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I have shared our massive, once-every-three-months Costco hauls for the last couple of years. However, I am frequently asked what our weekly shopping trips look like!
Even with a massive homegrown pantry, we still go to the grocery store every single week to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables. Today, I am taking you through our complete large family grocery haul. I am breaking down exactly what we buy to feed the nine people living in our house, plus sharing the exact Canadian prices we pay at the till.
Because I cannot physically plant anything outside yet, I use this time to evaluate what worked last year and what failed. Follow along with me as I share three massive lessons I am applying to my spring garden planning this year.
How We Balance Bulk vs. Weekly Shopping
Before we look at the groceries, it is important to know how our homestead food system works. We raise almost all of our own meat. We raise root vegetables, have a dairy cow for milk, and keep a flock of laying hens. I also buy a ton of fruit in bulk during the summer to can and freeze.
Because we rely so heavily on our homegrown food and bulk Costco trips, our weekly grocery runs are very specific. We mostly buy fresh produce, specialty dairy, and whatever bulk items we missed.
Also, a fun fact about our household: I do not do the weekly grocery shopping! I avoid grocery shopping like the plague. Dan tackles the store, and I do the cooking. It is a perfect system!
Bulk Pantry Fill-Ins (Wholesale Club)
After our last Costco run, we still needed a few bulk staples. Dan grabbed these items at the Wholesale Club. Here is what we stock up on to last us for the next six months:
- Hellmann’s Mayonnaise: $27.50 each (We bought 3 large tubs to store in the cold room)
- Ketchup (Restaurant Tins): $11.79 each (We bought 4 to refill our squeeze bottles)
- Elbow Macaroni (9kg box): $28.00
- Nature’s Path Organic Cereal: $10.50 a bag (These went up $2 a bag!)
- Pickling Vinegar: $5.00 a case (I use this almost exclusively for cleaning)
- Zevia Soda: $8.00 a case
- Soy Sauce: $7.50 a bottle
- Organic Extra Firm Tofu: $3.00 to $8.00 a package (For making Glory Bowls!)
- Ranch Dressings: $6.00 each
Fresh Produce & Dairy (Save-On-Foods)
The bulk of our weekly large family grocery haul is fresh produce from Save-On-Foods. We try to buy organic when the prices are reasonable, but we opt for conventional when the organic markup is just too extreme.
Here is what we bought for fresh snacking and meal prep this week:
Fresh Fruits & Veggies:
- Cucumbers: $7.00 for 3
- Avocados: $7.00
- Apples (Pink Lady & Cosmic Crisp): $10.00 a bag
- Navel Oranges: $9.00 a box (Thanks to a $6.00 club card savings!)
- Earthbound Farm Organic Romaine Hearts: $9.00 for 2 packs
- Organic Spring Mix & Power Greens: $8.00 a box
- Lemons: $6.00 a bag
- Bananas: $0.89/lb
- Kale: $3.50 a bundle
Dairy & Breads:
- Havarti Cheese: $18.79 (We usually buy this at Costco, and it is definitely cheaper there!)
- Sour Cream: $7.49 each
- Plain Yogurt: $11.30 (I use this as a fresh culture starter for my homemade raw milk yogurt)
- Gluten-Free Bread: $8.79 a loaf
Price Shockers and the Value of the Garden
Looking at these individual prices was a huge eye-opener for me. When you look closely at grocery store tags, the value of growing your own food becomes incredibly obvious.
The Tomato Tax: Store-bought tomatoes are currently $4.00 a pound. Seeing that price makes me incredibly eager for gardening season! Nothing beats a fresh, practically free garden tomato.
The Cabbage Comparison: I bought a lot of conventional cabbage this week because I completely ran out of my homegrown sauerkraut. Store-bought cabbage was $1.60 a pound, meaning two heads cost me nearly $11.80. Meanwhile, a single package of cabbage seeds costs $3.50, and I can grow enough cabbage to last us almost an entire year!
While raising your own food isn’t totally free (animal feed and hay are major expenses for us), the savings on fresh, organic produce are undeniable.
The Final Weekly Grocery Total
So, how much does a weekly large family grocery haul cost for nine people in Northern British Columbia?
The final total for our weekly fresh produce and dairy at Save-On-Foods was $222.89 CAD.
The total for our six-month supply of bulk condiments and dry goods at the Wholesale Club was $418.50 CAD.
When you combine our weekly $222 run with our quarterly $3,000 Costco trips and our homegrown meat and veggies, it keeps our family eating high-quality, nutritious food on a very reasonable budget.
I would love to know how these Canadian produce prices compare to the grocery stores where you live! Let me know your average weekly grocery budget down in the comments.