She was right, of course. But somehow it ruined the magic of that special moment. Because now a soupçon of guilt had been added to our feast.

I am not here to make you feel guilty or to take away from the joy of a meal out. But I am here to assure you that you can cook and that if you do cook, even just a little, you will save money on food. And you’ll probably be eating healthier, too. Bonus!

Some reasons to get cooking

1. Buying your own food and cooking it will save you money.

This is almost a no-brainer, but let’s give some space to this thought since it is really important. Comparing like for like, what you pay for a meal in a restaurant will always cost more than if you bought the same ingredients and cooked the meal yourself. Now, of course, the restaurant is buying in bulk and wholesale, but they also have all kinds of other expenses (rent, salaries, insurance) while trying to turn a profit – notoriously difficult in the food service industry. So you are paying for much more than the cost of the food you are eating.

On the other hand, you could probably eat out for cheaper than you can make a good meal at home, but that is probably an indication of the quality of the food being sold to you (more on this below at #3).

2. You can control what ends up on your plate.

We’ve all been there, right? You’re looking at the menu, and you think, “I really want chicken, but it comes with broccoli, and I hate broccoli. I like the potatoes that come with the beef, but the beef is too expensive. And, oh look, asparagus, but it only comes with the fish.”

At home, you can have chicken and asparagus and potatoes just the way you want. And in the proportions you want. And with whatever sauce you want. When it comes to a meal, there’s a lot to be said for control.

3. You can control the quality of your food.

I recognize that this is not something that will matter to everyone, but it matters to some people, and it does matter to me. The vast majority of establishments will not tell you the sources of their meat and produce. Even if you ask, they probably don’t know. If you buy food at the grocery store, there are usually labels so you can buy local, if that’s important to you. And if you go to the farmer’s market, you can even buy food directly from the people who produce it. They can tell you everything you want to know about how their chickens are raised or when the peaches were picked. And most food at the market will be fresher and last longer than what you buy in the store. But at the restaurant? Who really knows?

And what if you’re trying to avoid additives and preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers and flavour enhancers? Good luck. Unless you’re making meals yourself from identifiable food ingredients, you really can’t be certain what you’re ingesting.

4. The intangibles

I’m throwing this last one in here because although it’s harder to define, I think it’s just as important as saving money and controlling your ingredients. Learning to cook is a skill. And even if you know some cooking skills, there’s always more you can learn. Learning new skills, using skills, improving skills: it all contributes to good mental health. Making your own meals changes your relationship with food. It gives a certain something that I can only call familiarity and intimacy. It gives you a connection to the earth and the world around you. Dare I say, it makes you more human.

I recognize that not everyone will derive the same pleasure from cooking or the same joy from a meal well-made or the same satisfaction from learning a new technique or cuisine. But it’s worth a shot.

Common cooking barriers

Despite the clear benefits of cooking, a lot of people who would otherwise like to start cooking or to cook more often face certain barriers.

1. I don’t have enough time to cook.

This is the one I hear most often. And for some, very few people, it might be true. But for the majority of people, the barrier is mental more than anything else. But mental barriers are real barriers.

Part of the problem is that we hear it so often, it becomes ingrained in our minds. And our culture’s constant message is that busy people are important people. And who doesn’t want to be important?

But I’ll let you in on two secrets – one perhaps harder to accept than the other:

1) You do have the time. If you prioritize cooking and do a little planning, you will find that you really do have time to cook.

2) Cooking really doesn’t take up a lot of time – at least it doesn’t have to. Depending on your schedule, you can choose meals that are quick to cook (like stir-fry) or meals that take longer to cook but require minimal prep (like beef stew or roast chicken). And if you choose one-pot meals, that also minimizes clean up afterwards.

You can easily look up ideas online. Or check out your local library for whole books devoted to 30-minute meals or one-pot dinners – or whatever it is you’re looking for.

2. I don’t know how to cook.

This is a more significant barrier, but not an insurmountable one if you’re willing to get started. And as long as you’re willing to fail. No one is born knowing how to cook.

Whether you’re starting from absolute zero or you already have some of the basics, the first step is just getting started. Bite that bullet and give it a go! And, as I’ve already said, don’t be afraid to fail. It’s all part of learning and developing a skill.

It can feel like a huge hurdle. It may even be scary. But I guarantee you, if you put in the time and effort to learn to cook, it is an investment that will pay off a thousandfold in terms of money saved and improved mental and physical wellbeing. So let’s get cooking!

Some options for where to start:

1) Ask someone to teach you.

For countless generations, cooking skills have been handed down from person to person, through families, communities and apprenticeships. You might know someone – a friend or family member – who cooks well and might be willing to teach you. Most people are willing to share with others about the things they love and do well.

Keep in mind that not everyone is a natural teacher. But remember, too, that there are many ways to learn from another person’s experience. I hardly did any cooking growing up, but I did spend years watching my mother cook, cleaning and chopping vegetables, and cooking simple side dishes like pasta, potatoes and rice (to my mother’s clear instructions), so when it came time for me to start cooking, I only had to put together the basics that were already ingrained in me (a bit like Mr. Miyagi’s method in The Karate Kid.)

So you might start out by just watching and asking questions. And maybe eventually, you can graduate to vegetable prep. In any case, you can always offer to wash dishes in return. Just make sure you don’t get so engrossed in washing up that you miss the important parts!

2) Take a cooking class.

Maybe what you need is a professionally-taught class with other newbies. Check out places like your local community college, public school or library system (which might have continuing education courses), or community centre. Different organizations will have different price points, but you should find one that works for you.

3) Watch free videos online.

To say that the internet has a wealth of cooking resources is a gross understatement. In fact, it can often be overwhelming. But if you take the time to explore the options out there, you’ll probably find a few blogs or channels that you like and can keep coming back to until you’re ready to find more.

Unfortunately, it seems that even cooks who label their videos as “for beginners” really don’t have the true beginner in mind. They’ve forgotten that there are people who don’t know how to tell when water is boiling or how to handle a knife. So if you want to try learning exclusively through the internet, you may need to search for the specific techniques you want to learn. Or look up specific recipes and watch very closely.

However, I would advise, if possible, that you use #3 in combination with #1 or #2. As wonderful as the internet is as a resource, there really is no replacement for learning from another person.

Let’s get cooking!

Whether you’re struggling to find the time or you don’t yet have the necessary skills, or maybe you just lack a bit of confidence or motivation, getting started is the hardest part. And once you’re over the first hurdle, the key is momentum. Give yourself a goal – perhaps one or two home-cooked meals a week. (Tip: If you cook once but double the recipe, you’ll get two meals, often with the same effort as though you were only making one.)

