RVA Deals

Our bargain hunter takes a tour of Whole Foods and shares her picks for this week’s best deals on meat, produce, staples, and more.

January 20, 2010; 12:00 PM • by Alison Brown

Last Tuesday, I tagged along on Whole Foods‘ Value Tour. It’s offered every month on a Tuesday evening, and you can register in advance by calling Customer Service. The goal is to appeal to thrifty-minded folks and educate them on ways to get the most for your dollar when shopping at Whole Foods.

My tour was led by Whole Foods pro Linda Thomas (who deserves a shout-out for faithfully emailing me a preview of Whole Foods’ Hot Deals flyer by my deadline every Tuesday). For about an hour, Linda led us around the store, sharing both general and store-specific tips for saving money on groceries. Representatives from the produce, fish, cheese, and health/vitamins departments also weighed in.

It was a good thing I didn’t eat dinner. On the tour we ate bananas, cereal bars, almonds, cheese, and General Tso’s (tofu) chicken.

And check out the swag:

Free stuff, including the re-usable shopping bag, just for taking the tour. (That chocolate bar was DEE-LICIOUS, let me tell you.)

Check back next week for Whole Foods Part II: List of Savings Strategies!

Whole Foods Market- Short Pump
11173 West Broad Street
Glen Allen, VA 23060
804.364.4050

Meat Top Pick

8-piece fried chicken $5.99 at Kroger or $6.99 at Ukrop’s

Veggie Top Pick

$1.50 2-lb Private Selection organic carrots at Kroger

Fruit Top Pick

Cantaloupes $1.50 each at Kroger and $1.88 at Ukrop’s

Dairy Top Pick

18-ct eggs $1.99 at Kroger

Staples Top Pick

Kashi entrees or Morningstar Farms products 2 for $5 at Ukrop’s with Savings Spot coupon (must buy 2, limit 2)

Snacks & Sweets Top Picks

$1.99 Nature Valley granola bars at Ukrop’s. Use a $.40 printable coupon from Coupons.com, which doubles to $.80 today only

Beverage Top Pick

$1 Gatorade, Sobe Lifewaters and single-serving Simply Orange or Simply Lemonade at Kroger

Household Top Pick

Glad trash bags (14-35 ct) $2.99 at Ukrop’s

Find more deals by accessing the stores’ weekly ads online:

• Prices valid 1/17-1/23: Kroger, Ukrop’s, Target, Walgreen’s, CVS
• Prices valid 1/20-1/26: Tom Leonard’s, Whole Foods, Fresh Market

Monthly ads online:

• Prices good for all of January: Ellwood Thompson’s, Good Foods Grocery

January 20, 2010 12:00 PM 0