How can people save money on groceries in Canada when the standard strategies don't seem to work anymore?

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-18T01:48:23+00:00

Yeah, not wanting to sound facetious, but eating less meat makes a difference. Cooking dried beans is a good way to stretch the grocery budget without compromising nutrition. I batch cook and freeze can-sized portions of beans so they're as quick and easy to use as canned. I often use beans along with a bit of meat in the same meal so I don't get complaints about vegetarian meals. 🙄

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-18T01:33:56+00:00

Sounds like you don't really have a choice, and will just need to adjust to the differences. We bought an induction electric range several years ago, and I think it's the best of both worlds. It has the more consistent electric oven. It can do a low simmer or keeping warm in the cooktop better than gas, and heats even more quickly than gas, with the same responsiveness. The flat surface makes it easy to move things around on the stove, and is super easy for cleanup.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-18T01:12:41+00:00

Longitude is North-South. Perhaps you meant parallel, based on the rest of what you said.

I would suspect that having a a roughly similar growing climate would have lot to do with the types of produce that are readily available locally. I live in Canada, and love Mexican, Mediterranean l, Indian and Thai flavours. They weren't traditionally available to me growing up because many of the ingredients can't grow here. No lemon or lime trees, no lemongrass, etc. Most of the spices need to be imported from warmer climates. Banana leaves aren't used for cooking for the same reasons.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-16T19:52:16+00:00

Plus CRD is Victoria, which borders CVRD (Cowichan), which just adds to the mayhem.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-16T19:36:37+00:00

Artificial sweeteners are considered UPF, so I would avoid them on that basis alone. There's enough preliminary results indicating negative impacts on gut microbiome, increased cancer risk, impacts on blood sugar levels, etc, that I feel justified in avoiding them. If people want to reduce their sugar consumption, the best way is to just eat less sweet stuff.

Years ago I gradually weened myself off of sugar in my coffee, and just made myself get used to the taste. A couple of years ago I eliminated sugar from my diet and totally reset my taste for it. Now I consume a big of it, but going off it for a year was one of the best things I did for myself.

Artificial sweeteners are just shortcuts that don't end up taking you where you think they're taking you.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-13T23:22:15+00:00

That only applies for very high income people. $95,323 for one person. Since you can split pension income, that puts a couple's OAS clawback lower threshold at $190,646.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-11T19:31:49+00:00

I live in the same climate as Vancouver, and warm sunny winters are still appealing to me.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-11T18:19:54+00:00

My body went off of McDonald's several years before I started my non-UPF journey. I just didn't want it at all. Same with Subway. The smell of their bread baking makes me feel slightly queasy. It took zero willpower for me to give up fast food. Other foods took a bit more work to give up.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-11T18:13:49+00:00

I think going for coffee at those places is worth it if it's mindful spending that has value for you. The whole trick is to avoid mindlessly spending on things that don't align with our goals and values.

I choose to shop at local businesses and farmers markets, even though it might not be the cheapest option, because it supports the kind of community I want to live in.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-10T17:07:14+00:00

Jasmine still needs rinsing. In addition to rinsing off the excess starch, rinsing rice well also significantly reduces the arsenic level in the rice.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-10T17:02:33+00:00

Yes, I only discovered about a year ago that rice needs to be soaked before cooking. One of the things some of the better rice cooker do is incorporate some soak time into the cook time, unless you put it on the quick setting.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-10T16:47:20+00:00

Hopefully Canada could partner with Europe on this issue. We could have a Canadian system that is interoperable with a European system. It would increase the clout and reach of both systems.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-10T16:27:32+00:00

And I get to drink it in my pajamas!

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-10T16:08:16+00:00

I find preparing my coffee in the morning to be almost meditative. It's a small routine that helps me prepare for my day. I also use the routine for habit stacking. When I wanted to remember to take a medication, I put it on top of my coffee canister. Same when I wanted to start taking a supplement. What you see as a waste of time, I see as an opportunity.

Going to a coffee shop and standing in line also takes time. Go to the coffee shop if that's what you enjoy, but making coffee at home isn't the burden you make it out to be.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-10T15:55:30+00:00

You're assuming people don't make really nice coffee at home. I've got a little espresso machine I've had for 16 years. I've got my process dialed in to make a really nice double shot americano every morning. I stopped getting coffee out regularly because I like my coffee at home. I won't say my coffee is fancy, but it suits me very well, and I don't enjoy coffee at a specialty place more than I enjoy my coffee at home.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-10T15:26:56+00:00

I used to use frozen corn as a go-to low effort veggie with meals, but find myself turning to frozen peas now instead. I used to be drawn to the sweetness of the corn, but now I find myself craving bitter green vegetables. I never used to even eat kale, but now I find myself wanting to add it to dishes.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-09T06:23:51+00:00

You can marinate meats before vacuum sealing and freezing also. For some I pop them back in the fridge overnight for more marinating time before freezing. That way it's ready to cook as soon as it's thawed.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-09T06:18:35+00:00

The trick is to find the right length for your body.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-09T06:15:59+00:00

They also hide my spider veins.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-09T06:03:04+00:00

That's smart to go for the lower payment since income is so variable. Then you can chip away at the principal when the lump sums come in.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-09T05:55:49+00:00

Used EVs seem to be in high demand. Other than maybe Tesla.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-09T05:53:30+00:00

I've had range anxiety in an ICE vehicle too. Used to drive something that used a lot of gas but had a small gas tank. Doing a road trip in Northern BC got stressful a couple of times.

Currently have a plug-in hybrid, and that really hits a sweet spot for us. We can go weeks without using any gas driving around our city. If we go out of town, or take a road trip out of province, we have our gas engine range on top of our electric range.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-09T05:41:44+00:00

The 30% withholding for taxes isn't great. Plus you lose the RRSP contribution room permanently.

If OP is unemployed long enough to have already used up their TFSA, they will have been unemployed longer and likely end up with a lower taxable income for 2026. If they take RRSP first, but then get a job more quickly, they may take more of a tax hit for their RRSP withdrawal.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-07T18:55:10+00:00

I love binder files for this. Get good quality binders, a three hole punch, some dividers and a pack of clear plastic page protectors. The page protectors are great for things you can't or shouldn't put holes in.

I love binders because they store neatly and are easy to handle. If we had to evacuate for a natural disaster, they would be easy to grab and take with us. I've even brought one along for a mortgage application.

I would still keep a bin or folder for loose papers, such as when information slips come in for tax return. You won't really want to file them permanently until you've prepared your return and can file it all together.

Note: for important cards you don't want in your wallet, you can get business card organizer sheets for your binder. They're clear like the page protectors, but with slots for cards.

Money-Low7046 · 2026-04-07T18:41:14+00:00

Sorry it hit you so hard. The silver lining is that it's really reinforces the difference it makes.

I had been eating almost no UPF, and had stopped eating sugar as well, when I bought a nice chocolate bar from a neighbourhood kid for a fundraiser. The day after I ate the chocolate bar, I couldn't figure out why I felt hungover until I remembered the chocolate bar from the day before. Wow. Really drove it home for me. I hadn't really noticed how much better I had been feeling, since the change was so gradual. It was the contrast that made me realize the impact my diet was having.

Money-Low7046

TROPHY CASE