and Flying J travel centers

Cold brew coffee lovers rejoice! And celebrate as Pilot, the largest network of travel centers in North America, launches a new Toffee Cold Brew and, just in time for National Cold Brew Day, a cup of cold brew free, on the house. Visit any of the more than 500 participating Pilot and Flying J travel centers on National Cold Brew Day, April 20, 2024, to redeem the one-time offer in the myRewards Plus app for a free small cup of cold brew.

Also available for a limited time is the new hot Salted Caramel Coffee, which blends the richness of sweet caramel with a hint of salt for a perfectly balanced flavor. From hot coffee to cold brew, specialty cappuccino to hot chocolate, and a host of creamers and flavors, every guest can make their cup of Pilot coffee uniquely their own.

To find nearby locations and save with more great deals, download the myRewards Plus app. 

Dutch Bros

Starting April 2, purchase any Cold Brew or Nitro Cold Brew to win prizes at any participating Dutch Bros. when you get the Dutch Bros app, buy any Cold Brew or Nitro Cold Brew and scan your Dutch Pass at checkout. You can enter twice a day!

Plus, all month long, take advantage of weekly deals and discounts at your local Dutch Bros.

• April 15 - 19 — Come in for your chance to get a Free Cold Brew Reward. Keep it real with a Cold Brew or Nitro to collect the Cold Brew Crew app sticker!
• April 20 — Win FREE Cold Brew for a month! Celebrate NCBD with a Cold Brew or Nitro Cold Brew and snag the NCBD ‘22 app sticker!

Scan your Dutch Pass™ for a chance to win Free DUTCH BROS™ Cold Brew For A Month and other rewards loaded to your Dutch Rewards™ app account. Terms and Conditions apply. See dutchbros.com/ncbd-rules for complete details. No purchase is necessary. Valid at participating Dutch Bros locations.

La Colombe

Latte lovers, line up! In honor of National Cold Brew Day, coffee maker La Colombe is giving out free cans of its newest offering, the Draft Latte, as well as offering $1 cold brew.  

La Colombe Draft Lattes come in an 11 fl. oz. can and are ready-to-drink. They are made with cold brew and milk and are what the company calls "The World's Frothiest Draft Lattes."  

On April 20, visitors can pick up one free can of Draft Latte at any La Colombe café around the country, with any purchase. The stores will also be offering $1 cold brew on tap, while supplies last. Customers can also pick up one free can of Draft Latte per person at grocery stores, supermarkets and anywhere else that sells La Colombe products. 

Visit LaColombe.com for additional terms and conditions and to find a La Colombe cafe and store near you.

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Starbucks has introduced four new drinks to its menu — three spicy lemonade refreshers and one spicy cream cold foam. Inspired by the “swicy” trend that combines the flavors of sweet and spicy, Starbucks is bringing together the zest of lemonade and the heat of Starbucks Spicy Chili Powder Blend to create a refreshing and tasty sip.  

Swicy, the sweet-heat trend

According to a statement from the company, these drinks are "inspired by the 'swicy' trend, which combines sweet and spicy flavors in all sorts of creative ways. The new Spicy Lemonade Refreshers bring together the sweetness of a Starbucks Refreshers Beverage, the zest of lemonade, and the heat of Starbucks Spicy Chili Powder Blend to create a deliciously refreshing sip with absolutely no chill." 

The three tropical flavors, Spicy Dragonfruit, Spicy Pineapple and Spicy Strawberry, and the new Spicy Cream Cold Foam, are available this Spring in U.S. Starbucks for a very limited time — while supplies last. 

Spicy Dragonfruit

Made with real pieces of dragonfruit and the sweet taste of mango, the spicy dragonfruit drink is a zesty lemonade and Starbucks Spicy Chili Powder Blend, shaken with ice.  

Spicy Pineapple

The sweet flavors of passionfruit and real pineapple pieces are shaken with ice, zesty lemonade and Starbucks Spicy Chili Powder Blend. 

Spicy Strawberry

This drink combines the flavors of strawberry and açaí shaken with ice, real strawberry pieces, zesty lemonade and Starbucks Spicy Chili Powder Blend.

Spicy Cream Cold Foam

Customers can customize their order by adding Spicy Cream Cold Foam, crafted with Starbucks classic cold foam and Spicy Chili Powder Blend, to any Starbucks beverage. Add Spicy Cream Cold Foam to a Cold Brew for a coffee with a kick. Or better yet, enjoy it with an Iced Chai Tea Latte for a delicious combination of spices.

Get your BOGO on at Starbucks

Free BOGO Free Starbucks drinks are happening on Thursday, April 18, giving you another reason to celebrate. Watch your app for a Starbucks BOGO free drinks event from 12 pm – 6 pm  

Prior to your purchase, you'll need to activate the BOGO deal in your app. Once you do, buy one handcrafted drink between 12 pm - 6 pm and get one of equal or lesser value for free (max $10). This offer cannot be combined with any other offers and is only available at participating locations. 

Use the Free BOGO offer to try out the new "swicy" drinks, while supplies last. 

Roasteries and stores turn up the heat

Starbucks Reserve® Roasteries and stores will also embrace the heat this spring with a sweet and spicy twist on signature classics: the affogato and espresso martini. Learn more about the new hot honey beverages at Starbucks Reserve stores in Chicago, NYC and Seattle.

Swing into Starbuck's spring menu by visiting starbucks.com/menu/featured.

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Hey, Foodies — every Sunday in April, Shake Shack customers can get a free Chicken Shack with any $10 minimum purchase using the promo code CHICKENSUNDAY. 

Place your order at store kiosks or ask for pick-up or delivery through the Shake Shack app or website. The Sunday deal is for one free Chicken Shack sandwich  only and can’t be combined with other offers or promotions.

Eat more antibiotic-free chicken

Along with the CHICKENSUNDAY deal, Shake Shack gave a nod to Chick-fil-A’s announcement in March that it’s changing its policy on antibiotic-free chicken from ‘No Antibiotics Ever’ (NAE) to ‘No Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine (NAIHM).’

According to the post, "no antibiotics ever" means that no antibiotics of any kind were used in raising the animals. "No antibiotics important to human medicine" implies that antibiotics used in human medicine are restricted when raising the animals, but animal antibiotics are permitted should the animal or those around it become sick.

Not to be outdone, Shake Shack says its chicken sandwich outshines the competition, then adds, “And what makes our Chicken Shack even better is that it’s made with antibiotic-free chicken, something not everyone can say these days…”

Also drawing attention is the fact that at Shack Shake, you can get the Chicken Shack sandwich seven days a week, while Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays. 

Pick your sides 

Along with the Chicken Shack sandwich deal, customers can also graze on 100% Angus beef blend burgers that are never frozen, contain no hormones or antibiotics, and are humanely raised and grazed in the USA. The menu also includes BLTs, grilled cheese sandwiches, a Korean-style fried chicken sandwich, chicken bites, and an avocado bacon chicken sandwich to die for. 

Of course, in addition to the wide range of sandwiches, you can order fries, shakes, drinks, and a hot dog. Shack Shack has locations across the U.S. and in Mexico. You can purchase gift cards for all your friends and family and, with a recommended 72-hour notice, have your event catered. 

Download the App.

Don’t miss out. You only have 3 more Sundays to get your free Chicken Shack.

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Burger Lovers! Who says you can’t have your burger and eat it too? Not Burger King, Wendy’s, or Shake Shack. Whether you're celebrating March Madness, the Oscars, or cooking up a create-your-own Whopper recipe (for a chance to win a cool $1 million), we’ve got you covered, including the bun and all the toppings.

Burger King Million Dollar Whopper® Contest

If you think you may have an idea (think anchovies and fried bananas) for a new Whopper to become America’s favorite burger, all you have to do is sign up for BK® Royal Perks and submit up to three (3) “Contest Entries” with suggestions for a Whopper® sandwich that includes between three and eight "Toppings,” (like peanut butter and jelly) and you could win $1 million. 

The Million Dollar Whopper Contest started on Monday, February 5th and runs through St. Patrick's Day, Sunday, March 17th. All entries must be in by 11:59 p.m., ET. So hurry. No purchase necessary to enter. Visit  https://www.bk.com/terms for all the details and visit BK.com/mdw to enter. 

There are plenty of ways to dress a burger. Just make sure to “Have It Your Way.”

Wendy’s March Madness

For burger fans, this is a slam dunk. While you’re busy picking teams for brackets, getting your gear ready, and cheering on your favorite players, Wendy’s is busy dishing out $1 Dave's Singles or $2 Dave's Doubles. 

These buzzer-beating deals are available exclusively in the Wendy's app nationwide through Wednesday, April 10. The offer is only good for a limited time at participating U.S. Wendy's. Limit one (1) qualifying item per redemption, one-time use.

It’s easy to get free burgers. Here's how:

• Step 1: Visit the Wendy's app through April 10.
• Step 2: Add a Dave's Single or Dave's Double and more Wendy's food and drink products to your cart.
• Step 3: Visit the Wendy's offers page and add the discount to your order. If you're not a Wendy's rewards member, you can sign up.
• Sit back and enjoy.

Shack Shack’s big Oscar promotion

Who doesn’t like making predictions and winning? Well, Shack Shack is predicting the length to the minute of the Academy Awards show on Sunday, March 10th. This is how it works:

If the Oscars run over 3:31 (three hours and thirty-one minutes) your Chicken Shack will be free with a $10 purchase. If the show ends earlier, your SmokeShack is free with a $10 purchase. So, no matter how long the show lasts, you’re a winner! Ah, the sweet taste of success. 

However, the deal isn’t available on March 10th, the day of the Oscars, so you’ll have to come back March 11 through 18 to score your savory deal. To enter, place an order of $10 or more at a Shake Shack kiosk, in the app, or online, and then enter the code BIGWINS at checkout to get your Oscar-worthy sandwich.

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Doughnut lovers. Listen up!  Krispy Kreme is giving away two free Original Glazed® doughnuts today March 5th, because Super Tuesday is so much better with doughnuts. It’s Krispy Kreme’s version of Super TWOsday, according to the company, and you don’t need to show your “I Voted” sticker to walk away with a melt-in-your-mouth experience.  

Don’t worry if your state isn’t one of the 15 states and one territory holding an election on Super Tuesday. The free doughnuts offer is “Happy All Around” in stores across the nation, not just in those with primary elections — both in-shop and drive-thru. 

"While encouraging everyone to vote, our primary role on Super TWOsday will be to sweeten your day," Dave Skena, Krispy Kreme's global chief brand officer, said in a statement. 

The Krispy Kreme story

Krispy Kreme is known for its signature Original Glazed doughnuts, made from a secret recipe that has remained unchanged since the company rolled out its first doughnut back in 1937 (nearly 80 years ago). Krispy Kreme doughnuts are known for their light and fluffy texture and sweet glaze. But that’s not all. 

In addition to doughnuts, Krispy Kreme serves coffee in their signature green cups, espresso-based drinks, frozen drinks and iced beverages, and more. And, in some locations, you can order bagels, sandwiches, and other breakfast items. The chain also offers limited-edition treats at different times of the year and on holidays, as well as new flavors such as the Cake Batter Doughnut.

Fun Facts

The specific dough recipe is a closely guarded trade secret. 

Krispy Kreme sold a record-breaking 1.6 billion doughnuts In 2022.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts can be found in approximately 12,000 grocery, convenience and mass merchant stores in the U.S. The Company has nearly 1,400 retail shops in 33 countries, according to a 2021 press release.

Krispy Kreme opened a new location in Paris in 2023 and the company anticipates launching in Brazil between the end of 2024 and early 2025.

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Washington D.C. is now home to Starbucks' most accessible store yet, and it is laying the groundwork for the chain to have an even more accessible future.

The coffee giant said its newest location, which opened on February 15, is the first of its kind to include a slew of new features and tools to create a more inclusive environment for customers.

As Starbucks noted in a statement, the move comes at a time when about one in four adults in the U.S. has a disability.

The number of older adults with disabilities is expected to climb in the next decade as more baby boomers grow older and develop challenges such as difficulty walking, seeing and hearing, according to a January 17 KFF Health News report. The U.S. healthcare system is not prepared to handle the influx, according to the report.

Some companies are beginning to provide more accessibility more broadly. These include AccessibleGO, an accessible travel website that launched a major expansion last month that includes booking equipment rentals, flights, rental cars with hand controls and concierge ride services for wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

But, while more work needs to be done, Starbuck's commitment is certainly a positive sign, said Tony Coelho, a former U.S. congressman and primary author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), who is quoted in Starbuck's announcement.

"We have to go beyond just what is required to put accessibility and inclusion first to ensure all people feel like they belong in community spaces," he said.

Expanding accessibility features

Under the ADA, restaurants and other public businesses "must provide people with disabilities an equal opportunity to access the goods or services that they offer." 

That, however, is often simply not the case, as Maria Town, Maria Town, president and CEO of the non-profit American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), told Kiplinger.

"It is good to see retailers making commitments towards accessible and inclusive retail experiences because the reality is, even almost 34 years after its passage, many retailers are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act," she said. 

"It is also good to see Starbucks announcing its support of particular policy changes that would advance greater economic mobility and community integration for disabled people," Town said. The presence of accessible and inclusive retail spaces are "less meaningful when systemic ableism in our nation's policies keeps people with disabilities from having disposable income," she added.

Starbucks' new framework

At Starbucks, its store design is a collaboration between customers, partners and accessibility experts, Starbucks said. It will also serves as the blueprint for all future store openings, which will be roughly 600 stores this year, it added.

Plans call for new stores to be open sourced and further developed to help expand accessibility across the retail industry.

New design elements and store features include:

• Portable, adjustable digital menus and order screens that include voice assist, screen magnification and images to make ordering easier in any language. 
• Power operated doors.
• Order status screens to assist in informing customers when their orders are ready. 
• Updated lighting and acoustics to minimize glare, shadow patterns and sound that can interfere with assistive devices.
• Lower counters to accommodate wheelchair access.
• More accessible pathways into, through and out of the store.

To take a virtual tour of the coffee chain's Washington, DC store built using its inclusive spaces framework, visit the website.

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Do you have a favorite grocery chain you do all your shopping at? Or do you choose where you shop based on which stores have the best prices? A new study from Solitaired has determined both the best and worst grocery store chains, along with the worst individual grocery stores across the country. The results may surprise you.

For the study, Solitaire compared Google reviews from the 100 most populated cities in the United States in 2023, focusing on the first 30 grocery store results in each city. They used these 3,000 individual grocery store review pages in order to determine where certain grocery stores stood out or fell short for their customer service, prices, speed of checkout lines and food quality. Here’s what they found.

Best grocery chains

Starting off on a positive note, these are the best grocery store chains across the country, along with their average star rating.

• 1. Trader Joes: 4.638
• 2. Costco: 4.600
• 3. Wegmans: 4.600
• 4. Publix: 4.510
• 5. Central Market: 4.491
• 6. HEB: 4.478
• 7. WinCo Foods: 4.464
• 8. Lidl: 4.443
• 9. Aldi: 4.439
• 10. The Fresh Market: 4.433

When comparing the top individual grocery stores in the U.S., nine out of ten were Trader Joe's. Coming in second place was Central Market in Fort Worth, TX. Based on the results above, your nearest Trader Joe’s is probably one of your best options when it comes to grocery shopping. However, while you’ll likely have a positive customer experience at Trader Joe’s, you may find it lacking on one department — produce. According to Eat This Not That, several customers have issues with Trader Joe’s produce section, encouraging shoppers to focus on TJ’s frozen foods and to go elsewhere to buy their fresh vegetables. Additionally, they found that assessments of Costco’s produce were divisive, citing both positive and negative reviews.

Before you go: check out these 18 things you should know before shopping at Trader Joe’s.

Worst grocery chains

On the other hand, these are the grocery chains that ranked at the bottom of the list, along with their average star rating.