Once that becomes normal – and, I hope, easier – maybe you’ll want to increase your goal. And the more you cook, the more you can branch out and try different recipes.

Keep track of how much money you’ve saved by cooking at home, and then maybe take a little bit of that money you’ve saved and go buy yourself a treat. You deserve it!

The post Let’s Get Cooking: Save Money By Making Food at Home first appeared on Purchasing Power.

I used to be someone – probably like most people – who didn’t have a clear understanding of the “snack tax,” as I call it. I had a vague knowledge that “real food” (unprocessed produce and meat) wasn’t taxed when purchased in the grocery store. But I was completely unaware of the bizarre intricacies of food taxation in Canada – until I started working on Purchasing Power and decided to start reading the source material.

Entirely by coincidence, just as I was first reading up on how food is taxed in Canada, I had an enlightening encounter with it in real life.

I’d gone to a café to get out of the house and do some writing. I bought myself a coffee and a croissant and got down to work. The bill came to $6.35.

After an hour, the writing was going so well that I thought I’d get another coffee to keep me going (I have a personal rule of 1 coffee = ca. 1 hour of café use). And since it was kind of a special day for me, I decided to treat myself to a muffin as well.

I looked on the digital menu board behind the counter and saw that a muffin costs the same as a croissant. But when the man behind the counter rang it up, the total was $7.01.

Hold on!

I thought at first that he had entered the wrong items – maybe he had charged me for a large coffee? – so I asked him to look again. It was probably fortunate that the man serving me was the owner rather than an employee, who may or may not have been interested in resolving a conundrum for a customer. It was also fortunate that business was slow right at that minute, meaning that he could commandeer both machines to compare what was happening.

And once he had done that, he discovered the discrepancy: the tax was different.

How’s your knowledge of the snack tax? Do you know why the tax differed on the two purchases and how it was calculated? (It might help to know that I live in Ontario.)

Here are the numbers if you want to figure it out for yourself:

Medium coffee = $2.95

Croissant = $3.25

Muffin = $3.25

Federal portion of sales tax = 5%

Provincial portion of sales tax = 8%

The government’s food taxation sleight of hand

Can you see what happened?

When I bought the coffee and the croissant, I paid no tax at all on the croissant and I paid only the federal portion of the tax on the coffee.

But when I bought the coffee and the muffin…

Look closely now. Prepare to be amazed. Nothing up my sleeve…

Presto change-o! I pay all the tax on both items!

Here’s the math:

Medium coffee + Croissant = $2.95 + $3.25 + ($2.95*.05) = $6.35

Medium coffee + Muffin = $2.95 + $3.25 = $6.20 + ($6.20*.13) = $7.01

The rules

Want to understand why I paid so little tax in the first purchase and so much in the second?

Let’s take a look at the rules. I’ll provide only the relevant sections but add hyperlinks in case you’d like to read the documents for yourself. (Scroll down for a summary of the main points.)

GST/HST memorandum 4.3
January 2007

(This covers Canada in general.)

Sweetened goods and similar products

Sch. VI, Part III,
para 1(m)

87. Supplies of cakes, muffins, pies, pastries, tarts, cookies, doughnuts, brownies, croissants with sweetened filling or coating, or similar products are taxable where:

• they are pre-packaged for sale to consumers in quantities of less than six items each of which is a single serving, or
• they are not pre-packaged for sale to consumers and are sold as single servings in quantities of less than six.

Bread products

88. The conditions in the above paragraph do not apply to bread products such as bagels, English muffins, croissants, or bread rolls that do not have sweetened fillings or coatings. The supply of these goods is zero-rated unless excluded from zero-rating by paragraph 1(q) of Part III of Schedule VI. Refer to paragraphs 136 to 139 of this memorandum for more information on paragraph 1(q).

89. For GST/HST purposes, a single serving is a serving of cake, pie, muffin, pastry, tart, cookie, doughnut, brownie, croissant with sweetened filling or coating or a similar product weighing less than 230 grams or a portion or part of a good under paragraph 1(m) when offered for sale as a single serving.

Dispensed beverages

Beverages dispensed at place where sold
Sch. VI, Part III,
para 1(o.4)

120. Beverages dispensed at the place where they are sold are taxable.This includes servings of all beverages such as milk, coffee, tea and ice tea, hot chocolate and juice when dispensed where supplied, regardless of size and whether hot or cold. However, refer to paragraphs 35 to 38 of this memorandum for information on supplies of unbottled water.

Other sales in establishments

Sch. VI, Part III,
para 1(q)

136. Supplies of food or beverages when sold at an establishment at which all or substantially all of the sales of food or beverages are sales of food or beverages included in any of paragraphs 1(a) to 1(p) of Part III of Schedule VI are taxable except where:

• the food or beverage is sold in a form not suitable for immediate consumption, having regard to the nature of the product, the quantity sold or its packaging, or
• in the case of a product described in paragraph 1(m) of Part III of Schedule VI,
  • the product is pre-packaged for sale to consumers in quantities of more than five items each of which is a single serving, or
  • the product is not pre-packaged for sale to consumers and is sold as single servings in quantities of more than five,

and is not sold for consumption at the establishment.

137. Products described in paragraph 1(m) of Part III of Schedule VI are cakes, muffins, pies, pastries, tarts, cookies, doughnuts, brownies, croissants with sweetened filling or coating, or similar products, but not bread products such as bagels, English muffins, croissants, or bread rolls that do not have sweetened fillings or coatings. For more information on sweetened goods and similar products see paragraphs 87 to 100 of this memorandum.

Establishment

138. “Establishments”, for the purposes of this provision, are considered by the CRA to be providers of prepared food or beverages whose sales of taxable food and drink constitute all or substantially all (90% or more) of their sales.

(Thereupon follows a list of examples, but I thought I would spare you!)

So now we move to an interesting rule specific to Ontario:

Harmonized Sales Tax for Ontario – Point-of-Sale Rebate on Prepared Food and Beverages
GST/HST Info Sheet GI-064
July 2010

The Government of Ontario provides a point-of-sale rebate of the provincial part of the HST payable on qualifying prepared food and beverages. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) administers the rebate on behalf of the Government of Ontario.

Goods qualifying for the rebate

The rebate is available on qualifying prepared food and beverages sold in Ontario that are ready for immediate consumption. The total price, excluding HST, must not be more than $4 for all qualifying prepared food and beverages sold to a person at a particular time. Goods that are not qualifying prepared food and beverages sold in a single transaction together with qualifying prepared food and beverages, are ignored for purposes of calculating the $4 limit.

