{"id":494637,"date":"2022-09-20T16:55:04","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T13:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-food-diaries-vancouver-macleans-ca\/"},"modified":"2022-09-20T16:55:04","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T13:55:04","slug":"the-food-diaries-vancouver-macleans-ca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-food-diaries-vancouver-macleans-ca\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Food Diaries: Vancouver &#8211; Macleans.ca"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a40e47e5e87c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a40e47e5e87c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-food-diaries-vancouver-macleans-ca\/#%E2%80%9CThe_Food_Diaries_Vancouver_%E2%80%93_Macleansca%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;The Food Diaries: Vancouver &#8211; Macleans.ca&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CThe_Food_Diaries_Vancouver_%E2%80%93_Macleansca%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;The Food Diaries: Vancouver &#8211; Macleans.ca&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n                                                                        <em>With the rising costs of nearly everything, Canadians are particularly feeling the pinch when it comes to rising food costs across the country, further fuelling a food insecurity crisis being experienced by many throughout the nation.\u00a0Husna Shaikh, a talent acquisition team leader living in Vancouver and stay-at-home mom<\/em>\u00a0<em>ChingYun Chien, also living in Vancouver, share their stories:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Husna Shaikh:\u00a0<\/strong>My daughter and I always lived comfortably. I own a three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot duplex, and I never had to pay attention to what I spent. If we needed something for the house, or if my six-year-old daughter, Zara, needed clothing, I just bought it. We\u2019d go out to eat a couple of times a week, and I was still able to save some money.<\/p>\n<p>It seemed like all of my costs started going up around the same time: groceries, gas, restaurants. One gas tank used to cost me about $60; it was $90 the last time I filled up. I have a variable interest rate, so my mortgage payments have increased by more than $800 a month. I don\u2019t have any money left at the end of the month to save. I\u2019ve even had to dip into my savings account to cover one-off expenses, like when my car needed an oil change, or when the electricity bill was higher than normal. If my mortgage payments continue to go up, I\u2019ll have to go into my savings more often.<\/p>\n<p>I needed to make some changes in order to make ends meet. I used to go to the Save-On-Foods for everything because it\u2019s walking distance from our house. Now I\u2019ll go to No Frills or Superstore because they\u2019re cheaper. I use the Flipp <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a> to find flyers, and I base my shopping around that. I\u2019m buying no-name brands because they\u2019re cheaper. For example, I used to buy Jamieson vitamins for about $15. Now I buy the Life brand for $5 or $10.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m also more conscious about buying fruit that lasts longer, like bananas instead of strawberries. We used to buy organic milk, but I was always worried about not using it up before it went bad. So now we get the Fairlife brand because it lasts longer. We drink every single drop.<\/p>\n<p>My daughter understands that we can\u2019t buy everything we want at the grocery store anymore. I used to get her things from the bakery, like cheese buns and croissants, for her lunches. Now I\u2019ll pack her peanut butter sandwiches because they\u2019re cheaper.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes I\u2019ll buy items just because they\u2019re on sale. It\u2019s usually quick and easy dinner options. For example, PC brand ready-made quiches were recently on sale\u2014$3 for a pack of four. We never used to eat much pasta, like ravioli, but we\u2019re buying it more often now because it\u2019s cheaper, it\u2019s filling, and it\u2019s easy to prepare.<\/p>\n<p>In the past, during the summer, we\u2019d go for a walk and get ice cream from a local shop in our neighbourhood, which would cost $8 or $10. These days, I\u2019ll buy a box of eight Chapman ice cream bars for $5 so that we can have dessert at home.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just lower-income people who are being affected by inflation. Technically, I\u2019m middle class. I have a good job and a good salary. And yet we\u2019re just getting by. If the cost of living continues to increase, we\u2019ll have to make more sacrifices, or I might start price matching with grocery store flyers, which I\u2019ve never done before. I\u2019m grateful to own a home and that my family never has to go hungry. But I am worried about expenses going up even more\u2014especially my mortgage. <em>\u2014 As told to Andrea Yu<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1240144\" style=\"width: 1350px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1240144 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/20220715_MW_0033_MACKENZIE_WALKER-e1662742550282.jpg\" alt=\"\u201cEvery week a non-profit gives us a hamper of fruit and vegetables, bread, toilet paper and diapers.&quot; (Photo by Mackenzie Walker)\" width=\"1340\" height=\"1600\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u201cEvery week a non-profit gives us a hamper of fruit and vegetables, bread, toilet paper and diapers.