• 1. King Soopers: 3.938
• 2. Save A Lot: 4.019
• 3. Kroger: 4.023 stars
• 4. Walmart: 4.024
• 5. Giant Eagle: 4.040
• 6. ACME: 4.063
• 7. Safeway: 4.071
• 8. Piggly Wiggly: 4.075
• 9. Jewel-Osco: 4.140
• 10. Fred Meyer: 4.170

When looking at the top worst specific grocery stores across the country, six out of ten are Walmart locations, although Giant Eagle Supermarket in Pittsburgh, PA was found to be the worst store overall. Safeway in Denver, CO also made the list, as did Kroger in Columbus, OH.

Although the low prices may be attractive to many customers, Walmart scored the top spot on Eat This Not That's list of worst grocery chains for fresh produce, and was on the bottom of the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranking of general merchandise retailers for 2023.

Meanwhile, grocery prices continue to rise, making it even more frustrating for shoppers dealing with poor store conditions. Essentials like eggs, dairy and meat have seen price hikes, forcing consumers to stretch their budgets further. If you're looking for ways to cut food costs, check out Egg Prices Soar: Use These Cards to Lower Food Costs for credit card strategies that can help you save.

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In August, food prices have soared 32% since the same month in 2019, according to data from the Federal Reserve. The latest estimate from the USDA predicts they'll climb another 2.2% before the year's over, due, in part, to the impact of Trump's tariffs on groceries.

Fortunately, there are ways to shave costs on everyday essentials. One of the lesser known secrets to combatting inflation on your grocery bill is the Amazon Grocery Outlet. Tucked away in a hard-to-find corner of Amazon's website, this grocery outlet is packed with food and beverages at deep discounts.

You don't even have to be an Amazon Prime member to shop, though it helps to join if you want free same-day or next-day shipping on your order.

Amazon Grocery Outlet categories

The selection on Amazon's grocery outlet is primarily limited to shelf-stable foods. For fresh groceries like produce or raw meat, you'll need to see if you're in one of the thousands of cities where Amazon now offers same-day delivery on fresh groceries.

While you won't find produce, you will find meat and seafood — Slim Jim Steakhouse Strips and StarKist canned tuna, to be exact. The Amazon Grocery Outlet also carries pantry staples, baby food, beverages, snacks and sweets, bread and non-perishable items.

The beauty of it is that, unlike other grocery outlets that are confined to mostly house brands, Amazon Prime Grocery Outlet has everything — major manufacturers, unknowns, and boutiques. You can also use the search function in Amazon Grocery Outlet, another plus.

• Deals and discounts: This page offers grocery “coupons” at checkout, saving an additional 10%, or specific dollar savings, including $10 off. Items might include cookie mix, peanut butter, teas, dehydrated fruits, spices and much more.
• Snacks: Here you’ll find chips and crisps, cookies, meat snacks, crackers and pretzels, as well as gift baskets. You'll also find various dips, nuts and seeds, fruit snacks and popcorn.
• Breakfast foods: includes cereals, toaster pastries, instant breakfast drinks and more.
• Baby food: baby formula, cereal and porridge and snack foods.
• Cooking staples: Here you’ll find packaged meals and side dishes, meat, poultry and seafood (think canned and dry), vegetables, beans and peas, and Sloppy Joe mix, happily important enough to merit its own category.
• International foods: Shop by specific food category (spices, pasta, breads, etc.) or by popular cuisines, including Asian, Indian and Latin cuisine.
• SNAP-eligible groceries: You can pretty much buy any type of food with your SNAP EBT on Amazon. Look for items labeled SNAP EBT Eligible.
• Other categories include warm and cold beverages, candy and chocolate, and products in Amazon’s Subscribe & Save collection.

Amazon Grocery Outlet deals

To give you an idea of what kinds of groceries you can save on when you shop at the Amazon Grocery Outlet, we've rounded up some of our favorite deals available on Amazon right now.

• Annie's Macaroni and Classic Cheddar, 12-pack, $11.76 (originally $16.47)
• Quaker Instant Oatmeal Express Cups, 4 Flavor Variety Pack, 12-pack, $11.88 (originally $16.98)
• 52USA Garlic Powder, 22 oz., $11.19 (originally $13.99)
• Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein & Greens Lightly Sweet, Vegan Protein Powder for Women and Men, Plant Protein, Pea Protein, Greens & Probiotics, Dairy Free, Gluten Free Low Carb Shake, 20 Servings, $32.20 and an additional 30% off on your first Subscribe and Save order (originally $46.99)
• Tisan Peppermint Lemon Herbal Tea, 40-count, $4.99 (originally $11.99)

Amazon Prime members save in-store, too

While you don't need to join Prime to shop the Amazon Grocery Outlet online, members get access to even more ways to save on groceries.

One of the biggest ways members save is by getting member-only pricing when shopping in-store at Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh. Just scan your Prime member QR code at checkout and watch your grocery bill shrink.

Already joined? Your Prime member code can be found in the Whole Foods or Amazon mobile app on your phone. No need to hunt for coupons, simply scanning your code will automatically deduct any available Prime discounts from your total price.

Stack savings with an Amazon Prime credit card

Another benefit of Amazon Prime membership is the ability to get cash back when you also have an Amazon Prime credit card. Without membership, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card nets you 3% cash back on purchases at Amazon, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods and Chase Travel.

But as a Prime member, your cash back earnings jump to 5%. You'll also get access to rotating special offers that offer 10% cash back on select items.

Between that unlimited cashback, the exclusive Prime member deals and the daily discounts on pantry staples on Amazon Grocery Outlet, you'll be able to wrestle your grocery bill back down to a number that doesn't make you cringe.

Lock in Discounts with "Subscribe & Save"

Another way to save on groceries at Amazon is the retailer's Subscribe & Save feature. On eligible items, including pantry staples, household cleaning supplies, pet food and more, clicking "subscribe & save" at checkout will not only shave a few bucks off the price, but save you the hassle of running out of those essentials.

When you do, you'll be able to choose a delivery frequency that fits your household. And you'll enjoy ongoing price discounts, typically around 5%, on every automatic shipment of that item. Though, you'll occasionally find one-time discounts as high as 30% when you first sign up for Subscribe & Save.

If you ever need to change the frequency, skip a shipment or cancel the subscription altogether, it's easy to do that online or in the app at any time.

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The eclectic and retail-fan-favorite Trader Joe’s is well-known to its loyalists for its quirky culture and low prices on a unique selection of food items. The store doesn't carry many branded items, but it does offer a wide variety of interesting products (especially frozen ones) in the Trader Joe's label. Employees, easy to spot in their Hawaiian shirts, go out of their way to be helpful, and the stores are livened up by creative chalkboards and other decor (including plastic lobsters).

As usual, customers still appreciate the unconventional touches that help make the Trader Joe’s shopping experience stand out from a traditional grocer. They also appreciate how much they save when shopping at the grocery store chain, especially in today's inflated economy. One cost comparison from CNET pitted Trader Joe's and regional chain Stop & Shop and found that for a grocery list of around 50 items in various categories, Trader Joe's cost roughly 33% less. 

If you’ve never been inside one of Trader Joe’s many locations but are eager to go, here are some shopping secrets to know before making your first trip.

Many big supermarket chains and big-box retailers that offer fresh grocery items have their own systems for online ordering for delivery or curbside pickup. However, Trader Joe’s says there aren’t any plans in the works to offer these services to its customers, as online ordering doesn't offer the same rewarding shopping experience provided by its brick-and-mortar stores.

Rather than cut staff to help fund services such as self-checkout, online ordering and delivery, the company instead prioritizes hiring on-site staff. 

In an episode of its Inside Trader Joe’s podcast, Tara Miller, Trader Joe’s marketing director, said, “The bottom line here is that our people remain our most valued resource . . . our crew will be in our stores to help you find your next favorite product, just as they've always been.”

At other grocery stores, it's not uncommon to see aisle-hogging employees focused on getting those online orders pulled from the shelves and bagged, leaving them with no time to interact with customers who showed up to shop for themselves.

Unlike many of its bigger counterparts, from Walmart to Kroger, Trader Joe’s has no plans to dip its toes into supermarket self-checkout registers, even though some of Trader Joe’s more rabid fans are screaming for it.

Why? Again, the focus remains on employees.

"We believe in people. We’re not trying to get rid of our crew members for efficiency’s sake,” the company’s president Jon Basalone stated in another episode of the aforementioned Inside Trader Joe’s podcast.

Buying produce in bulk can make financial sense as long as you’re sure you’ll use up everything before it goes bad or expires. That’s why some budget-conscious grocery shoppers avoid purchasing large quantities of fruits and vegetables, even though the price per unit might be cheaper. 

A chance encounter, more than 25 years ago, between Trader Joe’s CEO and a customer at a Sun City, California, store confirmed this hesitation and led the grocer to start selling bananas individually. Like most grocers, Trader Joe’s used to sell bananas only by the pound. The smallest bag you could buy contained four or five bananas. One day while visiting the Sun City location, CEO Dan Bane observed an elderly customer examine a bag of bananas and then put it back on the shelf. When Bane asked why she didn’t buy the bag of bananas, he recalls the elderly shopper saying, “Sonny, I may not live to that fourth banana.” 

The next day Trader Joe’s started selling single bananas for 19 cents apiece. The price wouldn't change for over two decades, until March of 2024, when inflation pushed the price up roughly 20% to 23 cents. 

“We only change our prices when our costs change, and after holding our price for Bananas at 19¢ each for more than two decades, we’ve now reached a point where this change is necessary,” a Trader Joe's spokesperson said. 

However, 23 cents per banana is still a good deal.

Trader Joe’s was founded in 1967 in Pasadena, California, by entrepreneur Joe Coulombe. It was acquired in 1979 by Aldi Nord, a German company that also operates Aldi grocery stores in Europe. Aldi Nord’s sister company, Aldi Sud, operates Aldi stores in the U.S.

Despite the corporate ties, the two chains have distinct marketing strategies. Aldi is price-driven and undercuts competitors by selling cheaper private-label versions of the most popular items at traditional supermarkets, retail experts note. Trader Joe’s also aims for affordability, but its driving force is a unique brand. It focuses on mostly prepackaged products in unusual flavor combinations that you won’t find anywhere else.

Most supermarket chains put select items on sale every week. But at Trader Joe’s, what you see is what you get when it comes to price. That means you won’t find any Trader Joe’s deals listed in your newsletters or voucher sites.

The grocer claims that because it already offers the lowest prices it can every day, there’s no room for sales, specials or coupons — and that bypassing all that marketing ultimately saves the customer as well. 

To test this claim, we compared the price of a bottle of Trader Joe’s Organic Italian Dressing with a similar salad dressing available at Whole Foods. Here’s what we found: At Trader Joe’s you’ll pay $3.49 for a 12-ounce bottle, while you’ll pay $4.79 for a 12-ounce bottle of Whole Foods house brand 365 Organic Italian Romano Dressing at Whole Foods — a savings of $1.30 if you go with Joe.

In 1972, Trader Joe’s introduced its first private-label product: granola. Today, around 80% of the products carried by Trader Joe’s are the company's own brands, a company spokesperson told Kiplinger. The grocer says the heavy emphasis on store brands helps keep costs low because it buys directly from suppliers whenever possible (no middleman markup) and then passes the savings on to its customers. 

It’s a common industry practice for traditional grocers to charge their suppliers fees for shelf placement, which results in higher prices for customers. Trader Joe’s says it doesn’t do it.

Health-conscious customers should know that the company claims all of its store-branded food and drinks are free of artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, synthetic colors and genetically modified (GMO) ingredients.

If you’re now curious about visiting a Trader Joe's only to find out that there isn't a store near you, you have some recourse. Shoppers interested in bringing a store to their area should visit the Request a TJ’s in My City page on Trader Joe’s website and fill out the short questionnaire.

While Trader Joe’s can’t guarantee it will open a store in every requested city, if consumer demand is high enough in a particular area, management vows to give it serious consideration.

It’s easy to get attached to your favorite snack (I’m lookin’ at you, TJ’s Cheddar Rocket Crackers). Just be warned that at Trader Joe’s your cherished item might not be around forever. There are even social media accounts dedicated to letting shoppers know when items are slated to be pulled from shelves or are strictly seasonal items (for example, check out @traderjoesgeek on Instagram).

Trader Joe’s rationale? Because store space is limited and new products are introduced every week, items that don’t catch on quickly need to make way. A product might also be pulled if the cost of producing it increases significantly.

Trader Joe’s also has a no-questions-asked return policy. If you purchase something, try it at home and decide you don’t like it, simply bring whatever you haven’t eaten back to your local store for a full refund.

If you have a food allergy or adhere to a strict diet, shopping at a traditional grocery store can be problematic. Oftentimes you’ll have to make multiple trips to several stores to grab everything on your list, which can be time-consuming. Trader Joe’s aims to make that weekly chore a bit easier for shoppers with special dietary needs by offering a vast selection of kosher, vegan and gluten-free items. All are clearly labeled. Special dietary offerings include organic brown rice and quinoa spaghetti, Miyoko’s vegan butter and gluten-free cinnamon raisin bread.

Shoppers can find a robust list of kosher, vegan and gluten-free products available at Trader Joe’s on the website, as well as related recipe ideas.

Unlike most supermarkets that use intercoms to summon assistance, Trader Joe’s has a bell system. In keeping with its kitschy maritime theme (remember the plastic lobsters?), the grocer uses actual ship’s bells located near the checkout area to signal to employees that help is needed.

Here’s what all the noise is about: One ring lets employees know that another cash register needs to be opened. Two rings mean there are additional questions that need to be answered at the checkout area. Three rings signal that a manager is needed for further assistance. While this system may be a bit odd, shoppers seem to like the chain’s eccentricities. Trader Joe’s ranks fourth in customer satisfaction among supermarket shoppers, according to the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index Retail and Consumer Shipping Report.

While offering customers quality products is a top priority for Trader Joe's, so is giving back to the community. The grocer says that it donates 100% of products that go unsold, but remain safe for consumption. Each store has a donation coordinator who is responsible for working with local food banks and soup kitchens to arrange daily donations. The company even donates non-food items such as fresh flowers and health and beauty products still in good condition.

Trader Joe's says that in 2023, it donated more than $469 million dollars of food and beverages to charities across the country.

Trader Joe’s takes product quality seriously. Every product the grocer sells goes through a tasting panel and must receive a 70% vote of approval before it gets the green light to hit store shelves. If the panel doesn’t like it enough, you won’t see it at Trader Joe’s. There’s no “pay to play” for product placement, as is the case with most other supermarket chains.

You may not think of your local grocery store as the go-to spot for deals on fresh flowers but if you’re on a budget, Trader Joe’s should be on your radar, says consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch.

We did some comparisons of our own recently. Small potted orchids were selling for $14.99 at Trader Joe’s (while they’re usually around $16 at Walmart). If you’re in need of a reasonably priced bouquet in a pinch, Trader Joe’s flower section is usually located near the front of the store. A large seasonal bouquet is approx. $12.99.

When it comes to product packaging, Trader Joe’s is making a big push for sustainability. In 2019, the grocer began replacing the plastic and Styrofoam containers on items, including produce, meats and greeting cards, with renewable and plant-based alternatives. 

For example, Trader Joe’s now uses a compostable tray instead of a Styrofoam version for its fruits and vegetables. Their product marketing team has also worked to replace the plastic sleeves on their greeting cards with a plant-based starch version to help keep them in pristine condition. The card sleeve is biodegradable, and shoppers can compost it at home.

The grocer announced in 2022 that it had removed more than 12 million pounds of plastic packaging from its products. This included getting rid of plastic bags — which the company started doing in 2018 — at the checkout register. You can get biodegradable paper bags or you can pay for one of their long-use Trader Joe's tote bags for heavier items.

One of the many quirks that keeps die-hard Trader Joe’s customers coming back is the unique food selection — from dark chocolate peanut butter cups to “Everything but the Bagel” sesame seasoning. While the grocer regularly releases new products, many customers only randomly stumble upon them. Luckily, there’s a way to find out about new products that hit store shelves sooner rather than later.