The rebate is available regardless of whether the qualifying prepared food and beverages are consumed on or off the premises of the establishment where sold.

The long list of qualifying products includes

• cakes, muffins, pies, pastries, tarts, cookies, doughnuts, brownies, croissants with sweetened filling or coating, or similar products where they are not prepackaged for sale to consumers and are sold as single servings in quantities of less than six;
• non-carbonated beverages when dispensed at the place where they are sold;

But then check this out:

• the following when sold with a qualifying food or beverage item above
• carbonated beverages dispensed at the place where they are sold,
• other beverages (including carbonated beverages not dispensed) except if the cans, bottles or other primary containers in which they are sold contain a quantity exceeding a single serving or they are packaged in multiples of single servings;
• the following when sold with a qualifying food or beverage item above for a single consideration
• cakes, muffins, pies, pastries, tarts, cookies, doughnuts, brownies, croissants with sweetened filling or coating, or similar products where they are prepackaged for sale to consumers in quantities of less than six items each of which is a single serving,

So what does that all mean?

Wading through the legalistic wording can be a bit tough. Here are some real-world takeaways:

1. You will always pay federal tax on your coffee.
2. If your coffee costs less than $4, you won’t pay provincial tax in Ontario.
3. You should never pay sales tax on your non-sweet pastry (e.g., a croissant).
4. You will always pay federal tax on your sweet pastry.
5. If your sweet pastry costs less than $4, you won’t pay provincial tax in Ontario.
6. When determining whether or not you will pay provincial tax in Ontario, the key is the total amount. Once you hit $4, you’re paying the provincial portion of the sales tax. But you only need to consider taxable items. Non-taxable items, such as croissants, don’t get included in the total amount.

Using this understanding to my benefit

Knowledge is power, of course. But can understanding the bizarre workings of our sales tax save you any money?

To be honest, it will probably save you very little in a concrete way that you can see on your balance sheet.

Let’s use my real-life experience again as an example. Perhaps in the future, armed with my new knowledge, I will stick to croissants and eschew muffins, thereby saving myself $0.65 with every transaction. But even if I were to buy a muffin and a coffee every single day of the year, that would still only save me $240.90 per annum.

Although that’s not an insignificant amount to fritter away without even noticing, it’s definitely not going to break the bank. But on the other hand, it’s good to be conscious of where you’re spending your money. And if you choose to put that much unnecessarily into the government’s pockets, that is after all your choice. And maybe the muffin (or chocolate croissant or Danish) is worth it. Sometimes it most definitely is.

I’m certainly not advocating for people to make their purchases one by one to avoid paying the sales tax. Nor am I suggesting that you shouldn’t buy coffee for your friends because doing so would put you over the $4 limit. But maybe when you realize the hidden costs behind your food purchases (the extra-large coffee or the fancy latte or the sweet pastry), you can be more intentional about where you put your money and feel more in control. And if it also makes you think twice and gives you an extra reason to avoid sugary snacks, that could be a good thing, right?

The post Real Life Experience: Saving on Tax at the Coffee Shop first appeared on Purchasing Power.

“To pressure the PC government to double social assistance, myself and my MPP colleagues are living on a ‘welfare diet’ grocery budget of $47.60 a week. We encourage the Minister of Social Services Merrilee Fullerton to join us and double the rates,” tweeted Jessica Bell on the day they started. And later she said, “While we, as MPPs, cannot possibly know how it feels to live on ODSP alone, these two weeks have highlighted for each of us the struggle to afford fresh, healthy food on such a small budget, and how hard it can be to function or focus when you’re hungry,” according to an article by CTV News.

Ok, it’s a little silly. Or maybe a lot silly depending on your tolerance for the antics of politicians. Some ate mostly carbs. Another had trouble planning her meals properly so that she ended up hungry during the day, which made her tired – too tired to concentrate in the legislature. She also ran out of money by the end of the two-week period.

I don’t deny that it is difficult to eat well on $47.60 a week, but you really have to wonder: Were they even trying? Or did they approach their weird social experiment by automatically following the assumptions they had going in?

But there was one quote that really stood out to me:

When I read the other statements I rolled my eyes. When I read this one I laughed out loud. But then it got me thinking. Shopping on a tight budget is a real skill, but it’s usually only one you develop out of necessity. It requires effort and can be very stressful – why put yourself through that unless you absolutely have to? So maybe, just maybe, without knowing the personal histories of these women, I could cut them some slack and assume they just don’t know any better.

So let’s assume that Ms. Vaugeois went into this experiment with a genuine will to do her best. If I were teaching a course called Grocery Shopping 101, I would put her statement in front of the class and ask them to tell me what’s wrong with it.

So if you like, take a moment to see how you would respond, then check out my answers below:

1. “I did try to have as normal as close to my own diet as I could.”

Well, she’s just setting herself up for failure there. I can tell you that when I was working I spent about double what they allowed themselves on their “social assistance diet,” and I wasn’t making anywhere near what an MPP makes, which, according to the CBC, was $116,500 in 2022. So I have a hard time believing that the “normal” diet of an MPP would be even remotely within the reach of a person receiving government assistance. If your income level has dropped, you have to adjust your spending. Even if you think you were living pretty modestly for your income level, you have to take a step back and look at your spending and see what adjustments you can make. If necessary (and it probably will be), put your calculations in writing.

2. “I did get broccoli.”

This one’s a little hard to judge. Depending on the week she went shopping and which store she went to, she might have found a good deal on broccoli. It can be pretty affordable in the summer and early fall. But it can also be a little pricey. Broccoli is rarely cheap in Ontario. But the key to shopping on a budget – especially a very tight one – is that you can’t just rock up to the grocery store and know which fresh vegetables you’re going to buy. You have to go with an open mindset and pick up what’s cheapest and freshest or what might need to be used immediately and so is marked down. Sometimes it’s broccoli. Sometimes it’s something else. And in Ontario in September, you still should have plenty of options among the fresh produce.

I should also note that not all broccoli is equal in the grocery store. I am giving Ms. Vaugeois the benefit of the doubt and assuming that she bought heads of broccoli with the stalks attached. Those are the most economical, especially if you eat the stalks, which are not only perfectly edible but also delicious (the leaves, too, are edible). If you buy just the crowns, it is more expensive. And if you buy a bag of florets, it is more expensive still.

3. “I tried having asparagus.”

