I Went Grocery Shopping with a $50 Budget | Was it Enough for Healthy Family Meals?
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- Опубликовано: 2 июл 2024
- Hey everyone I’m Abbey Sharp welcome to Abbey’s Kitchen. In todays video, we will be talking about what I get for my family when shopping on a budget!
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1) The information in this video is for education and entertainment purposes only, so you should always speak to a health care provider about your unique health needs.
2) Please use this video (as with all of my review videos) as educational, not as unique recommendations.
3) Please be kind in the comments.
4) Trigger warning to those with disordered eating tendencies.
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With Science & Sass,
Xoxo Abbey 
Хобби
FYI in case you guys don’t know- I LOATHE MAYO.
What would you use for coleslaw dressing? Yogurt instead? I use Mayo rice wine vinegar and a drop or 2 of honey. What is a good substitute? Love your videos BTW.
Why for lol
I clicked on the comments right after you made the Mayo comment! Thanks for clarifying lol!
I loved your Canadian-specific groceries! ❤️ I’ve never been to Canada, so this was such a fun idea!
It’s fucking vile.
Its nice and refreshing to see someone acknowledge how difficult it could be to eat healthy on a budget......An influencers diet is just not realistic for everyone around the world.
Absolutely
yes thank you
@@aryannacisneros2921 let’s just say a parent would rather clothe me then feed me🤣
yes, true, that is way i don't have kids. i buy healty food only for myself (and dogs).
Hello Abbey. I found it have helpful to know about the actual differences between more "trendy" products like almond butter/whole grain pasta and their traditional versions (peanut butter and normal pasta). Sometimes I buy the first options, believing they are way better, even though they are out of my budget. I think these types of comparisons would make a great informative video, since it's difficult to know sometimes what actually makes a difference and is worth investing on. I really appreciate your content!
yes great idea!!
Agreed!
I would love such a video!
Yes I agree! I was under the illusion that wholegrain pasta was so much better and I never even thought to question why I thought that until this video!
YES
One thing that helps me and my fiancé stay on budget is buying produce/proteins that can be used in multiple meals, specifically dinners! So instead of buying a bunch of different veggies or proteins we usually will pick tofu and then two to three veg options to use. One night we might have a tofu stir fry with the veg and then another night we might do a seasame tofu with veg and rice! I find that this cuts down in food waste and has allowed me to become more comfortable cooking with specific ingredients! I always try to plan the weeks meals around whatever produce is on sale, making it the star of the show!!
Great idea!
Tofu is so wet watery and mushy though?? How do people eat it?
@@sweetsupernova631 it totally depends on the type of tofu! If you get super firm tofu and press it, it’s actually a fairly firm texture. Whereas silken tofu is very mushy. Then there are things like puff tofu which has a totally different and fried like texture! I used to really not like tofu, but now I enjoy it! It takes time to get used to cooking it!
Grocery list items like ground beef, pork chops, chicken thighs, etc, have just been turned into "economeat" on my bi-weekly shopping trip. I go to the store usually Wednesday morning when there's a better chance of getting marked down items. Cook in the order of expiration, or throw whatever you know won't last into the freezer until your ready.
@@sweetsupernova631 sometimes it’s best to accept the watery mush and put it in soup instead of trying to crisp it up! I love soft tofu in soups and soft tofu in mapo tofu (spicy, chili, big flavors) is the best.
Really liked the balance of empathy and practicality in the video. I already knew these hacks because I've been shopping on a budget for years (the cost per unit is usually an eye-opening one). I also acknowledge my privilege in the sense that I have the mobility and time to do the prep. I would like a Part II where you combine cheaper, less healthy foods with healthy foods to make balance meals on a budget. For example, how to turn those super cheap Ramen noodle cups into a healthier Ramen, or maybe take a cheaper, fattier cut of meat and balance it out by its cooking prep and supplemented with vegetables (like fattier ground beef with cabbage for an "unrolled eggroll bowl".
I’m glad you liked the video! I’ll keep that in mind
Funny you should mention the healthier ramen noodles because Abbey has covered that, she made a healthy ramen noodle soup bowl by adding different veg. and stuff to her ramen noodle package. Looked so good!
A healthier way to have your fatty cut of meat would be to get rid of it and have a plant-based protein source instead, like beans or tofu etc.
