This is the last part in my 3 part series of where and how I grocery shop.  If you haven’t seen them yet, read the Jewel and the Aldi post.  Today it’s all about Whole Foods which I am here to prove doesn’t have to be Whole Paycheck as long as you shop smart.

Full disclosure: I obviously do not do all of my grocery shopping at Whole Foods.  That isn’t to say it isn’t possible to shop only at Whole Foods, I just find it works best for me and my budget to go to a few different places.  You have to decide what is best for you, your budget, and your family.

I go to Whole Foods mostly for their bulk section.  They have a huge bulk foods section and buying in bulk is a great way to save money on food that you eat and use often.  It’s also great if you want to try something new but don’t want to buy a whole box or package.  That way you can see if you like the ingredient and won’t waste money or food if you don’t.

Here is what I usually buy from the bulk section at Whole Foods:

• whole wheat flour
• almond flour
• coconut flour
• oatmeal (rolled oats, oat bran, steel cut)
• buckwheat groats
• cornmeal
• brown rice
• hazelnuts
• almonds
• cashews
• pistachios
• goji berries
• prunes
• chia seeds
• hemp seeds
• flax seeds
• popcorn

Now, I don’t buy all of this every single time I go to the store, I just refill as needed.  But you can see that I do purchase a lot of things in bulk.  For me, buying these things in bulk is cheaper.  Do your research though because sometimes (not often) it isn’t cheaper to buy things in bulk.

Whole Foods also has a bulk spice section that is awesome!  I no longer have to buy a whole bottle of some spice that I am going to only use once and then forget I have.  This saves so much money and your spices and herbs won’t go bad (yes spices can go bad) because you aren’t using them.  I usually get:

• basil
• oregano
• thyme
• rosemary
• turmeric
• cumin

Because I’m obsessed with spices, I also get a lot of my spices and spice blends at The Spice House in Old Town.  They have so many amazing blends and I have a hard time choosing!  If you’re in the area you should check them out.  Plus it’s Alton Brown recommended so you can’t go wrong!

Other than bulk food, I also get a few other things:

• organic sweet potatoes (my one organic splurge because to me they taste much better than conventional)
• 365 brand peanut butter (the 2 lb jar is only $5.99)
• grind your own almond butter
• specialty ingredients like coconut cream, Asian/Indian food section things, tahini
• bulk coffee (I also sometimes get coffee from Trader Joes)

Again, I don’t get these things every single trip just when I need them.

It is totally possible to shop at Whole Foods and not spend a small fortune.  If you do your homework, you can grocery shop here on a budget.  If you look for coupons, buy things that are on sale, shop the bulk food section, and purchase the 365 brand products you can save a lot of money.  And soon you might be able to shop at a less expensive version of Whole Foods.

This is the last post in this series and I hope it helped show you how to grocery shop as well as how it’s easy to eat healthy on a budget and at a variety of different stores.  I would love to write more posts about what I do to stay healthy, so let me know what other roadblocks you face when trying to eat better.  What other things would other glimpses into my life would you like to see?  Let me know in the comment section!