Week one, Bluebirds on the ground. Laurie in Canada.
This is our first Bluebirds on the ground report. We are going to work our way around the globe with reports on the cost of living and how life has changed... how people are adapting/managing and what they re doing to get ahead or stay ahead and it that is possible. Each one will be someone I know and trust that I have become friends with through the blog. Since we can't rely on the news we will make our own!
Today we have Laurie in Alberta, Canada.
First of all some background. Laurie has been a good budgeter and stretcher of resources as she was a single Mum and made many sacrifices to make ends meet. However the price of food has hit her hard.
We will start with Christmas. This year Laurie could not afford turkey so she and her son had roast chicken. The outdoor temperature at the time of writing is -42 to -50 Degrees C. I can't even imagine this! Laurie was telling me of many road accidents because of very hazardous conditions. A big help to her is her heating is subsidised. She tells me if not for that she would be living in her car. People around her are struggling to pay their rents and mortgages as they are so high. Rents increased almost 40% in one year.
Laurie got through Christmas without needing to buy baking supplies except for Cream of Tartar which was $8.50 for 60g! Thanks to Laurie's pantry this was all she really had to get.
Where Laurie lives there are a lot of seniors. Seniors pensions have not gone up but grocery prices have astronomically! Also she notes that Tylenol for children has not been on the shelves for months. (Note I am hearing this from other countries as well.)
Turkey had gone from about $20 to $25 to this year around $50 so this is why Laurie skipped it. A pound of butter is $6.50 and eggs are around $5.
The hospitals in Laurie's city are overflowing. Hospitals send home children that should be in care because they are so short on nurses. Laurie daughter works in the pharmaceutical business and says all across the country they are so short go nurses and they are performing surgeries with less than ideal numbers attending. This is very concerning...
Laurie says she filled up with gas and basic gas was available but premium and others were not. She doesn't shop much but if she does she checks for meat mark downs. Because they are seldom she has been eating from her freezer.
Because Laurie is now debt free she knows she is surviving better than many. Even so she has given up TV as that isn't affordable for her.
The housing crisis due to both high rents and unavailability is very hard on people. So much of what Laurie told me is very similar to here. (Except the temperatures!)
I knew Laurie did not have it easy yet she has never complained. Only with me asking could she please share how things are in her city and country did I learn much of this. It is very generous of her and humbling that she would share her reality and that of those around her. It is so easy to be used to what is normal for us and have no idea what is normal for others!
There are many similarities between us and Canada and Australia are both members of the Commonwealth and that gives us even more in common although so far apart geographically!
Some points I picked up were Laurie is doing better because she had a really well stocked freezer and pantry. She also had paid off her mortgage. So imagine how people manager with either of these to count in the budget. Now I hope and pray Laurie has opportunities to re stock as she is working through her stores.
Laurie has candle making and card making supplies which she hopes to use this year to help with gifts. She sews heat packs and is pretty crafty! These things are a big help!
Thank you so much for your help Laurie and generosity to share with us. Also being brave enough to go first! I really appreciate it!
As we work our way around the world week by week I guess I should put in place a few rules. All of my regular commenters are just beautiful but now and then I will get a mean or crazy comment which I delete as this is meant to be a place of encouragement. If you fall into the mean or crazy category I do not allow attacks on my friends, please be respectful as a persons personal experience is THEIR experience and cannot be argued about and to do this we are going to have to try to be non political. We will have to stick to facts and what we see with our own eyes and what we can do about it but leave the why this is happening alone. Believe me I have opinions on that lol but I just want to focus on the positives of what we can do and how we can help each other.
See you on Friday with, I hope, lots of nest building to report.xxx
Thank you Laurie and Annabel from Geraldton Western Australia. We really are connected right across this big world and having just succumbed to C for the first time, I am really thankful for my full pantry and healthy stockpile. Plus all your tips of things to have on hand Annabel have been wonderful when you live in the country.
ReplyDeleteThank you Laurie for sharing your experiences. Like Annabel I cannot even begin to understand what it would be like to live with those cold temperatures. I so hope that you will find some good mark downs for you to be able to build up your stores.
ReplyDeleteThank you Laurie. So tough for so many these days. Sending blessings across the seas. Can’t imagine that sort of cold. We are so very fortunate to live in such a mild climate here on the east coast of Australia.