@@GirlVersusWild agree but not everyone wants to be vegan/vegetarian
@@LRB9498 you don’t have to be to eat them, and don’t have to all the time. Definitely an option where if you’re willing to swap out for those sometimes you might then be able to split that cost and get nicer cuts because it’s less frequent and not so centralized staple.
Seriously, as a mom that cooks a lot, buying an instant pot when it was on sale was such a good call for the ability to cook legumes super fast without having to soak. The money I saved from buying dry legumes payed for the machine in less than a year for sure.
And because I'm not very organized, I always make a huge batch of the legumes when I need it so I can freeze the rest in smaller containers for next time.
I do the same. I do need to boil them for about 10 min first though and discard the water. Otherwise they make everyone gassy 😂
Cooking dried in an Instant pot is so amazingly simple. Plus so much more healthier since you can reduce the salt content (which I need for HBP) and many canned brands add a lot of stuff and huge amounts of salt/sugar. I would rather have fresh beans. And of course the cost is much less. Where I live a can of pinto beans cost $1.5 up 1lb of dried is less then $1. Which makes far more than a can.
While I do like the video and think there are some great money saving tips there, I think it would have also been worth it to see how far those groceries actually go. Many of the recipes mentioned overlap ingredients, and I can't see the amount bought lasting an entire week for a family of four. The recipe ideas also operate under the assumption that you already have certain things in the house like salt, oil, and spices for cooking. I appreciate the acknowledgement that staying under budget is extremely challenging right now, but I think this video could do a little better at highlighting just how hard it is.
And there was no coffee! Though two of Abby's four are pretty small, so that cuts down on what they eat; if they were teens this probably wouldn't work. In grad school we had an assignment to eat on a SNAP (food stamp) budget for a week and it was *hard*, mostly because it took a ton of planning. And I was better off than most because I can make most stuff from scratch (bread, yogurt, mayo).
This was running through my mind as I watched this video, too.
Yeah probably lasts 1-2 days at max
@@douganderson7002 I feel like people who are commenting about the amount of food don’t realize that they probably eat WAY too much.
@@irohas.0 the audience for this channel is probably also a lot of people with EDs or in recovery, so I bet many, commenting or not, are still actually not eating enough.
There are creators who do SUCH a good job shopping for budget meals that are delicious it would be cool to watch you watch/review/discuss one of those! Specifically the frugal fit mom.
This video was crazy but in a nice nostalgic way, my husband and I came to Canada one month before the pandemic, we didn't had a job for 6 months and we also didn't knew Canada had food banks because we don't have them in Mexico so we where spending exactly 50 dollars a month, we where buying almost exactly the same as you mentioned, the milk for example we prefered it dry instead of the bag because bagged milk last half the time of the other one.
We bought one box of cookies and we only had one a day for dessert because we couldn't had more if we wanted dessert all the week, I lost 20 pounds.
We waited a hole year to go to a restaurant because we couldn't spend 50d in one meal instead of a whole week. Now we are so much better, Canada has been amazing with us and love it so much, we try to stay grounded because we learn how it feels to have very little
I'm sorry you went through that and I'm glad you are both doing better :)
@@claudia3014 thank you ❤️
Thanks for sharing❤️ glad Canada is treating you well
Hola and welcome! ❤🇨🇦
Hopping on for another comment. Your sweet reminder to us while you were scanning brought tears to my eyes. Our cooking style is taiwanese mostly at home, as influenced by my husband’s family. Lots of veggies, whole food dishes, lots of greens, but ultimately moderately pricey as of late. Lately, due to rising grocery costs, we’ve done a bit more processed. I hold a lot of guilt with that. You comment was so kind. 🥺❤️
I would love to see you compared prices of grocery hails between high end grocery stores such as Loblaws, Superstore versus lower end grocery stores like FoodBasics, No Frills. And see what gets you more bang for you buck as well as the pros and cons of shopping at both!
And if something like the bag of carrots expecting them to make their way into meals all week go bad faster from the lower end
as a college student living on my own, it is so difficult for me to grocery shop especially knowing the portions im paying for, most of it will go bad before i can finish it. these tips r very helpful to save money where i can and eat something besides ramen noodles :)
i have discovered some tips that work for me tho:
- i learned how to make tofu in a way that i enjoy, a single block is like $3 and will last me almost a week if i put it in the fridge/ freezer and warm it up when i want it, plus its pretty healthy
- i keep a lot of pasta bc its a rlly easy thing to make and throw in whatever ingredients/produce u have left before u go shopping again
- im a big fan of pickled/preserved foods like olives, peppers, pickles, etc. even tho the initial jars can be expensive, they last me a long time and i dont have to worry about them going bad
- i also try to only buy the produce i kno ill eat & go thru quickly which for me is spring mix, tomatoes, & cucumbers
I’m glad you found this helpful!
