Whole Foods - Go Ahead and Laugh at Me! ;)

[Life_is_Simple]

A couple months ago, I got annoyed at the CEO of Whole Foods again for his political views. So I stopped going there.

Since then, I have saved enough money from not going there, to pay for my dental crown (no dental insurance, costs more than Poetry Writer's crown ).

I would go to Whole Foods because I have certain health-related dietary restrictions, and they have the stuff I can eat all in one place. However, I can get that stuff elsewhere, and I finally created a system for doing so.

I found that I can order certain dairy online directly from the manufacturer. A certain kind of nutrition bars are 20%+ cheaper if I order online elsewhere. The bread I get costs $5 a loaf at WF, and $3 if I have the place down the street order it for me. Vitamins and supplements are waaaaaay cheaper online, can be half price even the exact same brands.

That was my biggest problem - I would buy supplements at times at the Whole Foods. I don't know what I was thinking. Convenience maybe. Then sometimes, to save money, I would go next door to the Vitamin Shoppe for supplements. Still expensive.

In January I had posted about stocking up to 6 months of supplements: here (http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?7205-Your-Inventory-amp-Re-stocking-System) . It saved me a TON of money to create a process where I stocked up on 6 months of supplements, and had a system for ordering them at good prices. Weirdly, my motivation was to create a simple process, and $$ savings just came along for the ride.

Is this what they call a gazingus pin? Weirdly, before this I thought I couldn't find places in my spending to cut. And I wondered how I was going to pay for upcoming dental work without tapping into my Emergency Fund.

Problem Solved!

Try not to laugh at me too hard. :D

[iris lily]

Well, while we DID think about visiting Whole Paycheck to buy something BECAUSE of the CEO's views, in the end, we are too practical and frugal.

I won't laugh at you, but I will say that DH and I occasionally visit Whole Paycheck for entertainment. We point and laugh. The products they carry and what they charge for them are sources of mirth.

[Gregg]

WF...meh. They are opening a store here this summer. I've yet to come up with a reason to drop in.

[pinkytoe]

WF headquarter store is here. It is known as a tourist stop just to see the enormous selection of foods and to people watch. It is just all too much stimulation and choice for me. On the topic of supplements, I save a lot of money by not buying any. Seriously, I feel better now than in my entire life and don't take anything anymore.

[catherine]

I like Trader Joe's SO much better. In fact, I love Trader Joe's, as far as national chain markets go.

[Life_is_Simple]

On the topic of supplements, I save a lot of money by not buying any. Seriously, I feel better now than in my entire life and don't take anything anymore.
Oh, i forgot to mention, and your comment about supplements reminded me... With my chemical sensitivities I can only use 1 specific soap, shampoo, conditioner, and laundry detergent. But now my local grocery store carries most of them in their natural health section.

[Life_is_Simple]

I like Trader Joe's SO much better. In fact, I love Trader Joe's, as far as national chain markets go.
I wish they had the certain exact things that I need, except they don't. Otherwise I agree with you, that establishment is better.

[SteveinMN]

TJ's isn't bad. There are some deals ... and some items which are not as cheap as they seem.

I stop in at WF maybe once a year just to see what's going on. It's never during a big shopping week. Their house brand (365) can give TJ's a run for the money. But the ones in town that I've visited have tortuous layouts and displays in the middle of the aisles. I just don't find visiting a pleasant experience (price sticker mirth aside). And, anyway, the Twin Cities is blessed with a large number of natural-food coops and even the warehouse food stores carry some organic or special-diet (GF, etc.) foods, all at prices lower than WF's, so there are many alternatives here.

I think LiS's main point, though, is that a considered purchase (such as a bulk purchase of supplements rather than onesies or twosies where it's convenient) can free up a substantial amount of money you can use elsewhere. Good job, LiS!

[decemberlov]

I stopped shopping at Whole Foods when I stopped working there. The 20% employee discount was the only way I could afford their products. And like you said I can find most of what they have there cheaper elsewhere.

