Whole Foods, Whole Budget
Posted on July 24, 2006 by Her and tagged groceries
We recently tried our hand at grocery shopping at Whole Foods, a grocery store that offers natural and organic foods. While we aren't vegetarian, we also aren't ignorant about the pitfalls of processed foods.
After one round through the store, we decided that Whole Foods probably isn't for us. I quickly estimated that the basic food prices are 2-4 times what we pay at the big grocery chains, and some products cost as much as 10 times more than we usually pay. On top of that, you can't use popular brand coupons or rebates, including UPromise. And although Whole Foods did have some items on sale, the sale prices were typically just a few cents off, not the buy-one-get-one-free kind that I hunt for.
We estimated that shopping regularly at Whole Foods would require us to increase our grocery budget by about 100% or more. We decided that although the grocery items at Whole Foods are probably better for our health, we cannot justify the added expense. We may stop in for a few special items, like sodium-free peanut butter, but it won't become our main source for staples.
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I buy my raw meat from Whole Foods because they use farms that treat the animals better. Yes, it is very expensive, but we buy most everything else at a regular store, and it's in my budget. Whole Foods is not only aiming for the hippies like me who want to buy the nonprocessed food, but also the people who want to shop at an upscale store. Our Whole Foods is the second biggest in the country and you could buy dinner every night for $15 a pound if you wanted to. Escargot in the shells, precooked chicken parmesan, sushi chef, etc etc etc.. it is all for people who could not care less about the provenance of their food but do care about being treated like millionaires. It is a very successful business, but I don't understand the people who shop there for normal things (you can buy trashbags and cat litter and the same kind of OJ we buy at Giant Eagle) and willingly pay the huge markup. I wonder how rich you have to be to not even care that you just dropped $100 and you onlyhave 3 bags.
Brigitte | Jul 24, 2006
I also try to avoid processed foods, and I find that shopping at a variety of grocery stores is most economical. Have you tried Stanley's at the corner of Elston and North? Their produce, eggs and milk are the least expensive and best-tasting in Chicago. And you can get organic produce for less than the regular produce at Jewel. Combine that with Trader Joe's for frozen fish and sauces, with only the occassional Jewel run and you'll eat great for cheap.
nick | Jul 24, 2006
Even in the category of organic food, they are much more expensive than in other stores ... I will skip it.
Carla | Jul 24, 2006
I sometimes shop there for produce, since they do seem to have a larger selection than my local Kroger or Publix. I agree they are terribly expensive and I'm finding that a lot of "regular" grocery stores are starting to carry organic foods too.
I wouldn't shop at Whole Foods for all my groceries but there are some things that I can only find there - they generally have a much, much better selection of ethnic food than the typical grocery store (not such a big deal if you live in Chicago, but in suburbia...). They also tend to have vegetarian items for much cheaper than the regular grocery stores around here. If you're lucky enough to live in a state where you can buy alcohol in the grocery store they generally have a fantastic selection of imported and organic beer and wine.
There pre-made food is expensive, but cheaper than eating out (comparable quality). They also have a much better selection of cheese (yum, cheese...) and legumes/grains than the grocery store - and you can buy in bulk and thus only buy the quantity that you'll need.
Basically, we tend to go there once a month to stock up on the items we can't find at the regular grocery store and to occasionaly treat ourselves to a nice dinner+dessert at much less than restaurant prices.
BD | Jul 24, 2006
I've found that for the exact items, brands, and sizes they have in common with Safeway, Whole Foods is the same price or even less than Safeway's prices (including the club card discounts, which have gotten increasingly stingy). However, there's not much overlap. Whole Foods carries higher-end products, but Safeway's O Organics line (available only in California?) is pretty high quality for a lot less money.
Whole Foods has an amazing cheese counter. I would definitely go there when I need hors d'oeuvres.
The bulk section of Whole Foods is also the only place I know where I can get so many random kinds of flour and dry goods, which is great for a home cook!