I love putting stuff in my ramen to make it more nutrient dense; chickpeas, spinach, corn, any veggie, kimchu, seaweed, boiled eggs, avocado etc
I also struggle with that. I try and only buy 1 bag of fruit / a few pieces of fruit that I know I'll get through instead of getting a bit of everything and having it go bad. Frozen veggies have been a saviour both for convenience and for longevity. Lastly, I do a LOT of freezing. I'll buy a pack of chicken and put most of it into freezer bags prepped, sometimes I'll even add it in a marinade. Then the day before I throw it in the fridge and it's ready to cook. You can even freeze cooked beans and just give them a quick boil before eating. Also, meal planning has been helpful and given me an idea of what I'll actually get through eating. I'll leave 2-3 meals empty for leftovers/take-out days/cliff bar for lunch because I'm too busy days, but plan generally the rest of it. Good luck with college, and good on you for being independent and working on cooking.
Yes! Peanut Butter please. Always. It just tastes better anyways. Another $$$ savings idea, check out the "almost expired" section of the produce section. Grocery stores will usually wrap up fruit & veg that no longer look perfect (but are perfectly good to eat!), at heavily discounted prices. Great deals to be had.
Thanks for sharing!
Yes, I soak wilted green veggies in iced water to bring them back.
"almost expired" produce.i find hard to trust and at best would.only.buy if I'm sure I'll use it that day. Enjoy tonight stickers from other sections (bakery\meat I've seen both pretty frequently) I am more willing to buy as long as I'm gonna use within a few days or am comfortable freezing to use later
Also once got a giant roll of tin foil for I believe 30% off (may have even been half off) with an enjoy tonight stickers. Pretty sure it was because that size\variety was being discontinued or something but I'm still amused by it
Yes! Frozen bananas are a required thing in my smoothies and for $0.19 a pound, I'm up until midnight prepping them. Same with strawberries, at $0.50 a pound, even composting 1/2, I'm still ahead. Love the mark down produce!
We’ve been using our meat *in* the meal instead of the star of the meal and it’s saved us so much. For example:
Costco rotisserie chicken is 4.99.
I shred it and use half for Yellow Curry chicken (which is enough for 2 meals for my family), and the other half for chicken soup.
We gotta do what we have to do!
Abbey, this is by far my favourite video of yours. It's practical, very realistic and down-to-earth and SO relevant given how insanely expensive food has become. PLEASE make more videos like this one. I absolutely loved it, and it was really informative!
It’s SO refreshing to see someone make a video like this! Thank you!
Almost all of our meals are home-cooked, so I thought I knew everything about grocery shopping. This was super helpful, and none of it was, ‘clip this coupon.’ Not to shame coupons, but managing coupons is a skill set I don’t have. Thanks for the great video!
Of course! I’m glad this was helpful❤️
I'm terrible about couponing. However, I'm finding more grocery stores who have rewards programs have digital coupons if you use their app. So once a week, I'll go through the apps and "clip" the ones I like, and then I don't even have to think about it. I use the reward card or plug in my phone number and the rest is done.
As a not North American person I am amazed by the way coupons seem to work there. In the UK they are basically non existent and if they do exist it will be something like 10% off if you spend more than X amount, and you can't combine them.
@@SunnyMorningPancakes this!
Couponing in Canada is NOT like it is in the US.
My best advice:
1. USE WHAT YOU HAVE. Throwing out food is throwing out money. Prioritize the foods that have the shortest shelf life. Save your bacon grease for cooking. Save bones and veggie ends for broth.
2. Know your prices. Buy items when they’re at their cheapest and stock up on shelf stable items when there’s a great sale. Pay attention to coupons and cash back apps for extra savings.
3. Utilize healthy items that are always on the cheaper end: rice, beans, oatmeal, potatoes, carrots and bananas are good examples. Usually there is some kind of in-season produce for around a dollar per pound (U.S.). Chicken can be pretty inexpensive, but you also don’t need to eat meat every day.