What? Why? Was she seized by a moment of temporary insanity? I would never ever buy asparagus on a tight budget. And I love asparagus. But even when it’s in season – which is the only time I buy it – it’s not cheap. In fact, it’s probably the vegetable that has the highest cost to food bulk ratio. And it is most definitely not in season in September. It is only very briefly in season in Ontario between May and June. So you could blow a quarter of your food budget on asparagus in September, but why on earth would you?

4. “You try to chunk it out so that you’ve got a little bit every day. Of course it only lasts so long before it starts to turn so you have to plan very, very carefully.”

This one puzzles me. Vegetables don’t suddenly spoil faster just because you’re on a tighter budget. Whatever the size of your budget, unless you are comfortable with throwing away food, you have to be careful when it comes to produce – both what you buy and how much you buy. If, like many working people, you want to minimize your trips to the grocery store, you can be savvy about it and buy a range of vegetables – some that spoil sooner (those you eat right away) and some that might last a week or two (however much you might want them now, you have to be disciplined and save them for later). There was period in my life where I only went grocery shopping once every two weeks, and I never had a problem with vegetables.

Now, if you insist on having only fragile vegetables that spoil easily and only cooking them fresh each night, your only option is to shop more frequently. But even asparagus will last several days in the fridge, and there are ways of making it last longer. And broccoli will last at least a week as long as you make sure to choose heads that are relatively fresh.

But let’s say, like I sometimes do, you go to the grocery store in the late summer/early fall, and because you live in Canada and the growing season is so short, your poor little brain just can’t comprehend the abundance of fresh, affordable produce before you. So you go a little crazy and buy more than you can possibly eat in the time before it goes bad. What are your options? 1. Cook it (that’ll extend its life at least a few more days). 2. Freeze it. 3. Cook it, then freeze it. (Ok, there’s also 4. Cook it and invite people over to eat it.)

And that brings me to another point. Frozen vegetables, though they are not as nice to eat as fresh ones, are just as nutritious and much cheaper. You could bulk up on peas and carrots, if you want to get the most bang for your buck (I don’t include corn because of the starchiness – evil, evil carbs), but you could also get broccoli and beans at a lower cost than you would if you bought them fresh. And the bonus is you don’t have to worry about them going bad. (Second bonus: you don’t have to wash them!)

I have nothing against these ladies, but I do think that their little experiment was silly, patronizing, and self-indulgent. I have no idea how it was supposed to “pressure” the government, and all they really showed was how far even the most socially-minded politicians are from the everyday reality of most people. On the other hand, if you are so privileged that you can buy asparagus in September without seeing anything extravagant in that and you still campaign for those less fortunate than you, I can have respect for that. I’m not sure I would want you representing me, but I can respect that.

However, what this misguided experiment did highlight for me was how much the ability to shop wisely and well within strict financial limitations really is a skill. It’s not one we’re taught so much as pick up along the way out of necessity.

I laughed when I read the reports because I knew these were five women putting on an act. But let’s imagine for a moment that our asparagus-buying minister is actually a woman who has just lost her job and unexpectedly finds herself living on a much-reduced unemployment income. After paying her mortgage or rent and her utilities, after filling her car with gas (because it’s hard to unlearn the lifestyle she’s become accustomed to), she has a very narrow budget for food, which she throws away on inappropriate items simply because she doesn’t know any better. And because she has bought into our consumer culture, she has always spent what she earns and so doesn’t have an emergency fund. And so by the end of the month, she is going hungry.

Suddenly it’s not so funny anymore.

It’s also not so funny because there are a lot of people out there who are truly struggling. And they are struggling, in part, because they have never learned some of the basic principles around grocery shopping and they haven’t learned the basic life skill of shopping on a budget. It is my hope that the Purchasing Power blog can help people develop this skill and take back control of their grocery bill.

The post Asparagus in September: 5 Politicians and Their Misguided Food Experiment first appeared on Purchasing Power.

Already know about the snack tax? Read on to find out ways to source tax-free chocolate and how to avoid a sneaky nut tax.

If this is news to you, you might want to check out my previous post explaining sales tax and how a little bit of knowledge can save you a whole lot of money.

Snack tax basics

In January 2007, the Canada Revenue Agency published a memorandum (updated from an earlier document) which sets out exactly which foods in Canada get taxed to the fullest extent under the law and which are not taxed at all.

The very first paragraph states:

The supply of basic groceries, which includes most supplies of food and beverages marketed for human consumption (including sweetening agents, seasonings and other ingredients to be mixed with or used in the preparation of such food or beverages), is zero-rated. However, certain categories of foodstuffs, for example, carbonated beverages, candies and confectionery, and snack foods are taxable. If a product’s tax status is in doubt, the CRA will consider the manner in which the product is displayed, labelled, packaged, invoiced and advertised to determine its tax status.

Note:  In this publication “taxable” means subject to GST at 5% or HST at 13% and “zero-rated” means subject to GST/HST at 0%.

I have to admit. As far as government documents go, that’s pretty straightforward. If it’s meant to be eaten or drunk by human beings and doesn’t have bubbles or loads of sugar, then it’s a basic necessity and shouldn’t be taxed.

However, it’s not as simple as that. Hence the 167 paragraphs that follow. After all, what one person considers a snack another person may consider a meal. And an indulgence for one is a necessity for another.

Thank goodness we have the government to set us straight, right?

Some guidelines to get you started

Although it doesn’t make for particularly stimulating reading, I do highly recommend you peruse the CRA’s memorandum on groceries. It’s rather enlightening and will make you wonder what it’s like to be one of the people tasked with writing these documents.

At least it made me wonder: I mean, seriously, imagine being the person who had to research and then justify why shark cartilage should be taxed.

But if you want a shortcut, there are some basic (though not foolproof) guidelines for deciding whether you are about to get hit with additional costs at checkout.

Ask yourself the following questions about the item you are about to buy:

• Is it salty? (Not just savoury but actually salty.)
• Is it sweet? (But not naturally sweet, like fruit.)
• Does it have bubbles?
• Is it a single serving and ready to eat?
• Is it marketed as a snack? (Check the labelling and where it is sold in the store.)

If you answered yes to any one of these questions, be prepared to pay sales tax.

Getting around the rules

Now, I’m no libertarian. I think taxes have their place. But knowledge is power, and if you are aware of some of the finer points of sales tax law, you can avoid some unnecessary extra spending on your “snacks.”

Here are a few tips:

Tax-free chocolate

Do we need any further evidence that our government is dominated by men than the fact that chocolate is not considered a basic necessity of life?

