Feast logo

How To Save Money at Whole Foods

When trying to skimp on price but not on quality, learn how to save money at Whole Foods.

By Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 7 years ago 10 min read
Like

I want to begin this article by saying that Whole Foods has become somewhat of a vice and an addiction for me. I love the way the food tastes there, I love the principles that the store stands for, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I enjoyed the overall ambiance of shopping there.

The only problem is that Whole Foods is a pretty expensive vice to have — particularly if you're living on an artist's budget. However, as bad as 'Whole Paycheck' can be in terms of pricing, there are ways to save money at Whole Foods that can make it affordable for a normal person's budget.

Here's how to save money at Whole Foods, straight from someone who shops there every week.

Buy your veggies and fruits anywhere but Whole Foods.

90 percent of learning how to save money at Whole Foods is learning what products are actually worth buying there.

Fresh vegetables and fruitscome at premium prices at Whole Foods. Don't get me wrong; the produce section is incredible in terms of quality. However, most of us just won't be able to afford $4 artichokes every day.

If you love the taste of fresh produce, then you will probably have to look into an alternative nearby, such as a farmer's market. Simply put, the markup isn't always worth it, and there are other alternatives out there you can consider.

When you have microwave meals that you love at Whole Foods, learn the brands and then shop competitors.

Once again, most of learning how to save money at Whole Foods relies on knowing what to buy. If you have a thing from the freezer aisle, it may be a better option to just take note of the brand names and go to a discount retailer like Walmart for those goodies.

Why? Because Whole Foods tends to bring a much higher markup than Walmart or Target when it comes to freezer aisle foods. The same can also be said about brand name canned goods.

If you want to save money while shopping at Whole Foods, don't waste money buying things that you could get elsewhere for cheaper. It just doesn't make sense to do so.

Shop the meats section - but do it in bulk.

Whole Foods has an incredible meat and seafood section, and while it may be costlier than mainstream meat, it's far cheaper than most other organic, non-hormone treated meat you'll find on the market.

If you are sensitive to hormones, antibiotics, or are just worried about what all the chemicals animals are fed could be doing to you, Whole Foods is a godsend. That being said, there are a number of ways to seriously cut costs.

The most common cost cutter Whole Foods shoppers can take advantage of are the "family size" portions, which are large packs of meats. These packs are often sold at a discount-per-pound compared to the smaller portions you'll see in the butcher center.

Family size batches of meat are perfect for portioning out into smaller freezer bags, are often pre-seasoned, and come with all the perks of organic goods.

The end result? You get more organic meat, at a lower price — and half the time, they even marinate it for you!

A little-known fact is that Whole Foods accepts manufacturer's coupons.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they shop at Whole Foods is that they think that the chain won't accept outsider coupons. This simply isn't true! Anyone who really knows how to save money at Whole Foods will tell you that manufacturer's coupons can shred grocery costs, big time.

To take full advantage of this, go online and search up manufacturer coupons of your favorite brands. Bigger brands, like Amy's or Luvo, tend to have manufacturer coupons all the time online. All you have to do to redeem them is print them out and let the cashier scan them.

Keep a careful eye out for unadvertised sales.

Most Whole Foods stores will have very low-key one day sales to get rid of produce, meats, seafood, and wines they don't want to keep on the shelves anymore.

This can be a major goldmine in terms of savings, and if you want to learn how to save money at Whole Foods the right way, you'll learn how to keep an eye out for these sales. They're usually marked by yellow and red tags or signs.

These sales are particularly good when it comes to seafood, meat, and canned goods.

More often than not, just asking someone who works there will help you find the best deals in their department. After all, they're the ones who slapped the sale stickers on the items — so that tends to mean they'll know what are the best savings out there.

Get the Whole Foods app, and sign up for the Whole Foods newsletter.

Just like with any other company, it's in the best interest of Whole Foods to link up their customers with good deals and make themselves look like a company that provides value to their clients. The way they do this is often via their app and their newsletters.

Those who subscribe to both end up getting a plethora of coupons on everything from bath fizzies to bell peppers, which means you get the most savings possible when you're shopping.

Download the Whole Foods app

Bring Your Own Bags! (BYOB)

Though it may not be much, one of the easiest ways to save a little bit of cash at Whole Foods is to bring your own bags. In fact, almost every guide on how to save money at Whole Foods will tell you this option.

Depending on the store you visit, the cashier will give you anywhere from 5 to 10 cents back per bag you use. If you end up using 11 bags for a major shopping trip, that's $1.10 you saved in that trip.

Yes, it's not much, but everything counts in large amounts!