Shoppers can follow the What’s New page on the grocer’s website to learn about the most recent product launches. The page gets updated several times per week. Each post lists a new product’s ingredients and explains how it made its way onto store shelves and where you can find it in-store. 

A few of the recent posts include Mango Sticky Rice Crisps, Ginger Shrimp Lo Mein and Crunchy Jicama Slaw. Shoppers can check this page and add desired items to their grocery lists before their routine weekend Trader Joe’s trip, which can help cut down on impulse shopping... although that's part of the pleasure of shopping at the store.

As well as budget blooms, Trader Joe's has a good selection of distinctive greeting cards at a value price — selling for 99 cents. We usually stock up on a batch when we make a TJ's run. At Whole Foods, all-occasion greeting cards range from $2.99 to $7.50.

While it may not have the widest selection of beers and soft drinks, Trader Joe's is famous for its wide selection of super-cheap and excellent value wines. Whether your tipple is a robust Californian Cabernet, a crisp Hungarian Gruner Veltliner or a bottle of French fizz, you'll find wine at every price point, starting at a rather alarming $2.99 and reaching the heady height of $30.

No more screaming your order into the phone, or showing up to the restaurant in your pajamas.

On-demand food delivery service apps can eliminate the hassle of ordering takeout, while bringing fast food and fine dining right to your doorstep. But between all these big-name apps, it’s hard to distinguish which one is right for you. Stuck in the same predicament, I ranked the best food delivery services, considering each app’s hidden costs and unique benefits.

I ordered the same taco from the same restaurant, at around the same time, on four of the biggest food delivery service apps: Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates.

Here is how each app fared.

#1: Grubhub

• Menu item: $6.50
• Sales tax: $0.63
• Delivery fee: $0
• Service fee: $1.04
• Small order fee: $2.00
• Tip: $2
• Speed: 28 minutes
• App user experience: streamlined platform allows for fast decision-making
• Customer service: accessible

Grubhub gave me the fastest, cheapest delivery. I received free delivery since it was my first order; otherwise, the app determines this fee based on the distance between the customer and the restaurant. In addition, I was charged a service fee of only 15% of my subtotal, in comparison to 50% on other apps. However, since my order’s total fell under $10, a $2 small order fee was tacked on.

You can view delivery fees for each restaurant on the app’s homepage in addition to other helpful information, such as the restaurant’s rating, cuisine type, estimated delivery window, and an icon indicating whether Grubhub+ members – who pay $9.99 a month to get free delivery on orders over $12 – get special discounts.

During the delivery process, the app lagged in tracking my order. After receiving notifications that my driver was on their way to the restaurant, the app stopped updating. Nevertheless, my Grubhub delivery arrived within 28 minutes––the fastest among all four apps.

If you encounter an issue, you can either call the customer service line or text a representative through the in-app messaging system. If the representative is not able to answer your questions, they can transfer you to another department. After experiencing the glitch, I contacted customer service, who quickly apologized and explained the malfunction that occurred.

#2: UberEats

• Menu item: $6.50
• Tax: $0.43
• Service fee: $2.50
• Delivery fee: $2.49
• Tip: $2
• Speed: 30 minutes
• App user experience: overwhelming number of functions and restaurant options
• Customer service: inaccessible

UberEats charged moderate fees without any new-customer deals. I was charged a $2.49 delivery fee, which is determined by multiple factors such as distance between you and the restaurant. Service fees are area-specific and subject to minimum and maximum mounts; in my area, the minimum service fee is $2.50. Because my order exceeded $10, I could avoid the $2 small order fee.

The app’s homepage generates endless options to choose from, including fast food, national chains, highly-rated restaurants and health food spots. As a result, the crowded interface can sometimes feel hard to navigate. Underneath each restaurant name is the delivery fee, the estimated delivery window, the in-app restaurant rating, and an icon indicating that the restaurant offers discounts exclusive to EatsPass or Postmates Unlimited members. These members pay $9.99 per month for free delivery and special discounts.

After ordering, I received notifications every step of the process. I could text or call the delivery person through the in-app system and track their movement through the in-app map. While the delivery was estimated to take 40 to 50 minutes, the order came in 30 minutes.

If you need customer support, you can press the “help” button for a specific order. You are then sent to a chat room with a chatbot. Depending on the issue, you may then be sent to an information page to further explain your circumstances and create a pending case, or you could have a text conversation with an Uber Eats representative. This automation made it difficult to get in touch with a live person.

#3: Postmates

• Menu item: $6.50
• Tax: $0.43
• Service fee: $3.00
• Delivery fee: $6.99
• Tip: $2
• Speed: 29 minutes
• App user experience: overwhelming number of functions and restaurant options
• Customer service: inaccessible

Since Uber Eats bought Postmates in July 2020, the two platforms’ interfaces have become nearly identical. The main difference is that the Postmates homepage displays categories other than restaurants since the platform delivers from other types of businesses, such as pharmacies and convenience stores.

Another major difference involves fees. My Postmates order costed significantly more than Uber Eats. My steep $6.99 delivery fee fell in the lower end of the spectrum for non-partner restaurants; delivery fees range from $0.99 to $3.99 for Partner Merchants, and $5.99 to $9.99 for all other merchants. In addition, my service fee equalled a little less than half of my subtotal. You may also get hit with a $1.99 small cart fee if your total is under a certain amount, which varies by location but ranges from $10 to $12, according to a Postmates representative. Altogether, the total cost of my order was triple the menu item.

The speed did somewhat justify the high delivery fee. My estimated delivery window ranged from 40 to 70 minutes, though my order actually came within 29 minutes.

The Postmates app user experience felt very similar to that of Uber Eats. I received notifications throughout the entire process. I could also call or text my delivery person within the app, while tracking them on the map.

Because Uber Eats and Postmates are so alike, you’ll encounter the same difficulty when trying to directly contact customer support.

#4: DoorDash

• Menu item: $6.50
• Tax: $0.43
• Delivery fee: $0
• Service fee: $3.48
• Tip: $2
• Speed: 29 minutes
• App user experience: glitch created confusion over whether order went through
• Customer service: didn’t offer clear explanations of problems or offer any compensation

DoorDash offered me great first-time customer deals and fell in the lower-price range. I enjoyed free delivery through the “first month welcome deal,” but paid a service fee a little over half of our subtotal. My order exceeded $10, the minimum total you need to avoid the $2 small order fee.

The interface is simple and functional. The homepage organizes the restaurants into different categories, including the top-rated restaurants near you, the fastest spots near you and national chains. Under each restaurant is the overall rating, the number of reviews, price level, type of cuisine, delivery fee, estimated time of arrival, and an icon indicating whether DashPass members qualify for special discounts. These members pay $9.99 per month for free delivery and reduced service fees on orders over $12, as well as discounts at partner restaurants.

However, a glitch barred me from tracking my order. After completing the order, I became locked on a blank page with the words “order processing,” which I could not exit to contact customer service or cancel the order. I did not receive confirmation that my order went through and could not track it, though I received my food.

After I selected the category my problem fell under, I had a text conversation with a representative but I ultimately spoke with four different representatives. During every round of communication, I re-explained my situation, and subsequently received the same apology without a clear explanation of what went wrong or any form of compensation.

America's love affair with its pets is creating a booming pet care industry – and, as a result, a small but expanding cluster of pet stocks.

Pet care might be bigger than you realize. Edge by Ascential, a market research firm, says that North American spending on pets hit $225 billion in 2018, and is expected to hit $281 billion by 2023 – roughly 5% compound annual growth. Millennials and Gen-Zers are embracing pet ownership in far greater numbers than previous generations; roughly two-thirds of U.S. households own a pet, up from 56% just 30 years ago.

Rising demand is fueling a diverse set of pet stocks – companies that provide everything from premium kibble to medications to even pet DNA testing and health insurance.

You can get some pet-related exposure among blue chips such as General Mills (GIS), which acquired all-natural pet-food leader Blue Buffalo for $8 billion in 2018. Aon (AON) boasts a top-rated pet insurance business in the form of subsidiary Healthy Paws; Synchrony Financial (SYF) bought a principal rival, Pet's Best, in 2019. However, pet care remains a small portion of their overall business.

Here, we look at nine of the best pure-play pet stocks to buy right now. This is a mix of high-growth newcomers and a few more established plays. We'll start with a couple of well-known blue chips before making our way to some under-the-radar names.

Data is as of Feb. 5. Dividend yields are calculated by annualizing the most recent payout and dividing by the share price.

America's love affair with its pets is creating a booming pet care industry – and, as a result, a small but expanding cluster of pet stocks.

Pet care might be bigger than you realize. Edge by Ascential, a market research firm, says that North American spending on pets hit $225 billion in 2018, and is expected to hit $281 billion by 2023 – roughly 5% compound annual growth. Millennials and Gen-Zers are embracing pet ownership in far greater numbers than previous generations; roughly two-thirds of U.S. households own a pet, up from 56% just 30 years ago.

Rising demand is fueling a diverse set of pet stocks – companies that provide everything from premium kibble to medications to even pet DNA testing and health insurance.

You can get some pet-related exposure among blue chips such as General Mills (GIS), which acquired all-natural pet-food leader Blue Buffalo for $8 billion in 2018. Aon (AON) boasts a top-rated pet insurance business in the form of subsidiary Healthy Paws; Synchrony Financial (SYF) bought a principal rival, Pet's Best, in 2019. However, pet care remains a small portion of their overall business.

Here, we look at nine of the best pure-play pet stocks to buy right now. This is a mix of high-growth newcomers and a few more established plays. We'll start with a couple of well-known blue chips before making our way to some under-the-radar names.

Data is as of Feb. 5. Dividend yields are calculated by annualizing the most recent payout and dividing by the share price.

• Market value: $65.7 billion
• Dividend yield: 0.6%

Zoetis (ZTS, $137.89) – by far the largest of the pure-play pet stocks – develops, manufactures and commercializes a wide range of veterinary medicines, vaccines and diagnostic tools sold in more than 100 countries. It has been a leader in animal health for more than 65 years, mostly as part of Pfizer (PFE); however, the drugmaker spun the company off in 2013.

While pet spending is spread across hundreds of companies, Zoetis makes up a big chunk of that. It generated $5.8 billion in revenues in 2018, and it has racked up $6.2 billion in sales over the past 12 months.

Zoetis is focused on expanding its diagnostic products footprint in the U.S. Veterinary diagnostics is a $4 billion global market estimated to be growing 10% annually; ZTS expects demand to grow faster than the overall animal health market, targeting annual mid- to high-single-digit growth.

To that end, the company acquired veterinary lab services supplier ZNLabs, and its nationwide network of labs, in November 2019. Zoetis also made a significant deal in 2018, buying Abaxis – a leader in veterinary point-of-sale diagnostic instruments and consumables. CEO Juan Ramón Alaix cited the latter, as well as parasiticide and dermatology products, for the company's strong operational results in the quarter ended September.

ZTS shares have a Buy rating from 14 of the 21 analysts following the stock; none of the remainder have it below Hold. Credit Suisse's Erin Wilson Wright (Outperform, equivalent of Buy) calls Zoetis a top pick, and wrote in October that "We are raising our TP to $138 (from $130) on greater conviction in its (long-term) growth prospects with emerging trends from our latest survey."

Speaking of long term: Zoetis is among the few dividend stocks on this list, and it has been a serial dividend raiser since its 2013 IPO. The payout has exploded by 141% over the past half-decade, including a 22% upgrade for its 2020 dividend.

• Market value: $23.5 billion
• Dividend yield: N/A

Idexx Laboratories (IDXX, $274.40) is the global leader in pet diagnostics and veterinary practice software. The company offers in-clinic diagnostic test kits used by veterinarians to measure blood and enzyme levels, as well as medical instruments and related consumables. Idexx generated $2.4 billion in revenues in 2019 by serving customers in 175 countries; roughly 40% of its sales are made outside of the U.S.

Idexx hasn't missed a quarterly earnings estimate in years, and its annual income growth has clocked in at nearly 20% over the past half-decade. The company's most recent report, for Q4 and full-year 2019, included 10% year-over-year revenue growth for the quarter, fueled by recurring revenues from its Companion Animal Group, as well as improvements in Water and Livestock, and Poultry and Dairy. While the company maintained its 2020 revenue outlook, it upgraded its earnings-per-share guidance to $5.42 to $5.58 per share – an improvement of about 2% at the midpoint.

Idexx is under new management, which sometimes can be a concern. President and CEO Jay Mazelsky replaced longtime chief Jonathan Ayers, who was paralyzed in a bicycle accident, on an interim basis in June, then was fully appointed in October. However, William Blair analyst Ryan Daniels (Outperform) writes that he's confident in Mazelsky and urges shareholders to buy on any dips, given a healthy end-market and strong recurring sales.

Indeed, in addition to putting IDXX among the best pet stocks to buy right now, it also ranks among the best health-care stocks for 2020.

• Market value: $12.6 billion
• Dividend yield: N/A

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN, $31.63), like Zoetis, is the result of a major pharmaceutical company spinning off its pet-care operations. In Elanco's case, the company was broken off Eli Lilly (LLY) in late 2018.

Since then, the company has pursued growth via mergers & acquisitions (M&A). Elanco paid $234 million for pet medicine developer Aratana Therapeutics in July 2019, acquiring veterinary drugs for appetite stimulation, osteoarthritis pain and long-lasting post-surgical pain relief. Then in August, Elanco announced a $7.6 billion cash-and-stock deal to purchase Bayer's (BAYRY) animal health business. The pairing, which will make Elanco the world's second largest animal-health company by revenues (behind Zoetis), is expected to close in mid-2020.

The acquisition will double the size of Elanco's companion animal business and provide a foothold in new segments of the parasiticides market, with topical treatments and collars. It also strengthens Elanco's access to pet e-commerce channels. Other benefits include margin gains, accretion to profits as early as year one, and the potential to realize $275 million to $300 million in operating synergies.

Elanco hasn't done much since coming public, with shares off 12% since the company's first day of trading in 2018. Bank of America's Michael Ryskin acknowledges that the "2020 itself is likely to be a challenging year for Elanco," he upgraded the stock to Buy in December, writing "we think this year will mark 'the bottom,' and we see significant upside as revenue growth and EBITDA growth reaccelerates, bolstered by the contribution from Bayer Animal Health."

Morgan Stanley analyst David Risinger upgraded the company from Equal Weight (equivalent of Hold) to Overweight (equivalent of Buy) in November and raised his price target from $32 per share to $34, citing positives related to the Bayer transaction, prospects for margin enhancement and long-term pipeline potential. Then in late January, he nudged his target even higher, to $35.

• Market value: $10.7 billion
• Dividend yield: N/A

Full disclosure: Like Elanco, Chewy (CHWY, $26.90) – one of the youngest publicly traded pet stocks – could have a difficult 2020 ahead of it. In fact, we've detailed Chewy's headwinds in a recent look at some of the new stocks from 2019's slate of IPOs.

However, some analysts see a longer-term bull case for investors willing to ride it out.

Chewy and Amazon.com (AMZN) combine to dominate the online market for pet supplies, accounting for $9 of every $10 spent. Each holds a roughly 45% share of the e-commerce pet food market. CHWY is differentiated by its singular focus on pet supplies, in-house brands and growing pet pharmacy business.

That dominance likely fueled the hype behind Chewy's early move; CHWY shares jumped nearly 60% in their first day of trading after the company's June 2019 IPO. Since then, however, shares have surrendered roughly a quarter of their value – with many concerned about the company's lack of profitability, not to mention the threat of Amazon tipping the scales.

Analysts have nonetheless started tilting their opinions in Chewy's favor, albeit some with a longer time horizon than others. Wedbush's Seth Basham upgraded the stock to Outperform in late January, citing potential growth of online sales penetration to 25% by 2023. Morgan Stanley's Lauren Cassel (Overweight) also likes the secular growth story and writes that Chewy's revenues could double by 2024.

