Money-Saving Hacks and Other Ways Whole Foods Just Got a Lot Cheaper

Attention frugal Whole Foods fans!

Whether you’re a long-time Whole Foods Market shopper or considering your first visit, we’ve got some money-saving hacks and other reasons you’re about to become addicted to shopping at WF.

1. Get exclusive discounts with Amazon Prime.

Are you an Amazon Prime member?

Whole Foods Market was acquired by Amazon in 2017, so Amazon Prime members can now score an additional 10% off ALL Whole Foods Market sale items plus weekly deep discounts at ALL stores nationwide – including Whole Foods Market 365 stores.

While shopping in-store, look for items tagged with yellow or blue stickers. The yellow tags qualify for an additional 10% off at checkout (excluding alcohol). The blue tagged items offer special pricing exclusively for Amazon Prime members.

To receive these exclusive deals and savings in-store, just download the Whole Foods Market app, sign in with your Amazon account, and then scan the app’s Prime Code at checkout. You can even use your phone number to save at checkout instead! Visit Amazon for more details.

2. Stack manufacturer coupons with sales.

While Whole Foods Market no longer offers store coupons or rewards, one way to spend less is to stack Whole Foods sale prices (10% off for Prime members) and specially priced items with manufacturer’s coupons (details here)!

You can also save and get occasional FREE items at Whole Foods with cash back apps like Ibotta, Checkout51, and BerryCart! Just purchase qualifying items and submit your receipt(s) to earn cash back. Better yet, you can often buy one item and submit it to more than one rebate site!

3. Sign up for their newsletter.

When you sign up for the Whole Foods newsletter (via your Amazon Prime account – see below), you’ll receive special offers, seasonal recipes, coupons, in-store events, tips, and information in your inbox about events happening in your area.

To subscribe to Whole Foods Market emails, head to Amazon.com and log in to your account. Then sign up for the Whole Foods Market and/or 365 email newsletters.

4. BYOB – Bring Your Own Bags.

When you bring your own shopping bags, you get a 10¢ credit for every reusable bag you use! Even better, select stores may offer a 20¢ credit per bag when you shop on Earth Day in April.

5. Take advantage of the Kids’ Club.

When you bring your kids with you, stop by Customer Service and pick up a Kids’ Club Coupon valid for a complimentary 100% Organic apple fruit leather or package of natural animal crackers (snacks may vary from store to store)!

Whole Foods also offers fun workshops like Kids’ Club Cooking Classes, Art Activities, and more on a monthly basis! Check out their In-Store Events Calendar for a list of upcoming events for the month.

6. Ask for samples.

If you’re not sure what a product will taste like and you aren’t ready for an unknown flavor adventure, ask to sample items. Team members are allowed to let you sample products like cheeses, sparkling beverages (not including alcohol), crackers, and even chocolate. Once those packages are open, they share the rest as samples with other customers to try, too!

Want more FREE samples? Watch for them throughout the store in various departments. We’ve seen everything from free beauty packets to food items!

7. Check out the Salad & Olive Bars.

Need only a small number of veggies for a pizza or stir-fry? Check the salad bar area first – all ingredients are pre-washed, pre-chopped, and often organic. However, at $8.99/lb, be sure to choose your items wisely.

The good news? When you purchase one pound or more from the $10.99/lb Olive Bar, you save $1 off per pound!

8. Ask the Meat Department for help.

Did you know your Whole Foods butcher shop will shuck, dry rub, marinate, peel, fillet, cube, and even cut up your meat for FREE? When you’re in a hurry and don’t want to mess with meat when you get home, just swing by the butcher shop.

Also, if you’re making a homemade stock or broth, ask your meat and seafood departments for leftover bones or shells (some locations give them to customers for FREE). If not, participating Whole Foods butcher and seafood counters sell inexpensive, pre-packaged bones and shells for a fraction of the cost of a steak or a whole fish. Definitely ask!

9. Buy meat value packs.

In the meat and seafood departments, you can always count on high standards for the quality and sourcing of everything from fresh ground beef to frozen gluten-free chicken nuggets. When shopping in these departments, look for fish and meat value packs for a better price.

Keep your eyes open for budget-friendly pricing on lesser-known cuts like boneless sirloin, flat iron steak, or skirt steak. You can even ask the butcher to cut up your value pack meats how you’d like!

10. Bring back glass milk containers.

Receive up to $3 when you purchase milk in glass containers at Whole Foods and bring your empty glass bottles back to customer service for the Whole Foods bottle deposit. You can also recycle your bottles, cans, batteries, cork, #5 plastics, and other items at your local Whole Foods.

11. Make note of their return policy.

Whole Foods offers a great return policy and fantastic customer service, so don’t hesitate to return items that you don’t like. If you’re unsatisfied with a Private Label product due to unusual taste or consistency, you can return it to your local Whole Foods Market for a full refund or exchange.

Also, Whole Foods Market guarantees 100% satisfaction and will refund or exchange ANY product when accompanied by proof of purchase within 30 days of purchase. (They don’t offer returns or exchanges for products purchased in their Health & Beauty departments without proof of purchase.)

12. Follow your local store on social media.

Your Local Whole Foods keeps you in the loop about that location’s sales, daily specials, and events, so follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Download the Whole Foods mobile app to stay in the know on weekly sales too!

Written by Mary for Hip2Save. Mary is a proud mom to 3 kids in Austin, TX, who thrives off running long distance, bargain shopping, warm weather, a yummy latte…and a little Candy Crush from time to time. She loves quality time with family & friends and sharing great deals with others.