According to stats Canada most recent update, the average food expenditures for a year in Alberta is $8,414 (this is from 2012) so about $701 a month. For information on other provinces check out the following link:
As a stay at home mom, one of the main ways that I am able to contribute to saving money is through watching our grocery bill. I am fascinated to read blogs where people are able to feed families with 4 people for under $400 a month in Canada. Some pretty creative ways to save.
Unfortunately for us, I am not so good in this department. I
am great at looking for good deals, but that also requires me to go into a
whole lot of different stores, which then tempts me to purchase other things which may not be in our
list. Our current monthly budget for a
family of 5, is around $900 a month..(ouch)...and since having a child
diagnosed with celiac disease in January has gone up. Because he is underweight and because the
whole diet has been a learning curve we have purchased a lot of products trying
to find foods that he likes. I am hoping
that as time goes on our grocery bill will decrease.:) The good news is that we rarely eat out
anymore because its so hard finding accommodating and affordable places to eat
out.
Food is a little like money. It is such a personal
thing.:) Depending on how you were
raised probably forms a lot of ideas on how you prepare your foods, the type of
foods you eat, and how much you like to have on hand. The amount you earn also determines how much you may be comfortable spending each month.
I definitely have some work to do is this area....how about
you?
TIPS:
I loved how when my mom used to save money, (because she
used cash), she was able to actually put money aside when she saved it. One of my problems is that when it comes off
a card, we don’t actually see the savings and never manage to set the extra savings aside.
Another thought that I have had is that although we do eat well
balanced meals...my husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy and likes
food...but there are days that we can actually have a much simpler and less
expensive meal. Even doing that once a
week can make a tiny dent in our monthly costs.
I totally believe meal planning is one of the greatest tools
we can use not only to save but to reduce waste. I struggle sometimes when I find something at
the back of the fridge that I forgot about, like sandwhich meat/cheese/expired
items and produce that has gone to waste.
I have been known to have moments when I keep it in the fridge longer
than necessary simply because I feel so guilty throwing it in the garbage. Strange I know...
It truly is a waste when you think that there are
individuals struggling to put food on the table each day...so even if you feel
you have the luxury of having a little waste because money isn’t tight, why not
try and save anyways and put that money towards donating to the food bank or
towards giving to a family in need.
Happy planning!
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