A California family’s outrageous bill for Trader Joe’s went viral on social media and sparked a debate about the affordability of food supplies for families.
a video on X, which captured a $444 receipt worth a mile in length, has been viewed more than 17 million times online.
The hefty bill, filmed by a father of six in the expensive Westlake Village neighborhood, sparked discussions about the cost of grocery shopping for families, especially since Trader Joe’s prides itself on its reputation as a cost-effective option.
This is what it takes to feed six children [for] “About a week and a half,” the father said in his video, where most items cost between $2.99 and $3.99.
The video shows the family’s haul, which includes fresh produce like pricey strawberries ($4.49/lb), a multipack of avocados ($4.99) and loose cucumbers ($2.49 each).
A California family’s outrageous bill over Trader Joe’s went viral on social media and sparked a debate about the affordability of the pantry for families
A video capturing a mile-long Trader Joe’s receipt has been viewed more than 17 million times online
The receipt also included a supply of frozen meals: Trader Joe’s chicken and cheese tamales ($3.99 each), chicken soup dumplings ($3.49 each) and Margherita pizzas ($4.79 each).
Luxury items were also not lacking. The most expensive were the Korean frozen beef ribs, which cost a whopping $13.99 each.
Other pricier finds included breaded chicken fillets for $8.99 and a decadent rib-eye steak for $7.27.
Users were quick to point out that the family would have been better off going to big box stores like Costco or Sam’s Club to save money, as Trader Joe’s isn’t designed to feed large families.
“Shopping at Trader Joe’s instead of Costco with six kids is insane,” one user wrote.
“Trader Joe’s is cheap but this person didn’t buy anything to cook, it’s all pre-made which is always more expensive. Buy ingredients and make food,” argued another.
“Trader Joe’s is not meant for a large family,” wrote another user.
Others noted that the father bought unnecessary items and that his complaint was therefore unfounded.
‘Almost half of everything on the list is organic, which is a luxury. And also things like Gnocci Alla Sorrentina, surfine capers and brazil nut body wash (!)?’, argued another.
“If he’s going to whine about prices, at least show some purchasing discipline.”
The total came to $444.38
Aldi, a discount supermarket chain known for its low prices, was often cited as an alternative by commentators.
“At Aldi it would cost 1/3 of the price,” someone said.
“You can get those at Aldi for about $125,” said another.
DailyMail.com has contacted Trader Joe’s for comment.