The BAGGU Reusable Shopping Bag is ecofriendly, holds up to 50lbs (2-3 grocery bags) and is constructed of 100% ripstop nylon.

Use apps to get rebates on Whole Foods items.

Most rebate apps like Ibotta have deals with Whole Foods — or brands that you buy from Whole Foods. If you want to save on your grocery bills, it makes sense to download one of these apps and use it when you're on your shopping trips.

Using these apps can easily give you back as much as 2 percent of what you spent, depending on what you're buying.

Buy discounted gift cards to Whole Foods, then spend them on your own.

Most people who say they know how to save money at Whole Foods don't get quite as sneaky as I do. Major sites like GiftcardGranny occasionally sell Whole Foods gift cards at a discount. If you shop as frequently as I do, it makes sense to buy several of them.

That way, you end up getting more money to spend at the store than your budget might typically allow for. For example, if you spend $40 for a $60 Whole Foods gift card, you will end up saving $20 on groceries without even having to use a single coupon.

Compare 365 Everyday Value prices to brand name prices, just to make sure you're getting the best bang for your buck.

365 Everyday Value is the "store brand" brought out by Whole Foods, and generally speaking, it's one of the cheapest options in the store. In fact, the official Whole Foods guide even tells people to consider buying 365 Everyday Value in their section on how to save money at Whole Foods.

Typically, people assume that 365 is going to be the cheapest option in the store. In many cases, this is true — but not all. There are some name brands which are cheaper, particularly when they are on sale. Always double check before buying.

The bulk section often has the best values in the entire store.

Yeah, no one ever seems to show much love for the Whole Foods bulk buying section, but it's amazing in terms of pricing. If you want to learn how to save money at Whole Foods really quickly, much of your lesson will come from learning to browse this section.

The bulk section contains tons of different pastas, chocolates, nuts, dried goods, and granolas — and the vast majority of them are way cheaper than their prepackaged counterparts.

Additionally, many Whole Foods stores also have a bulk spices section with similarly excellent pricing. In many cases, the spices they offer in bulk are cheaper than what you'd pay at Shoprite or Foodtown.

This is a great way to save huge amounts of money off your food bills at Whole Foods. Depending on what you're buying, you may be able to shave as much as 20 percent off of your grocery bill just by buying in bulk style.

Oh, and if you do buy in bulk, bring your own containers. The container you use will be factored into the weight, so the lighter a container you bring, the better off you'll be.

Buy at least six bottles of wine at a time.

Do you love your alcohol? Of course, you do!

Whole Foods really does make a point of showing people that buying in bulk is a good way to live. If you buy any set of six bottles of wine at a single time, Whole Foods will give you a 10 percent discount.

What's awesome and teaches you how to save money at Whole Foods is that it doesn't have to be any particular kind of wine. Even the cheapest wines, which often are under $5 in cost, will get the same discount as the pricier picks.

Raid the salad bar.

Most guides that talk about how to save money at Whole Foods will tell you to avoid any sort of pre-fab food at this chain. I disagree; the salad bar is one of the best money savers in the entire store.

While the salad bar is around eight bucks or more per pound, it can still be a bargain as long as you're buying lightweight items. Certain items, such as shredded cabbage, pre-diced green onions, sprouts, and bacon actually are cheaper to get from the salad bar.

If you aren't buying too much of an item, or if the item costs more per pound in the produce or meat section, just go to the salad bar. You'll be surprised at how much you'll save.

Grab Whole Foods coupon pamphlets and save them.

Whole Foods has a bunch of coupon-filled pamphlets right near the door. They offer great discounts on products, and are up for grabs. So, grab them and use them. That's what they're there for.

One thing you might not know is that the pamphlets they hand out might only be available for two months, but that they are good for a total of three months. So, if you want to save money on groceries from Whole Foods, by all means, stock up.

Whole Foods often lets you stack coupons for one item.

Let's say you have a Whole Foods coupon, a manufacturer coupon, and a special mail coupon, all for the same item. Chances are high that they will allow you to use all three on the same item. Why? Because most of the coupons won't limit you to just using that coupon on the item.

Whole Foods is cool like that, and if you know how to save money at Whole Foods using their coupons, you will see your bills shrink significantly.

Basically, if you want to learn how to save money at Whole Foods, it all boils down to planning.

Shopping at Whole Foods is a skill. You need to learn the store, its strengths and its weaknesses — and plan accordingly. If you go in with a game plan, you will very likely see your grocery bills shrink when you go there.

how tolist
Like

About the Creator

Ossiana Tepfenhart

Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer based out of New Jersey. This is her work account. She loves gifts and tips, so if you like something, tip her!

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.