We’re all chasing savings these days at the grocery store. With prices sky-high no matter where you live or what your go-to retailer is, even those who didn’t use to bat an eye at prices are looking for ways to cut corners and pinch pennies. Though a far cry from a retailer like Aldi or Costco, where consumers shop specifically to save money, Whole Foods can actually be surprisingly affordable despite its reputation as a bougie, gourmet retailer with the price tags to match. With a little careful planning and know-how — and smart timing of your shopping trips — a Whole Foods haul can indeed be more affordable than you might think.
There’s a good bit of science around the best and worst time of day to shop at any major grocery store, taking into consideration factors like best selections, freshest produce, store traffic, and more. But for Whole Foods specifically, it’s the midpoint of the week — Wednesday, to be precise — when you’ll still be able to cash in on both the prior week’s final day of sales and the upcoming week’s new sales. Plus, you’ll get first dibs on newly discounted products. This overlap of savings means you’ll be able to shop the maximum number of on-sale products before the week’s discounts are reset.
Read more: A Guide To Buying Salmon At The Grocery Store
Wednesdays Provide Double The Discounted Items
Many of us tend to do our grocery shopping each weekend, but in the case of Whole Foods, that Sunday night shopping trip means you’re missing out on not just deals, but actually double the savings that can be yours on Wednesdays. In addition to being smart about your timing, there are other ways to hack your way to steeper savings at Whole Foods, too.
Firstly, being an Amazon Prime member pays off big, rewarding you with many in-store discounts all week, and other perks like free grocery pickup and delivery. And, much like the beloved publication specific to Trader Joe’s — the Fearless Flyer, which doesn’t advertise actual deals, but highlights trending and newly-in products — Whole Foods has its own store-specific publication you can and should pick up to stay in the loop on other deals to take advantage of throughout the week.
Email newsletters are another tool to stay in the know about upcoming deals you may want to pounce on. If you’re hunting down specific products, a little homework before your shopping trip is wise to know when you’ll get the best bargains — don’t just assume it’s always on a Wednesday. And if you’ve written off Whole Foods as a whole lot out of your price range for weekly groceries, think again — by stacking this midweek hack and other tools, you will find yourself saving a whole bunch of cash.
Read the original article on Chowhound.