However, there is chocolate that is zero-rated. And I’m not just talking about cacao powder, beans and nibs. (I’ve actually taken to snacking on whole cacao beans, and let me tell you they are very tasty.) Since they’re unsweetened baking ingredients, they already fall into the zero-rated category.

But being a baking ingredient is key. It can even save sugar-added goods from the tax man’s jurisdiction.

Remember the distinction over marketing? It means that goods mainly marketed as something other than a snack – such as a baking ingredient – are not subject to sales tax.

Rather than buying your chocolate from the snack aisle, try cruising the baking aisle instead and see what you can find there. Chocolate chips, for example, are a perfectly respectable baking ingredient. And while you may not want to put out a bowl of chocolate chips when you have guests over, they are perfect for your ordinary, everyday cravings.

It may take a little mental leap. It’s not that the chocolate in the baking aisle is any lower quality than the stuff among the cookies and chips (in fact, it may even be higher depending on the brand), but we have been conditioned to target the pretty packaging.

Think about the infamous so-called “pink tax” which causes a product marketed toward women to be priced higher than one marketed toward men, even though they are exactly the same in terms of their ingredients. But it can be hard for a woman to go into the men’s section of a store or just move to a different shelf and buy, say, a “men’s” shaving gel instead of a “women’s,” even though they’d be getting the same product at a lower price.

Think of it this way: the marketers and the government are capitalizing on your psychological weaknesses. Don’t let them. Show them who’s boss.

That’s just nuts

Here’s a conundrum: Are nuts a basic food or a snack? Well, it depends.

If your nuts have any kind of salt on them, they are a snack. If they have some kind of flavouring on them but that flavouring does not include salt, they are a food.

HOWEVER, if your unsalted nuts, which individually are food and so not taxed, are combined together in one package of two or more varieties of nuts, then they are a snack and so taxed.

You think I’m joking? Here’s what the Government of Canada has to say on the subject:

60. Salted nuts or salted seeds (e.g., salted peanuts, sunflower seeds, mixed nuts) are taxable.

61. Nuts or seeds may also be available in various flavours such as Cajun or barbeque. If the seasoning or coating includes salt as an ingredient, the nuts or seeds are taxable.

69. A supply of a mixture of two or more types of nuts, whether salted or not, is taxable. However, mixtures of nuts in their natural state (i.e., not further processed than washed and/or cleaned) are zero-rated. Nuts that have been seasoned, roasted or shelled are not considered to be in their natural state.

So what does that mean on a practical level?

It means that if you want a mix of unsalted nuts to snack on, you’ll probably pay less if you buy each individual type you want and mix them together at home because you won’t be paying an additional 5% or 13% (depending on where you live) on top of the already fairly high price of nuts.

I say probably because it would be hard to do a real price comparison because different nuts have different prices, which then factors into the overall cost of the nut mix. That’s why mixes high in cashews, say, are more expensive, while the cheapest nut mixes are heavy on the peanuts. I suppose I could buy a mix and pick out the individual nuts and weigh them and do a comparison that way…but I’m not that obsessed yet. Yet. If I get there, I’ll let you know.

One final note on nuts: What if you really, really want salted nuts?

My personal opinion? Given the time and effort of salting, or roasting and salting, your nuts at home, you may as well pay the government for the privilege of having them ready-to-eat.

On the other hand, we could all probably reduce our salt intake, so why not learn to like unsalted nuts?

Size matters

One of the important aspects of the snack tax is how an item is marketed. And packaging is a significant factor when determining when something is a snack and when it is not.

The important thing to watch out for here is whether the item you are looking to purchase is a single serving. For example, non-carbonated water and fruit juices would not normally be taxed. But they are when they are sold in servings of less than 600 ml.

But it’s also useful to be aware that some items which would otherwise fall afoul of the snack tax lose their snack status simply by being bought in bulk.

Ice cream is a prime example. Any container of ice cream under 500ml/500g is taxable. But as soon as it exceeds that limit, it is no longer a single serving and becomes zero-rated. Not that I’m necessarily encouraging you to buy more ice cream…

Muffins (and other sweet baked goods) are another good example. Each muffin on its own is taxable. Buy six or more and they’re tax-free.

Choose your own adventure

My final suggestion is a little plug for home cooking.

While the packaged snacks take a hefty chunk out of your grocery budget in the form of sales tax, the ingredients they’re made with are zero-rated. Sugar and salt added to a product are a recipe for taxability. But sugar and salt on their own are not taxed.

So why not make your own snacks at home?

Some reasons to make your own snacks:

1. You will know exactly what’s going into your food. (Tired of all the preservatives and ingredients you can’t pronounce?)
2. You will get exactly what you want. (Want more or less chocolate? More or less spice?)
3. Your friends will be impressed.
4. You will be impressed with yourself and may find confidence in other areas as well.
5. Your snacks will be way, way better than anything you buy in the store.

With all the resources on the Internet these days, you could probably find recipes for anything you can think of. I am so impressed by people’s ingenuity and creativity. Pretty much any snack you buy in the store, I guarantee you someone has posted a recipe for it online. Oreos? Yup. Gummy bears? Absolutely. Pocky? Take your pick.

I wish you luck in whatever adventure you choose!

The post Aw Nuts! The Snack Tax in Canada first appeared on Purchasing Power.

Did you realize that you can cut food costs simply by being more aware of how much of your food budget is going to the government and not being invested in your food basket?

Sales tax vs VAT – kind of the same but not exactly

Most countries around the world levy taxes on the sale of goods and services. There are two types: sales tax and VAT.

Sometimes the tax is collected only at the end of the production-consumption chain and is added onto the purchase price. This is sales tax.

More commonly, it is collected at every stage of the chain, with each participant recouping the loss from the next buyer until the final burden lands on the end consumer. It’s a bit like a game of hot potato. This is value-added tax, or VAT.

Since we’re only discussing end consumers here (i.e., the person buying the product at the grocery store and eating/using it), the end result is the same. Except for one thing: VAT is usually included in the sale price, whereas sales tax is added at the time of sale.

Sales tax – a particularly North American issue

Most countries around the world have a VAT system. As far as this blog post goes, what this means for the end consumer is that knowing how your country taxes food probably won’t greatly affect your shopping habits. Depending on your political views, you might want to minimize how much of your grocery spending goes to the government, but it won’t necessarily help you save money.

In Canada and the US, it’s a different story. In both countries, sales tax is the name of the game. It’s a little bonus you get to pay at the end after the cashier has totaled up all your purchases.

