Here are my basics:

Bought through food co-op (really a buying club), all at wholesale or below when producers run sales:

From local producers:
Farm eggs
Raw milk
Raw cheese (cheddar, Havarti)
Pasture-fed butter
Pasture-fed beef, bought as my share of a cow for $3-$4 a pound
Free-range chickens
Pastured/orchard-raised pork

Grey sea salt
Coconut oil
Red palm oil (essential for African cooking and full of vitamin E)
Raw apple cider vinegar
Organic produce, only when it's out of season and cheaper than elsewhere:
apples, bananas, lettuce, onions, carrots, celery are the ones I get most often
Zevia soda--enough for each family member to have one every other day
Bulk flours, beans, grains, oatmeal
Spices: Curry, Garam Masala, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Peppercorns, Marjoram, Herbes de Provence, Bay Leaf, Caraway Seed, Dry Mustard are the ones I use most fequently

Trader Joe's:

Sprouted Wheatberry Bread
Kalamata Olive Oil
Organic Ketchup
Balsamic Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar
Tortillas
Crushed garlic
Dijon mustard
Olives
Tuscana marinara sauce
Shredded cheese
Other cheese, once in awhile, as a treat (Carmelized Onion Cheddar etc.)
Gorgonzola cheese
Parmesan cheese
Fresh Mozzarella balls (once in awhile when I need it for a recipe)
Chevre (once in awhile, when I need it for a recipe)
Produce, when a specific item is not on offer at the food-buying club, or not growing in my garden
Coffee
Teas--about 1 box/month
Frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs--about 1 2.5 lb. bag every two weeks
Quarts of plain yogurt--about 1/week
Pasta--1 lb./week
Guacamole or Avocados--sometimes it's cheaper to just get Avocado's Number Guac
Lemon/Lime juices
Nuts: almonds, walnuts, cashews

Other stores:
Real sour cream (no starches added)
Dreamfield pasta (I can't eat regular)
Cheese and produce when it goes on a great sale--only if organic on the produce, and only if it's not in season
White sugar to make kombucha with

Farmer's markets:
in-season local produce that I'm not growing

You'll note there is no cereal, chookies, or chips on the list. Once in awhie as a treat, we either buy these things at Trader Joe's or make cookies at home. It's very infrequent, though.
Source(s):
It took a long time to figure out how to get the best deals on the widest amount of high-quality whole foods.

Asker's Rating:

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