ReplyDelete🙋🏼♀️🇦🇺
Thank you Annabel for sharing Laura's story with us on how she lives in Canada and thank you Laura for sharing your life with us.
ReplyDeleteThat is lovely that Laura has worked so hard to pay off her mortgage and have a wonderfully full pantry and freezer. I do hope that Laura can top up her supplies at reasonable prices again soon.
I will say that it was good to see the photos of the prices of the meat and vegetables that you pay there as they are very similar to our own prices we are paying in my regional area in Australia.
Laura I was wondering if you could make use of your wonderful skills to sell some of your lovely cards and wheat bags that you make to bring some extra income into the home ?. I also was a single mother and bought up 2 sons due to a marriage breakdown. During that time I did some sewing and made table runners, curtains and all sorts of things and sold them to bring in extra income too and found the extra money came in very handy.
Not sure if you do have any area to grow vegetables in your home Laura but that is another way you could save a lot on your grocery bill with vegetable prices being so high. Even growing some veg in pots or having a small vertical garden it is amazing how much produce you can grow for your family. Of course you will have to wait until the weather warms up.
Laura wishing you the best and like to tell you I am cheering you on all the way from Australia.
Lorna.
Thank you Annabel for sharing from around the world. It is interesting, scary, and insightful to hear what people are experiencing in all corners of the globe. Thankfully we haven’t been hit terribly hard by anything other than egg prices thus far.
ReplyDeleteHowever I do also keep a plentiful supply in the freezer & pantry that I also try to restock as frequently as possible when I see good deals. We’ve been blessed in the ability to find a good amount of fresh meat discounts in our normal grocery store.
Very interesting. I, too, am from Canada, a mother of 10 and a keeper of the home. I build up the pantry with the veggie garden and canning, preserving, etc. We raise our own meat and try to live frugally. Times are definitely changed and certainly hard. You are so right - the gov't is not encouraging or helping out anyone, except to "hand out" help that only hurts people more (money for not working - long story there, but there are jobs, if only people would get outside and apply for them!). Hard work and smart, wisdom-filled vision for the future is key. Always be prepared! God is in control, but we are still to work hard and be diligent. Thank you SOOOO much for your blog. I adore it.
ReplyDeleteGigi - PEI, Canada
Thank you Laurie for sharing your insight into what is happening in Canada. I can only imagine the cost of heating. We have the opposite problem here where it gets really hot and we need air conditioning and that can cost a lot. So we try and ration it. I love that you are craft Laurie and these gifts will be wonderful I love receiving things like this, it makes me really happy. I too need to keep building my stores. Thank you for this wonderful series, Annabel. It is really thought provoking and encouraging. Lots of love Lily
ReplyDeleteAnnabelle this is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteIt is going to be very informative.
I enjoy your blog and never miss a post. Thank you for undertaking
this endeavor.
The holiday season was the perfect time to stock up on ham and turkeys. I paid six dollars for a thirteen pound turkey.
Two days after Christmas,they went up to twenty seven dollars!
Thank you so much, Annabel, for this brilliant way to connect us around the globe and help us to encourage, support and understand what current life is like in other places!!
ReplyDeleteAnd, Laurie, you are amazing!! To have your mortgage paid off is stellar and has to help you to get through this inflation! Winter temps in my part of the Midwest US are also frigid (but this week have swung back to Spring-like warmth!) The prices on everything in the grocer’s have sky-rocketed and having a well-stocked pantry like you do is a blessing that sadly, many do not have! You are a great example of self-reliance in a time that is increasingly trying! Thank you so much for your insight and inspiration!!
Gardenpat in Ohio
Thank you both for sharing this. It is really interesting to hear how other folk are coping around the world in these difficult times.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laurie, for sharing with us your experiences in Canada. Prices seem extremely high on meat. Thank you for the pictures, also.
ReplyDeleteMany blessings to you,
Glenda
Thanks to Laura for sharing a glimpse into her world. I was just stunned by the photos and prices! Oh my goodness, $50 for a turkey? Here in Arizona in the US, prices have increased greatly but I can’t remember seeing anything so high. Then again, I have gotten in the habit of just buying on sale for my freezer and pantry, so I don’t know the “usual” price. Laura, I wish for good sales this upcoming year so you can restock! Your skills and preparedness have given you many more options than if you had to just buy each week at the store. Hilogene in Az.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Laurie. It's great to get a picture of what's happening elsewhere. And the ideas for stretching every last bit of it! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you Annabel for your idea and thank you Laurie for the information. I had no idea it was so hard in Canada, too, and the prices so high.
