Our Frugal Journey

For years now, I’ve been a roving grocery shopper, hopping from store to store wherever the best deal would take me. I was — and for the most part, still am — loyal to the best price.

But recently, I’ve been trying to improve our diet, trying to eat more healthfully, so I’ve been venturing out a bit beyond the giant chain groceries and big-box stores to see if I could find any deals at the smaller grocery chains that sell mostly organic and fresh foods.

Whole Foods, as I wrote about here, was my first stop, where I was astonished to learn that it was trying hard to win over frugal shoppers like me with coupons, an informative electronic newsletter and shopping tours that reward customers with generous freebies.

Then I heard about Earth Fare, another healthy foods grocery that is trying its best to lure frugal shoppers into its stores to give its products a try.

To get you into one of its stores right now, Earth Fare is offering “pantry makeovers” to folks who sign up for its electronic newsletter. Bring in your sugary cereal — even if the box is almost empty — and get a healthy replacement. Bring in a bottle of soda and trade it for a vitamin water. Jelly made with high fructose corn syrup and peanut butters and salad dressings with hydrogenated oils are also eligible for trade-ins.

I did this two weeks ago, bringing in an almost empty box of Special K (who would have thought this was made with high fructose corn syrup!), a brand-new bottle of 7-Up (my daughter was crushed), and a jar of Skippy that had maybe one sandwich left in it. 

The employees at the Raleigh, N.C., store were fabulous, by the way, allowing me to choose my replacement products (worth $10.25) and welcoming me to the store. 

Click here for all the details about the pantry makeover. Click here to sign up for the newsletter.

Once you subscribe to the Earth Fare electronic newsletter, you’ll also get emails, usually once per week, giving you a coupon for a freebie. Two weeks ago, it was a bag of organic apples, with an additional purchase.

This week, the freebie is a pound of fresh bulk cranberries, with an additional purchase.

Mmmm. Just in time for Thanksgiving.

Click here for the free cranberries coupon.

Earth Fare, based in Asheville, N.C.,  has 16 stores in four Southeastern states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. Click here to see if there is a store near you.