GROCERY LISTS THAT MAKE NO CENTS

By SHAGORIKA EASWAR

Many years ago, my friend Rukhia was grumbling about rising food prices. Yes, I know, we’re doing the same again, not much has changed.

But anyway, there she was, talking about how the rising prices were making it difficult for most people to afford meat or fish. Then she looked at me and stopped.

“But that doesn’t affect you, does it?” she asked. I knew that she was referring to my being a vegetarian, and also, to be fair, produce prices weren’t as high as those of meat.

However, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

And so I said, “Why, no. We just step outside and graze!”

Looking at my grocery bills these days, I am reminded of that long-ago conversation.

Zucchinis, $5 (and I only picked up three!)

Onions, 3lb bag, $4.99

A bag of Golden Temple Ata, $17.99

A bottle of Nanak ghee, $29

And so it goes.

Of course, Rukhia would remind me that meat costs even more.

So what is one to do?

Grow one’s own food, say food activists and gardeners. But how? How is one to grow enough or even nearly enough and then keep it safe from marauding creatures?

Nothing beats the taste of a sun-ripened tomato fresh off the vine and so I still plant tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc., but with said creatures on the hunt for salad bowl ingredients, am happy if I manage to salvage a few.

A recent report in the Toronto Star compared food prices at three grocery stores.

I was surprised to note a couple of things.

How many people would purchase 1 lt of milk for between $3.29 and $3.99 when they could get a bag of 4 litres for just marginally more?

And who would buy two potatoes – really, just two! – for between $1.89 and $2,03 when they could get a 10 lb bag for anywhere between $3.99 and $5.99 and sometimes snag a special at $1.99?

Or again, just two oranges for between $2.17 and $2.94 when crates are available for roughly twice that?

There was also this: “If you’re not careful as a consumer, you may be spending more on a product depending on the store. It boils down to knowing the market and going to more than one grocery store, but who has the time?”

I’m sorry, but haven’t these people heard of price-match? Something which I used to cringe at when we were new in the country. Would it label me as a have-not? And therefore a newcomer who was a burden on society?

Patently silly concerns, I know, but many newcomers struggle with this insecurity, of not wanting to be seen as people who are struggling to make ends meet. But Linda, one of the first friends I made in Canada, soon set me straight.

An inveterate coupon cutter, she showed me how to save on my grocery bills. “Never hesitate to price- match,” she said. “Stores are happy to wean you away from competitors!”

It does require some planning ahead, but you can just shop the flyers, you don’t need to trek from store to store.

Then an advertorial on how renovations pay big dividends when it comes to selling property caught my eye. “Renovated properties sell for more than those that need to be renovated.” Seeing as how it was about a company that dealt in renovations, they were bound to say that, but I was tempted to ask, yes, but how much more?

Because I was reminded of something Dorothy, another old friend and neighbour, had said watching a family on our street preparing their home for sale. They spruced up the outside, painted the fence and window frames, etc.

“Cleaning up the space is always a good thing to do,” she said. “But spending big bucks on renovations just to sell rarely covers the cost of renovation. Of course, the place shows better and might attract more offers, but most buyers can spot a reno-for-sale and will claim they don’t like the cabinets or the look of the washroom, that they’re going to rip it out anyway, etc., etc. They may not actually do that, but that’s what they will say. So while you might get more than you would have if you hadn’t renovated, you might not end up even covering your cost and then what’s the point?”

People of a certain age are fond of saying that young people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Well, the price of everything is up, and it’s not going down any time soon. The experts cite Russia’s attack on Ukraine, supply chain issues, flooding in one part of the world or drought in another.

In such a scenario, we’re pretty much on our own.

There’s something called good old common sense. Use that, don’t buy everything you’re told and your dollars will make more cents (and sense).

MY TAKE

GROCERY LISTS THAT MAKE NO CENTS