Kristine | Jul 24, 2006
We have a Sunflower Market near us. It is a chain, but I'm not sure in what states. I like their produce, meat (I only buy meat on sale), and vegetarian and ethnic foods. The prices are generally good, and then they have good sales each week. If you shop on Wednesdays, you get the sales prices from the old ads and the new ad. I buy canned goods and cleaning and beauty supplies from the local grocery store.
Nic | Jul 24, 2006
I'm working on a Ph.D. in immunology and here's my take on preservatives:
Drink water. Excercise. Keep yourself in tip-top emotional health. Then your body will filter out the preservatives without taxing your immune system.
Are we better off without them? Probably. But will they kill us? Not if we don't let them. ;)
Amy | Jul 25, 2006
We do a lot of our shopping at Trader Joes. We love Trader Joes. We can buy 2 weeks of food for less than $150. You can't even beat that at Dominick's. We also try to take advantage of farmers markets and do a lot of our other non-food shopping at Target.
We have also learned to eat less meat, since the organic beef and chicken is so expensive. For example, if a stir fry calls for half a pound of beef, I would use a quarter pound and bulk up on veggies.
Sharon | Jul 25, 2006
Good for you. I see so many people making the mistake of Whole Foods. The Jewel has plenty of organic stuff and our local produce mart can't be beat for prices and freshness. I walked into Whole Foods once to see what all the hullabaloo was about and I left in a huff. I am a vegetarian, but those prices didn't appeal to me at all.
julie | Jul 25, 2006
My husband and I refer to the whole foods near us as "whole paycheck." Glad to know we're not the only ones!
I shopped for fruit at Whole Foods on Sunday morning when I realized the Farmer's Market I was looking for in Roscoe Village did not actually exist this year. (Boo!) Today is Tuesday and the grapes and cherries I bought already have mold on them. Double boo!!! I'm going to try Stanley's - thanks for the tip Brigitte. Also will go back to the North Center farmer's market on Saturday mornings (Damen/Lincoln/Belle Plaine St.)
"vegetarians can eat and have more choices other than salads and soups." Whole Foods saves me from saying this to each and every one I meet and when they get appalled at the fact that I am vegetarian since childhood. Most of them are very sorry for me. Which drives me nuts. I am from India and huge a selection of Indians are vegetarians. So after the whole rambling of mine, the point is just for peace of mind I wouldn't mind paying an extra buck at whole foods sometimes...
I love Whole Foods for certain items. Our local shopping center is fine day to day because they have started to offer organic fruits, meats, and other healthy items.
I visit Whole Paycheck every 3-4 weeks now for some items that they use as loss leaders to get folks in. I've walked out with 25 boxes of soy milk :)
K | Jul 28, 2006
I love Whole Foods for bulk buying of non-processed foods. They have quinoa, cous cous, polenta, wild rice, and other exciting grains and legumes that other stores don't have. Or have, but all boxed up and sometimes with other stuff added. this really helps me cut down on my intake of processed foods. Also, some vegetarian items are cheaper there than at the big chain grocery stores, and there's a great selection.
Harm | Apr 16, 2008
I know what you mean....
But I love WF anyway. I'm
just lucky there isn't one
in my town, I'd be broke
and fat....
I have to regard a trip to
WF as a special treat, or
for a special need, steeling
myself against temptation,
LoL.
Paul | Apr 21, 2008
I agree that shopping at WF for meat and other speciality items is nice. But for CHEAP fruits/veggies (a huge variety) and a great deal with many imported cheeses (at half the price than Jewel) besides Stanley's, there is Family Fruit Market, which is on Cicero just north of Irving Park. I found it and I'm addicted. It's well worth the trip. They also have homeade guacamole from the deli, rather inexpensive. It's amazing.
M | Apr 21, 2008
I love the Whole Foods 365 private label . Comparable to "regular store" prices. WFs may have a larger range of prices but even there lower end items surpasses others in quality.
Brandon | Jul 24, 2006
It's all in the image.. It's expensive so it must be healthy/good for me. I guess for a lot of people that image is more important than saving money. I would be pretty confident that if an inventory comparison was done, you would find 85% of everything Whole Foods offers at Dominick's or Jewel.
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