[Life_is_Simple]

I think LiS's main point, though, is that a considered purchase (such as a bulk purchase of supplements rather than onesies or twosies where it's convenient) can free up a substantial amount of money you can use elsewhere. Good job, LiS!
Thanks, that is the point ;) And I have SUCH specific needs, it is nice to find them all at the same place. But just too expensive. Though it was torture to figure out some of the alternate ways to get some of these things - instead of 1 place, 10. So a lot of planning time to get everything into place, and now it is good.

I have been to the WF in St Paul once or twice :)

[catherine]

I wish they had the certain exact things that I need, except they don't. Otherwise I agree with you, that establishment is better.

I like the fact they're small and manageable.. I prefer less choice, frankly. I'm too indecisive and impatient. Just give me a decent product and I'm happy.

I'm still angry at the WF 365 brand cling-wrap. It didn't come with a "cutter" so every time I use it, I wrestle with it and get nearly unusable bits of stretched, weirdly shaped plastic.

[Life_is_Simple]

I stopped shopping at Whole Foods when I stopped working there. The 20% employee discount was the only way I could afford their products. And like you said I can find most of what they have there cheaper elsewhere.
How did you like working there? They should have given you more like a 50% discount, to make it fair ;)

[JaneV2.0]

I don't like WF, for a variety of reasons, political and otherwise--I don't like the vibe in the store and I really can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's the Portlandia factor. I'd probably buy something there if I couldn't find it elsewhere. I can see where mindful grocery shopping--whatever that means to an individual--is one of the most effective ways to cut costs.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I like Trader Joe's SO much better. In fact, I love Trader Joe's, as far as national chain markets go.

I don't. In fact I don't know how they get away with having such a good reputation as they do, like they are so much more socially responsible than Whole Foods. Their CEO is probably not dumb enough to go blasting his big mouth is all (although if you actually do research on where WF bigwigs donate, a decent chunk of it is the Democratic party, an utterly corrupt insitution of course, and not what Mackey is donating to of course, but what other bigwigs donate to). Most of the TJs stuff is packaged like crazy, it's not good for the environment. You can even buy say some celery without it being in a plastic package. Sure sure you could put the celery from anywhere in a plastic bag and I often forget and do but at least other places you have the option of putting it in a reusable produce bag, it's *pre-packaged* at Trader Joe. TJ's use of packaging is some of the highest out there, every single thing is packaged. Do they treat their workers well? Noone even knows. Like WF they aren't unionized. It's a lot harder to find the sourcing of their products than WFs (is their fish sustainable? It's a giant black box, noone knows, WF will tell you that kind of thing). They lock their dumpsters against dumpster diving, WFs also makes sure noone gets in their dumpsters. Almost all of thei ready made things contain ingredients I don't want to eat. So just buy produce ... yea but packaging. So just buy dairy and eggs, ok these things are fine. I'm actually not above shopping at TJs at all btw, even thier pre-made food is better than the grocery store, and well they have nice selections of nuts and so on, I just see don't see why they have such a pure reputation, save it for your worker co-op or something :P (none such exists here though).

What is good about WF is that they have a LOT of organics and good quality things in one place yes (good quality meats, fish, dairy, condiments etc.). They play the quality game as well as anyone out there (except for my ideal market which doesn't exist, keep in mind no co-ops of any sort here. I'm not avoiding them at all, they just don't exist is all). And they charge for it, but you know you can go there, and still read ingredients yea, but find quality stuff. In fact you can buy stuff off the shelf, just only old cream, and then do some research on in it, and find out it's all sourced from small dairies etc. and think gosh "I love WF!". Now I'm sure some of their stuff is not so purely sourced, do your research like anywhere, but they do carry a lot of good stuff.

