Grocery shopping on a budget is already pretty hard for students, and unfortunately it’s not going to get much easier in 2016. Several factors have caused the price of produce to skyrocket in Canada. For one, the Canadian dollar has been falling in value to $0.73 USD, a whopping 14% decrease. Since 81% of our fruits and veggies are imported, we’re super susceptible to price fluctuations. Climate change and environmental factors are really not helping, either. The drought in California has further pushed the price of imported produce up.
Check out part 1 of our tips to save you money on groceries in 2016:
Stock up during sales
Check out your grocery store’s flyers and sales ahead of time, and stock up on those sale items whenever possible. Easily freezable things like butter, cheese, berries and meats are great to get in bulk while on sale to use later. Many stores also offer reward programs or student-discount days, so take advantage of those savings!
Use frozen and canned alternatives
Frozen fruits and veggies are often cheaper than their fresh counterpart (and last longer, of course) but they can be more nutritional as well. If the fresh produce was picked before ripened, or traveled for a long time between the field and your home, it could have lost a lot of its nutritional value. Frozen fruits and veggies are frozen when their nutritional value is high, and therefore they stay that way until you need them. While canned goods are not as nutritional, they’re still cheaper than the alternative and great in a pinch!
Never Forget: Food Services has your back!
Keep in mind, there’s tons of places on campus that offers great meals under $10! In the Medical Science Building’s food court, you can get yourself a personal pizza from Stone Oven or a pita from Not Just Greens, or, even better, for only $5 you can get a large custom soup from Soup! with a combo bread roll and fruit to boot!
– Emily Hotton
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