scrubbedexpat091

If/when we get a freezer, I was planning to get a vac sealer to buy meat and other stuff when on sale.

The freezer on the main fridge is so small, not possible currently to stock up.

Why do they make the damn fridge section so big, and the freezer section so small, I need freezer space not fridge space.....

bigshark

We are quite picky when it comes to buying our food, especially meat. we get our food from the local delicates and online grocers (spud) which costs us $100 - $150 a week. admittedly we dont have steaks every week (which is my favourite, however unfortunately for me my OH dont like it!), but we have chicken (my 2nd fav!), mince, and bacon!.

We tend to get a whole roast chicken simply because it is cost effective. I can make it last 3 - 4 meals - have a breast each for one dinner with veg or use them to make a big coconut curry, use the remaining meat to make a big pot of roast chicken risotto which normally do for 2 evenings dinner, and finally use the carcase to make a soup / stock out of it. So at $9.99 for the roast chicken ($3.33 / dinner), it is not three bad.

mince at ~$5 or ~450g, will do for 2 dinners (cottage pie)

bacon $10.99 for 455g, or 15 thickish slices (streaky kind mind you, which we prefer btw), can do us 2-3 dinners, i.e carbonara, bacon + yam hash, etc.

Lunch can sometimes be the left over from the above, quinoa salad, avocado salad etc.

So, that was this weeks menu, we do mix it up a bit so the dinners & lunch dont get boring or same same.

Although we eat well, we do eat less in general ever since we got here, especially snacks and treats, simply because they dont taste the same, and unlike in the UK the labelling here is not so transparent so we just dont trust majority of the stuff in supermarkets. But hey thats our choice and thats the way we are - your worst dinner guests!!! jokes, we are not that bad, or 'maniacs' as my mate used to say before he himself became one (and worse) and went complete vegan!!

scrubbedexpat091

Butter isn't a weekly thing, only when I am going to bake something, so the extra every so often isn't much.

I've got oil too, canola and olive and an olive oil spray.

Wife makes some sort of vinegar/oil dressing with it.

946 generic canola on sale right now for 4.44, doesn't say what the normal price is.

Name brand is 6.88 but 1.42 liters.

Olive Oil is 8.79 to 10.88 for 500ml depending on brand.

HGerchikov

We don't eat out very often at all, not even once a month. Never get takeout. The budget of about $200pw includes lunch for me and son, (and second lunch for son as he makes himself another full meal when he gets home after school) husband buys lunch at work, spends about $3 per day.

SchnookoLoly

It sounds like our cooking tendencies are quite similar, haha!

I use canola spray when I need something non-stick, like pancakes or whatever. I use canola oil in normal stirfrys and whatnot (it works better than olive because it can withstand higher temperatures), and I use extra virgin olive oil when I actually need the oil for the taste, like in hummus or salad dressing or whatever.

I buy the big jug form costco, and just decant it into a reasonably-sized one I got from I don't even remember where - for both canola and olive.

No idea of prices at Costco off the top of my head. I can rememeber to have a look when I go next week, though...

not2old

$1 for a 12oz can 'special kitty' at walmart, whitefish & tuna combo can or salmon can

All joking aside, have you tried eating or using the canned 'salmon' cat food - I have & in some recipes you wouldn't know the difference, or fish scraps/fish ends from the fish market section

You have to do what you have to do, just one of many things in life - 'penny saved is a penny earned', not everyone can go the luxury of steak, tenderloin, salmon, Tim Hortons, eating out lifestyle.

SchnookoLoly

We average maybe once a month. Last month's 3x had a wedding anniversary meal in there, and that wasn't a particularly spendy occasion either!

That said I've got 4 in the calendar for next month, including the BE Meetup... but they're all social outings, not the two of us going out on our own!

not2old

it amazes me how prices across Canada are as wide as the country.

This week at 'no frills' Ontario, name brand 'Gallo' olive oil is $3.88 for one litre, normally $7.88.

No frills own brand one litre olive oil is always $4.49

SchnookoLoly

I've been buying a lot of NoName brand recently, their stuff is good and it's not expensive at all.

not2old

The no frills no name 'red sockeye' canned salmon is usually $1/can cheaper (product for product type & can size) than the name brand & its packed at the same cannery. Loblaw IMO, has buying power to stick on those yellow labels to sell in their no frills stores'

As well as many other comparable items, no frills also price matches for those that can make the effort & who have the time to bother about it

SchnookoLoly

I find for the most part, the store brand or off-brands are just as good as the actual brand. I have a very small list of exceptions (Heinz Ketchup, for one), but for the most part I go for the off-brand. And the same goes for Costco - I buy an absolute TON of Kirkland stuff.

not2old

I'm sure other folks have done the following...

When our kids were at home going to school in the aged 7 -18 time, they insisted on name brand cereal & ketchup type items. Ok, buy it once, then refill the container box with no name brand. Who would know the difference?

Today on their own dollar bill, they generally buy no name brand & use the price savings to pay their other bills

Pizzawheel

What does he eat, dry bread and tap water? Our bare minimum canteen (actually the free serve salad bar is quite handy) is $7 for food alone!

Pizzawheel

I wonder if it's the loose definition of sale. After a while you start sniffing out when and where things will be on special, and the initial shock of high prices wears off.

SchnookoLoly

Haha, not a bad plan! I will keep that in mind for further down the road, hehe!

Alright, heading off for the weekend. This was fun.