Ordering online is problematic because I won't be home to pick it up (work). I don't take supplements out of deep conviction that the supplement world is almost too complex for me to navigate. All supplements interact, you have to keep them in careful balance, calcium unbalanced with magnesium - problematic (although calcium may be dangerous anyway!). They are all this way, careful careful balancing acts. They are basically all like pharmaceuticals. They have their place but you are dealing with powerful concentrated chemicals that can easily throw off your bodies ecosystem if you will, throw it out of balance. Because taking x leads to y nutrient becoming unbalanced. The supplements that were hot a few years ago? Beta carotene? May increase cancer in certain situations. Vitamin E which was once recommended by all the authorities? No longer recommended. Etc.. I don't take supplements out of the sheer complexity, I think it's a complexity (like an ecosystem) again we don't fully understand when we fool with, too much data is coming in in nutrition for us to pretend we fully understand it based on today's knowledge when yesterday's knowledge quickly becomes obsolete. That said I understand using supplements to target a partcular illness one may have come down with (one not well treated by pharma), like I said they are like pharmaceuticals, they have their uses.

So what do I even buy at WF if not supplements? Produce, meat, fish, dairy, bulk bins, spices, vinegar, sometimes some Whole Body stuff for basic body products (not a cosmetics junky - but sunburn lotion, toothpaste, stuff like that). Sometimes a few green household products, though it is sometimes possible to get them cheaper elsewhere. Sometimes waste money on stuff like the olive bar although I think I really could save money without sacrifice there! As it's ridiculously priced and there have got to be cheaper olives ....

[decemberlov]

How did you like working there? They should have given you more like a 50% discount, to make it fair ;)

haha yes 50% would have been more like it ;)

I liked that they donated a lot of their food at the end of the day to food pantry's and soup kitchens. They also offer good benefits. However, I did not like working a closing shift and not getting home until 11 or midnight and then having to be back in at 6:00 in the morning some days. I will never work retail hours again. Ever.

[decemberlov]

I'm still angry at the WF 365 brand cling-wrap. It didn't come with a "cutter" so every time I use it, I wrestle with it and get nearly unusable bits of stretched, weirdly shaped plastic.

That's odd...If you like it though, maybe ask someone to save an old cling wrap box for you and just switch out the roll...still strange.

[Life_is_Simple]

What is good about WF is that they have a LOT of organics and good quality things in one place yes (good quality meats, fish, dairy, condiments etc.). They play the quality game as well as anyone out there (except for my ideal market which doesn't exist, keep in mind no co-ops of any sort here. I'm not avoiding them at all, they just don't exist is all). And they charge for it, but you know you can go there, and still read ingredients yea, but find quality stuff. In fact you can buy stuff off the shelf, just only old cream, and then do some research on in it, and find out it's all sourced from small dairies etc. and think gosh "I love WF!". Now I'm sure some of their stuff is not so purely sourced, do your research like anywhere, but they do carry a lot of good stuff.

You have reminded me of two reasons I went there. I can't eat at almost every restaurant due to dietary restrictions. When I worked at an onsite job, I could ask my co-workers to go to lunch with me at Whole Foods, because I could eat a lot of things from their salad bar, and some things from their deli, because all the ingredients were labeled, and I knew I wouldn't get sick. It was heavenly. I could almost feel like a normal person and eat out somewhere.

ALso, since they carry local items like bread and yogurt, I could try things they sold, then later find a way to get them more directly.

For me who could eat almost nothing, to find a store where I could eat many things....

Now I am almost convinced to go back :laff:

[ApatheticNoMore]

Now I am almost convinced to go back

Well I've become convinced in this thread to look more carefully at my olive purchases :). Still would probably need Whole Foods Anonymous, to entirely give up the place.

[Rosemary]

I go to WF once or twice yearly. I do like their new meat-labeling system, which provides somewhat more clarity when one is seeking humane products. I have a mind for numbers so I only purchase items that are at a reasonable price there.

But I far prefer the coops, TJ's, and our local natural foods store.

[treehugger]

I can see where mindful grocery shopping--whatever that means to an individual--is one of the most effective ways to cut costs.

I completely agree with this. Good job, Life_is-Simple for figuring out better/less expensive ways to get the items you need. I think for most of us, shopping mindfully means that we have to shop at a variety of places, depending on a bunch of factors. That doesn't feel simple or easy at first, but it gets easier once you get into a routine and figure out what works for you.

