How do you shop at natural food stores without going broke??!
How do you shop at natural food stores without going broke??
Today I went to Whole Foods, Wild Oats and Rainbow Blossom. We got 3 bags of items (and not many items in those bags) and spent $120. I found that Wild Oats was the least expensive of the three, but how do you shop there without spending every dime in your pocket?
Answers:
I think the best way is to limit your spending at natural food stores to the particular items you value most. I grew up shopping at co-ops, but only for specific items. If you are interested in organic produce, for example, buy that there, but also look into your local grocery stores, farmer's markets, etc, and do some price comparisons. A lot of the time, I will buy 2-3 items a week at a natural food store and buy the rest at a normal grocery store because there may not be that much of a difference between stores. However, I love fruit leather, certain kinds of tea, and toiletries from health food stores, so I will spend the extra money for those items.
Also, consider joining a co-op instead of buying at whole foods and wild oats- these stores are trendier, and therefore more expensive. Trader Joe's has a good in-store brand for essentials like olive oil, veggies, etc- but it does take research. Co-ops are a good investment if you are serious about shopping for lots of food and items in a health food store- they often offer discounts and tax reductions on certain items. My hometown co-op also offers, one day a month, 20% off of your whole purchase, which means that if you plan well, you can save a lot of money once a month. Look into it!
Source(s):
http://www.oneota.net/~foodcoop/member.h...
my hometown co-op's membership page- gives you a basic idea of the advantages!
u dont...food is still food
Well, it depends on your perspective. $120.00 for food that will properly nourish your body or endless hospital bills when you are being treated for diabetes, cancer, or heart disease?
Putting your question into perspective, if your health food stores have a bulk section, bag your own. It's always cheaper than buying packaged foods.
I used to belong to a food co-op where several families that ate natural went in together and ordered weekly with a natural food supplier. Because there were so many of us the order was quite large so they were happy to do it and deliver to a location. We went every two weeks to the parking lot of a mve theater with the list of items we ordered. We knew in advance from an order guide how much our items were and everyone put in there portion and we paid the driver the invoice. Once he unloaded the food we all pitched in and filled our orders according to our order lists. It was fun, very very cheap and the products were great. It is really the only way we were able to eat healthy because I couldnt afford to shop anywhere else. Plus the selection was way more than what I could get at any store around. CHeck and see if there is one on your area...........if not maybe you can join together with some other families and start one!
Stay away from the processed, prepackaged foods. Just like in a regular supermarket, if you stick to the outside aisles- fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat and stay away from the stuff in the middle you'll save money and eat healthier.
Before you shop, sit down and do your menu planning for the week.Then write a list of the foods you'll need. When you go shopping stick to your list, don't make any impulse purchases.Its all those little extras that attract the eye when shopping, they're what drives your grocery bill up. Also sad to say, you're going to pay more at natural food stores anyway, the pure forms of foods tend to cost more