Alright, day nine. It’s freezing and rainy and gross outside. Give me all the warm things. Instead of having a simple snack of carrot sticks this afternoon, I opted for carrot ginger soup because I’ve been cold since the moment I woke up. 3 cups of tea, soup, heated blanket, I want it all.
After getting soaked walking home from the gym this afternoon, I was so ready to be inside for the rest of the day. But you know, I had shit to do. Like buy a mop. Literally, that’s what I had to do. But while out, I thought I’d stop at Whole Foods to stock up on my seafood. You know me, I could spend the rest of my life at Whole Foods and be totally content. Well that might be my reality because my seafood guy proposed to me today. It’s amazing what washing your hair can do for your love life.
As I was walking around the store, I started to think about all the different things I do to save myself time and money. Now, these tips are only applicable to Whole Foods because I act very differently at other grocery stores. But I think we’ve all been sucked into the Whole Foods vortex and before you know it, you’re at home with a pound of turmeric and a second mortgage on your house. It’s ok, here are a few ways to avoid this from happening in the future:
- Don’t buy all your groceries at Whole Foods. This may seem shocking coming from me, but even I can recognize when something is overpriced. A non-organic avocado for $2 is not a good deal. I only buy _ things from Whole Foods: meat, eggs, dairy (ghee and sometimes goat cheese), and paleo brands that are only available there. Whole Foods has much higher standards for meat quality, so I try to buy my meat and seafood fresh from their butcher as much as possible. Did you know that you can have any fish cooked at the seafood counter? So if you have no idea how to cook swordfish, but you’ve always wanted to try it, have them cook it for ya! If you have a couple hours, they’ll even smoke it for you! A little something from my future hubby. I also buy eggs at Whole Foods because they sell an 18 pack from Alfresco Farms for only $6.50. This is a great price for quality and humane eggs. And lastly, there are a few brands that are exclusive to Whole Foods – Siete Foods tortillas (and chips now!!), Epic Foods bone broth, Eating Evolved chocolate, etc. I’m not eating any of those things currently, but when I am, I buy them at Whole Foods.
- Don’t ever grab a cart. What do you need all that room for? Half the time I don’t even grab a basket! That’s a recipe for disaster if you’re trying to save money. Some das, I’ll wander the isles of Whole Foods for hours. Those are the same days I come home $200 poorer. But at least I have more ginger tea. If you only buy what you can carry, you’re bound to keep yourself in check.
- Shop the sales. This seems obvious. But every time Whole Foods puts a staple like chicken breast or salmon on sale, I buy a lot and freeze it. They have awesome sales, but it’s not every week that Mary’s Organic Free Range Step 5 Slow Grown Chicken is on sale! Better stock up!
- Download their app. I use the Whole Foods app almost as much as I use Instagram. That’s a lot. But it’s seriously a lifesaver. They feature all their sales so you can plan your meals in advance and go in with a shopping list (which you can create right in the app itself!). Sales are awesome, however coupons are THE BEST. And the Whole Foods app has mobile coupons! They’ll often have $5 off $25 spent on seafood or chicken or whatever. And if you’ve ever bought anything from Whole Foods, you know how easy it is to spend $25. Now if you can plan it so you’re using a mobile coupon on a sale item, then you’re just a thrifty little genius.
- Buy in season. This goes for pretty much every grocery store, but the price difference very noticeable at Whole Foods. For example: Right now, 1 container of organic strawberries is $7. It’s fine, I don’t need electricity this month. But guess what, when strawberries are in season, that price will come down a lot. Also right now, winter squash is in season and I bought 3 enormous butternut squash at Whole Foods for only 98¢ a pound. Plus I had a $5 off mobile coupon. I’m the master.
Hope those tips help you save a lil cash dolla (also my rap name) when you shop at Whole Foods! I’m off to enjoy some Netflix, dem drumsticks (my band name), and think about how much money I’ll save when I marry the seafood guy.
Meal 1: turkey meatballs with rainbow hash and sautéed kale
Meal 2: lemon garlic cod with steamed broccoli and roasted sage butternut squash
Snack: carrot ginger soup
Meal 3: baked pesto drumsticks with cauliflower mash and roasted brussel sprouts