This Thrive Market Member Has Saved $6,000—Here’s How

It’s a common practice around Thrive Market HQ: Meet a new Thriver, introduce yourself, and compare your lifetime savings numbers. (Really—it happens.) But lately, we’ve been wondering: Who has saved the most by shopping at Thrive Market, and—more important—what’s on their shopping list?

Turns out, no one can come close to out-saving one of our O.G. Thrivers, Lindsay McGovern. She’s our Director of Lifecycle Marketing, and has been a member since September 2015. Over the course of nearly four years, she’s saved $6,519.01 leg list that has been shared around our office dozens of times. Below, she’s revealing her tried-and-true tips for shopping success, as well as—you guessed it!—the legendary “Lindsay list” that’ll make sure your cart is never empty for long.

Tell us a little about what do you do here at Thrive Market.

I work on member marketing, specifically focused on email and our mobile ap. With my team, I’m responsible for the emails that our members get every day (and the exciting offers inside!). This has been my job since Day 1, and my goal has always been to give our members the best possible experience in their inbox.

What’s the most exciting development you’ve seen in your time here?

The fact that members can now choose their own free gift with purchase! I love that we offer gifts all the time in our emails, but it’s also great that members have other options in case they’re not interested in that day’s special gift. There’s also no risk with a free gift; if you don’t love it, you can give it to a friend. I’m also really excited about our free sample program, because it’s another way we’re making the member experience really special.

OK, we have to ask: How many orders have you placed?

I’ve placed 132 orders! I order once a week, so that really adds up over four years. Anytime I’m in the kitchen and running low on something, I just open the Thrive Market app and add things to my cart—so I have a cart going at all times. If there’s a free gift with purchase that I’m excited about, I’ll go through and add things from my Buy It Again list to make sure I get enough in my cart to meet the order threshold and claim the gift. I’m also a big fan of the What’s New page to see the latest additions on the site. I always find fun stuff there!

What’s in almost every order?

>Simple Mills Rosemary & Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers. Those are always in my cart.

What’s the one Thrive Market Goods item you just can’t live without?

Our Extra Virgin Olive Oil tastes better than any alternative. I cook with a lot of garlic and onions, and I always start those dishes with olive oil.

What are some other highlights on your shopping list?

• Safe Catch tuna in variety of flavors, especially Garlic Herb and Cajun flavor. I add a little mayo and put them in our Thrive Market Coconut Wraps, or on a salad. You don’t need to add anything else because they have so much flavor.
• Hatch Green Chile Sauce. I’m obsessed, because it makes enchiladas taste amazing with almost no effort.
• Emperor’s Kitchen Chopped Garlic. Because I love cooking with garlic but don’t want to chop garlic.

What are your husband’s favorite products?

• Rice pilaf from Near East. It’s super easy to make and tastes amazing—like it takes way more effort than it requires.
• Thrive Market Original Beef Jerky
• Thrive Market Salsa. We make a really simple Spanish rice with Lundberg Farms Rice, onions, garlic, and salsa.
• Annie’s Organic Cheddar Cheesy Puffs

And what about your cat?

He loves dried chicken treats, especially the Halo Liv-a-Littles. He goes crazy for them!

Are there any products you haven’t tried but are excited about?

I got to try our Thrive Market Goods beef sticks (coming soon!) when we had them as a sample here in the office. I’m super excited about those because my husband loves the ones from Mission Meats. I haven’t tried our lobster yet and I’m really excited about it.

What are your best hacks for ordering from Thrive Market?

• Organic Valley’s 12-pack of non-perishable milk. I don’t drink milk, but I need it occasionally for baking. With the smaller packages, I can open one when I need it every few weeks and not risk wasting a full container of milk. I use it to bake cookies and bread, and put a little in my scrambled eggs.
• I keep baking stuff—like yeast—in the pantry at all times.
• I order boxes of wine and keep them on hand so I can always bring wine to parties and don’t have to run to the store before going to a friend’s house.
• I always use Andalou Naturals face masks during flights because I get really dry skin when I fly.
• I sprinkle microwave popcorn with Garlic Gold Parmesan Nuggets—so good.
• I also buy things for my grandpa who doesn’t leave the house as much anymore. He loves soup, and his absolute favorite brand is Fish People.

