Gluten-Free Shopping

I have a gluten allergy and a lactose allergy. This means I have to eat special cereal with special milk. The only places that carry these special items are some Food Lions, Farm Fresh, and (my favorite) Trader Joes.

Well, Dad and I took a trip to Trader Joes a week and a half ago. I bought 3 boxes of Barbara's Bakery Puffins -- Peanut Butter and Original.

It took me just a little over a week to eat them all!

And, then I bought a $4.99 box of Honey Rice Puffins which were delicious (that took me two days to eat).

So, when I ran out, I decided perhaps to look online to get a better deal than a $4.99 box of cereal from Farm Fresh or Food Lion, because Trader Joes is a 40 mile drive from home.

I checked amazon.com and even went to Barbara's Bakery. com hoping for a wholesale price.

A 12-oz box of Puffins was $4.99 (plus shipping and handling). I said forget it. I can drive 2 miles and buy the same size box for the same price at Food Lion or Farm Fresh without the price of shipping and handling (and no guarantee that my cereal will arrive at my door without being crumbles).

Abandoning the idea of having expensive cereal delivered to my door, I tried to find some milk for cereal. I use Blue Diamond Almond Milk. I used to use Soy Milk, but it is an inflammatory; so, I stopped when my joints started to hurt after breakfast.

Blue Diamond. com offered a pack of 12 for 28.95, plus shipping and handling. That would put an individual carton at $2.41 (plus shipping and handling). Well, I can go to Farm Fresh or Food Lion and get the same carton for 10 cents more.

Then, I remembered that Trader Joes sold both items I love so much!

Today, I drove to Trader Joes (still cheaper than shipping and handling) and bought 12 boxes of Puffins. Get this: A box of Puffins is 18-oz and is only $3.59! I also bought 12 cartons of almond milk for $1.99.

I spent significantly less at Trader Joes getting the food I needed then settling for having it suspiciously delivered to my door or shutting up and buying it from skyrocketed priced Farm Fresh or Food Lion.

Trader Joes WINS!