In life, we have necessities and luxuries. Food? A necessity. Specifically, when you’re hangry. Where we get the food brings in the question of luxury. Unless you’re hosting a special dinner, we often believe we need to skimp on food with brilliant flavors and healthier options to save money. So we go to the local, dependable favorites. That’s just not so.

Whole Foods, a grocery store known for it’s amazing food, but less-than-amazing price tags can become your local, dependable favorite without costing you an arm and a leg. Find out how below:

1. Buy Whole365.

Here’s a fun fact: Their generic (and tasty) brand is cheaper than your local grocery on average. So stock up on the peanut butter, soup, vitamins and sparkling water at Whole Foods. Your friends will think you’re fancy, and your wallet is think you’re sensible.

2. Make the Whole Foods Sales Flyer page your best friend.

Here you will find unbelievable deals up to 85% off of frozen entrees and filets. Yes, a filet mignon is within reach.

3. Grab extra coupon booklets!

Whole Foods coupons are available for two months but valid for three! So snag some extra, and reuse the same values over and over.

4. Sample EVERYTHING.

Because duh. And it’s free, and it’s tasty, and duh.

5. Buy in bulk.

You may think this method is saved for Costco. Not at all. Buying your rice and grains in bulk is cheaper than buying the box, and same goes for water. Buy it in bulk—it’s not like it will go bad. And you’ll save 10%.

6. Prepackaged bars are for suckers.

Make it, not buy it! Your favorite trail mix can be made for way less than the branded, prepackaged one you buy every week.

7. Cyberstalk their social media pages.

Many smaller locations have their own specific and tailored social media pages. For instance, the Whole Foods near my location in Dallas announced a sale on chocolate cake! (And who can pass that up? Not this girl.)

8. Stack manufacturer’s coupons with Whole Foods coupons.

Because two deals is better than one! Educate yourself on the brands Whole Foods carries, and investigate what coupons those brands have.

9. I saw the (yellow) sign.

Yellow signs in the store flag the sales and specials, and are marked in the corner how long the sale lasts! (Sometimes up to 2 weeks!)

10. Where’s the beef?

Fun fact: The chicken at Whole Foods is 50 cents off per pound if you buy 3 or more pounds at a time! In the words of their fast-food competitor “Eat more chicken.”

11. On Wednesdays, we save money.

Wednesday is the day sales are announced! Keep your ears open, and your bank account flowing.

12. Pile on the bacon!

I likely don’t need to say that again. When you’re at the salad bar, it’s the lighter items that weigh less. Bacon is light as a feather. Get some! (And tomatoes are very heavy. Skip those.)

13. Get produce on the weekend.

That is when they typically get an additional 15% discount.

14. All the free snacks.

There are free snacks in the Whole Kids Club! Grab something for your youngster while you shop!

15. Check the shelf tag.

To know how many items are in a case for optimal savings, check the shelf tag!

16. Turn wine into savings.

Buy more than six bottles of wine, and you get 10% off. And for those of you who can’t justify buying six bottles (which, who are you?), save them as gifts for upcoming birthdays, or for the approaching holiday season. It only gets better with age.

17. Memorize the daily deals.

Whole Foods is widely regarded for its savory food items and stubbornly high price tags. But they have daily deals to satisfy your hunger and craving for savings! While deals vary by location, many observe Taco Tuesday, salad bar deals on Wednesday and discounted sandwiches later in the week.

18. Consult an in-store expert.

The cheese section can be overwhelming. And making the wrong decision could cost you some major money! Ask one of the in-store experts. They can guide you on your purchases, and tell you when something is in-season or out-of-season.

19. Hit up the prepared foods counter!

If we can order a salad for $10 at lunchtime just about anywhere, we should be getting much more for $8-10. The prepared meals at Whole Foods range at an average price of $8-10, and are much more nutritious than your usual lunch spot!

20. More family, more savings.

Save 10% on bulk foods when you buy at least 25 lbs! (That should come in handy for 4th of July and Christmas!)

21. Get rewarded for recycling.

Bring a reusable bag, and get a 5 cent credit! It may not seem like a lot, but it’s a dime you could use at the meter!

22. Buy your add-ons from the bulk section.

Like to dress your salad with nuts? Don’t get them at the salad bar! Instead, buy them from the bulk section, and save up to $2 per pound.

23. Get your produce in the freezer section.

The produce in Whole Foods don’t come cheap. Opt for the freezer section—it’s cheaper and still high in quality.

24. Take the receipt. Always take the receipt.

We all typically want to crumble the waste of paper seconds after receiving it, but don’t! Instead study it for any mistakes or any missed sales. Your reward? They will give it to you for free at the service desk!

25. Switch this for that.

Perhaps you had planned on making an amazing grain dish! You may see that the couscous is cheaper than the quinoa—explore your taste palette, and switch things up! Not only will you save money, you may create a new recipe you love!

26. Go with the big bird.

Don’t buy individual pieces of chicken, buy the whole thing—it’s cheaper! If you haven’t sensed a pattern; BUY IN BULK!

27. Keep it seasonal.

If you do have to buy the produce, make sure it’s seasonal! (Though we still strongly recommend you walking down the frozen aisle section.)

28. Get your produce cut in half!

Why aren’t more places doing this?! Don’t need that whole watermelon? Great. Ask the folks in produce to cut it in half. Not only do you save on weight (aka money), Whole Foods uses the remaining produce for other recipes in the store! Give a little, give a little!