Month: March 2015

I’ve been feeling very frustrated with Whole Foods Market as of late.

I’ve noticed that their “weekly sales” are not that wonderful anymore. There used to be so many natural “whole” foods on sale, like meats and produce, but it seems like their promotions are focused on so-called-healthy commercially processed foods.

What happened to their Friday One Day Only sales? Organic whole chicken for .99/lb? Grassfed ground beef for $4.99/lb? Fresh organic blueberries, strawberries, and cherries? There was something different on sale every Friday. I can’t even remember the last time they advertised a Friday One Day Sale. And their Madness sales are rare as well. I don’t know what’s going on, but I do know I’m spending a lot less money and time there.

Looking back at my grocery spending history, I can’t believe in 2010 and 2011, I spent over $3000/year on JUST Whole Foods Market! That was over 50% of my total groceries with an average monthly amount of $250-300.

In 2013, I spent less than $950 on groceries there. Last year, it was less than $850, with a monthly average of $70.

This year, I’m at a total of about $100 so far, and I still have almost $450 left on my gift cards (purchased in December: $500 + free bonus of $50) – Last year, I purchased the same gift card deal ($500+$50 free) and the balance was exhausted by the end of April. I can’t see that happening this year. I might be forced to rethink purchasing the gift card next year if my spending gets much lower, even with the extra 10% bonus. Continue reading “Not a Whole Lotta At Whole Foods Market”

February was a very difficult month for family: emotionally, physically and psychologically.

So, I admit I did have a couple of emotionally charged eating days but for the most part, considering how challenging it was, all was good on the food-front. I logged in daily to MyFitnessPal.com and my budget didn’t suffer any consequences!

February 2015 Food Total: $408.13

Groceries: $349.93 (Meat $34.86)
Dining Out: $58.20 (14.2% of total food)

Awesome, awesome! We really made another great effort not to order take-out this month, and it really makes a difference in budgeting AND how I feel physically too.

I’m still struggling a little with meal planning. I start out with a plan for the week, but I don’t always stick to it. But I am utilizing leftovers, and that is so important for time management. I can cook 3-4 times per week, but oft-times, there’s double our meals! Continue reading “Healthy Food Budget: February, 2015”