When I was 20, I moved to a tiny (10 x 20 feet) bachelor apartment with a shared bathroom in Toronto. I was in school full-time, working at a restaurant part-time, and freelancing. Because I was no longer living under my parents\u2019 roof, that meant no more free meals and water (but I was still on that sweet cell phone plan!) Between all my bills, tuition, and fun nights out with friends (hey, I was 20), the place where I knew I could save money was on groceries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At home, McDonald\u2019s was an expensive extravagance, and you could make a whole DELICIOUS meal for a couple of bucks. That set me on a good path for striking out on my own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some strategies I developed back then and still use now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In most cities, there are varying levels of grocery stores. You got your beautiful, curated stores where you can easily spend triple digits on two bags of items. Then you got the sketchy places where vegetables are rotting on the shelves. We\u2019re looking for something in between. If you can travel, this opens up your options to save, even with gas prices being what they are. When I was 20, I hit the No Frills for anything in boxes, bottles, or cans and the Asian supermarkets for meat and produce. Certain places will have lower prices for categories of things, particularly if you\u2019re looking for food from a specific nationality. If you\u2019re looking for Chinese groceries, hit the Chinese area of town. Same if you\u2019re looking for South Asian food. The quality will be better and the prices will be lower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Toronto, we almost always go to the Dufferin Mall No Frills, which is comparable in quality to all the fancier chains but way cheaper. It even has a fresh seafood section and butcher! Oh, and never EVER shop at a convenience store unless you\u2019re desperate. They charge for the convenience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I went dairy free 15 years ago, I nearly cut my grocery budget in half. Not only was gourmet (aka expensive) cheese out of the picture, so was any frozen or boxed convenience food (remember, you always pay for the convenience). Yes, whole foods are a pain in the ass to prepare, but they\u2019re way cheaper and much better for you. There\u2019s more nutrition so that you actually end up fuller than with the same amount of processed food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some quick tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n *Invest in a good chef\u2019s knife and keep it sharp. It\u2019ll make cooking easier, safer, and more fun! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Make a plan for what you want to eat that week and stick to it. This will ensure you don\u2019t waste food or money on items you don\u2019t end up eating. It\u2019ll also keep you from roaming around the store and being tempted by something you don\u2019t need. Everything looks amazing in the store. Zillions of dollars are spent on packaging design and lighting, all to GET YOUR MONEY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to stay organized, my husband and I use an app called OurGroceries which keeps synced shopping lists on both our phones. When we run out of something, we put it on the list. When one of us goes shopping, we (mostly) stick to the list. We waste very little food in this house. Though I get some complaints about the lack of treats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not a coupon clipper because I think it tempts me from going off-script. But I have a friend who\u2019s a prodigious coupon clipper, who will price match several stores and get discounts on EVERYTHING when she shops. I don\u2019t have that kind of patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When my staples go on sale, I\u2019ll get extras, even if they\u2019re not on the list. These include pasta, tuna in oil (my splurge), chips (my treat), chicken legs and other meat, and frozen fish. For the last two, I purchased a small bar-sized fridge for our basement to keep them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of my extra freezer, it\u2019s also full of leftovers. Certain meals are easy to make in bulk but will destroy your soul if you have to eat them all week. I save soups, stews, meat dishes, and lasagnas. I\u2019ve heard you can freeze cooked rice, but I haven\u2019t tried it. They\u2019re perfect for when you\u2019re too hungry to cook, and don\u2019t want the extra expense of ordering in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a little extra. You can save bones and vegetable scraps in the freezer to make broth.\u00a0Take your no food waste game to the next level!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pay attention to what you like to cook and eat, and what you don\u2019t like. If a dish is a clear winner, add it to the weekly rotation and keep ingredients on hand. Pay attention to the quantities you need. If fruit is rotting on your table, buy less next time. Everyone\u2019s lifestyle is different. Some of us have 30 free minutes a day to cook and gobble something down. Some of us will spend 6 hours making a 9-course meal for fun. Find what works for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How to Save on Grocery Bills When I was 20, I moved to a tiny (10 x 20 feet) bachelor apartment with a shared bathroom in Toronto. I was in school full-time, working at a restaurant part-time, and freelancing. Because I was no longer living under my parents\u2019 roof, that meant no more free meals… <\/p>\nMake a list and check it thrice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Buy staples on sale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Make a lot and freeze it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Save your scraps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Find your groove<\/h2>\n\n\n\n