Whole Foods Cuts Jobs to Lower Prices + How to Shop Whole Foods & Save

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Monday, September 28th, 2015 at 4:00 PM
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Screen Shot 2015-09-28 at 3.12.49 PMAs a way to cut prices and keep up with competition, Whole Foods is cutting about 1,500 jobs, or 1.6 percent of its workforce, over the next eight weeks.

Whole Foods Market Inc. said many of the reductions will come through attrition. It anticipates workers whose jobs are cut will find other jobs from the almost 2,000 open positions across the company or from new jobs that’ll be created by more than 100 new stores in development.

The company has been facing intense competition, with the organic offerings it’s known for becoming more widely available. It’s trying to appeal to a broader audience, with plans to open a new chain of stores with lower prices.

The Austin-based company says that stores in the new format would offer a “curated” selection and have a simpler design to cater to people who want Whole Foods quality without paying Whole Food prices, particularly customers in their 20s and 30s. In other words, Whole Foods is taking on Trader Joe’s.

Screen Shot 2015-09-28 at 3.13.10 PMHere are some ways to save when buying organic at Whole Foods:

Whole Deal

When you go into a Whole Foods grab a copy of the Whole Deal. full of recipes, guidelines, kids food ideas (below) and my favorite… COUPONS! You can sign up at their website to receive newsletters in your inbox, download your own copy or print out the coupons at home.

Buy in Bulk

Some natural food stores, such as Whole Foods, have a large bulk section of grains, beans, spices and more. Because these items are NOT prepacked, you save money. You can buy a pound of brown rice in the bulk section for as little as $1.00 compared to almost twice that price in the packaged section.

Groopdealz

Another advantage to buying from the bulk section – buying only the amount that you need.

On a recent trip I purchased 2 Tbsp of Organic Turmeric, 2 Tbsp of Organic Brown Mustard Seeds, 1 Tbsp of Organic Curry Powder and 1/3 cup grated natural coconut (the exact amount that I needed for a few recipes). I paid on average $0.10 for the spices and $0.23 for the coconut. It would have cost me $5-$10 for a whole bottle of each of the spices and $3-$4 for a whole bag of coconut and I may not have ever used it all.

Buy Cheap Proteins

Unless you come across a major meat sale, save the steaks and fresh tuna for special occasions. Plan your meals around frozen chicken breasts (Walmart carries a line of hormone-free free range chicken for around $8 for 2.5lbs), canned fish, frozen Tilapia, ground beef, eggs, beans, pork, etc.

Buy Store Brands

Most stores carry a line of their own brand name items. Natural food stores such as Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Sprout’s and Trader Joes each have their own line of dairy, canned goods, grains, broths and more that are very cost effective.

For instance, Whole Foods line of 365 Organic items can be cheaper or around the same price as their conventional counterparts in other stores. Their hormone-free cheeses are the same price as Kraft most of the time – and better for your body AND better tasting.

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