“Happiness is the highest form of health.”
Dalai Lama
Whole Foods Market is a grocery store company with 500 locations across the United States, Canada, and in the United Kingdom. The specialty of the Whole Foods Market is that the company sells organic foods: items that are grown without pesticide spraying or having growth hormones added to them. It is also stated that the company strives to have the “least processed, most flavorful and natural foods possible”.
Yet you would assume that all of this high quality comes at a high price, right? Sure some of it does, but not all. While you probably would not equate saving money with shopping at a Whole Foods Market, there are strategies you can use to keep costs down while still enjoying the array of high quality, nutritious foods they provide.
Buy the Store Brand
This is my favorite tip. It saves me so much money, every single trip. Buy the 365 Everyday Value Brand, which is counted as Whole Foods Private Products. Think of the 365 Everyday Value Brand as the Whole Foods’ store brand version. The 365 brand is wonderful, the pasta is whole grain. The toilet paper is recycled but soft on your bottom. We haven’t found a 365 store brand item that we haven’t liked.
Buy in bulk
Buying in bulk reduces the cost of items because you are not paying for the advertising or packaging of products that have to be housed on the shelves. Bring your own jars and use their bulk filling stations. We buy nuts, oats and grains in the bulk area.
View and use the Hot Deal Value Guide
The Whole Deal Value Guide is designed to help you keep grocery costs down by encouraging you to do meal-planning for 1, 2, or 4 people and by offering to you money-saving coupons. Other money savers within the Whole Deal Value Guide are Sure Deals, and Three Items Under $3. The guide can be found in a Whole Foods Market, viewed online, and/or downloaded as a PDF file for a customer’s convenience.
Pick up a Store Flyer
Once you at arrive at a Whole Foods Market, pick up the store flyer. A new flyer that lists sale items is available every Wednesday.
Take a Value Tour
Ask for a Value Tour. I haven’t done this, but after the pandemic settles down I want to do it. You can request one of the store representatives to take you on a store tour and give you tips about how to shop for store deals and specials. For example, all the specials are highlighted with red and orange signage. It has the same look as the Hot Deals Flyer. (But you might overlook that signage layout without the direction of a store representative.)
Try samples
Whole Foods Representatives will quickly and politely allow you to sample a product. Therefore, before you buy a new product, ask to sample it. A taste test of a product can help you to be certain that the product is to your liking. Plus, you will not have to waste time or be embarrassed when returning any unused portions. The sample items are often on sale too!
Use your Amazon Prime Account for Added Savings
Download the Amazon App on your phone, from the homepage on your phone on the top left corner there is a QR code for you to scan at the checkout lane. This will give you a discount on so many of the items in your cart.
Grocery shopping anywhere can add up. But it’s totally possible to save money at Whole Foods Market and shop healthy organic on a budget.
