Whole Foods or Whole Paycheck?

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A lot of people jokingly refer to Whole Foods Market as Whole Paycheck because it's so easy to spend a lot of money there.

I admit to having spent too much money there in the past. It's so easy because Whole Foods is like Disneyland for health food junkies. There are so many pretty packages of things without high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, pesticides, and dyes that it's hard to resist the temptation to buy.

Over time, I've figured out which products I can buy at a "regular" grocery store and which foods I can only find at Whole Paycheck.

I also frequent a smaller health food store chain in my area called Lassen's, but they often have moldy food on the shelves and the prices are generally higher than Whole Foods.

I buy a lot of my produce at a local organic farmstand that has wonderful, freshly picked organic fruit and vegetables. There are also plenty of farmer's markets in my area.

Some supermarkets in the area like Vons and Ralphs are now carrying a lot of organic produce and natural products.

So while it's true that buying natural, organic products and produce can be more expensive than buying junk, you don't need to spend your whole paycheck to make it work. Finding out about local farmer's markets and farmstands can save you money on produce. And while comparison shopping to figure out which supermarkets or health food stores in your area have the best prices on natural products might seem like a lot of work, it'll really help your budget in the long run.

People always complain that it's too expensive to eat healthy or buy organic, but with a little planning ahead it doesn't have to be.