Costco

Costco has been slowly replacing products with healthier choices. At my local Costco, I have found some great buys. They carry a variety of great tasting, fresh, organic produce. The produce I buy at Costco stays fresher than any other store I generally purchase from.

Here is a condensed list of quality and affordable products that Costco carries:
Organic Carrots - $0.50 lb / 5 lb bag
Organic Baby Carrots -  $0.99 lb / 5 lb bag
Spinach - 2.5 lb bag about 3.99 / bag
Organic, Whole Wheat Spaghetti - $0.98 / lb  (8 pack)
100% Pure (Grade A) Maple Syrup 32 oz $12.78-$13.20 (price fluctuates every so often)
Almonds 3 lbs $3.23 lb
Organic Blue Agave 2-23.5 oz bottles $7.49

When their coupons come out, I've also been able to get organic canned diced tomatoes for $0.50 can. They have a decent amount of good buys, but they do have a lot of pricey items as well.

My Story

There are different ways of saving money on groceries. I have used coupons and still do occasionally, but with change in how my family eats, I have found that buying food in bulk or buying food in the bulk sections of my local grocery stores have brought us the best savings.

Being a stay at home mom & wife of a teacher has given me the opportunity to look outside the box. I wanted a healthier lifestyle for my family, but I didn’t want to break the budget doing it. I wanted to incorporate more whole grains and less meat along with healthier options for my children without the additives.  Initially, the terms organic and unrefined meant expensive.  I didn’t know how I would be able to manage a frugal budget with the prices I saw at the store, but with research and patience, I am succeeding.

For us, the key to a frugal, but healthy lifestyle is creating food from scratch. I buy my produce, grains, beans, and herbs at the best price I can find, so I can still buy the specialty items we use, which  are never on sale, and generally carry a higher price tag.  Winco and Costco are among my top local stores for bulk purchases, with Mountain Rose Herbs being one of my top choices for online purchases.