ReplyDeleteYou are very brave, being a single mother in this crazy hard times must be scary sometimes but you are doing so well and brave!!! My mother raised me all by herself and she did a great job, because she taught me between all the hard days we had, how to get through them and your son will learn a lot about living life on the good side.
Being prepared like Laurie, looking to each day with prudence and faith, makes life a bit easier to live. I am sure there were a lot of sacrifices but a good stock in the pantry, bills or mortgage paid off, medicine on hand when needed it is very important. Wishing you good health for the New Year and strength to smile. Laura_s_world from Romania
Thank you so much Laura for sharing this information and prayers for you and your family. I live in the deep southern portion of the United States. Early in 2021 my husband and I started to store extra food, garden and prepare for the upcoming difficult times. We are not seeing shortages in our grocery stores ( yet ) but are seeing increasing in prices in food and toiletries. I appreciate all that I am learning from so many woman that are living frugally, learning new skills and preparing for the difficult times.
ReplyDeleteMost of those prices seem similar to here in the UK, except the cream of tartar, that is one seriously shocking price.
ReplyDeleteThank you Laurie and Annabel! I love that we can get encouragement and support each other. Laurie you are amazing and thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Vicky
Thank you so much for sharing.....Nancy
ReplyDeleteLaurie and Annabel, thank you so much for sharing. I was astonished by Laurie's food prices. We've had a lot of increases here in central WI, but nothing like those prices in her pictures. Laurie, I so admire your wisdom to stock up, be debt free, and use your creativity in your homemaking! I wish you all the best in 2023 and hope you can hit some good stocking up sales.
ReplyDeleteOh, I am going to love this series. Thank you so much for showing us how it is in other parts of the world these days.
ReplyDeleteDear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks to you and to Laura for sharing what is happening in her part of Canada and for the pictures. Blessings, Cookie
I appreciate your "on the ground reporting" and found it very interesting. It is good to see what is going on around us. andrea
ReplyDeleteWow this is so similar to us here in NZ with the meat prices. I am just blown away at the price of the cream of tartar however.
ReplyDeleteHere we have a high cost of living and low wages compared to many parts of the world. There are many families struggling. Floating mortgage interest rates are now at 8% up from 2.99% a year ago. This is hitting people hard, especially those who have brought a house in the past year and high prices.
Thank you Laurie for sharing your experience.
It's been a while since I commented but I am always reading along and love the Tuesday group.
Mandy(NZ)
Thank you Laurie for sharing your experience. Meat, eggs and butter are very expensive in Australia too. Recently I’ve reintroduced vegetarian meals to help address the budget a little, and I’ve also been thinking about researching recipes that do not need/or use only small amounts of eggs or butter to help with this.
ReplyDeleteCheryl, my daughter was vegan for several years before she went back to being vegetarian. She told me the other day she's pulling out her old vegan recipes so she doesn't need to use eggs or butter as often. She has quite a few recipes from the internet. She's using eggs or butter less often -- more as an occasional treat.
Delete~margaret
I have been subbing eggs with applesauce for most of my baking. No one has noticed.
DeleteThank you, Laurie and Annabel. Laurie has done an amazing job as a single mom (I was one myself and know). Working to become debt free, having a budget that you keep, is essential. I'm thankful to live in a more temperate climate, however. Those prices are nuts, though. Wow.
ReplyDeleteGosh, what a great idea to be doing this report around the world! The prices are sobering! I'm in the US, I still find bargains, sales. We have certainly cut back on meat, but I look for deals on beef, chicken, pork. On some items, the price has shot up so high, I just won't buy it. For instance, say a vegetable I had on list is really expensive, I forgo that veggie and buy a different, less expensive one. Keep up the good work, ladies.
ReplyDeleteI am catching up on your blog as I haven't had a chance to visit in a while. Very excited about your new series. I enjoy learning what it's like in other areas. Looking forward to more of these posts! I love that Laurie improvised when the traditional offering was too pricey. Over the past couple of years, I chose food gifts for my parents and in-laws. Last year I got them a spiral sliced ham; this year, it was fresh baked goods from local bakeries I found on Facebook. I felt like it was a practical gift that they could really enjoy and use.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! Thank you Annabel and Laurie!
