groceries

A few months ago, I wrote about how I hate clipping coupons — in fact, it's one of the top things I said I won't do in the name of frugality. But lately I’ve been rethinking my position.

I think it was Wallis Simpson who said you can never be too rich or too thin — the thing is, being on a debt diet has actually helped my husband and I shed some unwanted pounds. Indeed, our frugal habits haven’t just been good for our finances — they’ve helped us lose our baby weight (after nearly two years). Here are just a few frugal practices that have made a difference on the scale for both of us.

Inflation is up, and everything from food to fuel costs more. Find out how you can make quick changes to save money

Unlike some of my friends, I’m not a regular Costco shopper. I find the sheer size of the place overwhelming — you can’t quickly stop in on the way home from work to pick up milk. You also have to buy a membership, at $55. The other major drawback to Costco for me is that every time I go in, I’m hit by an inexplicable urge to buy large quantities of things I don’t really need — like a massive box of meatballs that won’t fit in my freezer or a huge store-sized package of Swedish berries.

For decades, Canadians have been pretty lucky — we’ve enjoyed a plentiful food supply at a relatively low cost. To see how far cheap food prices have taken us, take a moment to browse the aisles of your local grocery store and count how many kinds of cereals, yogurts, pickles, etc. you can find at any given time.