Cooking from scratch (like baking your own bread and crackers and making your own tortillas) can be great if you have time. If you don’t have a lot of time, it can be helpful to have a “prep day.” Cook a big batch of rice and use it throughout the week. Use that day to slow cook some beans. Chop a bunch of veggies. If you make chili or soup or something, save a few portions in the freezer for another time.
You can eat healthfully without breaking the bank!
I wish. Chicken where I live is hard to find for less than $2 a pound. Usually more. Most veggies and fruit have been lacking in quality lately. It's just a rough time all around. Stay safe and healthy.
I was today years old when I discovered that Canada sells their milk in a bag.
My biggest tip is: plan ahead! Go to the grocery store with a specific list of what you want to buy. Every Sunday I try to plan the week's dinners at least and keep the weekend open for leftovers or take out. I have a specific folder in my notes app and a white board in the kitchen. I usually pick 3-4 meals with some overlap in ingredients. Not having meat every single day saves you a bunch, but if you do, buy it in bulk, freeze it and use it whenever you need it. Buying some items like oatmeal, meat and rice bulk is generally a money saver too. Lastly, get fruit/veggies that are in season since they are often on sale! You guys can do you
I do this too! I start with the grocery store circular so I know what's on sale and then pick out meals for the week, taking into account weather, schedules and having leftovers for lunch. My mom thinks I'm nuts, but I explained that she's had many decades to figure all this stuff out so she knows it in her bones, where I've only got maybe a dozen recipes memorized. Also I just like to be more planned. (I have a friend who does her shopping and planning for 2 weeks at a time, which I couldn't do, just because I think all my produce would either go bad or run out before the next trip.)
Grocery prices are so crazy at the moment. Everything gets more expensive every day 😩
I know
As a part time grocery store cashier and a mother I even feel awful just telling people their totals! 🤢😮💨
This is the most realistic grocery haul I’ve seen, considering both Canadian prices and post pandemic high inflation. Would love to see more content from you like this!
I struggle to see this as enough food for a family of 4 for a week. 12 eggs is only 3 breakfasts for 4 people assuming one egg each which isnt much. Same for the bread - it wouldn't last a week for 4 people using it in multiple ways. I would love to see a video actually making the meals because maybe there is a creative way to make it last and I just can't see it. It doesn't look like 3 meals a day for 4 people for a week 😔
I love these types of videos. I would enjoy even more a part 2 where you actually live a week on 50 dollars of groceries. I've been challenging myself to buy groceries on a budget and use them in creative ways, however this gets so mentally exhausting after a while...which would be a great topic to touch on.
This made me so happy as a fellow Canadian to watch you in a superstore. You will not be disappointed with the Elk Tracks ice cream! It’s the best!
This was SO helpful!!!! Thank you so much Abby. Keep doing these videos! I really like you going out shopping and giving some meal ideas.
What a great video idea! When I started my holistic nutrition course, I got sucked into the 'organic only' mindset and found myself buying at least $100 worth of organic food per week (just for myself!), which wasn't very much food overall. I'm so glad to see a nutritionist picking through the whole store, rather than just the 'natural' section. I couldn't imagine paying for only organic food in these times.
When I was in grad school I did a project on folate fortification of food (essential to prevent really terrible birth defects) and I was horrified to discover that most organic processed foods aren't fortified (iron, folate, the usual stuff). Like, spagettios are spagettios, (unlike produce where you might really experience a difference) and I'd rather have the iron and folate!
Nice video :) And fun to see how I, as someone in The Netherlands, shop pretty similar to you. Now, since a few weeks, I'm getting a box of veggies from local farmers each week for 12.5 Euro's, and this really helps me plan my meals better and go to the grocery store less frequently. Also helps me eat fresh and in season!
A tip that has really saved me as someone with a super tight budget is to pick a couple meals for the week that all use the same/similar ingredients. For example, I bought carrots and celery for my fresh veggies this week. I made a vegetarian bolognese sauce and a vegetarian lentil soup. Both are really cheap, use those fresh veggies, and make enough that I can alternate throughout the week. They also both use cream so instead of having cream that I bought sitting in my fridge while I figure out a way to use it I can use it all in one week. I added some frozen spinach to the soup too for an added boost of veggies. Because I plan my 2-3 meals for the week to alternate and I go for quick/cheap lunches like dried ramen noodles with frozen edamame boiled together with a sauce of choosing added at the end along with easy breakfasts like oatmeal, I can usually stick to a small list that enables me to spend under $30 US on groceries. I also do things like save veggies scraps, like carrot tops, celery ends, onion skins, mushroom butts, etc. and freeze them so that when I build up enough I can boil them one afternoon while I do other stuff around the house and I end of with a lot of veggie broth. It keeps me from spending extra money on it and with winter coming it helps keep my apartment warm. You can then freeze it after it cools in any freezer safe container and use when convenient. It feels like a little luxury these days. I know that as a household with only two adults that is much easier than a household with children but maybe it could help?