ReplyDeleteI’m so grateful Laurie was able to pay off her mortgage before things got so expensive.
Praying you can continuously restock your cupboards and stay ahead of these times.
Much love. Patti in California
Hello Annabel and Laurie
ReplyDeleteLoved your story. Living in the hot tropics of Far Northern Australia, I can only imagine how cold it must be in Canada.
Laurie you are very wise to have paid off your mortgage as quickly as possible. I remember that as a young married couple with a young family we went without many things to pay our home off. To be mortgage free is the best thing one can do.
Fortunately for us living in the tropics we don't need to pay for heating and warm clothing which can be costly.
We live in a very old Queenslander and do not have aircon or swimming pool so our power bill is low.
Opening doors and windows and letting the cool breezes in is all we need. We have lovely trees to keep us cool on the garden. We try to grow our own vegetables.
Love Patty of Cairns xxxx
Thank you Laurie and Annabel, this was so interesting to read. What an amazing achievement to have paid off your mortgage Laurie, congratulations! And it is wonderful that you have a good pantry to rely on. I hope you are able to find lots of deals this year to help restock it. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJen (NZ)
What a Brilliant idea to host other Bluebirds around the world. The meat prices shown are painful to see. I’m on the West Coast in the States. Today I was able to buy Tri Tip Steak for $3.99. A very good buy. I can always glean something here or get encouragement to try something new. My Motto for 2023 is to be a producer, not a consumer.
ReplyDeleteThank you Laurie and Annabel, it is so interesting to read about what is happening in Canada and makes me feel that we are all in this together, details may be different around the world but the direction of travel is the same, more expense, shortages etc. It is inspiring to know how other people deal with things, it's no good just wailing we need to tackle it and Laurie's substitution for expensive turkey is one example. Good luck to you Laurie.
ReplyDeleteThank you Laurie for sharing and Annabel for bringing us this series. I look forward to seeing what everyone from around the world will say!
ReplyDeleteEverything here in New Zealand has jumped in price, but I am grateful for freezers, summer vegetable garden, and knowledge of where the cheapest bargains are to be had! This year we have chosen to "staycation" - camping at home, to save the normal camping fees. It's good to use our own home as a holiday house, and explore our local attractions...
Rebecca in NZ
I know I'm late, but thank you so much for sharing...Laurie. I gleaned so much! the photos were helpful & startling. Annabel, I appreciate your efforts in revealing the truth about the world crisis'. All the info. shared will help us be shrewd as serpents and to be more diligent in our work. The Lord bless you!
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI’m also from Canada. Thanks for being the first poster Laurie.
Do you find the prices higher at Safeway and Sobeys ( the two stores you have food labels shown?)
I know that beef brisket was advertised at $3.99 before Christmas but you had to purchase a whole one at about $50-60. I usually purchase when they are this price , then trim them and freeze.
I’m wondering if you have a Loblaws/ Real Canadian Superstore or No Frills in your area?
I use the Flashfood app, which has now spread to parts of the US. Not sure if it’s in Australia yet but I would check.
This app posts throughout the day stores in my city they are Superstore/ No Frills (starting in your area and then across your city) that are posting their reduced meat, produce, dairy, deli, fish, some dry goods.
The meat is always 50% off. They post the package with the lowest weight at 50% off, most of the time the reduced packages I receive are larger.
The produce boxes are great. The store I use the app for has so much fruit and vegetables for $5.00 a box, yesterday I received a 6 lb bag of gala apples, two navel oranges and a huge papaya. I needed apples so I purchased this one. 6lbs of galas bagged runs about $8.00 regularly and more if loose.
They also sell their private brand “ misfits/ imperfects” not bruised just maybe odd shaped fruit and vegetables.
You are right butter is $5.99 lb now. Shoppers Drug Mart sent me a coupon for two at $3.99 each. I remember when they were this regular and I waited for a sale.
All the best Laurie in Edmonton. Great you paid off your mortgage. Do you think you will stay in your home when you retire or sell and use the $$ for retirement?
Here you can move into a 55+ ( low rental) with house proceeds if your income is below certain levels.
Thanks Annabelle for this series. I really enjoy your blog.