In the US, there is no federally regulated sales tax. It is all managed locally. First, there is a sales tax instituted by the state. Then local taxes get added on top of that.

In Canada, there is a federally regulated sales tax called General Sales Tax (GST). Then each province has its own additional tax – except Alberta (lucky for them). If that provincial tax is managed by the province, then it’s called Provincial Sales Tax (PST). Other provinces have their sales tax managed centrally by the Canada Revenue Agency, and then it’s lumped in with GST and all of that together is Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). Confused yet?

How can sales tax encourage overspending?

I remember when I first came back to live in the United States after having spent nearly a decade in England. I would constantly underestimate how much I had to pay because I was always forgetting that the tax was going to be added at the end. It was even more shocking when I moved to Canada. In Ontario, sales tax is 13%!

Even when we’re conscious of the tax we’ll be paying, it can still affect the way we shop because the number we make decisions on is the sticker price – not the true price. It’s like that well-known trick retailers use of taking a penny off the price just so it looks cheaper.

You know that $3.99 is the same as $4, but your subconscious still prefers $3.99.

It’s true that you could easily pull out your phone and use the calculator app, but how many of us do that? How many of us just say, “And add a little extra for tax” – if we even think of that?

Just the other day, I was out with a friend and we saw an item that was marked down. “30% off,” the tag declared next to the original price.

“What’s that then?” said my friend. “And with tax?” Although we each had our own smartphone, neither of us bothered with the actual price. We just did some vague math in our heads for an estimate.

And that’s the problem with sales tax: it leads to us being vague or even forgetful about the real price that we’re paying, which in turn can lead to overspending.

Taxes on groceries

Many countries all over the world give consumers a break on taxes for essential goods like groceries. In some places, like Canada and the United Kingdom, they are not taxed at all, while in others, like India, different categories of goods are subject to different tax rates.

However, not all jurisdictions subscribe to this practice, and some charge the same rate of tax on food as they would on a car or a pair of jeans.

And even in places where there is a tax break on groceries, you need to read the fine print to understand what is considered a zero-rated (non-taxable) item. As far as the government is concerned, not all food is created equal!

As a general rule, when there is a variation in the taxes on foods, we are going to pay the price mainly on foods that the health authorities would like us to eat less of. You’ll want to check out the rules for your particular jurisdiction, but the common targets are foods that are high in fat or have added sugar and salt.

Although these taxes are controversial, being aware of and dodging these added taxes can be a win-win situation for you. By eschewing taxable items and sticking to the ones that are tax-free, not only will you avoid paying extra in the form of taxes, but you will also develop better eating habits.

Unless, of course, you are buying non-taxable baking ingredients and filling yourself up with homemade treats instead!

What can I do to become more aware of how my groceries are or are not being taxed?

1. Reading this blog post is a good start. Congratulations!

Just being aware that there is a difference in the ways various items are taxed is a huge start.

2. Start paying attention to your grocery bill.

If you’re lucky, taxed items might be marked as such. Otherwise, you’ll have to make your best guess on what’s being taxed and then do some math to check your assumptions. Knowing that non-food items and snack foods are common targets for taxes can help you out.

3. Do some research.

Get to know how things work in your jurisdiction. So much is online these days. A simple Google search of “sales tax in Florida” (or Bangalore or BC or wherever you live) should be all it takes to get you started.

Tip: Try to read a document published by the government. Although the actual legislation might be hard to decipher, you can also often find a more simplified overview. While blogs like Purchasing Power can help increase your awareness, they may not be up-to-date and even when written with the best of intentions can contain misinformation. Always go to the source!

And make sure to check the taxation rules at various levels. In the United States, for example, sales taxes on groceries vary widely from state to state and even from county to county, from no tax at all to nine percent. (And you might save on other products, too! Some non-grocery items that are also exempt from sales tax in Florida include Bibles, hymn books, most common over-the-counter medications, and the Florida state flag.)

This year, Kansas is beginning a reduction of its state sales tax on groceries over two years to 0%. It will cover most foods bought in the grocery store, including soft drinks and candy, which are often taxed in other jurisdictions. However, this does not affect local tax, so residents might still be taxed on groceries, unless the counties follow the state’s lead.

It just goes to show how important it is to understand what’s happening at different levels of government and what tax breaks you might be entitled to.

The post How Understanding Your Local Sales Tax Can Help You Save on Groceries first appeared on Purchasing Power.

The same holds true for when you’re shopping. There can be a temptation to buy the larger size or that extra item that’s on sale – if it fits in the cart.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It can be good to stock up, especially if it means saving money in the long run.

But if you’re on a pretty tight weekly or monthly budget, those few extra things can mean the difference between coming in comfortably under budget and struggling to make ends meet – or worse, spending more than you earn.

And if that extra space is going not to the larger bottle of olive oil and the bigger bag of lentils but to the club size box of cookies or the special-treat wedge of imported cheese (guilty!) or the local, organic, handmade biscuits that just caught your eye on the display at the end of the aisle, then you might be overspending without even noticing.

Sometimes limiting our spending can be as simple as adjusting our capacity to bring things home.

Here are three simple suggestions that you can easily implement to create physical limits on your grocery store spending:

1. Use a basket

A week’s worth of groceries for a single person can fit comfortably in the average shopping basket (the one you carry on your arm or in your hand, not the rolling kind, which are larger). If you find you haven’t reached the end of your shop and your basket is overflowing, assess what items you can leave behind. I guarantee you you’ve picked up things you don’t really need.

Now, obviously, this method won’t work if you’re picking up toilet paper or a watermelon, and it might not be appropriate for your particular situation, but with a little imagination, you might be able to adjust the idea accordingly.

2. Bring a limited number of bags and stick to them

One way to adjust the previous method to a larger amount (or even a smaller one) would be to create an artificial, self-determined capacity. But you have to be strong and not use the additional bags available to you at the store. In Canada, they’re making this easier for us by outlawing the free, single-use plastic bags we once used with reckless abandon.

It can be a good method for those emergency trips to the store. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve stopped by the store on the way home from work to pick up something I really need – just one thing. Oh, but then I see avocadoes are on sale and I remember that we’re running low on tonic water (which is always a better deal if you buy two six-packs). And before you know it, I’m on my way to filling the basket.

But then I look at my backpack, which already has in it my laptop and my sweater and my lunch container and my book for the subway. So back go the 12 cans of tonic water – but maybe I can squeeze in the avocadoes. And I put the tonic water on my running shopping list on my phone so I can buy it during my regularly scheduled trip to the grocery store, where I can keep better track of it.

