Food etc for cheap and health- RESOURCES
Go early in morning to stores and get food marked down because it is near the expiry date - just cook or freeze it right away. OPEN THE PACKAGE AT THE STORE RIGHT AFTER YOU BUY IT IF IN DOUBT THE FOOD IS ALREADY BAD OR JUST DONT BUY IT AT ALL. Dairy is the worst. Anything with sugar in it will last longer because sugar is a preservative.
My recommendations are to:
SUPPLIES
1) get a good (apartment size) freezer - saves you LOTS of work and money on food in long run so pays for itself! SO useful and efficient - can freeze food so don't have to wait for sales/makes less work
2) get a large crock pot - so versatile so many uses!
3) get a steamer or big pot with strainer - again lots of different uses.
4) get a big roasting pan
5) get a good big frying pan
PREPARING FOOD CHEAP:
1) buy bulk and split with your friends - bigger = cheaper. Make lots of stews etc
2) buy whole fish on sale instead of canned - get a bunch of smaller ones instead of one big one - easier to cook/store
3) buy V8 juice to use as soup broth/cook rice/pasta in to get more flavor
4) double or triple recipes and freeze.
5) Wait for sales/holidays/food that is in season so cheaper and buy lots and freeze
6) buy bulk beans/lentils and soak in water and sprout = greens
7) make use of community gardens and free herb gardens
RESOURCES
1) FOOD NOT BOMBS CHECK HOMELESS NATION SITE.
2) VIHA Soup-er Meals Program - at Cubbon North Park Center on NorthPark/Cook St - cheap ready made meals.
3) Lifecycles - fruit tree picking program, gardening.
BEST TO LEAST DEALS
Canada Superstore/Warehouse - Langford and one in Esquimalt
Oxford Foods - Cook St Village (be careful some products on shelf long after expiry date!!!
Fairway Market - Tillicum/Gorge rd, Quadra at center (especially clearance bin in back, short date meat.
Country Grocer (especially short date meat/dairy/clearance bin)
Lifestyles Markets - Cook st Village, Douglas./Burnside Rd (good for everything and to eat healthy!!).
Welburns Market - Pandora/Cook st.
London Drugs (good for other stuff too) - Tillicum Mall, Saanich Center, Yates st
Shoppers Drug Mart - Douglas st douwntown, Esquimalt Rd, Burnside Rd
Yates st Market (sometimes)
Thrifty Foods - Hillside Mall, James Bay, Sannich Center-Quadra St
GROCERY SHOPPING TIPS:
** Buy bulk
** buy lots at once if practical some places do delivery when you spend over a certain amount
** use a cloth bag some places refund you 5 cents for each plastic bag not used - and wont break as easy!
** take items from BACK of shelf cuz oldest stuff in front
** shop in outer aisles more as the middle of the store is where the most junk and packaged food is
** Notice different forms of same item and what is cheaper: eg packaged pre-done meal VS fresh VS bulk
** make sure to ask for a raincheck if the item on sale is not available - guarantees sale price.
** budget your food money by buying food vouchers or gift cards to use specifically for food - keeps seperate and can keep track of what is spent.
** learn to read labels and ingredients lists - what you think you are getting isn't necessarily what you are getting!
DIAL A DIETITIAN: free 1-800-667-3438 dialadietitian.org brandnamefoodlist.ca
PRICELIST - BASE
Good deal for a sale:
tomatoes $0.99/lb
TO BE CONTINUED - ANY SUGGESTIONS!??? FEEDBACK??
