First, lunch. Then my advice 🙂
Lean Cuisine Parmesan Fish. Sometimes it’s easier just to go for the frozen option for fish.
But that wouldn’t fill me up so on the side I had a combo of northern beans, edamame, and corn, tossed in red pepper pesto. Yum!!
And now, about not-blowing your budget at Whole Foods (or other specialty store..or anywhere…):
1. Make yourself rules. Stick to them. I only buy things I either
a) can’t get somewhere else (alternative flours & certain veggies)
b) are fresher or in better condition (fruits/veggies)
or
c) are cheaper! (see #4)
2. Use a basket, not a cart. If you can’t carry it, you can’t buy it. Plus you get a good arm workout when your basket gets heavy. Trust me, it’ll get heavy.
3. Check out the store circular. Not only does it tell you what’s on sale, it has lots of coupons.
3b. Only use coupons if it’s something you were going to buy anyways.
4. Know what it costs somewhere else. It might be cheaper at WF, it might not. For example, I know these things are significantly cheaper at WF for me: spinach, red peppers, goat cheese, Almond Breeze & other milk substitutes. I stock up 🙂
Comparison shopping pays off: I checked out the grocery store the other day for things I knew I was going to be buying next week and made a note of the price. Coconut milk & spelt flour ended up being cheaper at WF.
Then I checked some specialty items on iHerb. Coconut oil, agave nectar, and garbanzo flour ended up being half the Whole Foods’ price. I didn’t realize how much iHerb had as far as baking ingredients goes. I also saw Luna and Larabars for a discount. (First time users can enter code GIR461 for $5 off. Shipping’s usually about $4, or free if your order’s over $40. Nice!)
5. Don’t go hungry. Unless you’re positive they’ll have samples out 😉
Or just buy everything in sight if you can afford such luxury. But hey, I’m trying to save for some bike gear here!!
I managed to get some pretty good loot without spending a lot. Check it out:
Oooh yeaaaaah.
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