How much do you spend at Whole Foods per month?

[Anonymous]

Not sure and not counting, why?

Bills are paid and money is put in savings. I am not penny pinching to buy crap. We prefer to eat yummy and wholesome food. I also like to read simple ingredients on a box, prepared meal and pastries among other things.

[Anonymous]

Normally I don't respond to these since I never know the motive, but we spend $50-$100 per year at WF, mostly on cheese and olives. I'm not a true believer in organic (some of that stuff isn't regulated and I much prefer the enemy I know), so don't see the point!

To the PP who was thrilled with Wegmans, I'm so jealous of you and can only hope we get one close soon! I spent 6 years in Central New York and, hands down, Wegmans and the Dinosaur BBQ are the only two things I miss. And since you can get Dinosaur BBQ sauces and rubs at Wegmans... I can't wait until the one opens in Germantown!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$0

Why do you shop there? I ask honestly. We live just blocks from one and I have been in there maybe 10 times in the last 10 years. You can definitelly "eat well" for a heck of a lot cheaper.

For the kind of food I eat (i.e. soymilk), Whole Foods is comparable or sometimes cheaper than the regular grocery store. I think the produce (even non-organic) is of better quality (lasts longer) and is really not that much more expensive than produce at Giant or Safeway. Now, if you're buying organic raspberries for $5 a container, it is going to get expensive.

Their milk always goes bad before the expiration date (regular). It does tend to be cheaper but I only buy it if I know we are going to use it quickly. I don't find the produce any better (non-organic) just displayed nicer. I do like to buy fish there and the Horizon Chocolate milk boxes because they are cheaper than Safeway but really everything else is Safeway.

Which milk are you buying as they sell at least 10 - 15 brands not including their own. But for the record we buy Whole Foods brand milk and have never ever had it go bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are groceries significantly cheaper? We shop at Giant and Safeway and still spend a comparable amount. Groceries have gone up a ton during the past year.

Target. Lots of organic stuff, too. You can't shop there for everything, but it's vastly cheaper than regular grocery stores.

If you eat mostly processed cans & box mixes.

[Anonymous]

Surprised to hear about bad strawberries and milk - I have literally never had anything bad from WF and we spend about $500 there a month. I assume they would take things back no questions asked - their customer service has always been excellent in my experience. We go to the Silver Spring one if it matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are groceries significantly cheaper? We shop at Giant and Safeway and still spend a comparable amount. Groceries have gone up a ton during the past year.

Target. Lots of organic stuff, too. You can't shop there for everything, but it's vastly cheaper than regular grocery stores.

If you eat mostly processed cans & box mixes.

I think this might be the difference (no judgement, just wondering). To the people who never buy from WF or think its really expensive, do you tend to eat packaged foods more than cook from scratch?

[Anonymous]

So you spend all that money at WF because you're worried about what's in your food and how it's grown, but you send your kids off to school to buy lunch there? Why bother (either doing that, or shopping at WF)?

Because the perfect is the enemy of the good. My kids don't like the kind of food I can pack -- they like hot lunch -- and in my hierarchy, local/organic eaten is better than conventional/heavily processed eaten is better than anything uneaten.

I buy them Yoplait, too, even though I don't like the HFCS or the nonrecyclable containers. It's what they like, and I don't want to be a controlling asshole about yogurt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So you spend all that money at WF because you're worried about what's in your food and how it's grown, but you send your kids off to school to buy lunch there? Why bother (either doing that, or shopping at WF)?

Because the perfect is the enemy of the good. My kids don't like the kind of food I can pack -- they like hot lunch -- and in my hierarchy, local/organic eaten is better than conventional/heavily processed eaten is better than anything uneaten.

I buy them Yoplait, too, even though I don't like the HFCS or the nonrecyclable containers. It's what they like, and I don't want to be a controlling asshole about yogurt.

If they had never been given the yoplait to begin with then how would that make you a controlling asshole? Your kids eat what you feed them, if you never give them crap then they wont want it.

Sounds like your kids run you.

[Anonymous]

probably $400-500 per month. 2 trips per week for fresh produce/meats. have rarely had anything go bad - one box of raspberries, but my mother said i shouldn't have washed them.

i love the food there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm so glad I live in the 'boonies' and close to a Wegmans, so I don't have to shell out what you guys are to WF!!

Bonus points to us hillbillies!

Yeah, I would say Wegmans is more similar to a huge Giant/Safeway than Whole Foods. Not really comparable. But I'm glad you like living in the boonies.

I'm in Fairfax, right in between a WF and Wegmans. But I always end up at Wegmans.
I think its the bread department. Wegmans bread is just awesome... european standards.
WF breads look just as good... but something isn't quite the same.

For seafood or produce, I always end up at one of the korean supermarkets, Lotte or H-mart. There is so much more variety, its cheaper, and its fresher.

We were in PA with a good Wegmans, but there was still a bunch of stuff that friends of mine would drive an hour for to find at WF. (some things that Weggies didn't have, and some things that were cheaper at WF.)
I just have to say, that while some of Wegman's bread was good, I wouldn't say "european standards". For one, it's hard to find bread there that doesn't have some kind of sweetener in it. In my experience, european bread (German, French) often has no sweetener.

[Anonymous]

There was a whole thread about spoiled products at WF:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/193808.page#1854231

[Anonymous]

I only once bought somethings spoiled at WF and I took it back. It was the glass bottled local milk and I doubt it's WF's fault it was bad. I got a full refund no questions asked and also they through in a $5 gift card as a sorry. Their customer service is excellent. I've gotten more spoiled food at conventional stores than WF.

[Anonymous]

I stopped shopping at Giant because the produce spoiled so quickly, and have more success at WF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$800/month for a family of 5. I shop there for the reasons PPs have mentioned -- quality of food, ethics of production, cheaper to get it there than at mainstream groceries.

The money goes to breakfast and dinner, mostly. My kids buy school lunch.

So you spend all that money at WF because you're worried about what's in your food and how it's grown, but you send your kids off to school to buy lunch there? Why bother (either doing that, or shopping at WF)?

My kids are still in preschool but when school time comes, I'll probably let them buy lunch at school two. Just because they have 1 crap meal a day doesn't mean breakfast, dinner and snacks can't be fresh and organic.

[Anonymous]

$700-$800 / month ..family of 3