A woman living in Montana says she spent over $400 at her nearest Trader Joe’s—which is a five hour drive away.
In a TikTok posted on September 26, ST (@jerseyshoreofficial) says that she lives in Montana, five hours away from the nearest Trader Joe’s. She shows off her $400+ haul from a recent trip, which covers her entire kitchen table.
“When I go, I really like to make it worth it,” ST says in her video.
Her haul includes the store’s famous gnocchis, fried rice, six boxes of Philly Cheesesteak bao dumplings, among other Trader Joe’s fan favorites.
On Thursday, ST’s video had over 425,000 views on TikTok.
@jerseyshoreofficial trader joes hauls are one of my favorite things to watch on here so i figured i’d contribute #traderjoes ♬ original sound – st
Trader Joe’s has stores in 43 U.S. states—states without a Trader Joe’s include Montana, Hawaii, Alaska, and Wyoming. Idaho, which is next to Montana, has Trader Joe’s locations, as do surrounding states Washington and Oregon.
This isn’t the first time ST has transported Trader Joe’s items a great distance: In another TikTok of hers, she says that when visiting family on the east coast, she brought an entire extra suitcase to bring back Trader Joe’s groceries.
“And yes, TSA searched this bag,” ST says in her TikTok.
Some commenters were impressed with ST’s commitment to Trader Joe’s. But the TikToker said that the scarcity mindset makes her want the store’s goodies more.
“The scarcity makes me want it more,” ST commented on her video. “When it was 20 mins from me I went less than once a month.”
One commenter pointed out ST got a large amount of food for $400, when it would have cost her much more at another grocery store. A recent CNET investigation comparing prices between Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores seems to confirm this theory— the investigation revealed that a $150 grocery trip at Trader Joe’s would cost approximately $230 elsewhere.
Other commenters said ST’s video resonated with them: They live far from Trader Joe’s as well and make the trek.
“As someone who’s a 5 hour flight from the nearest Trader Joe’s,” a commenter wrote, “I completely understand.”
“I live 2 hours away and I am the same way,” another commenter shared. “I like to go once once in the winter, spring, summer, and will be making my fall trip this weekend!!”
The Daily Dot has reached out to ST via TikTok comment.
