The worst things to buy at Trader Joe's

The trendy supermarket chain offers low prices on many items, but not everything.

By Cameron Huddleston, Kiplinger

Trading at Trader Joe's

There are plenty of reasons to like Trader Joe’s: helpful employees in Hawaiian shirts, a no-questions-asked return policy, unusual items such as cookie butter and rosemary marcona almonds, and -- best of all -- low prices.

However, not everything is a good deal at Trader Joe’s. We compared its regular prices on a variety of items with the regular (non-sale) prices of similar items at Harris Teeter, Kroger, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods. While we found that it’s tough to beat Trader Joe’s everyday prices, there are a few things that are better bargains at other stores.

Take a look at the items you can get for less elsewhere -- and in some cases we're talking dollars less, not just pennies. For each one, we’ve suggested related items you might want to purchase instead at Trader Joe’s because the regular prices are better than you’ll find on competitors’ shelves.