15 Trader Joe’s March Fridge Deals That'll Make Budgeting a Breeze

While frozen foods can often be cheaper than fresh, you can still save on refrigerated meals, snacks, and ingredients, especially at Trader Joe's. 

The grocery store specializes in creative premade foods and fun seasonal items, from salad kits to marinated meat.

We're pros at the best Trader Joe's shopping hacks, so we found the best fridge deals for tasty, low-budget meals. From flavorful chili to Irish cheese, here's what to shop for in the refrigerated section of TJ's this March.

Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

Price: $3.99

Trader Joe's sells a wide variety of salad kits, one of the most unique being the Dill-icious Chopped Salad Kit. Inspired by the taste of a dill pickle, the kit includes a mix of cauliflower, radishes, cabbage, lettuce, and kale for its base. 

Top it with the dill pickle-flavored potato chips and seasoning and mix with the dill cucumber ranch dressing.

Taylor Farms makes a Dill Pickle Chopped Salad Kit that sells for about the same price at Sprouts but without the zesty dill potato chips.

Price: $3.79

If you can't find fresh eggs at your Trader Joe's, pick up these egg bites for a quick, high-protein breakfast. Made with egg whites, turkey sausage, and TJ's fan-favorite Unexpected Cheddar, you just have to pop them in the microwave for a minute to heat, and they're ready to eat.

At $3.79 for two, this option is perfect for someone who doesn't want to buy egg bites in bulk.

Price: $5.99

Trader Joe's Tangerine Juice is a staple in my home — and I don't expect that to change anytime soon. We love the fresh, tart taste, and the 1.6-quart size is perfect for our two-person household. And at $5.99, it's 10 cents less per ounce than the Cold Pressed Tangerine Juice sold at Walmart.

Just be sure to give it a good shake before pouring, as the pulp and juice tend to separate pretty quickly.

Price: $6.49

While TJ's excels at prepared foods, you shouldn't skip over the raw meat section. You can get five pork sausages with sweet Italian seasoning, totaling 1 pound of meat, for $6.49. 

That means each sausage is just $1.30. They're great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and there's a spicy version if you want some variety in your fridge.

Price: $2.99

Trader Joe's has a few varieties of butter in its refrigerated aisle, but this 4-ounce cylinder of specialty butter is mixed with parmesan, garlic, and herbs. It's the perfect condiment to spread on a piece of sourdough toast or steaming garlic bread. 

And it's 10 cents less per ounce than the Bettergoods Garlic, Parmesan, & Basil Butter sold at Walmart.

Price: $3.99

If you need to stock your fridge with some quick lunch options, grab this Vegetable Samosa Burrito. The flour tortilla is stuffed with samosa-inspired flavors, including potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, peas, and a spiced tomato chutney.

One burrito is 480 calories and 11 grams of protein, plus it can be heated in the oven or microwave. At $3.99, it's the same price as Amy's Indian Samosa Wrap at Target, but 4 ounces more of food.

Price: $3.99

For a punch of flavor and probiotics, pick up a container of Trader Joe's Kimchi. The fermented napa cabbage is mixed with radish, onion, and red pepper. Pair it with fried rice, dumplings, ramen, and more. 

The 10.58-ounce container is $3.99, and it's one cent cheaper per ounce than the Wildbrine Korean Style Kimchi sold at Target.

Price: $6.99

Whether for an appetizer or meal, this crispy pork belly is as close to restaurant quality as you can get. The pork is seasoned with sea salt and fully cooked, so all you have to do is pat it dry and brown it in a skillet, either piece by piece or all at once. 

The 12-ounce box yields four servings, containing 240 calories and 13 grams of protein.

Price: $3.69

If you're a fiend for Caesar salad, try it in dip form. This Caesar salad dip features all of the classic salad's typical ingredients, including romaine, parmesan cheese, anchovy paste, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and more.

The dip works out to about 46 cents per serving and 80 calories. There aren't many similar products on the market, so it's a unique find. For comparison, it's about 14 cents less per ounce than the Signature Select/Cafe Artichoke Parmesan Dip at Safeway.

Price: $5.99

Revamp your bagel and lox with this Everything But the Bagel Seasoned Smoked Salmon. The farm-raised smoked salmon is pre-sliced and topped with sesame seeds, sea salt, dried garlic, dried onion, and poppy seeds.

The package includes 4 ounces of fish for $5.99, which is 12 cents cheaper per ounce than the 365 By Whole Foods Market Cold Smoked Atlantic Salmon.

Price: $4.99

This fall-favorite is still on shelves, so snag it while you can.

Packed with autumnal ingredients, this hearty chili is perfect for quick weekday lunches — all you have to do is heat and serve. It's packed with veggies, including black beans, butternut squash, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin.

A 20-ounce container yields about two and a half servings for under $5, breaking down to 25 cents per ounce. That's 8 cents cheaper per ounce than the Signature Select/Cafe Steakhouse Chili from Safeway.

Price: $7.49 per pound

Pop these pre-marinated chicken tenders on the stove or grill for six to eight minutes for an easy, high-protein meal. The boneless, skinless tenders are seasoned with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, and onion. 

At $7.49 per pound, the Trader Joe's tenders are three cents less per pound than the Good & Gather Fajita Seasoned Chicken Breast Strips at Target.

Price: $3.79

Onion lovers can use this caramelized onion dip as a dip, sauce, or condiment. It's made with sour cream, cream cheese, mayo, roasted garlic, and more. You'll get nine servings in the 10-ounce container, which works out to 42 cents per person.

And as a bonus, it's 22 cents less per ounce than the Tabitha Brown Vegan Onion & Garlic Dip at Target.

Price: $3.99

If you need easy weeknight meals, head to Trader Joe's stuffed pasta selection. This traviolini is stuffed with tomato, burrata, mozzarella, and basil. You just need to boil the pasta for four to five minutes and serve it with butter and parmesan or a sauce of your choice.

The $3.99 container feeds three people, making it three cents less per ounce than the Good & Gather Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Ravioli at Target.

Price: $6.25

If you're stocking your fridge at Trader Joe's in March, it's hard to resist this seasonal Irish Porter Cheddar Cheese. The cheese is a combination of cheddar and Irish porter, which is a type of beer made with barley.

The cheese has a unique marbling that's sure to catch your eye, and a half-pound wedge costs about $6.25. In comparison, Boar's Head Irish Cheddar Cheese is $6.99 for seven ounces at King Soopers.

Trader Joe's may not be the overall cheapest place to save money on groceries, but the retailer offers some excellent deals on prepared meals, snacks, and fridge staples. 

If you need to restock on protein or fresh juice, TJ's has a unique selection of products and flavors.

While you'll find maximum savings at bulk stores like Sam's Club or Costco, Trader Joe's is a great fit for smaller households to avoid wasting food and save at the same time.