Please take a look at how much you're taking your eyes off the road during filming and consider filming in a stopped car instead. It's really not safe.
Frozen vegetables have been a staple for me while I'm in between jobs. Dried beans, rice and lentils. I basically cook everything myself.
Hot tip for dried beans if you use them get them from a store that has high dried bean turnover! Latin stores, health food stores or bulk bins. Eventually there will come a point where beans just won't cook so fresher beans always cook better.
Thank you so much for a more realistic look at shopping on a budget
This was such a great video! Please continue making more with Canadian groceries and foods! O loved seeing all the Canadian stuff and knowing I can find those things at my grocery stores too 😊
Glad to finally see a Canadian grocery video. I live in Québec and when I see videos of people buying groceries in the US, I just can't believe how cheap their food is!
Thank you so much for these grocery shopping tips Abbey! More power to you! 💖🥰🤗
This is such a great practical and accessible video! Thanks Abby
We have a LOT of food allergies in our house. And whenever I look at these low cost grocery hauls it just gives me this ache in the pit of my stomach about how much more expensive it is to buy allergy free alternates for the identical items. You can definitely shop inexpensively for allergy free - but it's so much harder! Because the inexpensive staples like milk, bread, pasta, and eggs aren't usable.
Yes! It's the same way at my house. Having a kid with Celiac just raises our food bill each month.
@@catwhitt I don't let myself look at the price of gluten-containing pasta or bread, let alone regular cow's milk! It just makes me sad!
Yes, I can't have gluten and the bread and pasta... 😓
I feel you. The allergies in our family are gluten, dairy, nuts, and shellfish. We don't walk out of the store spending less than $100 and that's just to pick up a few things
I stopped buying alternatives and I just try to go without. The only alternative I buy is oat milk because I like it in my coffee but I have made it at home and it wasn't too bad.
I loved this video SO much! My favourite money saving hacks are cooking from scratch and meal planning around whatever meat is on sale that week before I grocery shop 🤗. Another hack is to shop once a week only, strict! This helps because it forces me to get creative and really plan ahead. More of these types of videos would be amazing 🤩
Glad you liked the video! Thanks for sharing your tips❤️
You should do a bulk barn haul! Also I loved this. As someone who is going to be a full time student for the first time I’m definitely excited to see more videos catered to budget friendly shopping!
Abbey thank you so much for taking us to the store with you! I learned a lot and I would love to see more videos like this! Grocery shopping is incredibly overwhelming and it would be nice to have you there with me!
Just a tip. If your store has a butcher in house, they will piece your whole chicken for free. Spatchcocked or 8 pieces. Having it pieced out helps stretch for different meals!
Thanks for sharing this!
Great idea. In addition making bone broth as a base for soups, braising, stews and savory smoothies such as green drinks.
Please make more like this!!! I can always use help in the grocery store!
Loved this video!! I would love to see more grocery shopping videos every now and then from you! Also, a a fellow Canadian.. yes to this entire haul and I 100% support you going back later for the dunkaroos.. 🤤❤
I LOVE that you’ve acknowledged the benefit of plant based protein when trying to shop on a budget! Reducing meat consumption greatly reduces grocery costs.
Most my meals are eggs, rice, & seaweed. A cheap ricecooker & a bag of rice can go a really long way & very easy to use. Also ramen! But not the packaged one, depending on where you are, you can get Miso paste in mainstream supermarkets (Miso Easy) or other varieties in Asian markets. You can get a big package of noodles & you do have to cook the broth & noodles so it takes more time but it comes out to less per serving of ramen than it would be if you got the packaged ones & you can cook a bunch at once & have it available for reheating later. You can also add seaweed, eggs, green onions, tofu, meats, spices, etc to make it tastier/more to your liking. I sometimes make "sushi" rolls at home with canned tuna & a little spice. Peanut butter oatmeal is also a nice breakfast because more filling than "milk" & has a longer shelf life. Granted I'm celiac & my system can't handle dairy so have to cook most food myself & make things up as allergy friendly alternatives are often overpriced.
