Tom's Favorite Things : @TraderJoesList

There are hacks that make us more productive, able to manage more work, better deal with stress and life a fuller life. Yet sometimes the best life hack is the easiest. 

We’re going to make a quick left turn here as this life hack isn’t about a cool app or ways to live on less sleep.  It’s about something much more important.

Grocery shopping.

If you haven’t ventured into Trader Joe's, I promise you it can change your life.

A little background first- Trader Joe's is named after its founder, Joe Coulombe. Coulombe is said to have developed the idea of the Trader Joe's while on vacation in the Caribbean. He had noticed that Americans were traveling more and returning home with tastes they had trouble satisfying in supermarkets.

The first store branded as "Trader Joe's" opened in 1967. Trader Joe's quintupled the number of its stores between 1990 and 2001 and now operates nearly 500 stores across the US.  In 2016, Fortune magazine estimated Trader Joe's sales per square foot of floor space was more than double that of Whole Foods. The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports ranked Trader Joe's the second-best supermarket chain in the United States.

The success of Trader Joe’s gets spread around and is completely opposed to the standard model of grocery store human capital. Store Managers have earnings in the six figures and supervisory Crew can start at $45,000-$75,000 per year.  All employees make more than industry average, get generous retirement plans and health plans for less than $100 a month! No wonder they are always so happy!

Back to what makes Trader Joe’s so great.

A typical grocery store may carry 50,000 items, Trader Joe's stocks less than 10% of that - about 4,000 items, 80% of which bear one of its own brand names. The first few times I went into Trader Joe’s I was completely turned off and a bit confused. Where are my Cheerios?  Coke Zero?  Only 1 brand of mayonnaise?  4 aisles?  What the heck is going on here?

After deciding to give it a shot I was hooked.

I had a huge realization. I didn’t need to choose between fifty kinds of salsa. A few varieties of chips would suite me fine. Do I really care about the brand of my peanut butter?  Is it worth getting my daily steps goal trying to traverse a behemoth store?  No.  Simplicity is freedom.

And to boot, they have some incredible food. I’ve become addicted to their pre-made salads. We’ve tried a lot of unique foods that we would never considered before. The floral department is small, but the quality is outstanding.

It’s also a quirky store with personality, where the crew knows the food - and get this...if you want to try something, just ask.  They’ll open the bag for you to taste.  And if you don’t like something, they accept returns.

It’s an incredible feeling to have limits on your choices. In this day of more choice, more customization, more selection...it’s time for less.

I know, an ode to a grocery store is a bit strange, but Trader Joe’s is a bit strange; and I’m OK with that!