Is Thrive Market Worth it?

Have you been wondering lately: Is Thrive Market worth it? Can Thrive Market really save me money while also saving time? Can we really find wholesale prices on natural and organic foods? I understand- I also had these exact same questions! In today’s post, I’m going to answer these questions and also share with you how I make shopping at Thrive Market a part of our monthly grocery budget and affordable for my family!

Along with Butcher Box, Thrive Market is one of my preferred online shopping platforms. It’s my go-to online grocery store for natural, organic, keto, and paleo brands.

I’ve been a Thrive Market member since 2015 and I’ve ordered many of my favorite pantry items and healthy snacks from them on a regular basis!

Today, I want to expand more on the question “Is Thrive Market worth it?”.

Even though I already have shared my honest Thrive Market Review, I wanted to go more in-depth because this seems to be the #1 question and concern I get from readers. I also wanted to offer more tips and suggestions on how you can make Thrive Market more affordable for your family and share the process I use to fit this healthy online store into my budget every month.

What is Thrive Market?

Essentially, Thrive Market is an online marketplace that sells organic and natural foods, beauty products, cleaning products, and other household items. Within the last year or so, they started to offer meat and prepared meals.

So, not only can you purchase many items to stock your pantry with, but you can now purchase meats and other meals to keep trips to the grocery store at a minimum.

So, Is Thrive Market Worth It?

In short, yes. Absolutely!

Even though Thrive Market does charge a membership fee (more on pricing below), I feel the savings on many of the brands offered more than make up for it.

But, let’s break it down even further- Here are 8 reasons I think Thrive Market is completely worth it!

1. Accessibility

I’ve mentioned this before, but I think it’s important to point out again.

Not everyone has access to grocery stores that have a large selection, or any selection at all, of natural and organic food brands. I’m fortunate that I have access to many grocery stores; however, not all of them sell the brands I like. In fact, the closest grocery store to me has a very small natural food selection and minimal brands that I like.

So, if that was my only grocery store, then I would be limited in my selection. Thrive Market removes that barrier and makes it a lot more accessible for people to purchase organic and natural brands.

2. Convenience

We live in a time right now where getting groceries delivered to our door is more of a necessity than a convenience but even before all the craziness of 2020, I loved having groceries delivered to my door. This put lots of extra time in my schedule for me to focus on other priorities.

In my world, time is money. I’d much rather be spending 2 hours working on my blog than at the grocery store. It also relieves a lot of stress by removing one more task from the to-do list.

3. Comparable Pricing

If you’re concerned about prices being more expensive than shopping at the grocery stores, then I’m here to ease your mind.

I have price matched many items that I can purchase at both the grocery store and Thrive Market… and 9 times out of 10, the prices are either the same or Thrive Market is cheaper – especially when shopping at Whole Foods.

Thrive Market does not price gauge at all. You can be assured that the prices you pay at Thrive Market are the same or cheaper than what you find at the grocery store. What edges Thrive Market out as better is the convenience of having it all delivered to your door.

4. No In-Person Grocery Shopping

We already know that spending less time in the stores is for the best right now but planning ahead and staying out of grocery stores also saves me lots of cash. When I shop using Thrive, I have all my favorites saved and only purchase what I need based on my meal plan.

There’s no impulse purchasing like when I go to the grocery stores.

5. Research and Review

This is huge for me!

I take vitamins, collagen, and recently started buying more keto-friendly snacks.

In the beginning, I had no clue what to buy, whether or not it was good, or if it was a good price. Thrive Market makes it easy to read up on the products before you purchase it making it less likely to purchase items that you won’t like or don’t need.

6. Free Shipping

Thrive Market offers free shipping on orders over $49. Whenever I put an order in at Thrive Market, I’m always stocking up so spending $49 is never a problem for me. Which, makes it easy to get great prices and free shipping.

However, they always have shipping specials for free shipping. So, if you can wait, then order it during those free shipping on any item specials.

7. Coupons and Specials

Speaking of coupons and specials, Thrive Market offers coupons and specials every single week.