Thanks! Great video! I definitely want more of these
Really appreciated the video. When you talked about peanut butter vs. almond butter, I learned something! Thank you! Very helpful.❤️
Honestly I love videos like this. I would be really interested in seeing how a RD would shop at different grocery chains (health food stores, budget stores or bulk buy places) and what choices you would make. I know it can be kind of awkward filming and talking publicly lol but even a voice over that you edit in would work too.
Abbey,.loooooooved this video!!!!!
Please do more like it. Love videos on eating healthy on a budget, since so many of us are!!!
I really loved this video! I’m actually doing a low spend month and really focusing on buying just the essential things that I need in my life. These are all great and essential tips if your budgeting, or just faced with the realities of how expensive things are these days. I’m definitely going to be using a few of your tips in my next shopping trip. I like the price per 100g method because then you can really see how much you are paying for an item in comparison to other brands that sell the same or similar comparable items. I also shop at that same grocer and I have their shopping app. Using the app actually provides me with additional deals and points that helps go towards getting free groceries in the future. It’s a great way for me to save because I generally buy the same items over and over again and the app provides with me deals and points for those specific items.
This was super helpful thanks Abbey! I would love to see you make meals with everything you bought for some inspiration:-)
That can be next
And I would like to see how you plan the menu of the week to get three meals a day for a family of 4 during a whole week. Thank’s !
@@AbbeysKitchen I hope you'd be allowed to use condiments and oil and other pantry staples so you can make the potatoes taste better
This was really helpful! I always buy the same things at the store so these ideas made me think about some different budget friendly meals.
Ever since March 2020, I've been cooking pretty much 6 out of 7 days at home for my partner and I. Even in the NYC area, I've been able to keep grocery price at about $50 for the week! I'm vegan and I think that helps tremendously, so I encourage everyone who's trying to stick to a grocery budget to try out more affordable plant-based options such as tofu, chickpeas, lentils, other legumes/pulses, in season veg/fruits :)
Same! I completely agree. I don’t feel like our family has noticed the increase quite like others. Whole food plant based really has saved us money. We don’t buy convenience foods. Our money is spent on beans, brown rice, lentils, tofus, fruit, veggies, etc.
One of our favorite (super balanced) meals is peanut sauce, brown rice noodles, crispy tofu, and veggies. Our average dinners cost $10 for a family of four and I love that I don’t have to skimp on quality when grocery shopping (or such a large part of the budget automatically going to meat like it did in the past.)
Love this video!! Thanks Abbey!
First time commenting I wanted to say how much I love your vlog. Such a great idea. Thank you for your content and meal ideas at the end to sharing how to use what was bought.
This basically looks like my grocery cart! Glad to see I'm doing it right! :)
Love this type of video, super handy!
Great video abbey, so glad you made this, to help people with this. Not everyone can afford really expensive food all the time, and even if they could, there are other things worth putting money into as well as food! Buying in bulk (price per 100g) is almost always cheaper than smaller things, especially if its things that last a long time. That $30 bag of rice tip was a great idea.
I think one of the main principles of being able to eat on a budget is building up your store cupboard, instead of expecting to get everything you need week by week. In the long run it all adds up and you can eat better for less money this way. I think that goes for basically every product, even things like toilet paper seem to be cheaper in larger packages.
Freezing stuff e.g. fresh meat is a great help so you can buy more than you need of fresh things when on special, etc so they don't go to waste before you can use them. If your grocery store discounts stuff with its best before date about to come up you can make use of this sometimes for certain things, every so often I can get discounted milk or yoghurt this way. Often the cheapest budget brands of some things are just as good as more expensive ones, e.g. for things like canned tomatoes, legumes, rice, pasta, supermarket own brands in my country are quite well done.
Deli ham is a good way to buy some meat cheap to add to sandwiches for example, also if you have a slow cooker (bought mine second hand) you can buy cheaper cuts of meat and make use of them. If you get whole chickens, if you save the bones you can make homemade chicken stock for free. Canned sardines are super cheap and they are a great source of both omega 3s and calcium that can be used in a lot of different ways. Canned canned beans and lentils are amazing, either in vegetarian dishes, or to bulk out things like mince in nachos or bolognaise, etc to reduce the cost per serving without making your meal full vegetarian. Frozen peas are a great go to (both a vegetable and source of protein in one).
