And So It Begins...

One day while sitting at work I got an e-mail from my Husband. He read an article about how the average family of 4, in Toronto, spends roughly $500 a month on groceries. He figured that if a family of 4 could live on that much, we (only the 2 of us), should definitely be able to.

Up until now we have been spending about $260 a week on groceries, including pharmacy items. We also allocate $50 each a week for miscellaneous spending.

Every Saturday I make my way out of our East end house to one of 3 local grocery stores. I have a choice of Sobeys, Value Mart or Loblaws. We don't have a car so I take the TTC to and from each store, or if I am purchasing large items, I take a cab home. 

Each store has it's plus' and also has it negatives. Sobeys for instance doesn't carry V8...seriously...who doesn't carry V8! They also don't carry yogurt without aspartame or sweetener which is annyoing as my Husband can't take either.

Value Mart has a small selection of meats (very small), is very cramped, and is always busy. I used to shop there regularily, but found the costs not much different from Sobeys for what I wanted (they also don't carry our coffee of choice).

The Loblaws is great. It's large, has everything we typically buy and is on the way home. It's very expensive though, and the cab ride from there costs the most of all the locations.

We never used to spend so much on groceries. I remember when we first started living together, and my Husband was in school, we would spend maybe $100 a week and be fine. It seems that with our income increasing, so did our grocery bill.

I spoke with some co-workers and even my dentist's receptionist and they all said that they could see how one could easily spend $260 a week in the city. On the same page, my parents tell me that they spend $300 once a month and another $30 a week to make up their groceries, and they've lived in Toronto for over 30 years.

So my Husband and I have decided to change our ways and see if we can trim things.

We've already taken some steps. On Sears website they had a small freezer for sale that will fit into our small basement. It arrives on Saturday. This will allow us to buy meats in bulk, whereas previously we bought them as we used them.

I've been searching online for websites with coupons...I've never cut coupons before, but it's so easy now I don't know why I haven't been doing it so far (I will do a coupon post next).

I've been asking around about where to buy certain types of items, with properties that are important to me, at a cost less than what I am buying now (fair trade coffee for instance).

In a city like Toronto, where everything is at your fingertips, but cost of living is so high...it can take some searching for good deals, but I am willing to do that search.

This really will be about shopping in Toronto specifically. I don't have a car. I have a drivers license, but I only got it recently and only use it sparingly with my zipcar membership. Otherwise I am bound by my metropass and the TTC.

I plan on posting about where I have been shopping, what I have been saving, coupons I have used and their effect, and even possibly some tips about shopping cheaper on line (specific items). I will also speak of tips I have for scoring some free items (and not 5 finger discounting method).

I am open to suggestions of places to go, and things to see. I was born and raised in Toronto, but I still haven't seen it all.

Before I leave off, the only thing I am unsure of with this blog, is whether I should open it to ads. Right now my Husband and I think we should keep it add free. The purpose is not for me to make money, but to save money. So for now I think I will leave it off.

I hope this wasn't too babbly.

Next post: Coupons. Where to go them and how to use them.