Better to Light Just One Little Candle: Whole Foods Cart Chase

Free to be me. Read below.

Whole Foods Montclair has a generous policy it honors sometimes, when it most surprises me. My P. F. Candle Co. soy candle, hand-poured in California with a delicious spruce scent, was labeled $15.99. But I noticed as I wheeled my cart away that it rang up at $17.99. When I went to the courtesy counter to get the $2 difference back, the kind manager gave me the candle for free. My money was refunded. [Compensation for price error.]

Now I like that even better because I see on the P. F. Candle Co. web link, above, that the 7.2 oz. candle goes for $20, plus $8 shipping fee. Some sites in a google search are charging up to $29 for the trendy glow jar.

But I have to stay on my toes. Some things cost less at Whole Foods and some cost way more--overall, I try to avoid going because I love the experience so much and it is hard to resist luxury items--trendy things, vegan things, pretty things, delicious and fresh things. Items that will change my life, elevate it. Everything from organic cotton underwear to wool headbands, fancy Vermont cheese to pricey truffle oil.

Besides, Dan is against it.

Example of pricing up: The same modest Mast Brothers Brooklyn-made dark chocolate bars that were on sale at Kings for $2.99 each last week were a full $7.99 each at Whole Foods today. And on the Mast Brothers website [HERE IS THE LINK], you can only buy them by the case [12 bars for $72, or $6 each].

The elite bar in the pretty wrapper
weighs 2.5 oz. and costs $7.99.

So, let me further defend my purchase today of $195.96. I will be detailed, as much for myself as for you--and, because it's a strangely relaxing break between writing articles about a beautiful Connecticut home; sexy, glam Manhattan apartment; and a resort in Mexico.

I see there is a lot of bread 🍞here. I will put all of that together for better inventory. And I see a lot of white things--ricotta, plump rolls, half and half, coconut oil. Thank goodness my box of Grape-Nuts hit the cart [and Dan bought a lot of protein yesterday at ShopRite, including chicken cutlets, chicken sausages, a roast chicken, veg burgers, tofu].

• Package of Hot Bread Kitchen Parkerhouse rolls, which Punchy loves, $5.99.
• Hearty sliced sourdough bread from bakery section, $5.59.
• 4-pack 365 brand tandoori naan bread w. roasted garlic $3.99. 
• 6-pack 365 brand whole-wheat English muffins, $2.49.
• Healthy-ish Panda peanut butter puffs for girls, $4.99.
• Post Original Grape-Nuts, $3.99.
• One lb. Changing Seas smoked salmon, $19.99.
• Nice big bag 365 brand Epsom salts with lavender, better price per oz. than Dr. Teal's, $6.99.
• Box of chickpea rotini for Fig, sale, $2.99.
• Big bag healthy dental chews for Sugar and Buttercup, $9.99.
• Generously sized sushi special of the month, $11.99.
• Giant bag 365 brand frozen organic broccoli, $4.49.
• Just over one pound slender, fresh asparagus, $4.11.
• Scallions, $1.29.
• 2 packs sliced Baby Bella mushrooms, $5.58.
• V large container garlic lemon olives [olive bar, but better priced], $9.11.
• Whole Foods hummus, 1 lb. container, $3.99.
• Tall can 365 brand organic tomato sauce, $1.29.
• Can 365 brand pure pumpkin, 99 cents.
• Santa Cruz organic chocolate syrup, $5.39.
• Guittard bittersweet chocolate wafers, $10.99.
• Mock Nutella spread on sale, $3.99.
• Jar 365 brand coconut oil, $5.99.
• Large 365 brand Italian EVOO, $9.99.
• Terra vegetable chips, sale, $3. Should not have purchased; overeat on these.
• Bag of frozen Alexia oven crinkle fries, $4.19.
• Local whole-milk ricotta, $4.99.
• Quart 365 half and half, $3.99.
• Freshly roasted almond butter [at the push of a button], $4.14.
• Tube of Pacifica Pineapple Curls Conditioner, $9.99.
• Mrs. Meyer's Honeysuckle Liquid Dish Soap, $5.29.

32 items, plus $5.05 tax. I thought that was pretty good until I divided $190.91 [subtracted the tax] by 32 and see that the average product price was $5.96.  However, there are many long-lasting staples on the list, including conditioner, dish soap, coconut oil, EVOO, chocolate syrup, doggy dental chews, broccoli, etc. etc. And many foods, like the hummus, olives and EVOO are reasonably priced for large quantities.

TCOY

1. Although late, got to 7 am support group. Yay.
2. Prayers to be grateful.
3. Plans for road trip to Newport, Rhode Island Saturday for 2 nights with Sis and her doggy, Buttercup. Dan's brother Mike flew him up for Maine weekend since their Mom's 90th bday today; Mimi is taking Punchy from Friday to Monday [no school, Columbus Day]. It will be good to see Sis again. I think it's been a month! Long stretch.
4. Purchased those Epsom salts today.
5. Reached out by text for support; received supportive texts back.
6. Short walk with Sugar; we both breathed in the fresh fall air.
7. Doing this list; taking ownership, gaining perspective. There are many things I did not buy--such as Ample Hills ice cream; a Carmelita bar; hot bar foods; another baking magazine; and Pacifica mascara. I did show some restraint.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Whole Foods, long list, $195.96.
• Venmo payment tonight to Sasha Iglehart, who makes upcycled fashion with small sparkly buttons using men's shirts she finds in thrift shops. This is worth a whole post, and I still have to write about that resort in Mexico tonight, so will do a Sasha post another day. For now, know that this amazing woman [married to charming Michael Richardson, a fellow Cape Cod lover who has Eastham in his blood, like me] has a cool style eye and was at the top of many major magazine mastheads as fashion director....Glamour, Harper's Bazaar. Follow her on Instagram: @a.shirt.story to see her work! $55. 

TOTAL DAILY SPEND: $250.96. I should probably aim to limit Whole Foods trips to once per month.
Ongoing spend for month as of October 10: $715.59.
Average daily spend: $71.56.

COMPARE TO TWO PRIOR MONTHS:

TOTAL SPEND FOR SEPTEMBER (30 DAYS): $2,214.43.🍎⬇️

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $73.81.🍎⬇️

TOTAL SPEND FOR AUGUST (31 DAYS): $2,895.06. ⬆️

AUGUST AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $93.39.  ⬆️