Hope these tips help someone!
Love this thank you for breaking this done with budget 😊
So interesting to see grocery shops from other countries (spesifically developed countries.) I live in South Africa, and in a middleclass neighborhood and there are definitely some small differences.
We have most of the same food, but where we have 2-3 brand options (depending on the product) you have so many options!!
As a young college student shopping on a budget is so difficult so I appreciate this video I would like to see more videos like this on a budget and how to eat healthy with a small amount of money maybe at different grocery stores I am also an aspiring dietitian so it was so fun to watch you go through the grocery store
I would LOVE TO SEE more of this and more what-i-eat-in-days that follow these purchased ingredients.
I love how you went to the store not with a shopping list but a goal of buying something in each categories of grains, produce and protein
Loved this video ! You should do more budget videos !
Can you make this a series? This video was honestly so so helpful
Physically going to the store is my me time 🤣
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I loved this!!! Grocery Budget inspo!
I love your videos & your tips!😚
For many people this is what we have to work with. I make it work by downloading coupons, shopping at several stores each week, buying discounted produce and baked goods, and utilizing 99 cent stores. It's a lot of work.
Thanks for that comment about frozen vegs for stir fry... I hadn't thought of that, and I'd stopped stir frying largely because of having to buy/prep veggies and usually having to buy more than will be eaten... frozen = the perfect solution! ... also was fun to see you choose the exact things/brands I use for my almost daily pb/cherries/spinach or kale smoothies... and the reminder, I should grind my flax+ seeds to add to things! Now if I could just find the grinder... next video, please tell me where I stashed my small and neglected appliances!
My husband and I work really hard to make sure we're making food that we're excited about. That way leftovers get used up, and that helps us minimize the need for takeout (except on Friday nights of course!).
Thank you for the tip on frozen fruit. In my area, fresh strawberries have been on sale, so I have been getting them and freezing them for smoothies.
Love all the tips - online grocery shopping and meal planning make the perfect pair when it comes to not overbuying or going off script with in store temptations. But the most important thing I want to know is where did you get your blue and black tie died tshirt? So cute!
My grocery bill went up $80 a month for 2 people. It's definitely hard times. 😪 I appreciate this video very much. Especially because it's Canadian. I love presidents choice brand products. How was that Elks Crossing ice cream? Haha love it. I live in a small city in northern BC so the options are limits here but thank goodness for No Frills a Loblaw company because they have some great deals at times. 🙌 we don't have bagged milk here though. I don't think that's a thing in BC. I've never noticed anyways.
Well I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I'd love to see another one sometime.
I would love to see more of these with the actual meals at the end!
Loved that you went to a Canadian grocery store - my favourite is the noname regular peanut butter. Tastes just like “Skippy natural” for all of you Canadians that miss skippy 🇨🇦💕🇨🇦
I love this!! And the fact you shopped at a pretty expensive store means looking for the stuff you bought at say no frills might go a little further
I really enjoyed this video! More like this please :)
Loved this video! Especially at the end when you rhymed off the meal options with the ingredients you got. Keep these coming! 😍
Ok I'm so excited to see a Canadian grocery store. We're on the path towards PR and can't wait to get to know these new mundane Canadian things :)
Okay, critic as someone who lives in Canada, going to Loblaws is not the most cost effective thing to do. Its super expensive and not sustainable for most Canadian. I would have respected this more if you went to Nofrills, which is a cheaper version of Loblaws. A good Nofrills like mine has a butcher, an organic food section. The only things missing are fresh bread section, hot meals and a fish section.
That or those Chinese grocery stores if you're near one. They can have really great produce at a steal sometimes.
This is one of my favorite videos ❤️
Wow I used to go to this exact store. Great video! (And very much appreciated by me as a university student)
I usually make my list in the store's app. One reason is that I can see what's on sale, add them to my list, and then build a meal plan around that with extra things added to round out meals. Then, when I get to the store, the list is organized by aisle. It's helped a ton with reducing my impulse buys! However, yeah, I'm lucky and live in Southern California, so there are really good deals on fresh produce, especially toward the end of the season for each item.
Great strategy!