• Market value: $2.4 billion
• Dividend yield: N/A

Pet food purveyor Freshpet (FRPT, $65.93) helped pioneer the concept of fresh refrigerated pet foods, which it claims are healthier than dry or canned foods. Customers seem to agree, as evidenced by the company's steadily increasing household penetration rate and repeat sales, which make up a whopping 70% of revenues.

Freshpet has created a competitive moat via its proprietary manufacturing processes and formulas; retail partnerships with Walmart (WMT), Kroger (KR), Whole Foods and Petco; and by controlling the only refrigerated pet food supply chain in North America. The company even enhances brand loyalty with its branded refrigerated cases, installed in partner stores.

Freshpet has grown its revenues by a red-hot 25% annually over the past five years. They're still pacing that way, with sales up 27% year-over-year during the first nine months of 2019; adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) jumped 44%. The company still has failed to generate an annual net profit, but money-losing stocks still can grow plenty if they're headed in that direction, which Freshpet appears to be.

Q3 marked the company's eighth consecutive quarter of 20%-plus sales growth; Freshpet also reported positive earnings per share that exceed analyst estimates. FRPT's growth strategy focuses on expanding its consumer franchise and retail presence; building more efficient capacity; and strengthening margins via new products and better pricing.

D.A. Davidson analyst Brian Holland initiated coverage of FRPT shares back in June with a Buy rating, calling it a "disruptor" in the $30 billion pet food industry and a great pick among consumer staples stocks. Interestingly, while showing faith in the company's long-term potential, saying it has "considerable runway" and could hit $500 million in annual revenues by 2023, he also thinks shareholder value could be found in a buyout, writing that he thinks FRPT will "ultimately get acquired."

Holland reiterated his optimism in December, calling Freshpet "the most compelling growth story in Staples today."

• Market value: $1.2 billion
• Dividend yield: N/A

Trupanion (TRUP, $33.81) is America's second largest provider of pet insurance and the only pure play in this space.

Demand for pet health insurance is rising due to steadily increasing costs for routine veterinary care. The average pet owner spends $257 annually on vet care for dogs; it's $182 for cats. Pet insurance premiums rose 23% last year, and the number of insured pets rose about 16% to 1.83 million, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.

Despite this robust expansion, only about 1% of American pets are insured currently. Insurers expect that number to rise to levels comparable to the U.K., where 25% of pets are insured. At a 25% penetration rate, Trupanion estimates its addressable market opportunity at $32.7 billion. For comparison's sake, the company brought in $361 million in revenues over the past four quarters.

The company's growth is fueled by its 120-member direct sales force, which calls on 20,000 to 28,000 veterinary hospitals each year. Veterinary hospitals represent 75% of Trupanion's referral sources.

Trupanion benefits from a nearly 99% customer retention rate and a monthly subscription model that provides high recurring revenues. It's also among the best pet stocks as far as sales growth goes, at more than 29% annually over the past five years. TRUP still is losing money, though analysts think the company will report positive adjusted net income in 2020.

The stock clearly faces some issues. Stifel's Jonathan Block downgraded Trupanion's shares to Hold in early January, citing a quick fourth-quarter run-up in valuation and potential for more competition. In all, six analysts have Buy-equivalent ratings on the stock, according to the Wall Street Journal, versus just one Hold.

• Market value: $880.1 million
• Dividend yield: N/A

PetIQ (PETQ, $31.13) supplies veterinary-grade pet products and veterinary services to consumers. Its branded medications are offered via 60,000 retail and e-commerce sites and manufactured at its own facility.

In addition, through its VIP Petcare business, PetIQ provides veterinary services at 3,400 retail partner locations. Retail partners include Walmart, Target (TGT), Tractor Supply (TSCO), Pet Supplies Plus and others. The company also is opening clinics within some of these locations; it was on track to open 114 in 2019, and PetIQ plans on growing this network to 1,000 wellness centers nationwide by 2023.

The July 2019 acquisition of Perrigo Animal Health gave PetIQ a portfolio of leading over-the-counter pet-care products under the PetArmor, Sentry and Sergeant's brands. The combined business generated $605 million of pro-forma 2018 sales.

PetIQ's revenues have more than tripled since 2014, though its profitability has been much more unpredictable. Nonetheless, analysts are looking for a 55% jump in adjusted profits for full-year 2019, and a 13% improvement in 2020.

PETQ shares boast Buy ratings from all five of the covering analysts tracked by WSJ. Raymond James' Joseph Altobello (Outperform) cited a pet-owner survey in which 60% of respondents said they either already take their pets to a wellness center or are open to the idea. "The above pet owner survey results appear to support our bullish thesis on PETQ," he writes, adding, "Overall, we remain confident in PETQ's healthy growth and improving margin profile, bolstered by both the expansion into services as well as the recent acquisition of Perrigo's Animal Health business, with should lead to meaningful multiple expansion over time."

• Market value: $787.4 million
• Dividend yield: N/A

Heska (HSKA, $100.58) sells veterinary diagnostic and specialty health-care products. Its larger business, the Core Companion Animal Health (CCA) segment, accounts for 85% of company sales. CCA sells lab testing tools and consumables, primarily under a unique multiyear "Reset Subscription" model; allergy and immunotherapy testing; and single-use products such as in-clinic diagnostics and heartworm prevention treatments.

Heska's growth hasn't been as explosive as some of the previously mentioned pet stocks, at about 10% annually over the past half-decade, and things have been slower more recently. Through the first nine months of 2019, HSKA recorded a 5% year-over-year improvement in sales. However, the company has been soundly, if variably, profitable for years. It did report a net loss during the quarter ended Sept. 30, but that was impacted by a one-time charge related to cyber theft and still was considerably better than the prior-year's loss.

New test product launches, geographic expansion into France and Australia, and renewal of a long-term contract with a major corporate client (PetVet Care Centers) are all potential sparks for future growth. Indeed, the company raised $86.3 million last year through a convertible note offering that will be used to fund future growth initiatives. Heska also is trying to grow via acquisition, buying CVM Companies – the leading provider of pet imaging and blood testing products in Spain – in January.

Analysts have calmed on the stock after a nearly 40% run over the past six months. That includes Raymond James' John Ransom, who downgraded the stock to Market Perform (equivalent of Hold) citing valuation concerns because of the run-up. He's still positive on the overall business, however, and says the mid-2020 launch of Element UF, the company's highly anticipated urine and fecal analyzer, could be a catalyst for the HSKA shares.

Meanwhile, Canaccord's Mark Massaro (Buy) raised his price target from $75 per share to $105 in November after its third-quarter earnings report, but did note the company might be too optimistic about its margins, given the heavy investments it's making in its business.

• Market value: $523.7 million
• Dividend yield: 4.2%

PetMed Express (PETS, $25.97) markets pet medications and other health supplies direct to consumers via the Internet, which represents more than 80% of the company's sales. Unlike other pet supply companies, however, PetMed Express is no recent startup; the company was founded in 1996 and also is known by 1-800-PetMeds. Moreover, it has been generating positive cash flow and paying dividends for roughly a decade.

PETS has been among the most lively pet stocks on the market over the past few years. Shares surged from below $20 in 2017 to around the $53 level in early 2018, then dropped into the mid-teens as recently as August 2019. Shares have whipped back since then, up 67% over the past three months.

That volatility has come amid fairly stable growth. Revenues are up 5% annually on a compound basis over the past five years, while profits have climbed by 16% annually. Moreover, sales and net income have increased every year since 2016. PetMed Express's most recent earnings report, released in January, showed a small slip in quarterly sales and a 12% drop in net income. Price competition from newer players and rising customer acquisition costs have cut into results in recent quarters.

PetMed Express plans to improve its fortunes with a new customer loyalty program that will strengthen sales and reorder rates, as well as minimum advertised price commitments from major manufacturers, which should bolster margins. The company's $92 million in net cash provides plenty of operating flexibility.

PETS stock is thinly covered, but it has two Buys, two Holds and one Sell among the five analysts on the job. Most recently, Anthony Lebiedzinski, from boutique analyst firm Sidoti, reiterated a Buy rating and $29 price target, calling Wall Street expectations "too low." He believes the company's profits will recover during the current quarter for the fiscal year ended February 2020, and that EPS will grow 30% in fiscal 2021.

There’s little question as to what makes the most recession-resistant stocks to buy so resilient. Many of them offer products that Americans simply can’t go without, or that are much more attractive when money is tight.

What’s less certain is when investors will need these companies.

The man who predicted the dot-com crash of 2000 and the housing crisis that led to the most recent recession believes the odds of a 2020 recession are less than 50%. “Whether it’s coming next year, I can’t be sure,” Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller told the Financial News on Sept. 9.

However, a National Association for Business Economics survey found that while economists are modelling a 20% chance of recession by mid-2020, they put the odds at 69% by mid-2021. They also widely see GDP growth slowing from 2.9% in 2018 to 2.3% this year, then to just 1.8% in 2020.

Some are even more pessimistic. Also in September, Jeffrey Gundlach – CEO and founder of DoubleLine Capital LP, a Los Angeles-based investment firm with $140 billion in assets under management – said he believes there’s a 75% chance of a recession before the 2020 presidential election.

Here are 15 top recession-resistant stocks to buy if you want to get ahead of the risk. Among the things you should know about recessions: The organization in charge of actually determining whether a recession has occurred typically needs six months to do so. Investors won’t know it’s happening until it has been underway for quite some time. So if you’re looking to protect your portfolio against this risk, you’ll want to lean toward being early rather than late.

Data is as of Oct. 7. Dividend yields are calculated by annualizing the most recent payout and dividing by the share price.

• Market value: $333.4 billion
• Dividend yield: 1.8%

In times of recession, companies that sell low-priced merchandise typically perform better than those with expensive products. No wonder then, that Walmart (WMT, $117.23) delivered a total return (price plus dividends) of 20% in 2008 while the S&P 500 registered a loss of 37% with dividends included.

While the nature of its business would bode well for its resilience in another recession, Walmart still must deliver the goods. That might be considerably difficult for a stock that’s trading near all-time highs, but Strategic Wealth Partners CEO Mark Tepper still has faith in the stock.

“Our favorite staple is Walmart. A huge portion of their business is groceries and people need to eat regardless of the direction of the economy,” Tepper told CNBC in early September. “And in a low-margin business like groceries, it’s all about volume, and they’re doing everything they can to boost value – rolling out delivery, curbside pickup, all that stuff is helping to boost volume. So I think there’s more upside with Walmart.”

Walmart appears poised to do well, recession or not. Its e-commerce arm, for instance, continues to gain traction. In the second quarter ended July 31, Walmart U.S. saw its ecommerce revenues increase 37%, with strong online grocery sales contributing to the big gain. In addition, its two-year stacked U.S. same-store sales grew by 7.3% in the second quarter – the best growth in more than a decade.

And it’s a fact that Walmart’s grocery business will insulate it to a certain extent during a recession. So either way, WMT stock has investors covered.

• Market value: $26.5 billion
• Dividend yield: N/A
• Dollar Tree (DLTR, $112.16), which fits in the same low-cost theme as Walmart, gained 61% in 2018. That would be an impressive return in any year, but it’s downright miraculous when compared to the broader market’s plight.

Dollar Tree was a much smaller company at that point, with just 3,591 stores and $4.6 billion in annual revenue as of its fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2009. Today, with 15,115 stores and $23.3 billion in trailing 12-month revenue as of Aug. 3, it owns a considerably larger portion of the country’s discount stores.

There’s another thing it didn’t have back in 2008: Family Dollar stores, which DLTR acquired for $8.5 billion in July 2015. That hasn’t been a boon, however. DLTR has struggled mightily to integrate Family Dollar, which sells products between $1 and $10. Dollar Tree sells everything at a fixed $1.

Dollar Tree currently is in the process of renovating its Family Dollar stores. To date, 1,000 of the more than 8,000 stores have been completed. Dollar Tree CEO Gary Philbin told Mad Money host Jim Cramer in September that Family Dollar’s same-store sales in the last three quarters have grown 1.4%, 1.9% and 2.4%, suggesting the renovations are working.

As far as Dollar Tree’s place among recession-resistant stocks to buy, its quality is obvious. It offers goods at extremely low prices, so a recession should make its typical customer a more frequent visitor … and bring new customers into its stores.

But good times and bad, Dollar Tree seems destined to perform. “I think our customer, with unemployment (being low), has had a better opportunity to have a steady job. I find our customers are often one paycheck away from not doing so well,” Philbin told Cramer. “I think what we offer them is just a way of saving money, which is so important to them.”

• Market value: $67.4 billion
• Dividend yield: 1.7%

Discount department chain Ross Stores (ROST) notched a nearly 18% total return in 2008. Its biggest competitor, TJX Cos. (TJX, $55.73), had a more difficult time navigating the last recession, losing 27.4%. That’s better than the market, but significantly worse than its peer.

That said, TJX may have a much better chance of outperforming both during the next recession.

Like most retailers, TJX Cos. – which includes T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods and other brands – goes through ebbs and flows. The off-price retailer currently is experiencing a bit of a slowdown in same-store sales. Its second-quarter “comps” in the second quarter ended Aug. 3 were just 2% higher, versus a 6% gain in the year-ago quarter. But long-term, TJX has always found a way to keep growing its business.

On Sept. 25, TJX announced the launch of Marshalls.com, the banner’s new online store. It promises to provide “a constantly changing selection of the trends shoppers want right now.” Interestingly, TJX has been doing a better job than most retailers at fending off Amazon with its in-store appeal. But Marshalls.com it will have a “curated” feel to it, giving shoppers first crack at a mix of offerings not available in every store.

E-commerce for Marshalls has been on the company’s radar for some time. “Our strategy is to maximize multi-channel engagement and drive incremental sales,” CEO Ernie Herrman said in February. “A high percentage of our mix is differentiated from online versus what’s in the stores. And we find that that is the number one reason that we can get an incremental build off the business and not have cannibalization or lose visits to the store.”

As investors continue to move to defensive stocks in anticipation of a recession, UBS analysts believe that TJX’s “value-for-money offering” will allow it to continue to take market share from other retailers without the same value proposition.

• Market value: $160.9 billion
• Dividend yield: 2.4%

If there’s one thing people aren’t going to give up in a recession, it is the occasional Big Mac at McDonald’s (MCD, $211.92).

The sentiment might seem facetious, but if you look at the fast-food giant’s sales results in 2008 and 2009, you’ll see that McDonald’s didn’t suffer much from the Great Recession.

In 2009, the company’s global same-store sales grew by 3.8%, boasting growth across all operating regions. That included a 2.6% improvement in the U.S., where it generated 35% of that year’s overall revenues. A year earlier, in 2008 – which accounted for the bulk of the recession – McDonald’s American same-store sales grew 4%.

Let’s fast-forward to 2019.

Sales are gaining momentum in the U.S. as the company continues to roll out its Experience of the Future stores, which modernize and fully digitize its locations, leading to increased visits and higher average checks. U.S. same-store sales expanded by 5.7% year-over-year in the second quarter ended June 30, more than double its growth in the year-ago period.

Meanwhile, its delivery business continues to shine – McDonald’s delivers to more than one million people every day around the world – and is expected to generate $4 billion in revenues this year. Add that, as well as its low volatility, into the fold, and it’s hard to argue with analysts who recommend MCD stock for the next recession.

“If we do go into some sort of cyclical downturn, this is one of the names to be in,” Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy told CNBC last October. “This name generally holds up pretty well.”

• Market value: $21.4 billion
• Dividend yield: 3.6%

If a recession is impending, consumer staple Kellogg (K, $62.68) could be among the best stocks to buy. That’s because its cereal division, as well as other quick breakfast items such as Nutri-Grain bars and Eggo frozen waffles, could benefit from consumers who need to spend less on food. During the 2008 recession, then-CEO David Mackay, who retired in 2011, suggested that the entire packaged-food industry benefited from frugal customers dining at home.

