There is no denying it – eating a more healthy diet costs more than eating a diet filled with packaged, convenience foods. Spending extra money on fresh whole foods, however, is an investment in your health. Below are 6 tips and strategies that will help you to save money:

6 Tips for Saving Money on Fresh Whole Foods

1. Track prices. The fluctuation in price from one store to another can be huge. There are five different stores I will frequent when grocery shopping and over time I have come to discover which stores have the best prices on products I buy most often. I have certain lists for certain stores and just work a trip in after a day of work and stock up so I am getting the best prices on all the items I’ll be buying.
2. Don’t rule out chain grocery stores. A new Market Basket opened near work, which is in a city location. I was shocked to find the great selection of organic food – foods that aren’t offered at the smaller country branches of the same store. The selection in the meat department is vast and the prices are incredible. I bought a whole organic chicken at a savings of $10 over a chicken I had bought a few weeks earlier at a health food store – and it was the same brand!
3. Check the circulars. This may seem obvious, but it’s new to me over the past few years. Just yesterday I was at one of my favorite health food stores and they had organic extra virgin coconut oil for $4 off of the retail price!
4. Make menus around your sale items. Very often stores will have a few items priced very low. It’s a marketing strategy to get buyers in the door. All the stores I shop at have their circulars online. I look them over prior to shopping and make a list of the sale items that I’ll be buying. Sometimes the products are pretty random, so I’ll plan a menu using the ingredients I am about to buy.
5. Big savings with bulk. All the natural food stores that I go to have fantastic bulk sections. Grains and nuts store very well if you refrigerate or freeze them. When the items we enjoy most are on sale, I load up. I’ve been known to buy pounds of nuts!
6. Shop online. Products like raw honey, nuts, baking products and other non-perishable items can be found online for really good prices. Amazon.com is generally thought of for books or DVDs, but there are some great deals on there on many organic food items. We have an amazon storefront on our site where we list our favorite ingredients with the best prices. Other favorite sites for deals on grocery items, supplements, etc. and include:

• www.pureformulas.com (always has free shipping!)
• www.vitacost.com
• www.luckyvitamin.com
• I wait until I have a big order so I can stock up and also be eligible for free shipping.

Implementing new eating habits is good for your health, while changing the way you shop can be good for your pocket book. Check out page 46-47 of our book for more tips on how to save! If you have questions, ask us on our Facebook page!