I'd love more eating healthy on a budget videos. Especially with recipes ❤️❤️❤️
One thing that helps me stay on budget is definitely using the store app like you mentioned in the beginning of the video. Also Electing to buy store brand products rather than name brand saves quite a bit of money as well. Quite often I find these products taste the same and you're paying extra for the brand. Finally, buying meat isn't off the table. Typically I'll buy lean meat like chicken breast or turkey as they're cheaper than beef or thighs. Where I am, chicken drumsticks are surprisly cheap foe wutever reason. After all that I still make room in my budget for necessities, snacks and convenience foods lol.
My grocery store is very big on cutting down waste so they have a clearance section for almost every department. I don’t eat a lot of meat but if I do I will get it in clearance and freeze it to use later. My work schedule has been busier lately too and I’ve been eating more convenience foods that are more expensive. I’ve been able to balance out my budget by making certain staples such as bread and pasta sauce at home. These are surprisingly easy to make and I like that I can do chores while bread proofs or tomatoes reduce to a sauce! Pasta sauce and bread are also two items that freeze super well. It takes about 75 cents to make a loaf of bread, and it’s $4 at the grocery store! Same with pasta sauce. Marked up super high and you can make a delicious homemade sauce for the same amount you can buy a watery, bland sauce for.
I love this kind of video from you!!
Thank you for pointing out the realisticality of whether you are going to actually remember or have time to prepare the dried beans ahead of time. Canned beans are still pretty cheap, but they also don't take a day and a half to get ready.
Truly enjoyed this one, would love to see more grocery haul videos and also would like to see videos on what to eat when there’s nothing to eat. My cheap meal savior is Pasta e Ceci.
I love this video!!! Can you do more of these videos and include buying some bulk items (I.e., rice) as money saving tips?
So many great tips! Thanks
The second floor bakery in your grocery store is soooo cool!!
I love that you did this. ❤️ I'm doing good now, but there's been times where I've had $60 left until pay day and it's a challenge to eat healthy in that scenario but it is possible. Makes me want to do a challenge like this next week just to see if I can make it to $50 for a whole week
Loved this content! I would also love to see more content on easy nutritious meals for toddlers. My partner has a toddler but he couldn't cook a meal to save his life (for example: he doesn't think he can heat up food in the oven). I'm trying to come up with meals to stock his freezer to make it easier for him to feed his picky eater.
Thanks so much for doing this video! It's become very challenging to stretch the grocery budget as so many things have had major price increases. I miss getting eggs at Aldi's for less than $1.00 a dz!
To save $, I do buy some dried beans and then batch prep them and have had good results with black beans and pinto beans with freezing them afterwards. And while I'm going thru that effort, I make and freeze a big batch of chili at the same time.
I love your tip about the wheat bran for smoothie, salad topping etc., I'll definitely be looking into that.
One thing that has been very hard for me is protein powder. I'd been using one of the brands you had reviewed in a video regarding protein powders and when almost all of the ones that were good choices in the video went out if my price range, I did some research and settled on a different brand with a little more sugar, but not excessive and it then increased substantially, so I wonder if you could do a video of the "Best of the ""Worst"" (for lack of a better term) about protein powder and possibly bars?
Due to inflation I've been making my own protein bars and I use protein powder in both bars and smoothies and these have become a staple in my lifestyle.
As always, thank you for all of your great efforts and advice!!!
A tip my husband and I use every week (And I don't know if this is only a thing in Denmark, but...) our stores have this section with food that is just on the sell-by date that the store would typically throw out. The price is ranked down to way under half of its regular price. Freezing it immediately or cooking it in bulk to freeze saves the produce and our money. If you can shop these "anti-food waste sales," I would highly recommend it.
Oh, Ontario, and your bagged milk! I love it. Threw me off for a minute trying to figure out what it was.
Looking for discounted items is another huge way to save money.
Loblaws stores will often attach coupons to items that are close to the best by dates, which just means that you need to cook or freeze it right away but it’s still perfectly edible. I find this especially helpful with meat & dairy products because my family has no trouble going through those things in time
I buy a whole chicken . My family of 3 has a chicken dinner the first day . Then I make a chicken pot pie with the left over meat . Then I boil the bones and make a chicken soup . 3 complete meals from one chicken :)
Just something I’ve done with dry beans. If you have an InstantPot or Pressure cooker, You can cook dried beans without soaking in about an hour. I don’t do it all the time, but when I want a more flavorful bean (I usually love black beans with seasonings of my liking) it cuts the time. But I also always keep those canned beans. Just in case any of you have beans in your pantry and a pressure cooker so you can use up those dust collecting bags and boxes 🥰