3. Walk to the store

I once lived in Wichita, Kansas, which is a city built for people who drive everywhere. The closest grocery store was a 30-minute walk away (there were actually two in different directions exactly the same distance from my house), but I didn’t have a car.

Let me tell you, nothing will cure you of overspending faster than having to walk a mile and a half in the Kansas summer heat with too many groceries.

When you have to carry your groceries, it really does give you a better understanding of how much you are buying than if you are wheeling your cart to the car and only carrying your items from the trunk to the pantry.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking you are limited to flimsy shopping bags. Nowadays, I usually alternate between an ordinary backpack and a slightly larger hiking backpack depending on how many groceries I need. On the other hand, when I was in Wichita, I went through a period of only shopping every other Saturday, and for that I used my massive 65-litre backpack. It was a surprisingly accurate capacity both for my regular biweekly food needs and for my ability to carry it, full, for a mile and a half fairly comfortably.

It might be helpful to point out that I am above average height, of medium build, and not particularly athletic. So if I can do it, so can most people, though, obviously, you know your ability best.

…or take the smaller car

One adjustment you can make to use this idea while shopping for a family is to use the smaller car. Many families have more than one car, and it makes sense to take the larger one – probably an SUV – to help with the grocery shopping. But try taking the smaller one instead and see if that helps you cut back on unnecessary spending.

You might forget the first couple of times, but you’ll quickly adjust mentally and adapt. Adapting is something we humans do well.

The post A Basket Case: Spend Less By Reducing Your Carrying Capacity first appeared on Purchasing Power.

LEARN TO PAY ATTENTION

Have you ever been out somewhere with a friend or family member and they suddenly want to pick up something they haven’t planned on buying because it’s a better price than the place that they normally shop?

I notice it most when I’m out with someone in their car and they see the price of gas in a different part of town or a different city or a different state. I always have to shrug my shoulders when people discuss the price of gas. I don’t drive, so I never have a clue. But every driver seems to possess a heightened awareness of the price of gas.

It can be the same with groceries.

Your friend/family member who notices the price of produce probably isn’t spending time memorizing numbers like a high school student the night before a history test. It’s just that they’re paying attention – and so should you.

It really doesn’t take any special skills. Anyone can do it.

And when you pay attention, you save money in two ways:

1. In the short term, you will have a better ability to discern among the sometimes overwhelming number of choices in the store.

2. In the longer term, you will unconsciously build up a repository of knowledge which will allow you to recognize a good deal when you see it.

Here are some tips on how you can build your awareness:

1. Shop alone

This tip may sound tedious, but believe me, it makes a huge difference. It’s hard to focus on more than one thing at a time. Either you’re going to be chatting to the person you’re with (or corralling your kids) or you’re going to be paying attention to your shopping.

Odds are, you are going to be paying more attention to your conversation than to your shopping, which means that you are not going to be absorbing the more detailed information related to your purchases. And you will probably pay more for them. (And you might just end up with suboptimal produce as well).

And whatever you might say in your job interviews, you are not a good multi-tasker. No one is. Multi-tasking is a myth.

2. Avoid unnecessary distractions

The reasons for this are the same as #1 but include things like listening to podcasts, talking on the phone, texting, checking your email, and whatever else it is that people do on their phones when they should be living their lives. I’m sure there are people who stream videos while shopping, but I can’t say I’ve actually ever seen that.

3. Start with the items you buy most often and the most expensive ones

I imagine there are people out there who are able to keep a broad range of pricing information in their heads. They’re just naturals.

I’m not like that at all. Numbers are not my strong suit. Even when it comes to history, which I love, I could never keep all those dates straight.

But you’ll probably find that there are a few numbers that will stick in your head – maybe not exactly to the cent but enough to know when you’re being presented with a good deal – or a bad one! These are the more expensive items on your list and also the items you buy most often (and there may be some overlap).

You’ll notice the common items just by virtue of constant repetition, and the more expensive items stick in your head because they hurt the most and they’re the ones you tend to ponder before you buy.

And you’re in luck! These are the two categories where you will probably save the most.

For items that you buy most often, even if the saving is relatively small per purchase, it’s one that adds up over time. And for the more expensive items, you’re probably only going to be swayed if the sale price is a significant percentage lower than normal.

In other words, you might buy the milk that’s $1 cheaper and so save $50 over the year, but $1 off prime rib isn’t going to get your very far. However, if you are into prime rib, then you’re going to notice when it’s being offered for a good price (which is not necessarily when the sign tells you so), and you’ll be able to take advantage.

4. Use your powers of perception to branch out

When you make a habit of look around more, you might start to notice that there is a whole range of produce you’ve never bothered to try before. Are you so convinced that Honeycrisp apples really are the best? Why not try those apples that are half the price?

For me personally, it involved the discovery of Brussels sprouts and rutabagas when I was in England (where they call them swedes) and learning how to cook collard greens when I was in Kansas. By the way, the Internet – and YouTube in particular – is a treasure trove of recipes and cooking lore.

You will probably also become more attuned to the annual cycle of produce pricing. Knowing when various fruits and vegetables come into season will help you prepare your shopping list better because you will plan menus appropriate to the season.

Have you ever noticed that nobody serves cranberry sauce at a summer barbecue or strawberry shortcake at Christmas? There’s a reason for that.

5. Make a habit of checking your receipt

I’m not sure when cashiers stopped handing out receipts as a matter of course. Probably around the same time they stopped telling us the total bill before shoving a card reader at us.

And I get it. Most people don’t want receipts, so the people serving us in cafes and restaurants and stores have got used to not giving them to us. (I think this can contribute to overspending, but that is a subject for another post!)

How does checking your grocery receipt help you develop your awareness? And awareness of what?

There are three major reasons to look at a grocery receipt – but maybe you can think of others.

1. You can double check that you have been charged the right price for an item.

Sometimes sale items don’t ring up properly (often because the sale signage has been left up too long) or you have been charged for a different variety of produce (funny how it’s always the premium variety).

When I am being checked out by a real person (rather than using the self-checkout), I find it very hard to keep track of what they are doing at the same time that I am unloading my groceries. Plus, they sometimes have the screen facing towards themselves rather than the customer. And I often feel rushed to pay the amount I’m asked for and make room for the next person.

It’s good to take a moment before leaving the store to check that you haven’t overpaid (or underpaid – for the conscientious among us).

