The $4 Seasonal Find You Need to Buy at Trader Joe’s This Year

Last year, I found a BOGO coupon for pumpkins at my local nursery. I ended up with four pumpkins valued at $88 for just $44. I felt like I hit the jackpot—my stoop looked great, but I didn’t have to shell out more than my weekly grocery bill for a handful of pumpkins that would only rot in a few week’s time.

When I spotted the same coupon in a local flyer this year, I clipped it and set it aside. But then I walked into Trader Joe’s to do my weekly grocery shopping, and everything changed.

Trader Joe’s had huge boxes of pumpkins—all kinds of pumpkins, actually—right in the middle of the store. The sign on the heirloom pumpkins caught my eye first. The bin was full of jarrahdale pumpkins, pumpkemon pumpkins, white ghost pumpkins, cinderella pumpkins, and porcelain doll pumpkins. My favorites were all there, and for just $7 each.

Then I spotted the sign on the next bin. Big, orange jack-o-lantern pumpkins for just $4 each. Next to that? Mini pumpkins (white and orange) and gourds for just one dollar each.

The best part? The pumpkins were all in great condition. The stems were long and attractive, the colors were vibrant, and most were free from flaws like divots or bumps.

I couldn’t believe that I could get six heirloom pumpkins for less than I spent on regular pumpkins last year. And if I wanted regular pumpkins? I could get 11, and still spend less than I did at the nursery.

Since I really don’t need 11 pumpkins, I’ll opt for a few of the heirlooms and save the cash.