Illustration by Kat Frick Miller
Since they got married three years ago, Chrisanna Yan and her husband, Frank-Anthony, have made a sport out of grocery shopping.
In a spreadsheet on Yan’s computer, the couple track what they need to buy and plan their meals on a daily basis.
“When I was single, my food diary was a way to track what I ate, but since we got married, we’ve been using it to track our spending on groceries, and save a couple of bucks on our shopping,” said Yan, who says that the couple’s daily average is about $7 to $8 in groceries a person.
The 34-year-old goes as far as to describe the process of tracking the grams of fish, rice and vegetables that went into a night’s congee dinner as “fun.” After all, focusing on the bottom-line and tracking expenses comes second nature to Yan, an accountant for Loblaw Co. Ltd., one of Canada’s largest retailers and grocery chains.
The couple often track flyers, buy produce when it’s 50-per-cent off and wait to find chicken breast that is $1.99 a pound before buying. They also buy in bulk, and have converted the den in their 700-square-foot condominium into a pantry for potatoes, rice and flour that they buy when it’s on sale.
But all this discipline is not without reward. The added benefit of planning their meals in advance is that it also saves them time and energy in their busy lives, Yan said. The couple also enjoys travelling often, and the money saved on groceries helps fund numerous vacations every year.
“We don’t track what we eat – or spend – when we’re on vacation. That’s our time off,” she said.
Here is how Yan shops for groceries.
How I save: I save by shopping in the sale aisle, and by being open to what I buy. If it’s on-sale, I grab it, in bulk. I also limit eating out to only three times a month.
How I splurge: My husband and I travel once a month, and when we do, we try not to limit ourselves, especially when it comes to food. We go to this one buffet in Las Vegas that costs about $250 for the two of us, but it’s worth it.
The hardest shopping habit to keep up: Staying healthy is always tough. My husband and I are both in our early 30s, so it can be difficult to limit ourselves to only eating out a few times a month, since that’s what our friends usually want to do. But we really stick to our plan.
How I’ve changed my eating habits recently: My husband was told his cholesterol levels are high about six months ago. Since then, we’ve started cooking with less salt, oil and less red meat. Over the summer, we’ve even brought our own vegan burgers to barbecues with friends and family. He’s felt a change already.
Five items always in my cart:
- Jasmine rice – Rooster brand – $12.99: This is probably the item that I get the biggest bang for my buck with. My family is from Hong Kong, so I grew up eating congee, which I now make with a nice steamed fish or chicken. A big bag of rice goes a long way.
- Organic Blueberry Bliss cereal – Kashi – $4.99: This cereal tastes like a treat to me. It satisfies my sweet tooth, but it’s got oat flakes, and it’s high in fibre and protein.
- Sriracha hot sauce – Huy Fong Foods – $4.99: My favourite hot sauce. Me and my husband put this on pretty much everything. There was a shortage at one point, but now it’s pretty easy to find again.
- Walnuts – $9.99: I toss some walnuts on my oatmeal, which I eat pretty much every morning. Walnuts are full of healthy fats, and give me some protein as well.
- Fresh basil – $0.67: Our condo has a large planter where I pick basil from in the summer. My husband is Italian, so when we make pasta or sauces, basil just elevates those dishes. It also fits in with a lot of Thai dishes.
This interview has been edited and condensed.