But Kellogg might be an interesting play if the economy keeps kicking, too.

Are you familiar with plant-based meat alternative Incogmeato? If you’re not, that’s probably because Kellogg only announced the new product line on Sept. 4, and it hasn’t even shown up in stores. (It will be available in early 2020.)

The company’s MorningStar Farms division, which is responsible for Incogmeato, is ready to battle it out in the highly competitive world of plant-based proteins. It currently boasts America’s top-selling veggie burger, and it also sells frozen and fully prepared chicken nuggets and tenders.

Kellogg is high on the “flexitarian” lifestyle – those people who eat meat but are opting to also have plant-based alternatives on a regular basis. A 2018 study found that 31% of Americans follow a flexitarian dietary lifestyle. That’s a much bigger market than the 13% identifying with vegan, vegetarian, or paleo diets.

“As more consumers are choosing a ‘flexitarian’ lifestyle and actively reducing meat, we’re thrilled to be extending the MorningStar Farms portfolio with a delicious and satisfying meat-like experience,” Sara Young, general manager of plant-based proteins at MorningStar Farms, said in the release announcing Incogmeato.

Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Lavery suggested in August that MorningStar Farms could be worth as much as $3 billion. Further, he speculated that Kellogg could spin off the division at some point in the future, although the company’s made no indication it is considering such a move. In July, Barron’s Brett Arends wrote that MorningStar Farms could be worth between $5 billion and $10 billion in an initial public offering (IPO).

• Market value: $11.2 billion
• Dividend yield: 1.2%

Some of the best recession-resistant stocks come from boring, mundane products and services that are nonetheless necessary, no matter your financial situation.

Take Rollins (ROL, $34.22), the Atlanta-based owner of Orkin – a provider of pest and termite control services to residential and commercial customers in the U.S. and several other countries around the world.

Rollins services more than 2.4 million customers across more than 800 locations worldwide. And it has delivered 21 consecutive years of earnings growth, which includes two recessions, while also increasing its annual dividend by 12% or more for 17 consecutive years.

Interestingly, Rollins paid $62 million for Orkin in 1964. In 2018, Rollins generated $231.7 million in profits from $1.8 billion in revenues, much of it through the Orkin brand. Clearly, the acquisition was a game-changer for the Rollins family, who own more than 50% of its stock and still run the company.

Rollins still is wheeling and dealing, too. In Q2 2019, Rollins acquired California-based Clark Pest Control for $400 million, using a combination of cash and debt to finance the purchase. Clark, the eighth-largest pest management company in the U.S., also was family-owned and should be easily integrated into Rollins’ business.

Rollins increased its sales by 3% in 2008 – an indication that even the second-worst recession in American history couldn’t hold the company back. The stock lost 4%, which is excellent given how badly the market performed.

• Market value: $69.4 billion
• Dividend yield: 0.8%

H&R Block (HRB) delivered a staggering 25.8% total return in 2008. That same year, Intuit (INTU, $266.76) stock delivered a total return of -24.7%, which was better than the index but considerably worse than its competitor.

However, Intuit was a much different business in 2008.

Since then, Intuit has acquired a number of fintech companies that have made its TurboTax and QuickBooks brands much stickier with consumers and businesses.

For example, Intuit generated $3.1 billion in revenues in fiscal 2008 from six product segments, flowing down to operating income of $1.3 billion. In the fiscal year ended July 31, 2019, Intuit had just three operating segments that brought in $6.8 billion in revenues, with operating income of $1.9 billion that was up 18% from fiscal 2018.

“Given Intuit’s dominant position in the DIY space, and the growing momentum behind its TurboTax Live offering in the assisted category, we believe another year of double-digit Consumer Tax growth is well within reach,” writes Stifel analyst Brad Reback.

Intuit’s self-service software, including TurboTax, which allows Americans to e-file simple tax returns online for free, will look attractive to consumers when times are tight.

• Market value: $25.5 billion
• Dividend yield: N/A

When money gets tight, people look to save money wherever they can.

Nowhere is that truer in the automotive business. When times are good, people hire a mechanic to fix their car or truck. In a recession, they try to do the repairs themselves, even when they know they’re not very handy. It’s human nature.

That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of the S&P 500’s best-performing stocks of the 2008-09 bear market was AutoZone (AZO, $1,060.81), the nation’s largest retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories. While most stocks were getting pummeled, AZO gained more than 16% on the year.

Of course, AutoZone has been fine since the recession. Its annualized total return of 21.3% between March 2009 and September 2019 is well ahead of the market’s 16.3% in that time.

AutoZone isn’t in perfect shape at the moment. It reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings in late September, with revenues and adjusted earnings per share missing analyst expectations. But Stephens analyst Daniel Imbro, who rates AZO Overweight (equivalent to Buy) seems to think the business is doing just fine.

“AZO has additional commercial initiatives that should augment same store sales into FY20, and we believe the company will continue taking market share in both the DIY and (do-it-for-me) markets,” he wrote Sept. 25.

• Market value: $29.8 billion
• Dividend yield: 1.1%
• Brown-Forman (BF.B, $62.47), the family-controlled liquor company whose brands include Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, produced a negative total return of 11.3% in 2008, roughly a third of the loss of the S&P 500.

Brown-Forman posted adjusted earnings of 95 cents per share in 2007, which housed only one month of the Great Recession. The year after? It was 96 cents per share – an indication that while many Americans suffered greatly, they weren’t about to give up a stiff drink now and again.

Brown-Forman has always found a way to grow in even the most difficult economic environments. However, CEO Lawson Whiting, a 22-year veteran of the company that was installed Jan. 1 of this year, certainly has his work cut out for him. That’s because the company, along with the rest of the spirits business, has been seriously affected by the European Union and China’s retaliation to President Trump’s tariff and trade war.

“In a way, the American whiskey tariffs are a tariff on Brown-Forman because we have a 60% share of American whiskey in Europe. We are by far the most affected company – no one else is even close,” Whiting said in the July 2019 edition of The Spirits Business magazine.

In fiscal 2019, Brown-Forman’s revenues grew 2% on a reported basis, with tariffs lowering sales by one percentage point. That compares to an 8% increase a year earlier. However, even though a protracted trade war would continue to act as a big headwind to the company’s sales in Europe, it still expects fiscal 2020 results to be healthy. Brown-Forman is forecasting an underlying improvement in net sales of 5% to 7%, feeding underlying net income growth of 3% to 5%.

Brown-Forman might face an unusual headwind at the moment, but its moves into both Irish whiskey (Slane, 2015) and Scotch whisky (Glendronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh, 2016) should help offset the tariff-related hit to its American whiskey business.

• Market value: $83.2 billion
• Dividend yield: 3.2%

Richard Shaw, principal and portfolio manager at investment research firm QVM Group LLC, compared 6,824 NYSE and NASDAQ stocks in 2012, looking for those special stocks that managed to survive the 2008 crash and thrived during the 2010 and 2011 corrections. He came up with just 48 stocks that met his criteria.

• Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY, $50.88) – which lost just 6% in 2008 and gained 8.7% in 2010 and 39.4% in 2011 – was one of them.

In terms of defensive stocks, you can’t get much better than this maker of franchise drugs such as Opdivo, Yervoy and Sprycel. Bristol-Myers is a big-moated pharmaceutical stock that’s difficult to unseat. With the $74 billion acquisition of Celgene (CELG), which is expected to close by the end of 2019, BMY’s moat will become even bigger.

BMY’s cancer business will get even stronger with the addition of Celgene’s Revlimid. Secondly, as part of getting regulatory approval for its acquisition, it is selling Otezla, the company’s psoriasis treatment, to Amgen (AMGN) for $13.4 billion. Bristol-Myers plans to use the proceeds of the sale to repurchase shares, repay debt and increase its annual dividend.

Although it is expected to grow earnings by just 7% in 2019 and 4% in 2020, it trades at just 8.3 times analysts’ expectations for next year’s earnings – well below its five-year average of 20.6, making it cheaper than it has been in many years.

Add in a generous 3.2% yield, and this recession-resistant stock should be attractive to value and income investors alike.

• Market value: $22.4 billion
• Dividend yield: 1.4%
• McCormick (MKC, $168.22) is one of the world’s leading providers of spices, seasonings, and flavorings, with brands including McCormick, Club House, Lawry’s, Zatarains, Frank’s RedHot and French’s. It’s also another of those special 48 stocks that performed admirably in the 2008 recession (-14%), as well as during 2010 (+32%) and 2011 (+11%).

It makes sense. People tend to go out to eat less during recessions, opting to cook at home instead. Anyone who doesn’t want bland food will have to rely on companies such as McCormick. Its leadership position in spices and seasonings provides it with a wide moat.

The company’s flavor solutions business continues to grow thanks to Generation Z, who are 85 million strong, and the most ethnically diverse generation in U.S. history. With $500 billion in buying power, Gen Z consumers are looking for authentic flavors – something McCormick is able to provide.

Moreover, 20% of the company’s global sales come from developing markets. And that number is rising.

By shifting to more-valued added flavor products, McCormick has been able to grow top-line sales by more than 10% annually, while also expanding its margins. In 2016, it had an adjusted operating margin of 10.4%. Two years later, that number grew by 380 basis points to 14.2%.

That, as well as a focus on cost-cutting initiatives, sets McCormick nicely among the most recession-resistant stocks to buy now.

• Market value: $23.3 billion
• Dividend yield: 1.9%
• Hormel Foods (HRL, $43.70) – the consumer staples stock behind Spam, Skippy peanut butter, and Hormel meats – is one of those slow-and-steady food stocks that has delivered for shareholders over the long haul. It’s one of the 57 Dividend Aristocrats – those S&P 500 companies who’ve increased their annual dividend for at least 25 consecutive years. HRL has increased its dividend for 53 consecutive years, funding that with growing profits in 28 of the past 32 years.

You’re not going to get rich quick by owning Hormel, but patient investors will be rewarded. It has generated 13.8% average annual returns over the past five years, and 21.8% over the past 10. During 2008, Hormel’s stock lost almost 22% of its value, which is still considerably better than the market. Following the recession, Hormel has put up positive returns in nine of the past 10 years.

Like Kellogg and other large food companies, Hormel has been forced to make changes to the type of products it sells to address the consumer’s move to eating healthier. For instance, in early September, it announced that it was launching Happy Little Plants under its Cultivated Foods umbrella. The flagship product is a ground plant-based protein alternative with 20 grams of non-GMO soy protein with no preservatives, no cholesterol and just 180 calories.

“We understand consumers across a spectrum of lifestyles are adopting more flexible attitudes and behaviors when thinking about food, especially given the wide variety of products available in the marketplace,” Jim Splinter, group vice president of corporate strategy at Hormel Foods, said in a release. “We intend to focus on all the ways plants can help consumers find alternatives in their food routines.”

• Market value: $391.8 billion
• Dividend yield: 0.6%
• Visa (V, $174.90) has exploded by nearly 15-fold since its March 20, 2008, initial public offering – at the time, the largest IPO in U.S. history.

“Visa is a global card Goliath that ... owns one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world,” Morningstar analyst Michael Kon wrote in a research note in March 2008. “It is very hard to build any network, but duplicating Visa’s is almost impossible.”

Not much has changed since then. Nothing has put a dent in Visa’s business model despite rapid growth from upstart fintech competitors. In fact, Visa is embracing emerging financial technologies to maintain its leadership position.

Visa announced Sept. 30 that it was expanding its partnership with London-based European fintech Revolut – a digital banking company that offers free international money transfers, fee-free spending and even a cryptocurrency exchange. The arrangement will help Revolut expand its digital financial services offerings to 24 new markets, including the U.S., Canada, Australia and Japan.

“With Visa being accepted at nearly 54 million merchant locations across more than 200 countries, we have the scale, experience and expertise to help fintechs like Revolut go global,” Visa Chief Product Officer Jack Forestall said in a release.

That’s the beauty of Visa. Despite being late to the fintech explosion, up-and-coming businesses still want to partner with the company because of its position within the global financial services industry.

While Visa’s business no doubt would feel the pinch of a recession, as people simply spend less, the ubiquity of credit-card and mobile payments here, and its growth worldwide, will help insulate it somewhat. Its lack of exposure to actual consumer credit (Visa is a payment processor, after all, not a bank) is attractive, too. So is its extremely safe dividend, which has been growing like a weed.

• Market value: $18.8 billion
• Dividend yield: 1.2%
• Church & Dwight (CHD, $76.05) is the owner of consumer brands such as Arm & Hammer, OxiClean and Orajel, and it is an amazingly resilient stock. Since 2000, it has finished only two years – 2000 (-15.4% total return) and 2005 (-1.1%) – in negative territory. In 2008, it actually gained 4.4%.

So CHD has posted 13 consecutive years with a positive return, and with a nearly 17% gain in 2019, it looks like it’s on its way to No. 14. Indeed, while Church & Dwight certainly belongs on this list of recession-resistant stocks to buy, maybe it’s better to consider it as a stock to own in good times and bad.

Spruce Point Capital Management might disagree. The New York-based investment manager, which is short CHD, released a report in early September titled Arm Yourself to Get Hammered. The report argues the company uses aggressive accounting practices to grow its business and claims Church & Dwight shares could decline 35% to 50%.

Rightly, Church & Dwight management have said little about the allegations. It told CNBC in a response statement that “We have confidence in our long-term plan to deliver superior returns based on our ‘evergreen business model,’ and our strong second-quarter results demonstrate our continued momentum.”

A more convincing response was some mid-September insider buying. CEO Matthew Farrell acquired approximately 7,000 shares on Sept. 16 at an average price of $71.32 per share, representing a roughly 10% decline since the release of Spruce Point’s report. Barron’s categorized it as his “biggest open-market stock purchase in years.” A few other insiders used the dip to buy on the open market.

• Market value: $16.7 billion
• Dividend yield: N/A
• Expenses: 0.25%, or $25 annually on a $10,000 investment

Gold is an age-old hedge against worries such as inflation and economic unrest. A few people hold it as a backup currency for the end times … but most people invest in it because it’s an uncorrelated asset that can diversify their portfolios.

Gold bulls have been rewarded recently, with recession fears driving gold prices to levels not seen in at least five years. More of the same could touch off even more buying.

“Fundamentally there are currently enough reasons for a continuation of the rally,” Florian Grummes, Midas Touch Consulting gold market analyst, told Kitco on Sept. 27. “Indeed, in this context, even a veritable gold rush in the markets is possible in the next three to four months.”

You could buy physical gold – though that would require also having somewhere to safely store the gold, insuring it, then finding someone to buy it when you’re done. Or you could just buy shares in one of several gold ETFs that represent physical bullion held elsewhere.

The iShares Gold Trust (IAU, $14.28) is the second-largest gold ETF at $16.7 billion in assets under management. The fund holds more than 11 million ounces of gold in trust for its unitholders. And better still, it is 15 basis points (a basis point is one one-hundredth of a percentage point) cheaper than its biggest competitor, SPDR Gold Shares (GLD). All this makes IAU an ideal way to play the yellow metal if you’re just looking for protection during a short-lived economic downturn.

Just remember: Most advisers recommend up to a 5% stake in gold, but not much more.

If you’re of the notion that store brands are a notch below national brands, Costco’s out to change your mind. The warehouse giant uses its huge market share to strong-arm suppliers to put quality as well as value into Costco’s proprietary brand Kirkland Signature offerings. More than a quarter of Costco’s annual sales reportedly come from its Kirkland product lines, which first hit store shelves in 1995.

Those products helped pad Costco’s net income of more than $1 billion in 2021 from more than 111 million members shopping at 828 stores worldwide – and spending $60 to $120 (for now) for annual memberships (we expect that Costco will follow Amazon Prime in raising the cost of membership).

Costco has continually expanded its array of Kirkland Signature products, with the distinctive black, red and white design, currently numbering more than 350 individual items, from batteries and bacon to maple syrup and motor oil. Many, if not all, are manufactured by top national and regional companies, including Duracell, which makes Kirkland Signature batteries, one of our recommendations. The Kirkland Signature products are often found next to the national brands on Costco’s shelves, with the Kirkland products 20% less.