\u201d (Photo by Mackenzie Walker)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>ChingYun Chien:<\/strong>I moved from Taiwan to Vancouver in 2017 to study customer service at Greystone College. In 2018, I met Vance, and we married the following year. I worked as a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> agent, and he worked as a construction labourer. We could only just afford our expenses every month, but we never went into debt. We paid $1,400 a month for a one-bedroom apartment.<\/p>\n<p>When COVID hit, I lost my job, and our daughter was born in March of 2021. Suddenly, we were paying an additional $100 each month on formula and diapers. Thankfully we got things like furniture, clothes and toys for free through a local moms\u2019 group. The Canada child benefit also helped us cover the new expenses, but it still wasn\u2019t enough. I learned about CityReach, a non-profit in Vancouver that offers food and supplies for families. I started going there in the summer of 2021, when my daughter was three months old. Every week, they give us a hamper stocked with fruit and vegetables, bread, canned items, vitamins, toilet paper and diapers. It helps us save about $40 to $50 every week. I\u2019m not sure what we\u2019d do without them. We\u2019ll continue to get their hampers until my daughter gets into a daycare and I can go back to work.<\/p>\n<p>Everything is going up except our income, and I\u2019m shopping differently now. I used to buy brand-name items for things like jam, but now I\u2019ll choose the no-name brand to save money. I\u2019ll buy meat in bigger packs because it\u2019s cheaper and freeze the extra portions. I\u2019ve learned that if I bought a single beef steak, it would probably cost $10 a piece. But I buy a large club-sized cut of beef for $30 and can cut it myself into five or six steaks to save money. I also buy club-sized packs of Italian sausages to save money. When something is on sale, I\u2019ll stock up on it. We never used to do that before. I buy Asian groceries at T&amp;T, and other items at Superstore or Walmart. It can be exhausting to go to two or sometimes three places to buy groceries, but I know I can save some money doing that.<\/p>\n<p>If I know my friends are going to Costco, I\u2019ll ask them to buy some items for me. For $12, you can get a wheel of brie there that\u2019s double the size but the same price as the brie from Superstore. Often we\u2019ll buy a big pack of something, like croissants, and split it between us. My husband loves sweets, so sometimes I buy some Twix chocolate bars from Superstore or Walmart, but only if I have extra money. If I\u2019m over my budget, then he doesn\u2019t get any chocolate that week.<\/p>\n<p>In the spring of 2022, my husband started working every second Saturday so he could earn more money. He\u2019s tired all the time. We still like to do fun things with our daughter, like drive to North Vancouver to go on a hike and have a picnic. Even that\u2019s difficult now that gas prices are so high.<\/p>\n<p>I started applying to daycare waitlists when my daughter was three months old. A year later, we\u2019re still waiting for a spot. I can\u2019t go back to work until we can get her in somewhere. I hope to find a job as a garment purchaser, which is what I did back in Taiwan. Hopefully, when I start working again, our family\u2019s finances will be less stressful.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2014\u00a0As told to Andrea Yu<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">This story is part of a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> on food insecurity in Canada funded by the\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"c-link\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.feedopportunity.com\/\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.feedopportunity.com\/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" data-remove-tab-index=\"true\">Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">, in partnership with\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"c-link\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/cfccanada.ca\/en\/Home\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/cfccanada.ca\/en\/Home\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" data-remove-tab-index=\"true\">Community Food Centres Canada<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">.<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/food-insecurity\/the-food-diaries-vancouver\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The Food Diaries: Vancouver &#8211; Macleans.ca&#8221; With the rising costs of nearly everything, Canadians are particularly feeling the pinch when it comes to rising food costs across the country, further fuelling a food insecurity crisis being experienced by many throughout the nation.\u00a0Husna Shaikh, a talent acquisition team leader living in Vancouver and stay-at-home mom\u00a0ChingYun Chien,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":494638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/20220715_MW_0039_MACKENZIE_WALKER-766x431.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[133181,113061],"class_list":["post-494637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-food-inflation","tag-food-prices"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/494637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=494637"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/494637\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/494638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=494637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=494637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=494637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}