Every month or so, I get a coupon for 10 – 15% off my entire order. Hint hint…this is usually when I put in an order to stock up.

Also, their specials are on everyday items that I use all the time, not just random brands they want to get rid of. Just last week, I saved big on ‘Garden of Life’ vitamins that I purchase all the time for my family. And, if you like keto or paleo snacks and foods, then you’ll be happy to see specials on many of the popular brands.

Shopping hack: If you subscribe to Thrive Market, then I strongly recommend using their app. With their app, you’ll get notifications sent directly to your phone!

8. Original Thrive Market Brand

This is another top reason why I think Thrive Market is worth it. They came out with their own organic brand a couple of years ago and it’s comparable with price and quality to the 365 Whole Foods Brand or even Wegmans organic brand!

Purchasing the Thrive Market brand is a great way to save money. Also, they offer a lot of keto and paleo items in the Thrive market brand, making this eating style very affordable.

Shopping hack: If you follow the keto, paleo, or gluten-free eating style, then shopping at Thrive market can save you a good amount of money because they offer many Thrive Market brand foods for these eating styles.

Thrive Market Pricing: Everything You Need To Know

So I know I touch base on everything Thrive Market has to offer in my full review, but let’s talk about Thrive Market prices for a minute.

They often market themselves as prices being comparable with wholesale stores like Costco or Sam’s club. I do think their prices are very reasonable but many of the products offered at Thrive Market are not sold at my local wholesale stores, so it’s hard to say.

Their prices are comparable or cheaper than grocery stores.

I would most compare Thrive Market to Whole Foods as they carry a lot of the same brands. And I will say this, most of the brands I purchase are cheaper at Thrive Market than at Whole Foods.

So if you’re a Whole Foods shopper, then I think Thrive Market would be a great fit for you.

Thrive Market Review- my favorite products and brands

How much does Thrive Market cost?

Thrive Market is an online membership-based market. Currently, their membership structure is $9.95 a month or $59.95 a year (which is billed annually but comes to $5 a month)

New subscribers get to choose up to a $24 free gift when they join! You can sign up here.

Does Thrive market offer a free trial?

No. Thrive Market currently did away with its free 30-day trial. However, if you sign up for the annual plan ($59.95 a year), you’ll get a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee.

Or, if you’re unsure and just want to try it for a month or so, then you can use the monthly plan and see if it’s good for you.

I’ve used the annual plan since the beginning of my membership. I more than make up for the membership cost in the saving I get on vitamins, supplements, and the other name brands I purchase from Thrive Market.

How To Use Thrive Market To Grocery Shop

Of course, to save money with Thrive Market, just like with grocery shopping in general you need a plan. You can’t go to the Thrive Market website and just start adding in random items and expect to save money.

So, these are the steps I take to make shopping at Thrive Market affordable:

Put together a meal plan and grocery list. I like to do this every 2 weeks or once a month. This way I can put in one large order and don’t have to worry about ordering items every week and it not getting here in time. Yes, planning in advance does take some time upfront but if you only plan and shop once a month, then that’s all you’ll need to do. Don’t forget to save those meal plans to use over again at another time!
Go through the Thrive Market website (or app) and save items into lists. This way, you’re not searching around endlessly for the items and/or brands that you need and/or use all the time. For example, I have all my vitamins and supplements saved along with spices and other items I purchase all the time. So when I’m ready to shop, I can quickly add everything to my cart.
Take time to compare prices. Once you have items in your Thrive Market cart, you can easily go to the grocery store and compare prices.
Put together your cart ahead of time. This is a great option so you’re ready to purchase when a special or coupon hits your inbox.

Sign up for Thrive Market

More Honest Reviews

If you like shopping online for groceries, then check out these other reviews:

So, is Thrive Market is worth it? Yes, for my family, absolutely! The time and money I’ve saved over the years shopping with Thrive Market makes me feel confident saying that I think it’s is worth it. Not to mention shopping for natural and organic groceries at Thrive Market limits my time in the grocery stores. If you have any other questions, leave them in the comments- I’d be more than happy to answer them.