On some Kirkland Signature products, don’t be surprised to see the name-brand manufacturer’s name co-branded with the Kirkland Signature, including Stearns & Foster on a Kirkland Signature by Stearns and Foster mattress (starting at $1,049.99), nationally known Ocean Spray on the Kirkland Signature Cranberry Premium juice, and aluminum foil giant Reynolds on boxes of Kirkland Signature aluminum foil. Oh, and the name? It comes from the city in Washington state where the company is headquartered.

We took a closer look at 30 Kirkland products getting accolades from customers and critics. You should check them out, too.

Whether you’re feeding your your children or just your inner child, Kirkland Signature Organic Animal Crackers are off the leash. The sweet snacks, in case you forgot, are in the shape of bite-size animals. Kirkland organic animal crackers come in a 64-ounce barrel, priced at $10.99, or about 17 cents per ounce. Walmart was selling a 24-ounce barrel of Stauffer’s Biscuit Co. animal crackers for $4.24, or about 18 cents per ounce–and these weren’t organic. Oh, and here’s a fun fact: Many fans suspect the Kirkland Signature animal crackers are actually Stauffer’s in disguise.

If you’re not a Costco member, you can order a 48-ounce barrel of Stauffer's animal crackers on Amazon.com, but you’ll pay dearly: $16.91, or about 35 cents per ounce. Shipping is free for Prime members.

Hey, everything’s better with bacon, as the saying goes. That means everything is super better with Kirkland Signature Bacon. The product-testing pros at Consumer Reports put bacon to the test and deemed Costco’s store-brand regular sliced bacon the best. Testers raved about the taste, “noting its crispiness and balance of fat and meat flavors.”

They also raved about its price: Kirkland bacon typically sells for $1.50 less per pound than name-brand competitors. The Kirkland Signature sliced bacon comes in a pack of four one-pound individually wrapped packages for $20.99.

The Party Planning Committee at your newly reopened office determined a sheet cake would do for when it is your birthday. They’d save money if they ordered that half sheet cake from Costco’s in-store Kirkland Signature Bakery. Your custom-designed theme will be baked for you in the store, still only $19.99 for a half sheet. A custom-baked one-quarter sheet cake costs $18.99 at Kroger supermarkets.

Much of what’s offered in the Kirkland Signature Bakey is baked in house, and you can see the bakers baking and actually talk with them.

Other temptations are the water-boiled bagels, two six-count sleeves for $7.99. You have to buy two; if you only bring one sleeve to the register, they have more up front and they’ll get you the match (apparently, customers often try to split this order). Oh, and is that Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake for $15.99? Yes, please.

Since the Energizer Bunny doesn’t deliver, it’s up to you to score all those batteries your household goes through every year. And you’re always looking for a bargain. Kirkland Signature batteries can keep all those electronic toys and devices charged up at bargain prices. A 48-pack of Kirkland Signature AA batteries — made by Duracell — has been holding steady the last couple of years at $13.99 (down from $15.99 in November 2020), or about 29 cents per battery. They will occasionally go on sale, too, sometimes $4 less.

Stepping into name-brand batteries will cost you more at Costco (and much more at other places). A 40-pack of Duracell Power Boost AA batteries is $18.99, for example, or more than 47 cents per battery. (Costco often puts Duracell batteries on sale, however, so check the flyer or shelf tag if you must have a name brand.)

Over at Walmart, 24-packs of Duracell Power Boost AA batteries were selling for $18.46, or 77 cents per battery.

With all the craft breweries in the U.S. these days, it wasn’t difficult for Costco to find a good one to can its Kirkland Signature craft beers. The Kirkland Signature Citra Hop Session IPA was priced at $19.99 for a 24-can case. The IPA scored an 82 on Beer Advocate.

Costco’s also jumped in the red-hot hard seltzer game. A variety case of 24 12-ounce cans of Kirkland Signature hard seltzer was $21.99. Nearby, a case of 24 12-ounce cans of White Claw hard seltzer was $29.99.

Wine snobs are already familiar with Kirkland Signature wines (more on those later), but spirits snobs might still be in the dark about Costco’s store-brand booze. Costco isn’t allowed to sell liquor in all of its stores; many states limit the warehouse club to beer and wine (and some can’t even sell that). But where states give the green light to Costco selling liquor, its Kirkland Signature Vodka is a hands-down winner, according to spirits experts.

I first stumbled upon Kirkland Signature Vodka while shopping at a Costco on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Not that I’m so into vodka, but I do know good from bad. Kirkland’s vodka ranks up there with my fav, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and it costs less.

Oh, there’s much more in spirits in the Costco liquor stores. High marks also go to Kirkland Signature’s Canadian Whiskey (some speculate it’s bottled by Crown Royal, Also topping lists are Kirkland Signature’s Single Malt Scotch Whiskey (bottled by Alexander Murray), Kirkland Signature’s Small Batch Bourbon (from George Dickel’s distillery) and Kirkland Signature’s pre-mixed bottled margaritas (possibly from the maker of UNO MAS Margarita).

Oh, nuts: Costco knows nuts, and its Kirkland Signature Whole Cashews are a prime example. That’s not just this nut speaking.

“Costco’s nuts are always super-fresh and high-quality,” raves food and cooking website TheKitchn.com. “Unless you’re a big-time baker, 2- and 3-pound packages of nuts might seem like a daunting purchase, but don’t forget that they freeze beautifully.”

A 40-ounce (2.5 pounds) container of Kirkland Signature whole fancy cashews goes for $13.99, about $5.60 per pound, a good savings over the going rate for 2-pound, 1-ounce containers of Planters whole cashews at Walmart. They were selling for $18.98 per just over 2-pound container, or about $9.49 per pound.

We know, it seems a little crazy to buy a thousand dollars worth of cheese. You might call it peak Costco. The Kirkland Signature Whole Wheel Parmigiano Reggiano can be yours for $949.99 or $13.99 per pound (up fifty bucks from 2019, when it was $899.99, or $12.50 a pound). I’ve had a piece of said wheel and it’s exceptional.

That per-pound price is a bargain, by the way, compared to Wegmans Italian Classics Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese sold at the regional Wegmans supermarkets, where chunks were going for $20.99 a pound (in various size chunks).

But alas, the question inevitably arises: What do you do with a whole wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano? One answer: pasta – lots and lots of pasta. And some foodie sites note if properly stored, the aged cheese can last for many months, and some say it can be frozen. Or consider a group buy with friends or neighbors. It will make quite the story to tell at dinner.

If a cheese wheel isn’t in your wheelhouse, you can choose from a wide variety of Kirkland Signature cheese offerings that cheeseheads know are big deals: shavings of the wheel, shredded Parmigiano Reggiano ($14.99); Kirkland Signature Isigny Imported French Brie ($8.99); Kirkland Signature cheese flights (chunks of Iberico, Chevre, cheddar and fontal for $18.49); two 10.5-ounce packs of French goat cheese (two 10-ounce packages for $7.29).

For home chefs who do a lot of cooking, Kirkland Signature Organic Chicken Stock is a winner in taste and price. But be warned: You’re bulk-buying an entire case of chicken stock.

Still, it’s a good investment. Stock has a long shelf life, and the six quart-size boxes of organic chicken stock you’ll get at Costco cost just $9.99, or about $1.66 per quart. At Walmart, a single quart-size box of Swanson chicken stock was selling for $2.82; however, it is not organic.

If K-cups for the Keurig brand of coffee makers keep your motor running (or maybe you’re supplying an office or small business), Costco has something for you to brew. Its lineup of boxes of Kirkland Signature K-cups include boxes of 120 medium organic roast pods for $35.99, or about 30 cents a pod.

You don’t have to go far to price-compare. Costco sells other brands, including a box of 100 Newman’s Own medium roast coffee pods for $41.99. That comes out to 42 cents a pod.

Not a podster? Costco features a whole lineup of Kirkland Signature ground and whole-bean coffee, plus those of competitors and partners. You’ll see some of Costco’s Kirkland Signature coffees are co-branded with fellow Washington-stater Starbucks.

There’s a lot of cooking going on in our house. We go through a lot of canned tomatoes, and turn to Costco for help. In my opinion, Costco’s Kirkland Signature organic diced tomatoes — in boxes of eight 14.5-ounce cans — are the best. Each can is packed densely with tomatoes, where I’ve found other, national brands of canned tomatoes to be more watery. Each box sells for $6.69, or about 84 cents per can (and the price hasn’t changed in years). At Walmart, similar-size cans of its store brand Great Value organic petite diced tomatoes sell for $1.14.

If you run the dishwasher a lot, costs mount for those convenient dishwasher soap pods, especially if you’re buying name-brand detergent.

Kirkland Signature Premium Dishwasher Pacs get the job done at a fraction of the price of national brands. You’ll pay $10.79 for 115 pods, or less than 9 cents per load. Costco also stocks packages of Cascade Complete Action pods for $17.39 for 90 pods, or more than 19 cents per load, twice the cost of the Kirkland brand. In testing by Consumer Reports, Kirkland’s pods bested all competitors including name-brand pods from Cascade and Finish.

Do you favor the incredible, edible egg? Then put the 24-pack of Kirkland Signature Organic Brown Eggs on your shopping list. In our household, we’ve found them to be consistently good, and they come in at the right price: $6.69 for the 24-pack. That’s 28 cents per egg.

By comparison, a carton of 18 Walmart Marketside large organic brown eggs was $6.24, or 35 cents per egg.

Popularly known as “Saran wrap,” Costco can’t call its food wrap by that name because SC Johnson owns the trademarked Saran brand. By any name, however, the Kirkland Signature version is a winner on quality and price.

And here’s one where Costco’s Kirkland Signature co-brands with a national brand, Stretch-Tite. A two-pack of 750-square-foot rolls of Kirkland Signature Stretch-Tite Plastic Food Wrap sells for just $12.99, or about 86 cents per foot. That’s 1,500 square feet of plastic wrap. At Walmart, a two-pack of 500 square feet of Stretch-Tite plastic food wrap was selling for $27.14. Note the box is bigger, so might have to pick a different drawer to house this mega-roll.

Not every Costco has a gas station adjacent to it, but the club locations that do have them see steady, and strong, business. What gives? The savings, especially needed these days as we see gas prices rise significantly. A Costco in central Virginia was selling regular Kirkland Signature Gasoline for roughly 3% less than nearby national brand gas stations Sure, the difference is a dime or so per gallon, but on a fill-up you might save $3 or more – not bad if you’re heading to Costco anyway. And you can take comfort knowing that the Kirkland Signature gas you’re putting in your baby is Top Tier fuel.

Factor in how valuable your time is, though. Even on a weekday afternoon, at least 7 vehicles were waiting in line, sometimes for 20 minutes or longer, to get to Costco’s gas pumps, during my visit. That’s a lot of idling.

And one pro tip, fellow Costco gas guzzlers: Costco’s hoses are extra long, meaning you don’t have to drive up to the pumps on the side of the car where your gas tank door is located. If you’re close enough to the pump, the hose will reach either side. Many people waste precious minutes waiting to pull up to the "right" side of the pump.

When Costo released its Kirkland Signature golf balls in 2016, they were an immediate sensation, highly lauded by pros and amateurs alike. They also quickly sold out, as they were compared to the highly lauded Titleist Pro V1.

They’re still rolling. You can pick up a 24-pack of Kirkland Signature V2.0 Performance three-piece golf balls for $27.99. Costco-branded golf balls typically retail for 60% less than a Titleist.

But wait. There’s more: The equally lauded Kirkland Signature KS1 Putter is on Costco shelves for $139.99. Need a bit more in your bag? A Kirkland Signature 3-piece golf wedge set is $159.99.

While you’re at it, pick up a four-pack of Kirkland Signature golf gloves — sizes vary — for $22.99. We can’t guarantee all this Kirkland Signature will improve your game, but we can guarantee you’ll save a few bucks.

All those rock concerts. All that music on portable listening devices, from Walkmans to iPods to wireless earbuds. Many are paying the price with hearing loss — and boomers who already turned 65 know that Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids, which can run as much as $3,000 per ear.

Costco’s made some assertive moves into the business of selling and servicing hearing aids, offering an array of devices at reasonable prices. Free hearing tests are even conducted in-store at Costco Hearing Aid Centers. Costco works with four major suppliers of hearing aids, and also carries its own store brand. The Kirkland Signature 10.0 Premium Digital Rechargeable Hearing Instruments Kit costs $1,399 and includes a pair of hearing aids (available in five different colors to match your style, skin tone or hair color). They’re manufactured by Sonova, the Swiss hearing instrument powerhouse.

Costco Hearing Aid Centers sell other brands of hearing aids. For example, a Jabra GN Enhance Pro PM or Philips rechargeable hearing aid packages each cost $1,799.

To keep ’em fired up, Costco sells 48-packs of hearing aid batteries (size 10) for $8.29. At Walmart, 40-packs of Evergreen size 10 hearing aid batteries are $24.95.

Costco is sweet on its Kirkland Signature brand of 100% U.S. raw, organic unfiltered honey in 3 pound jars. The price goes down easy: $10.99, or about 23 cents per ounce. At Walmart, a 32-ounce jar of Nature’s Nate raw, unfiltered organic honey was $16.97, or 53 cents per ounce.

Plan on paying in that higher-price neighborhood if you're going to buy honey at your regular supermarket.

So ... it does all come out in the wash.

Costco tapped its Kirkland Signature brand to help do the laundry, and less expensively than national brands, some stacked and stocked near the KS brand.

Kirkland Signature gets kudos from the New York Times’ Wirecutter (as well as Consumer Reports.)

For comparison’s sake, we spotted the Kirkland Signature UltraClean Premium liquid laundry detergent in 194-ounce jugs selling for $16.99 and yes, the packaging does look strikingly like Tide’s signature colors. UltraClean comes in at 9 cents per ounce.

Nearby, stacks and stacks of 208-ounce jugs of Tide HE laundry detergent challenged UltraClean. But Tide Advance was selling for $26.49, or 13 cents per ounce.

Now that the (unlimited) free food samples are back to full pre-pandemic offerings, you might be full when you leave your fav Costco warehouse. Ah, but you know those boss lunches are also back in full swing in the front of the club. And so are the deals.

You can snag a quarter-pound all beef hot dog with a 20-ounce soda (including a free refill) for $1.50, a price that's been locked in since 1985 and won't be changing, per Costco's Robert Nelso, senior vice president for investor relations and treasury. “Let me just say the price, when we introduced the hot-dog-soda combo in the mid-’80s, was $1.50. The price today is $1.50, and we have no plans to increase the price at this time.”

Oh, and twisted churros go for $1.49. Fountain sodas are 59 cents with free refill. An 18-inch whole pizza is still selling for $9.95.

You can also enjoy those famous Kirkland Signature hot dogs in the comfort of your own home. Just in time for summer barbecues, Costco is selling a bulk pack of three 24-ounce packages of bun-size beef hot dogs for $14.99, or $3.33 per pound.

If you’re more the national-brand dog person, Costco was also selling a bulk pack of two 28-ounce packages of Nathan’s all-beef skinless franks for $13.59, or $3.88 per pound.

Costco’s olive oil rises to the top, notes the University of California, Davis, which conducted a chemical and sensory study of olive oils. Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil was one of only a few imported oils that met international and U.S. standards for extra virgin olive oil. The many brands that fell short in the testing were diluted with cheaper oils and exhibited problems with quality and flavor.

What’s also nice is the price. A 3-liter bottle of Kirkland Signature Organic EVOO was $17.99, or about $5.67 per quart. A nearby bottle of Filippo Berio EVOO was $18.99, or about $5.99 per quart. News flash: You can skip the Costco membership and get a 2-liter bottle of Kirkland Signature EVOO on... wait for it: Walmart.com But it will set you back $27.79 for that smaller bottle.