Kara

[cx3]

Had to Google this one.Didn't know there was any controversy w/WF.I like WF but to far out of my way to visit there more than a few times a year.

[saverchic]

I've been going there a lot because their organic milk is $2 cheaper than at our regular grocery store. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't go either. Sometimes they have some good free samples, though, if you're into that sort of thing. :-)

[Life_is_Simple]

Well I've become convinced in this thread to look more carefully at my olive purchases :). Still would probably need Whole Foods Anonymous, to entirely give up the place.
You can go to the olive bar, if I can go to WF and get some Goat Butter. That stuff tastes like ice cream to me!

[Life_is_Simple]

I completely agree with this. Good job, Life_is-Simple for figuring out better/less expensive ways to get the items you need. I think for most of us, shopping mindfully means that we have to shop at a variety of places, depending on a bunch of factors. That doesn't feel simple or easy at first, but it gets easier once you get into a routine and figure out what works for you.

Kara
Yeah, a lot of work goes into creating the process, then it's easier after that.

Certain parts of my spending were off-limits to cutting. This included anything that enhanced my health, because anything that enhanced my health made me more able to work and create income.

It didn't dawn on me that I could buy exactly the same things and same brands for less money, if I changed the system a little.

[Florence]

I don't shop at Whole Foods for 3 reasons: I have an HEB much closer than WF. HEB carries everything I normally buy so I don't have to shop multiple stores. HEB prices are more in line with my budget.

[jennipurrr]

I have heard they are more expensive...but wow that is a lot of savings! Way to go!

I've never been in a Whole Foods since the nearest one is 60 miles away. I would be nice to have the option though.

For grocery items I shop at Publix because the one near me is 1/2 the sizes of other grocery stores (not overwhelming), good selection of quality products, good sales (so I stock up then).

[herbgeek]

There's a WF down the street from me, about 1.5 miles away. I stick to the fresh produce, that's in season and sometimes bread. I like being able to buy 1 parsnip or 1 leek- all the other store around here make you buy a bunch of something. I get everything else at Trader Joe's.

[Life_is_Simple]

I have heard they are more expensive...but wow that is a lot of savings! Way to go!

I've never been in a Whole Foods since the nearest one is 60 miles away. I would be nice to have the option though.

For grocery items I shop at Publix because the one near me is 1/2 the sizes of other grocery stores (not overwhelming), good selection of quality products, good sales (so I stock up then).
It seems like every time I go to the Whole Foods and buy 1 bag of groceries, it is $100. Then if I go to the regular grocery store and buy a bag of groceries, it is like $40. These are not necessarily the same items, but you get the picture.

The comment you made about your store being "not overwhelming..." Something about the Whole Foods is people wander in weird patterns, not in straight lines. As if "oh shiny thing, I must get that." :cool: It's like an obstacle course. Whereas in regular grocery stores, people are more inclined to go up and down the aisles more predictably. :D

[Life_is_Simple]

There's a WF down the street from me, about 1.5 miles away. I stick to the fresh produce, that's in season and sometimes bread. I like being able to buy 1 parsnip or 1 leek- all the other store around here make you buy a bunch of something. I get everything else at Trader Joe's.
Under your avatar it says "Location: New England." You may be my neighbor.

There is a Trader's Joe's 3.5 miles from me. Maybe I should try it again and see what they have. It's been a few years since I've been to one.

[herbgeek]

Life-is-simple- the Whole Foods down the street from me is in Providence where I work. I live in Central Mass.

[Spoony]

There is one close by, but I rarely go, generally only while accompanying someone else. There is a nice outdoor seating area for meeting people and having a beverage, I've done that a couple of times.

I find my local Winco carries most of what I need for much less and Winco is offering more and more organic items. They even have an olive bar! I saw it and wondered why they would add one, not thinking that it was to compete with WF.

For organic produce that I can't get at Winco, I go to the local Raleys and buy it there. Come summer, I'm at the Farmer's Market.

