Vancouverites share how they're cutting down their grocery bills
She said that if you package food properly (in a jar or solid container), it will last three to five days in the fridge. Freezing leftovers can help prevent food waste as well.
Dar Woon also suggested looking for deals or “imperfect” produce at grocery stores.
“Recently, I got about two kilos of tomatoes, which were kind of sad looking. There wasn’t any mould or anything, but they had been bruised, and they’re a bit wrinkly. And I paid $3 for them,” she said.
She took them home, roasted them for extra flavour, and canned them. Dar Woon understands that this takes time and skill.
“But if you have those things, or if you can make those resources available, then it actually achieves two goals, reduces the amount of food waste — because somebody is buying those sad tomatoes — and you have saved money on your tomatoes.”
Another way to save money on food is to learn how to cook. “That’s a good start, anyway,” she said.
Sharon Rhodes
Sharon Rhodes, who’s been food blogging since 2013, agrees with Dar Woon.
“Sometimes you get stuck in a trap of buying the prepackaged meals that you can definitely save money when you make your own,” she said.
While Rhodes can’t cut down on costs too much since she needs to cook different recipes for her blog (“I can’t always be making the same things”), she’s still found ways to pare down costs.
“Chicken drumsticks and thighs are less expensive than breasts, so lately, I’ve been cooking a lot more with the chicken drums and thighs.”
She added that you can score a deal on good-quality meats at places like Whole Foods if you look for ones with a “use today” sticker on them, and either use them right away or freeze them for later.
Do you have any tips on how to cut down on grocery costs? Leave a comment and let us know.