Note, too, the Kirkland Signature name is on a wide lineup of other cooking oils, including coconut, canola and corn.

Our go-to brand had been Smucker’s organic creamy peanut butter, but after diving into Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter, that, too, has changed. It’s just as good as Smucker’s, maybe even better, and there’s no arguing with the price. You can get two 28-ounce jars of Kirkland peanut butter for around $10, or 18 cents per ounce, while just one 16-ounce jar of Smucker’s costs $4.94 at Walmart, or 31 cents per ounce.

The Costco I go to in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley must roast hundreds of chickens a day in its giant rotisserie oven, which is constantly getting loaded and off-loaded by the white-coated chicken changers. These Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chickens are always tasty, and what’s not sold is repurposed in other Costco fresh foods made onsite. You can find some of that leftover poultry in Costco’s Kirkland Signature chicken noodle soup and packages of shredded chicken, great for creating a variety of your own dishes at home (and it freezes well).

The best part: Costco has consistently kept the price of each roasted chicken at $4.99, likely looked at as a loss leader.

Some have likened Kirkland Signature Moisture Shampoo, in its distinct purple and cream-colored bottles, to L’Oreal’s Pureology. That’s not been confirmed, but at $8.99 per 33.8 ounces, the KS shampo is certainly affordable. And for a store-brand you’d expect to a water, runny shampoo. Not the case with Kirkland Signature Moisture Shampoo. The shampoo is thick and a little goes a long way.

If you like your Italian mineral water sparkling, you might often turn to the classic San Pellegrino. Costco knows that. It stacks cases of its Kirkland Signature Italian Sparkling Mineral Water near cases of Pellegrino. I detected no taste difference, but there certainly was a price difference.

A case of 24 16.9-ounce bottles of Kirkland Signature Italian sparkling water was selling for $15.99, while a similar size case of Pellegrino sparkling water was $19.99.

And Costco addresses the wildly popular La Croix sparkling water by selling a case of 24 12-ounce cans for $8.99, or 99 cents per quart. Kirkland Signature answers with its own sparkling water. Cases of 35 12-ounce cans sell for $9.99, or 76 cents per quart.

Remember hunting down toilet paper anywhere you could during the darker days of the pandemic? Some retailers, Costco included, limited how many packets you could buy. And most of what Costco sells in that department are 30-packs.

TP shortages seem to be a thing of the past. And not that it’s anybody’s business, but our house is Team Costco when it comes to TP. Kirkland Signature 2-ply bath tissue is a steal. Thirty high-quality rolls sell for just $18.79, a bargain still but nearly $2 higher than a year ago for the 38-sheet packs. But compare that to the nearby 30-pack of Charmin Ultra-Soft TP, selling for $24.99 and nearly half the sheets.

This one is fairly new on our Kirkland Signature amazing lineup of snacks: 40-ounce (2.5 pounds) bags of Kirkland Signature organic tortilla chips. At $5.69 a bag, or 14 cents per ounce, the price is right and the chips are tasty and durable enough to stand up to my amazing salsa-with-a-burn (made with Kirkland organic diced tomatoes, naturally). Compare that to a 40-ounce bag of Wellsley Farms Organic Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips sold at Walmart for $13.50.

Or if you crave the Kirkland Signature organic chips and you’re not a Costco member, you can buy a 40-ounce bag on Walmart.com ... for $21.95.

Yes, bottles of the fruit-flavored, no-calorie and mineral-rich Kirkland Signature Vita Rain Zero are strikingly similar to Glaceau Vitaminwater Zero, but I dare you to find any difference in taste. There is a difference in price, which is significant to me; I drink a lot of this stuff.

Costco tabbed Kirkland’s 24-count variety pack of 20-ounce Vita Rain Zero bottles at $12.99 (up $3 from a year ago), or about 65 cents per bottle. Walmart was selling cases of 12 Glaceau Zero Sugar Rise Vitaminwater, electrolyte-enhanced water with vitamins for $42, or about $3.50 per bottle.

Costco is the biggest seller of wine in the U.S., with estimated annual wine sales of $1.8 billion, and the warehouse club’s Kirkland Signature wines are a big reason behind the booming demand. As Annette Alvarez-Peters, who heads Costco’s wine-buying team, told Wine Spectator, "The Costco consumer is very loyal to the [Kirkland Signature] brand. They will always give the item a shot.” And why not? Wine rating websites typically give Kirkland Signature wines high scores in the mid-to-upper 80s out of 100.

One hint for picking especially good Kirkland Signature wines: When you see the Costco brand on the front label, turn the bottle around. You just might find the name of the source winery on the back label. That can tell you a lot about the experience of the winemaker and the quality of the grapes. Alternatively, read reviews online. This Costco-centric wine blog, for one, has taste-tested plenty of Kirkland Signature wines. In my own taste-testing of whites I found a nice Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon and a Kirkland Chardonnay for $6.99 each in 750-milliliter bottles.Walmart, with its private label wines called Winemakers Selection, starting at around $5 a bottle, or Aldi, with its Winking Owl varieties, including chardonnay, pinot grigio, shiraz, zinfandel, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, selling for less than five bucks a bottle.

And here’s something new: A top Washington state winemaker is teaming up with Costco for a co-branded line. The mashup of K Vintners, the winery, and Kirkland Signature, is landing in Costco stores now, with K Vine single-vineyard chardonnay and K Vine single-vineyard rosé, from multiple award-winning winemaker Charles Smith.

A first-time experience at an American Aldi store can be a bit of a culture shock. You have to pay a quarter to rent a shopping cart. National brand-name products are rare.

The cashier scans your selected products, places them back in the cart and points you to a bagging area (that’s your job). Aldi does not provide bags but does sell paper bags for $0.12 each and reusable bags for either $0.69 (standard) or $0.98 (insulated). You can also bring your own bags. The final shock comes with what you pay for those groceries. In these times of soaring grocery prices — up 22.43% in 2024 versus 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — you’re more than likely paying far less at Aldi. That's one reason to check it out right now.

The no-frills German supermarket chain has 2,414 stores in 39 states offering super-low prices on brand-name knockoffs, European foods and one-off deals. Indeed, 90% of Aldi's products are exclusive store brands, and many mimic the packaging and product of national brands. We found several great items at Aldi that deserve a spot on your grocery list based on quality or value — or both. That’s good news as all of us are looking to cut corners on rampaging grocery bills.

Even so, after checking in with shopping experts, as well as doing comparison-shopping both online and at stores in Virginia (as well as some taste-testing), we found that some deals at Aldi aren't worth it. First of all, brand-name knock offs don't always taste as good as the real deal (though we’ll make an exception with Kirkland Signature products from Costco). Second, Aldi doesn't accept manufacturers' coupons or offer a loyalty program. That means you can find certain brand-name products at other retailers at prices comparable to Aldi's knockoffs once you factor in sales, coupons and loyalty perks. Take a look at what to buy — and what to avoid — at Aldi.

When we looked in early summer, Aldi was still all about, well, summer. But now that everyone is back in school, it's time to check out Aldi's seasonal deals that are spotlighted under its "ALDIFinds” banner and aisle. There you’ll find knockoffs next to top national brands, including toys and games. For example, recently you could have snagged Huntington Home LED Ghosts (just in time for Halloween) for $29.99. An Ambiano Corded 2-in-1 Stick Vacuum for only $19.99. You could choose a Crane Ladies' Rain Jacket for just $14.99, and Serra Ladies' Chelsea Rain Boots to go with your jacket for only $9.99. An Easy Home 2-Step Folding Step Stool is on sale this week for $19.99. And, for the kids, you'll find a SOHL Furniture Kids' Character Arm Chair for $24.99.

Under Aldi's proprietary Baker's Corner store brand, Aldi was selling a five-pound bag of all-purpose flour for $2.59, a 24-ounce chocolate almond bar for $3.95 and a 32-ounce bag of light brown sugar for $2.35. Even discount grocers aren’t immune to inflation. Those same three items cost nearly 63% more now than when we last checked a year ago.

“If you don’t require a broad selection to choose from, baking ingredients like flour, brown sugar, baking chocolate, and oils are a good buy at Aldi,” notes Trae Bodge, smart shopping expert at TrueTrae.com. It’s not just the yellow stuff in clear bottles, either. Aldi offers avocado oil, olive oil and shortening for more approaches to baking.

We headed over to a nearby Walmart for a price comparison. Walmart was selling its store brand Great Value all-purpose flour in comparable five-pound bags for 21 cents less than Aldi at $2.38. Great Value baking powder was $1.98 for 8.1 ounces at Walmart, 17 cents less than Aldi. And a 4-pound bag of granulated sugar at Aldi was $3.29. The same 4-pound bag of sugar at Walmart was $3.14, or 15 cents less.

"Flour, sugar, oils are all great quality and priced very well," says Tracie Fobes, a money-saving expert who founded PennyPinchinMom.com and is also on TracieFobes.com. "The only time when the regular store may be a better deal [than Aldi] is around holidays when they often have rock-bottom prices on baking products."

You can snag a 20-ounce loaf of Aldi's L'oven Fresh white bread for just $1.55 (a 57-cent increase from the last time we checked). That same size loaf of bread at Walmart under the Great Value brand sells for $1.42, a 49-cent price increase from 2021.

Says Bodge, “Aldi has all sorts of delicious breads, which are typically less expensive than what you’d pay at the grocery store. The selection includes English muffins, rolls, and Italian bread.” There’s even a seed-heavy multigrain bread that looks (and tastes) like it’s making a run at Dave’s Killer Bread.

In a nod to grilling this fall, we compared eight-packs of hamburger rolls, too. A pack of Aldi's L'oven Fresh was $1.55, while a pack of Walmart's Great Value was $1.46.

You'll find national brands of cheese at Aldi alongside store-brand cheeses. A 24-slice package of Kraft American white cheese was selling at Aldi for $5.49. (Happy Farms cheese slices are a cheaper Aldi alternative at $2.15 for a 16-count). Walmart had the same Kraft cheese singles and was charging $4.98 for a 16 slice package. (The same package of Great Value brand cheese slices from Walmart was $2.48).

“Good cheeses can cost a fortune, especially these days,” says Bodge. “Aldi has a respectable selection of very good — some of which are award-winning — cheeses that are much more reasonably priced than your local gourmet cheese shop or Whole Foods.”

We found Aldi brand Emporium Selection Brie cheese 8-ounce rounds for $4.39, Emporium Selection imported Double Creme Brie for $4.39 (7-ounces) and the brand name Babybel individual cheese wraps in a 4.5-ounce package for $3.65, a real bargain.

In addition, other bargain-hunters recommend Aldi's cream cheese and shredded cheeses and flat-packed sliced deli cheeses.

Aldi wears its German roots proudly. Look no further than the strudel in the freezer case for proof. You'll find chocolates from Germany and other European countries on store shelves, too. Shopping experts say specialty chocolates, in general, are among the best things to buy at Aldi because they are "smooth and creamy at a much lower cost than most other stores."

Holidays are where Aldi really puts on a show for the sweet tooth. You'll find huge lineups of German chocolates and other holiday specials at Aldi, including Winternacht solid and hollow chocolates, chocolate Santa figurines, Merci European chocolate, Witor's pralines, Choceur chocolate coins, Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Rolo candies, Winternacht marzipan logs and Duca Reserva panettone. Note that Aldi also bolsters its chocolates around the Easter holiday.

There are year-round standards as well, however, including Choceur brand peanut butter cups made for Aldi, selling for $4.39 for 12 ounces. Schogetten German chocolate bars were also in stock, selling for $2.05 for 3.5 ounces. Moser Roth chocolate truffles sold for $4.29 for 7 ounces, and Moser Roth chocolate bars were $2.19 for 4.4 ounces.

Yep, ketchup. Aldi's signature Burman's tomato ketchup was selling for $2.05 for a 38-ounce bottle, 56 cents more expensive than our last check a year ago. Walmart was selling a 32-ounce bottle of its own Great Value ketchup for $1.94, 41 cents more than a year ago.

Not only is Aldi's store-brand ketchup significantly cheaper than national brands, it "tastes as good as, if not better than, the big-name bottles," says Fobes.

Milk prices have leveled off a bit (if not dropped in price) in our Aldi price comparisons compared to two years ago. Recently, Aldi was selling a gallon of its Friendly Farms brand whole milk for $3.05, down 55 cents from a year ago. That price was slightly more (21 cents) than the $2.84 that Walmart was charging for a gallon of its Great Value brand whole milk.

Note that these prices are for conventional milk. Organic milk costs more. As for taste? We couldn't detect any difference between the milk brands.

Aldi was selling a 12.5-ounce jar of 100% pure maple syrup for $6.05 under its Specially Select store brand. You would have paid 70 cents more in 2023.

So why did Aldi's syrup make our list? Quality. The lone ingredient listed for Specially Selected 100% Pure Maple Syrup: pure maple syrup. There's no added sugar or color. By contrast, the main ingredients for Aunt Jemima are corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, water, cellulose gum and caramel color — and it's made using genetic engineering, according to the label. Fans like the taste and the smaller bottle size. Unless you're Buddy the Elf, you probably don't consume a lot.

Aldi sells its line of Stonemill spices for $1.25 per container (up 30 cents in 2023), including a 2.7-ounce container of garlic powder and a 2.12-ounce container of paprika. That's a significant savings over national brands, experts say, noting, however, there's a limited variety of spices at Aldi.

By comparison, similar size containers of Walmart's store brand spices average about $2.42, and grocery-store bottles are often several dollars more.

Don’t consider “cheap wine” interchangeable with “inexpensive wine,” which is what Aldi carries.

House brand Winking Owl is Aldi's answer to the "Two-Buck Chuck" wines produced by Charles Shaw that originally sold at Trader Joe's for just $2 a bottle. Today, Aldi's store-brand Winking Owl varieties, including chardonnay, pinot grigio, shiraz, zinfandel, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, sell for $4.95. This fall, Aldi is also selling Peaks and Tides Chardonnay for $10.99. And the wines aren't bad. You can watch one of the many reviews of Winking Owl wines on YouTube if you don't believe us. Aldi also had a few other wines on its shelves, all $10.99 or less.

“Drinking wine is an expensive habit, but Aldi has you covered with their affordably priced award-winning wines,” says Bodge.

Walmart now has its own line of private label wines called Winemakers Selection which sell for about $5 to $12.99 per bottle.

You'd expect a German grocer to carry European-brewed beers. Aldi doesn't disappoint.

The beer selection, like most of the products carried by Aldi, isn't deep: A few well-selected brands in six-packs. But for the most part, Aldi shines in this department. Its six-packs of Holland Lager go for $7.99, not bad for an imported beer. Brewed in the Netherlands, this lager scores a 3.8 on a scale of 5 as rated by Beer Advocate.

Also typically on tap in select Aldi stores right now is Great Lakes, selling for under $11 a six pack. Pick up four-pack cans of Wernesgruner Pilsner for $6.99, a German lager imported to the U.S. just for Aldi. This pilsner, from a brewery founded in 1436, is tagged a "buy it" by the Chicago Tribune, which called it "full bodied, with a pleasant muscular bite and crisp bitter edge" and noted it was preferable to Heineken or Stella. It's also less expensive.

The Trib's beer guru also liked Aldi's White Tide ($9.99), another exclusive aimed at Blue Moon fans. It's a Belgium wit "boasting fairly rich and silky texture, with orange peel notes that lurch into orange sherbet overtones."

As is typical these days at retailers selling alcoholic beverages, you’re seeing hard seltzers and sodas alongside the more traditional brews and ferments.

Aldi also carves a niche with imported German products you won't find at your American supermarket chains. We previously noted the German chocolates, beer and bread (marketed under Aldi's proprietary Deutsche Kuche label). Don't overlook the flavored spaetzles, German-style pickles, apple strudel and unique snacks that waive off the dreary chips and pretzels route. As with the chocolates, you see much more of this on Aldi's shelves during the winter months.

