When I was on a tight budget as a student in DC, I loved Whole Foods. Stuff like natural peanut butter and bread was actually cheaper than other grocery stores

When I was on a tight budget as a student in DC, I loved Whole Foods. Stuff like natural peanut butter and bread was actually cheaper than other grocery stores (for the same quality), and I had no problem resisting the expensive stuff. They also had a well-stocked bulk aisle for cook-at-home staples, and cheap bagels (69¢ as I recall) that you could take to the seating area and toast them yourself. I think they might position themselves differently depending on the region, because in the midwest I had a totally different experience. There, prices were universally high at Whole Foods.