Is Thrive Market Worth the Cost of Membership?

By Camille Macres in Reviews

[social_warfare]


Over the last couple months I have become obsessed with shopping at Thrive Market, though I wasn’t the first person on the paleo block to get on the bandwagon. My initial hesitation was the cost of the yearly membership. We already pay for Amazon Prime and the Costco Elite membership (the black and gold card), totaling nearly $200 in yearly membership fees, and I doubted that there would be enough things I could buy there that I couldn’t get at Costco or Amazon to make it worth the fee.

And though it sounds so silly now, part of me was rebelling from using Thrive Market or endorsing it because it seemed like everyone and their mama already was (I told you it was silly).

I placed my first order about 2 months ago, and was pretty excited that without even asking for it, a kombucha starters kit was added for spending over $49. We had to give our scobies away when we moved a couple months ago and Craig is OBSESSED with coffee kombucha, so I knew making that from scratch alone would save enough money to make an additional car payment (seriously).

The $49 threshold is also when free shipping kicks in, so I always make sure I find enough things to get there…not hard.

I was about to start my high fat/ketogenic diet, and needed some pantry staples. Here’s what I ordered:

2 bottles MCT oil (top Amazon-$19.75, Bottom Thrive Market-$16.95):

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1 bag Swerve Sugar Substitute (top Amazon-$11.58, bottom Thrive- $8.95):

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4 bags Sugar-free Dark Chocolate Chips (top Amazon-$8.40, bottom Thrive-$5.95):

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1 container beef gelatin powder (top Amazon $18.99, bottom Thrive $13.95):

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So on this first order I saved $23.58 + $10.45 (kombucha kit). I have made 3 orders since then and have saved roughly the same amount. One time I got free paleo mayo, another time I got free bone broth and the last time I got these yummy dark chocolate protein bars made with collagen.

They are definitely smart with the free shipping and free gifts over a certain price, because it makes me always strategically wait to order until I’m going to meet the minimums. Obviously with Amazon Prime there are no minimums, so if I really need a food thing… oh wait… I just go to the store down the street and pay a bit more but get it right away.

I also love Thrive Markets social mission. At the end of ever order they ask you if you want to add a couple dollars to your order to give food to a family in need. Since I’ve just saved a bunch of money and gotten free shipping and a free gift, it feels good to give a couple dollars of my savings back. On top of that, they give away a membership to a poor family for every membership purchased and that makes me feel good, too.

Though I do still shop on Amazon sometimes, its not my favorite. They are a huge corporation that doesn’t treat their employees very well and their “rock bottom” prices (like Walmart), have driven lots of mom and pop businesses out of business. After reading this article as I’m writing this post, I will likely be giving up my Prime membership.

The last thing to know as you’re making your decision about whether to join or not is that if you don’t make your membership fee back in savings by the end of the year, they will credit your account for the difference! For example, if you spent $60 on your membership but only saved $40, they credit your account for $20! Pretty cool, huh?

If you’re ready to try Thrive Market out and haven’t yet taken advantage of a free offer, here’s a couple to choose from that I love:

avo-mayo  collagen bar

bonebroth  dressing

For those of you who are not interested in paying for a yearly membership, either because you don’t think you will use it or its not in your budget, but still want to have access to paleo-friendly products you can’t find at your local grocery store, checkout Barefoot Provisions.

Barefoot ProvisionsBarefootProvisions_450x150_Amazon_0c532878-fbfb-4ffb-ac91-64b96b18fb5b has really cool products, hard to find items, and new creations from small vendors who I want to support, often times, before anyone else has
gotten ahold of them. They are also are pretty rigorous about sourcing- the most “paleo” chocolate could actually be a severely cruel product as most chocolate is traded and created using child and slave labor, so they work with companies that have good ethics and standards, fair trade, etc. They put a lot more thought into these little details (that aren’t so little), rather than just bringing something in because it says Paleo on the package. 

They also get exclusives on products and work with vendors to create their own products, like their Galactic Hog Skins (OMG those are the most delicious snacks EVER)!

Affiliate disclaimer: I receive a commission for referring people to Thrive Market and Barefoot Provisions. Sharing products and services that I love and I think you may love are the primary way I’m able to produce my paleo TV show, Camille’s Paleo Kitchen and help support my family. I so appreciate you buying things through my links to keep my mission to educate and inspire people to eat paleo alive 🙂