What’s the best free gift with purchase you’ve ever gotten?

Probably the Skinny Dipped Almonds I got as a gift and now order all the time …

How do you supplement your weekly orders with fresh foods?

Being a Thrive Market member—especially since the addition of our ethically sourced meat and seafood—has drastically reduced the time I need to spend shopping for food. A couple of times a month, I’ll go pick up produce (like onions and spinach) at the farmers’ market or my local natural foods store. And when I do go to the store, I don’t even go down all the aisles—only the produce and frozen sections—because everything else I get from Thrive Market.

What should members know that can help them get even more out of their Thrive Market membership?

Check your email inbox or turn on push notifications in the app for exclusives!

Ready for Lindsay’s Thrive Market shopping list? Let’s go!

Cooking & Easy Dinner Ingredients

Olive Oil | Thrive Market Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar | Thrive Market Organic Balsamic
Chopped Garlic | Emperor’s Kitchen Organic Chopped Garlic
Chicken Broth | Pacific Foods Organic Free Range Chicken Broth
Pasta Sauce | Thrive Market Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Beans | Thrive Market Organic Black Beans
Diced Tomatoes | Thrive Market Organic Diced Tomatoes
Tuna | Safe Catch Canned Wild Tuna Cajun Seasoning
Pesto | Kitchen Love Basil Pesto Sauce
Rice Pilaf | Near East Rice Pilaf Mix Original
Capers | Thrive Market Organic Capers
Enchilada Sauce | Hatch Chile Company Medium Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (also great for chilaquiles!)
Mac & Cheese | Annie’s Classic Mac & Cheese
Meat & Seafood Boxes | I’ve tried almost all of our boxes & they’re great!
Ketchup | Thrive Market Organic Ketchup
Mustard | Thrive Market Organic Yellow Mustard
Mayo | Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo
Hot Sauce | Cholula Hot Sauce
Spices, Seasoning & Salt | Bay Leaves, Salt Grinder, Pepper Grinder, Garlic Powder, and more!

Snacks

Snack Mix | Thrive Market Paleo Snack Mix in Savory flavor
Crackers | Simple Mills Rosemary & Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers, Thrive Market Organic Cassava Crackers
Tortilla Chips | Thrive Market Corn Tortilla Chips
Salsa | Thrive Market Medium Salsa
Microwave Popcorn | Sprinkle with Garlic Gold Parmesan Nuggets
Cheesy Puffs | Annie’s Organic Cheddar Cheesy Puffs
Cheese Crisps | Cello Whisps Cheddar Cheese Crisps
Olives | Thrive Market Organic Greek Olive Mix
Beef Jerky | Thrive Market Organic Beef Jerky Original

Sweet Tooth

Cookies | Tate’s Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gummies | Wholesome Organic Delish Fish
Chocolate Covered Almonds | Skinny Dipped Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almonds
PB Cups | Justin’s Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Baking

Flour | Thrive Market Organic All-Purpose Flour
Chocolate Chips | Thrive Market Organic Dark Chocolate Chips
Yeast | Red Star Active Dry Yeast
Milk | Organic Valley Whole Milk Single Serve
Baking Soda & Baking Powder, Vanilla Extract, Powdered Sugar, Brown Sugar

Breakfast

Maple Syrup | Thrive Market Organic Maple Syrup
Granola | Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grain Granola
Coffee | Thrive Market Organic Breakfast Blend
Almond Milk | Pacific Foods Organic Almond Beverage 4-Pack

Bath

Hand Soap | Mrs. Meyer’s Lavender Hand Soap
Bubble Bath | Alaffia Fair Trade Shea Butter Bubble Bath Lavender (I don’t have kids but this is still my favorite) or EO French Lavender (if you want to treat yourself)
Mouthwash | Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Mouthwash

Laundry & Cleaning Supplies

Stain Remover | Ecover Stain Remover
Dryer Sheets | Mrs. Meyer’s Dryer Sheets Lavender
Wipes | Seventh Generation Disinfectant Wipes
Dish Soap | Mrs. Meyer’s Geranium Dish Soap

Beauty

Rosewater Spray | Heritage Stone Rosewater
Face Masks | Andalou Naturals Instant Hydration Facial Sheet Mask
Cotton Balls | Maxim Hygiene Organic Cotton Rounds