2. Checking your receipt will give you a sense of how much produce you’re really buying.

How often do you weigh your produce? Do you really fill your bag with sweet potatoes or apples or tomatillos and walk all the way over to the other end of the produce section to the lone scale, which is never at zero and is always read to tip your produce out onto the floor from a great height? And after making a rough estimate of the weight, do you really remember the price and calculate how much you are going to pay?

No, I don’t do it either. I mean, sometimes I do. I’ll do it if I’m making a recipe that requires a certain amount. After all, I don’t want to get home and find out I haven’t bought enough. Or I’ll do it if it’s something expensive like cherries or asparagus just so I’m not shocked when the total comes through.

But I’m particularly bad at judging things like space or distance – or the weight of a bunch of bananas.

The receipt helps confirm for me how much I’ve actually purchased. It also helps me develop a sense of how much things weigh. (Actually, I’m still pretty bad at that, but maybe you’ll do better.)

3. You will become more aware of what items you are paying taxes on, and this in turn might influence the way you shop, if you are looking to avoid spending unnecessarily (and who isn’t?).

This bit of information is more useful in Canada and the US where taxes are added at checkout rather than included in the shelf price. In other parts of the world, where taxes are included in the price, you might still want to be aware of how the government profits from your buying and eating habits, but that awareness probably won’t help much in terms of your grocery bill.

6. Shadow someone who is good at grocery shopping

It might be your mom or your grandma. It might be your next-door neighbour. But you probably do know someone who is good at grocery shopping (or at least better than you).

See if you can go on a shopping trip with them. It might be as simple as accompanying your mom to the store when you are visiting. Or you might be bold and declare your intention to learn from them.

I’ll admit I’ve never deliberately gone to the grocery store to learn from a shopping master. But I have learned many tips from shopping with different people.

What you discover is that people have different ways of shopping, different priorities, and different sources of knowledge. And most people are happy to share their expertise if you ask them. Who doesn’t like to feel smart and useful?

I do realize that this tip seems to negate tip #1. The main thing is to stay focused.

But beware of noticing TOO much

There is one warning to all this, however.

Do you know why grocery stores (actually, most stores) play music? Or why they periodically rearrange their layout?

It’s because they want you to hang out in the store longer and look around more. And the more you hang out, the more likely you are to add items to your cart that you never intended to buy. (Actually, according to studies, the effect of music is not so straightforward and might have more effect on different days of the week or might encourage customers to buy certain products.)

So notice the things around you, but notice yourself as well. Be aware of what you are buying and why you are buying it. And don’t get caught in the trap they set for you. Be smarter than them.

Don’t delay, start today

I strongly encourage you to go out there and start honing your powers of perception. It is the #1 rule for saving money on groceries and encompasses every tip you’ll ever find, from coupon clipping to buying seasonal produce. Perhaps you’ll even discover patterns that you can share with others – I hope you’ll share them with me!

The post Rule #1 for Saving Money on Groceries first appeared on Purchasing Power.

In this blog, you will find tips and basic principles on how to make your money go further in your everyday shopping. Although I will focus mainly on grocery shopping, I will touch on other topics, too, as well as offering the occasional anecdote for flavour and real-life context or a reflection on the bigger picture.

Who is Purchasing Power for?

Purchasing Power is for anyone who wants to find or share tips on how to save money by the way we shop. Whether you are having trouble making ends meet or you want to have a few extra dollars in your account at the end of the month, we can all benefit from shopping smarter. After all, it’s the rare person who has enough money to buy whatever they want whenever they want without second thought.

It’s also for anyone who is concerned about much more than just the bottom line, for anyone who is interested in where their money goes and about making the most of their money rather than just paying as little as possible.

Why “Purchasing Power”?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, purchasing power is “the capacity of a monetary unit, sum of money, etc., to buy goods and services; the financial ability of an individual or group to make purchases.” It’s a fairly familiar term and concept.

There has been a lot of noise in the media lately about inflation, rising costs, and the inability of wages to keep pace. All of this negative rhetoric serves to fuel people’s anxieties about the constantly rising cost of living. It’s not just our expenses that cause us stress but also the feeling that it is all beyond our control.

I want to help us alter that narrative. There is nothing I can do to improve the state of the dollar, the pound, or the euro. But there are things I can do in my own life that ensure that I am living comfortably with the money I have. And if I can do it, you can, too.

It involves developing skills, knowledge, awareness, and self-control – all things that are within the grasp of every single person. We may not be in control of prices, but we do have some control over where we spend our money and how much we pay.

The purpose of this blog is not just to save you money, though I hope it does that. My greater mission is to help us change the way we think about how we spend. I want you to understand that you really do have a lot of control over what your money will buy.

That’s real purchasing power.

Think about it this way: You may not have control over how much of a particular product (say, a pint of milk) your unit of currency can purchase. That’s the traditional way of thinking about purchasing power. However, you do have control over how many meals your money can buy and who gets your hard-earned money in exchange for the products you buy. That’s my idea of purchasing power.

And I believe, too, that when we are more aware and more intentional about what we do with our money, that has the potential to transform our society. Can we turn our capitalist, profit-hungry society into one that prioritizes people, communities, and the environment simply by the way we spend? I believe that is certainly one important part of the solution.

That’s real purchasing power. And the power is in your hands.

Who am I?

I’m Kristina Glicksman, a writer and editor living in Toronto, Canada. I came up with the idea to start the Purchasing Power blog when I was out of work and looking for a project to keep me busy and writing while I looked for a job.

Like most people, my life has been a series of ups and downs and plateaus. I spent quite a while as a graduate student, have experienced more unemployment than I had ever expected, and none of my jobs has been particularly high paying. But I have managed to live fairly comfortably on a sometimes low, sometimes moderate, often precarious income, and along the way I’ve learned a lot about how to make that possible. I’ve also noticed that many people struggle to survive on a much higher income

As I read in the news and hear anecdotally more and more about people’s inability to cope with the rising cost of groceries, I thought I could do my best to share what I’ve learned over the years in the way that comes most naturally to me – through my writing. I’m not one of these enviable people who have retired in their 30s, so I have no reason to be smug, but I hope you find some useful tips in the information I have to share.

Become part of the solution

Whether you’re a student, a senior, a new parent or an experienced one, a single professional, a freelancer, a stay-at-home mom/dad, a caretaker – basically if you exist in the world and you shop, you have wisdom that you’ve heard from others or come to understand from your own experience. Please share it with others! You can add your own tips in the comments section at the bottom of articles. There are only two rules: be respectful of others and do not suggest tips that are illegal, immoral, or unethical. You can also contact me directly with any suggestions for future posts.

The post Introducing Purchasing Power first appeared on Purchasing Power.