The Whole Deal™ Customer Tips

Oh man, you guys made this hard! You shared hundreds of great tips for saving while shopping at Whole Foods Market. We picked three to feature in this blog post and these customers will each receive a $25 gift card. Check out all of the innovative customer tips at The Whole Deal opens in a new tab™...and leave your own tip! Each week, we'll review the tips (old and new) and pick a few to highlight here in Whole Story. And this week's winning tips are:Shopping just once a week has brought surprising savings in food as well as gas. I go to my local Whole Foods early in the morning when it's less crowded so I can compare prices and see specials instead of grabbing things to get in and out and I check out recipes I find throughout the store that coincide with specials. Another benefit of shopping just once a week is that we actually use everything in the refrigerator. By the end of the week you get creative like using all the leftovers in stuffed baked potatoes or fried rice. A cold plate of cheese, veggies, fruit, bread and a glass of Stellar Organic wine is a great "last meal" before the next day's shopping. Besides buying frozen fruits, I sometimes pick up a prepared fruit bowl because there's no waste, no surprises and a variety of things that would cost more individually. When I do have to make an extra trip I ride my bike so I can only buy the one or two items I needed. — CindyI bought a shower dispenser for shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. We have a small shower and all the big bottles (which are usually the best deal) were crowding our space. Now, I can buy the biggest bottles of stuff (I love the 365 mint shampoo line), saving money and bottle materials, and enjoying my favorite shampoo products! — BrendaSince I am a single mom of two kids, one being a 14-year-old boy, I find it extremely helpful to make a lunch and dinner menu for the week. Then based on the weekly necessities (milk, bread, eggs, cheese, fruit and veggies for snacks) plus the menu I write a shopping list and stick to at the store. When writing the list I go through the kitchen to see if there is anything I am forgetting plus I have a white board to write down things I run out of during the week to be added to the next shopping trip list. This reduces mid-week trips and splurge spending at the local convenience store. I do usually have to go Whole Foods on Wednesday for a milk run and then I will also pick up mid-week meats or fish depending on what the menu is for the week and I plan for that in the menu. If there are any leftovers, doesn't happen often, I will either put them in the kids' lunches or my lunch.Then I will prepare fruits and veggies in advance, say the day before, so when I get home from a long day at work everything is ready to be cooked. This has reduced our take out bill. By the time dinner is done my energy has picked back up from the healthy meal so I can prep for the next day's lunches and dinner.Comparing prices, sales, bulk purchases (although I live in NYC so not easy), and 365 brand food help significantly also. — Yvonne