The back-to-school season can be expensive You've got to cover rent, moving in (if you haven't already), tuition, school supplies and textbooks, public transit passes and much more.
On top of all this, you still need to eat! Here are a few tips for making or buying meals on a budget.
It can be tempting to save time by eating out or buying ready-made meals. But cooking at home is the best way to maintain a healthy diet while saving money. A number of options are available to help you save on groceries:
Since there's currently no website or app listing all community fridges, you'll need to do some research to find one in your neighbourhood.
If you're not skilled at cooking or you don't enjoy cooking for one, collective kitchens may be right for you. The mission of a collective kitchen is to bring a group of people together to choose recipes, buy groceries, cook meals and evaluate the activity as a whole. Participating in a collective kitchen will allow you to improve your cooking skills and bring home a number of healthy, balanced and inexpensive meals.
To find the nearest collective kitchen, visit the Group of Collective Kitchens of Quebec website.
Depending on where you go to school, a food collective or soup kitchen could be a good option. Some are even located on-campus at universities and other educational establishments:
To find out if there is a food collective at your educational institution, contact your student union.
If you like to treat yourself by dining out from time to time, be sure to choose a restaurant that fits your budget. A number of websites list restaurants that offer discounts (including student discounts):
Under Advanced Search, select Deals/Coupons or Specials from the Features menu to narrow your search.
Tonresto.ca also lets you search for restaurants that offer discounts in the Quebec City, Montreal, Laurentians and Saguenay regions. Just select "Restaurants with coupons and deals" from the Specificities menu.
As you can see, meal planning on a budget doesn’t mean eating poorly. A wide range of options are available to help students eat healthy and satisfying meals.
To find out more, subscribe to the National Bank newsletter.
Legal disclaimer
Any reproduction, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of National Bank of Canada.
The articles and information on this website are protected by the copyright laws in effect in Canada or other countries, as applicable. The copyrights on the articles and information belong to the National Bank of Canada or other persons. Any reproduction, redistribution, electronic communication, including indirectly via a hyperlink, in whole or in part, of these articles and information and any other use thereof that is not explicitly authorized is prohibited without the prior written consent of the copyright owner.
The contents of this website must not be interpreted, considered or used as if it were financial, legal, fiscal, or other advice. National Bank and its partners in contents will not be liable for any damages that you may incur from such use.
This article is provided by National Bank, its subsidiaries and group entities for information purposes only, and creates no legal or contractual obligation for National Bank, its subsidiaries and group entities. The details of this service offering and the conditions herein are subject to change.
The hyperlinks in this article may redirect to external websites not administered by National Bank. The Bank cannot be held liable for the content of external websites or any damages caused by their use.
Views expressed in this article are those of the person being interviewed. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Bank or its subsidiaries. For financial or business advice, please consult your National Bank advisor, financial planner or an industry professional (e.g., accountant, tax specialist or lawyer).
