Recession Groceries

Again and again, I have blown our future kids’ non-existent college fund on a single trip to Whole Foods. It’s not for nothing that the place has earned the nickname Whole Paycheck.

I’m usually fine with that. I don’t believe food, above all else, should be treated like a bargain bin commodity. I think healthy, organic, flavorful food is definitely worth the investment in the short term and the long run.

At the same time, it’s sometimes hard to swallow some of the eye-popping prices. Especially in light of the current economic carnage.

Then I found out that Autumn Faughn, Whole Foods’ Marketing and Community Relations Specialist, gives tours to show local shoppers how to buy healthy foods on a budget. I needed her help.

Autumn is incredibly knowledgeable, personable and passionate about her job. I’d recommend her tours to anyone. Here’s what I learned:

Shop during the week
The store will be less crowded than the weekends so you can shop more leisurely and mindfully. Plus, employees will be more available to help with questions. Normally, the only person I ask for advice is the butcher. But all employees receive on-going training from an in-store educator. How many items in the store are you really familiar with? What are you overlooking?

Look for seasonal items
Produce that’s non-seasonal is going to cost more because it needs to be imported. Seasonal agriculture is more abundant, fresher, and more likely to be on sale.

Buy Bulk
First pick up the free “Bulk Basics” guide at the bulk bins. This will teach you all about selecting, storing, preparing and using everything from nuts and seeds to liquids to cereals and grains. Choosing how much you need from the bins saves on packaging costs and allows you to get as little or as much as you need.

Make a list
So you’re not just buying anything you see all willy-nilly.

…But don’t be afraid to deviate
“If you’re really in the mood for apple pie,” Autumn says, “but come to the store and see that pears are on sale, is pear crumble really going to taste that much different?”

Use coupons
The in-store Whole Deal and Whole Foods Market magazine contain coupons like $2 off any two Organic Valley products and $1 off any Method cleaning product. Here‘s another list of websites to find manufacturer’s coupons for organic and natural foods.

Buy only what you need
Statistics I’ve read vary, but Autumn said Americans throw away about a quarter of their food. This is where “never shop hungry” hits home. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on your food, you waste 100% of it if you don’t use it. At Whole Foods you can get fish, meat, cheese or deli food portioned by, either by weight or dollar amount.

Eat vegetarian twice a week
Substitute high-protein but lower-cost eggs, beans, tofu or cheese instead of higher-priced meat.

Stock up
Cases have a 10% discount at Whole Foods, in addition to any other sale prices. This is especially useful for frozen foods or anything else with a long shelf life, including my own personal new favorite beverage, Kombucha.

Cook with highly flavorful ingredients
A little goes a long way when you substitute expensive oils or butter with herbs, blue and feta cheese, salsa and other ingredients that pack out-sized amounts of flavor.

Learn how to cook
Take a cooking class or, for even cheaper, check out books from the library to learn how to creatively use all those ingredients.

Choose cheaper convenience food
Pre-packed foods are usually more expensive than cooking from scratch, but it’s still cheaper than eating out. Sometimes choosing something for under $10 in the deli is a much wiser choice than dropping $40 or more in a restaurant.

Keep food in the fridge
“If you’re hungry and there’s not a lot of food available,” Autumn said, “you’re more likely to pick up the phone and order a pizza.”

Autumn’s next “Smart Shopper Tour” is Saturday, January 31 at 11 a.m. It’s free and includes samples. And this is not intended as a plug just for Whole Foods. You can apply many of these tips to Outpost, Sendiks, Trader Joe’s, or wherever you choose to shop.

Recently, I read a Harvard Business article about how, historically, “market dislocations” have given rise to incredible innovations, such as the cotton gin. If it leads us to simply become smarter, more informed consumers in the long term, maybe there’s a silver lining.