The fun part of finding these products is the discovery. Unlike most U.S. grocery stores, Aldi doesn't relegate its “international” offerings to a section of an aisle. You'll find them scattered throughout the store, from the bakery to the freezer cases.

You won't find a full-service deli in Aldi stores, which are self-serve. But you will find Aldi's home-grown Park Street Deli line of packaged, refrigerated products. Dig into various renditions of potato salad ($4.15 for a pound); assorted dips and salsas ($3.75 for 12-ounce containers); classic chicken salad ($6.05 a pound, down from $6.49 last year); containers of deli pickles ($4.39 for two pounds); and Park Street Deli lobster roll dip  ($4.19 for 12 ounces).

Getting raves from CookingLight was Park Street Deli hummus cups ($3.75 — up  $1.30 over the last year — for 10 ounces).

If you're looking at straight-up everyday prices on cereal, Aldi's private-label Millville cereal is hard to beat. Millville's Raisin Bran, a knockoff of Kellogg's Raisin Bran, sells for $3.09 for an 18-ounce box (that price, like others, has shot up in the last year and the box size is smaller). Walmart was selling 17-ounce boxes of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran for $6.28, a huge price difference. Walmart’s knockoff Great Value Raisin Bran was $2.76 for a 15.2-ounce box.

However, most grocers run frequent sales on cereal. Plus, cereal manufacturers are generous with their percent-off and dollar-amount-off coupons. Check coupon websites or sign up with manufacturers on social media. And remember, Aldi doesn't accept coupons!

"You can often find better deals on name-brand cereals at your local store when combining coupons and sales," says Fobes.

Of course Aldi wants to corner the market on soda, any time of the year. It's a huge, profitable sector of the supermarket business, and Aldi is skilled at mimicking brand lines and labels.

Aldi even carries a wide lineup of Coca-Cola products at prices about par with supermarkets, including Walmart. Aldi had 12-packs of Coke for $8.45, while Walmart's price was $7.64. But proceed with caution in this area of the store: the knockoffs aren't great-tasting. And if you're leaning toward the brand-name Coke products, you'll likely do better at conventional supermarkets. Soda is heavily discounted and manufacturer coupons are typically flush all year long.

Buying deodorant at Aldi didn't pass our sniff test. Selection was thin, and, going against the grain of the Aldi model, there were only national brands available (Old Spice and Secret, for example). And you can often score a better price on those national brands at a drugstore by combining manufacturers' coupons with loyalty deals (think: CVS's ExtraCare program or Walgreens' myWalgreens program, both free to join). I often get unexpected $3 and $4 coupons when I put in my myWalgreens number, and CVS is always generous with the discounts.

Skip store-brand napkins and paper towels from Aldi, experts say. Paper products from Aldi's Boulder line can feel flimsier than national brands, and sales and coupons at other supermarkets can make national brands including Bounty competitive in price. Even without a sale, we found comparable rolls of paper towels selling for the same price at Target and Aldi.

"Paper products are not always less expensive [at Aldi]," says Fobes. "You may find a better deal and quality at the big-box stores."

Don't get yourself in a lather over buying shampoo at Aldi. Like deodorant, selection is limited to a few national brands (Pantene and Head & Shoulders, for example). You could do better with sales and coupons at your local drugstore.

Alternatively, pick up shampoo in bulk for less at big-box retailers including Target and Walmart, or at a warehouse club such as Costco or BJ's. Big bottles of name brands including Pantene or Head & Shoulders can be found for $15 or less. (Costco has a 40-fl. ounce bottle of Head & Shoulders selling for $12.49).

Our savings experts are on the fence about buying meats at Aldi. Meats on promotion are good deals, but Aldi's overall prices on meat are higher than some competitors. Unlike Trader Joe's, which never puts items on sale, Aldi does offer weekly specials on select products.

Says Fobes, "Aldi is great when you need chicken and it is not on sale at your local store," she says. "However, time it properly and you will find better deals at your grocery store."

We did a price comparison. At Aldi, 93% lean ground beef was selling for $5.79 a pound. At Walmart, 93% lean ground beef was $5.94 a pound, slightly more than Aldi. Chicken breasts were selling for $2.19 a pound in family packs at Aldi. That soundly beats Walmart, which was selling chicken breasts for $3.96 a pound.

When it comes to produce, we'll admit that Aldi has made progress. In the 1990s, fruits and vegetables were sold unrefrigerated straight from the boxes they were shipped in. In most stores, produce that benefits from cool storage, including leafy greens, is sold from refrigerated cases — and straight from boxes delivered from growers.

If price is your only measuring stick, in our comparison of select produce — including a package of organic avocados — at Aldi and regional supermarket chain Martin’s, Aldi won by a mile. One avocado at Martin’s was $1.50; Aldi’s price was $4.39 for four, or about $1.10 each. In some cases, the prices were the same. In others, they were alarmingly different. Honey Crisp apples were $2.09 each at Martin’s and $2.99 at Aldi. A package of three green peppers at Aldi was $2.55. Three green peppers at Martin’s were $3.99. A fresh pineapple at Aldi was $2.15. A pineapple at Martin’s was $3.99.

But if your measuring stick is appearance, selection and the ability to choose your produce and how much to package, you’ll probably want to stick to your favorite full-line supermarket. Many of Aldi’s products are packaged; at Martin’s and other full-line supermarkets, you can pick your own broccoli crowns, tomatoes, for example, and feel and see the quality and quantity.

"While [produce] is priced lower than regular stores, sometimes it is already ripe or going past ripe at the time of purchase," says Fobes. "Carefully look over each produce item before you buy, and then consume it soon so it does not go bad."

Some Aldi cheerleaders really dig the salty snacks sold under Aldi's various store brands, with packaging that is stunningly similar to those of national brands, right down to color schemes and typefaces. Aldi sells a wide variety of salty snacks, mostly under the Clancy’s and Savoritz names.

“While you don’t necessarily want to buy brand-name snacks at Aldi, they have a solid selection of tasty and reasonably priced snacks under their own brand names,” says Bodge. “I especially like their Nature snack packs, which have a variety of cheese, crackers and nuts.”

Chips fans have called Clancy's kettle chips dead ringers for the Cape Cod potato chips stocked in supermarkets. The price is right, too. A 10-ounce bag of Clancy's chips sells for $2.65, versus $5.44 for an 12.5-ounce bag of Lay's Kettle-Cooked chips at Walmart.

Intrigued, we took a taste test. In short, Aldi mimics the packaging, but not the product. The kettle chips weren't worth the $2.80 savings to us. Hey, when the chips are down, you gotta pony up.

If you had to name stores known for their large selection of organic items, you’d likely say Whole Foods, The Fresh Market or perhaps Trader Joe’s. Walmart probably wouldn’t come to mind, though. The retail giant is known for its low prices. But organic food?

Walmart actually offers 1,600 organic grocery items, including a line of packaged goods from the Wild Oats brand, which once was a chain of natural-food stores that was bought by Whole Foods. And its size and scale allows the retailer to make organic items available at affordable prices, says Walmart spokesperson Molly Blakeman. “We don’t think people should have to pay more to put organic on the table,” she says.

Walmart started carrying the Wild Oats brand in 2014. Now about 3,800 of its stores stock at least 30 Wild Oats products and 2,200 stores have more than 70 of the brand’s items on shelves, Blakeman says. The prices are on par with similar conventional items and at least 25% lower, on average, than national organic brands, she says. Walmart also offers 50 organic produce items under its Marketside private-label brand along with a variety of other organic items from national brands.

We wanted to find out if the prices on Walmart’s organic offerings were lower, so we did some comparison shopping at several grocery stores (Kroger, Meijer, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods). On the whole, the organic produce prices were almost the same at the Walmart Supercenter and the supermarkets we checked. Trader Joe’s had lower prices on several of its organic fruits and vegetables (see Best and Worst Buys at Trader Joe’s). Prices on organic dairy products and eggs also were consistent across the stores we checked – with the exception of milk. The Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value Brand was about $1 less than a gallon of organic milk at Walmart and the other stores we checked (see Best Things to Buy at Whole Foods).

Standout items in terms of price at Walmart were, indeed, the Wild Oats organic offerings. The prices on many (but not all) of these organic products were lower than competitors’ prices and often not much higher than the prices on their conventional counterparts at Walmart. The following 10 Wild Oats organic items, in particular, were a good deal at Walmart. Because they are pantry-stable packaged items, the quality should be consistent from store to store.

Applesauce. At $2.14, a 23-ounce jar of Wild Oats applesauce was about $1 less than organic applesauce at the supermarkets we checked. Considering that conventional apples are at the top of the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of produce items with the highest pesticide loads, applesauce might be a good item to buy organic.

Canned beans. A can of Wild Oats organic beans (all varieties) costs just 20 cents more than a can of Walmart’s Great Value brand conventional beans, about the same as other brand-name conventional beans and at least 40% less than organic brands at the other supermarkets we checked.

Coconut oil. This oil can be used for cooking as well as skin and hair care. A 29-ounce jar of Wild Oats organic coconut oil was $2 to $4 less than brands sold at other supermarkets we checked.

Fruit spread. Strawberries are another item on the Dirty Dozen list. So if you like to add a little jelly to your toast, an 11-ounce jar of Wild Oats organic strawberry fruit spread was almost $2 less than a similar jar of organic jelly at Kroger.

Ketchup. Tomatoes also make the list of produce that test high for pesticides, so you might want to consider ketchup made with organic tomatoes. A 24-ounce bottle of Wild Oats organic ketchup costs about 65% less than a bottle of Annie’s brand organic ketchup and 10 cents less than a 20-ounce bottle of Kroger’s Simple Truth brand ketchup.

Olive oil. A 17-ounce bottle of Wild Oats organic extra virgin olive oil was about $1 less than brands at other supermarkets we checked.

Pasta. Organic penne, spaghetti and other pastas sold in 16-ounce packages under the Wild Oats brand were more than 25% cheaper than Kroger’s and Meijer’s private-label brands of organic pasta.

Pasta sauce. Wild Oats marinara sauce was the only organic pasta sauce we found priced less than $2 at the stores we checked. At $1.95 for a 25-ounce jar, the Wild Oats sauce was at least 15% cheaper than brands at other supermarkets.

Salsa. At $2 for a 16-ounce jar, Wild Oats organic salsa was about $1 less than organic salsas sold at the other supermarkets we checked.

Soup. Wild Oats organic soups in 18.6-ounce cans were at least $1 less than 17-ounce cartons from Campbell’s line of organic soups in stores we checked.

Mention organic food to most shoppers and they’ll likely respond that it’s too expensive. For the most part, they’d be right. Because of high inflation, food prices for non-organic foods increased 9.9% in the last year, and the price for organic foods went up even more. 

A recent study from Lending Tree, based on retail pricing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that prices for organic fruits and vegetables rose 13.1% over the last year. Price increases varied among specific foods, with organic strawberries going from $3.08 a pound to $9.99 — a 224.4% increase. 

So what do you do if you want to buy organic for less? Saving money on organic foods doesn't just come down to what you buy, but where you buy it. Try shopping at these places to keep costs down, noting that you should price compare on specific items, as some products cost less elsewhere.

Trader Joe’s. This quirky grocery chain, with more than 500 locations across the U.S., is known for its low prices. Many of its organic offerings are bargains compared with similar products at supermarkets and organic grocers. Fruits and vegetables, beef, yogurt and coffee are among its top organic deals. 

For example, we found that a 5-ounce package of organic spinach & spring mix was $1 less at Trader Joe’s than at several supermarkets we checked. Learn more about the secrets to shopping at Trader Joe's. 

Aldi. This low-cost supermarket chain originated in Germany and now operates over 2,000 locations in the U.S. Aldi keeps its prices low because of its no-frills approach – you have to bag your own groceries, for example – and its lineup of exclusive brands. 

The organic selection isn’t extensive, but the items that are available tend to be priced lower than similar products at supermarkets and Whole Foods. For example, a 24-ounce jar of organic marinara sauce at Aldi’s is between 50 cents and more than $1 less than similar sauces at other grocers we checked.

Walmart. Yes, Walmart. The mega-retailer has used its size and scale to make organic affordable, Walmart spokesperson Molly Blakeman said in 2015. “We don’t think people should have to pay more to put organic on the table.” Walmart stocks over 1,000 organic grocery items, including in the Great Value line. A 51-ounce bottle of organic extra virgin olive oil costs close to $10. 

Warehouse clubs. You’ll pay $50 or more a year to join a warehouse club such as Costco, BJ’s or Sam’s Club. But you can recoup the annual fee with the savings you’ll get by buying warehouse clubs' discounted bulk items, especially organic fare.

For example, BJ’s organic chicken breasts are about $1 less per pound than at the other stores we checked; a 36-ounce jar of organic peanut butter costs under $10. BJ’s carries dozens of organic items, and both BJ's and Sam's Club offer free one-day passes if you want to check out the organic offerings before committing to a membership (there are surcharges for non-members, though). 

It is worth noting that to take full advantage of warehouse clubs’ discount pricing, you need to be able to consume the entire amount of your bulk purchases before those items spoil or expire. See 7 Costly Mistakes Shoppers Make at Warehouse Clubs for more.

Farmers markets. Because prices can vary greatly from market to market and even vendor to vendor at the same market, it’s hard to claim that this option is one of the best places across the board to buy organic on a budget. Plus, although you might find an abundance of naturally grown or raised produce, you likely won’t find many — or any — items that are actually certified organic, which requires meeting requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Nonetheless, it’s worth doing some comparison shopping of your own at your local farmers market to see how its prices stack up. There’s a good chance you’ll find that it won’t cost you more than shopping at the supermarket – and might cost even less if you follow these tips for saving money at farmers markets.

The bottom line

While organic food can be pricey, smart shopping strategies can help you save. Comparing prices across different retailers — whether it’s Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Walmart, warehouse clubs or local farmers markets — can make a big difference.

By being flexible with where you shop and taking advantage of bulk deals, store brands and seasonal produce, you can enjoy organic foods without overspending.

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In its Super Bowl commercial on February 1, McDonald's unveiled a new campaign called Pay With Lovin': Through February 14, in-store customers will be chosen at random to receive a free meal in exchange for performing an "act of love," which can include calling a loved one, fist bumping with a McDonald's employee or blowing a kiss.

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Free bagels. On Thursday, February 5, Bruegger's Bagels is celebrating 32 years of business by giving customers three free bagels -- excluding toppings and specialty flavors -- at all of its locations throughout the U.S., from open (check with your local bakery for an exact time) to 11 A.M. You must fill out an online form to receive an e-mail coupon that can be presented in-store to claim your breakfast treat.

Free frozen yogurt. On National Frozen Yogurt Day on Friday, February 6, Menchie's frozen yogurt chain is offering free frozen yogurt, up to six ounces, from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M. at participating stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Free egg roll. In honor of the Chinese New Year, Panda Express is giving customers a free chicken egg roll on Tuesday, February 19 at participating restaurants. Patrons must print out or present this coupon on their mobile device in-store.

Free donut. Krispy Kreme is opening its 1,000th store location in Kansas City, Kan., on Tuesday, February 24 and wants to celebrate by offering one free original glazed donut to the first 1,000 customers at participating shops worldwide.

Free fish. On your next visit to Walmart anytime in February, pick up a pouch of Chicken of the Sea flavored salmon. You'll need to provide your name and e-mail address to download a coupon, which expires on Saturday, February 28.

Free coffee. Get a free caffeine boost every day throughout February, courtesy of a free cup of Chick-fil-A's new specialty-grade THRIVE Farmers coffee at its restaurants nationwide. Select either a 12-ounce hot or 16-ounce iced coffee anytime during normal restaurant hours.

Free vitamin supplement drink mix. Flu season is in full effect. Help boost your immune system with a free sample of Emergen-C vitamin supplement drink mix, which includes vitamins C and B, zinc and electrolytes. You must complete an online form to receive a sample via snail mail.

Happy eating (and drinking)!