Took the neighbor to Trader Joe's

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jd_1138

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Neighbor lady has been wanting to go to Trader Joe's for a long time because she likes the TJ's products she's tried at our house -- like the sauces, coffee, etc.. But she only drives locally within a few mile radius, and her husband works 5/6 days a week and has no energy for 1.5 hour trips.

So the wife invited her to come with us yesterday to the one in Pittsburgh and she enthusiastically said yes. We stocked up on pasta sauces, salsas, chips, fruit, cereals, coffee, beer, wine, etc..

Also, we went out to eat afterwards at Primanti Bros., and she ordered some bizarre salad thing for $12 that she hated instead of ordering what the place is famous for (sandwiches). Wife ended up giving her half of her sandwich (wife never finishes her meals).

My mom just moved to an area without a TJ's, so she's going through withdrawals. Nearest one is like 3 hours away. Her old town had 3 of them.
 
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We don't have a Trader Joe's locally, either. Think our closest is in Va Beach, and I do NOT do the big city drives. My cousin said something about taking Mom and I up there some time soon.
 
In 10 years...Trader Joe's will probably be the nation's only chain store of it's kind left. If you live nearby one, they still put out their newsletter to "Occupant".
 
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I can live just fine without Trader Joe's, for sure

But now that we have Wegmans.... I can't live without them!

+1

For me it is both Penn Dutch and Restaurant Depot that I will find hard pressed to live without! Especially since the local Restaurant Depots are carrying sacks of live crawfish, at a reasonable price, during the season.:ROFLMAO:
 
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We don't have a Trader Joe's locally, either. Think our closest is in Va Beach, and I do NOT do the big city drives. My cousin said something about taking Mom and I up there some time soon.

It's not too hard of a drive. At least here, anyway. It's like an hour away. The easiest way to get there is to take route 422 to the NW and then take 271 North and get off at Chagrin Blvd. and it's right there.

Don't even need to actually drive through Cleveland itself. It's in the suburbs.

Also, do you have a Tomtom or Garmin? Those make it a lot easier to drive in unfamiliar places. When we went to TJ's, they were working on part of the highway, and they had it split in the middle. I went to the left not knowing that it wouldn't meet up again with the main road in time for me to make our exit. But the GPS re-routed us to the next exit and we made it there fine.

Local drivers know all the construction spots and such. Us out of towners are a little at a disadvantage.
 
It's not too hard of a drive. At least here, anyway. It's like an hour away. The easiest way to get there is to take route 422 to the NW and then take 271 North and get off at Chagrin Blvd. and it's right there.

Don't even need to actually drive through Cleveland itself. It's in the suburbs.

Also, do you have a Tomtom or Garmin? Those make it a lot easier to drive in unfamiliar places. When we went to TJ's, they were working on part of the highway, and they had it split in the middle. I went to the left not knowing that it wouldn't meet up again with the main road in time for me to make our exit. But the GPS re-routed us to the next exit and we made it there fine.

Local drivers know all the construction spots and such. Us out of towners are a little at a disadvantage.
The Trader Joe's in Virginia Beach is in a really busy area, but it's close to a highway exit. It's about a half hour drive from me, but I have to pay tolls going both ways and I'm not addicted to their food, so I get by without it ;)
 
They are opening one in Somerville. I can get there by Public Transportation. Only if the weather cooperates.
 
I used my GPS to find a TJ's near my brother's place in Mpls. The little thing misled me. I think I drove around the block at least 12 times, it kept saying I was already there. No place to park. So I stalked a guy who finally moved, and took his parking spot out front. Then, after I made my purchases, I found out they had a big parking lot in the back that I kept missing.

I like TJ's for all sorts of stuff.
 
The Trader Joe's in Virginia Beach is in a really busy area, but it's close to a highway exit. It's about a half hour drive from me, but I have to pay tolls going both ways and I'm not addicted to their food, so I get by without it ;)

Plus we have the drive from EC up to VA in the first place. Gotta go up there some time next month anyway. Mom's getting hearing aids and my cousin who is an audiologist is working with one of her industry reps to find us a good set at whatever insurance will cover.
 
I can live just fine without Trader Joe's, for sure

But now that we have Wegmans.... I can't live without them!
I was really excited when they said they were opening a Wegmans in Northboro - only 25 miles from our house! When we go back and forth to Ohio, we always stop at the one in Wilkes-Barre PA to pick up things we can find only there. When we visit family in the Allentown/Bethlehem area of PA too. Well let me tell you, the Northboro one is using area marketing to the highest power. Geez, some of the prices are double of what we pay for the same thing at the PA stores. Northboro people can pay those prices, but I can live without Wegmans until we get to PA again.

Trader Joe's, on the other hand, seems to offer most of their quality items for less than the grocery store price for a comparable or better quality item. It's 25 miles away also, but not in the same direction...of course. :LOL:
 
I used my GPS to find a TJ's near my brother's place in Mpls. The little thing misled me. I think I drove around the block at least 12 times, it kept saying I was already there. No place to park. So I stalked a guy who finally moved, and took his parking spot out front. Then, after I made my purchases, I found out they had a big parking lot in the back that I kept missing...
The same thing happened to us when we went to Penzeys in West Hartford, CT the first time! "You have arrived at your destination". OK, where do I park? :LOL: Himself found how to get into the lot after he had dropped me off in front of the store and circled the block a few times...till he followed someone turning in.
 
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