Call me crazy, but I absolutely love going grocery shopping. Granted, this could have something to do with the fact that I shop at Loblaw’s which happens to be conveniently connected to a massive Joe Fresh store, but I digress. There’s something about the anticipation of looking into a baron, stark white fridge, and allowing your mind to wander with the possibilities of what you could fill it with.
There are a few small hiccups in my current situation. Firstly, I haven’t quite yet figured out the concept of budgets. Given that I’m a full time student and only working part-time, I often find myself living paycheque to paycheque, leaving little money left over for frivolous things such as food and shelter…(jokes jokes)
Secondly, I live in the very heart of downtown Toronto, with no vehicle. The closest supermarket is a solid 15 minute walk, which is fine because I like cardio just as much as the next gal. HOWEVER, it becomes a slight issue on the way home, when you have 7 bags filled with heavy food.
I want you – my dear reader – to be much more savvy than I have been. Below are my top five tips for how to survive grocery shopping downtown in the city:
#1 – If your situation is like mine and you don’t have a vehicle to use, take advantage of the public transit in your area! I used to try to tough it out, and never bothered utilizing the streetcar to get me home, but then I realized that it was definitely the best option.
– Another tip is to carpool with friends! My cousin lives across the street from me, and has kindly offered to bring me with her when she goes grocery shopping.
– Finally, you could get a different kind of wheels… in the form of a cart! My mother bought me one of these, thinking it was a great option for me to use while living downtown. She has a great point, however I feel a little like a bag lady when I’m dragging a metal cart on wheels behind me for 6 blocks.
#2 – MAKE A BUDGET. I cannot stress this enough. Even if you are making very little money you need to designate it out to the different aspects of life where you will need it. For example, $110 a month for a metro pass, $80 a week on groceries, $80 monthly for cell-phone bill, $100 monthly to entertainment expenses, etc. Your budget can be whatever you wish, but it needs to exist, and be accurate. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself broke at the end of the month with absolutely no idea what you’ve spent all your hard earned money on.
#3 – Find one grocery store that you like, and stick with it. Make sure you take advantage of your store’s reward points/loyalty program, as most stores have these nowadays. Loblaw’s has a thing called the PC Plus card. It tracks your most frequent purchases, and offers you points if you continue to buy those things. Once you have accumulated a certain number of points it allows you to use them towards a discount on your groceries. It also has a handy-dandy app, which allows you to see your grocery list and current offers – right from your smart phone!
No matter which grocery store you shop at, make sure you have one of these cards.
#4 – Don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Seriously. I know you’ve heard this time and time again, but it could not be more accurate. Studies have actually shown that buying groceries while hungry not only leads to buying more, but also encourages unhealthy food choices such as fattening, processed foods. Make a smoothie, or eat a granola bar before you go – anything to satisfy your tummy for the time being.
#5 – While were on the subject of healthy eating – Stick to the perimeter of the store while shopping, as the foods you’ll find there are the healthiest for you! The healthiest foods are foods that are fresh, and thus, they need to be refrigerated! Refrigerators are always found on the outside of the store. Think of an upside down U shape. The middle of the store is where you’ll find processed foods, starches, etc. Foods containing preservatives that do not need to be kept fresh.
BONUS TIP: I often find myself buying way more fruits and vegetables than one person could possible consume. A helpful tip that I have, is to freeze fruit! When I notice that berries or bananas are a little too soft/ripe for me to want to eat, I pop them in the freezer. That way i preserve them before they go bad, and then I can use them for smoothies!
Happy & Healthy grocery shopping, friends!
Metropolitan Musings 