[jennipurrr]

The comment you made about your store being "not overwhelming..." Something about the Whole Foods is people wander in weird patterns, not in straight lines. As if "oh shiny thing, I must get that." :cool: It's like an obstacle course. Whereas in regular grocery stores, people are more inclined to go up and down the aisles more predictably. :D

Not sure if I am up of obstacle course grocery shopping!

[creaker]

I split up my shopping between WF and a local grocery store, the majority coming from the the local grocery store. WF has some things I can't get in the other store, or better selections of some things. And if you're staying away from the processed foods, prepared foods, and meat, it's not that bad.

I could not imagine shopping solely at WF's, though, especially for a family.

[morris_rl]

I wish to thank you all for your support of Whole Foods Market, Inc. I bought into it a few years ago at $48.20 per share and it is currently trading at $87.78 per share. Including reinvested dividends, my original $5,470 is up a tad less $4,500. Of course, this is more than offset by the 98% drop in the Bank of Ireland stock I purchased a few years before that. ;)

Oddly enough, I do not shop at WFM nor at Lowe's even though I own stock in both businesses. This is mostly because the small city I live in has neither...

Best,

Rodger

[SiouzQ.]

Interesting to read all your comments about WF; as you know, I've been working there since last June. There are pro and cons to all places. Yes, it is pretty expensive, but they employ people at a fairly decent starting wage for retail, and I got a $1 per hour raise back in January. They offer health, dental, and vision insurance to their employees and generally treat their employees pretty well. One of the cons is the scheduling, as evidenced by my previous posts from last month when I was having a devil of a time dealing with the chaos it created in my life physically and mentally. I was exhausted, plain and simple. Then I got hurt at work, and even though I didn't get my lost wages from being off, Worker's Comp is picking up the doctor appointments and physical therapy I am currently doing. They seem very concerned that I don't get re-injured (from a money point of view for them), and I have been accommodated this past week being on work with lifting restrictions...

As far as where I shop, I end end up buying stuff from Korgers, TJ's and at work with my discount. Krogers for the fresh veggies (I am not strictly organic in what I buy - I look for good deals), canned beans, brown rice, and staples, etc. TJ's has certain other things I always get there, liked dried apricots, frozen chicken, my breakfast granola, and roasted sunflower seeds (they are $1.00 cheaper per bag at TJ's than at WF). Then I use my employee discount for things like almond milk, olive oil,tofu, balsamic vinegar ( on grocery days I plan my route carefully, and try to buy only exactly what I need and can use. I never let ANYTHING go to waste. When the weather is nicer I use my bike to go grocery shopping. We actually have two Wholefoods in town, and I live pretty much smack dab in the middle of them. The store I work at is nicer overall than the original one, which is just a little closer to me and an easier bike ride.

Even so, I cannot seem to get my grocery bill much lower than $175 per month for one person. I remember when I used to spend about $140 but prices have gone up that much in a couple of years.

[Life_is_Simple]

Rodger - You're welcome ;)

However, if your stock goes down, it is because of me. :D

[MissMandy]

In January I had posted about stocking up to 6 months of supplements: here (http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?7205-Your-Inventory-amp-Re-stocking-System) . It saved me a TON of money to create a process where I stocked up on 6 months of supplements, and had a system for ordering them at good prices. Weirdly, my motivation was to create a simple process, and $$ savings just came along for the ride.


I found doing this saved me A LOT of money too. I love seeing the deals on Groupon too. They have KIND bars and even bulk ordering for coconut water sometimes. Buying items like these in the store can definitely take a good part of my paycheck. The only downfall I find when I order things online (which can be my own fault) is waiting for the next supply to come to my doorstep. I should start ordering when I have some items left over. I'm glad you were able to find a simpler process to save money!

[Rogar]

I have found less expensive alternatives to WF for most of my needs. Compared to the alternatives, I still think they run a decent business. It's about the only place near me to get grass fed beef, free range chicken, and sustainably harvested fish. Since I am mostly vegetarian, none of that matters much. I have organic alternatives for produce, but in the off season, WF has really fresh high quality fruits and vegetables.

The cost of real food is just higher than the standard grocery store. Whole Foods charges a little premium, but I am glad those with the spendable income can support their type of business.