Last year I embarked on a mission to replace all the grocery shopping dollars I usually spent at the big three grocery chains, with spending at locally owned shops. I had no idea what an adventure it would end up being to discover so many new businesses right in our community.

What most people want to know is how much more expensive it is to shop local instead of big box? Honestly, I didn’t start this journey to save money. I was just trying to make a tiny difference, moving my meagre dollars from the pockets of billionaire owners to small business owners in our community. But I was pleasantly surprised to find all kinds of incredible deals out there, like Fiddes Wholesale Produce whose produce prices cannot be beat anywhere. Like the three packs of vegan jerky for $1 at Tan Thanh Supermarket that I still crave long after devouring them all. And that jar of moussaka for $2.49 at Punjab International that I paired with some mashed sweet potato was the best meal I ever had.

Another concern I hear often: shopping local is time-consuming; shopping big-box grocery chain stores saves time because you can get everything in one place. Shopping at small grocers has added up to more trips overall, but it’s also taught me to plan out meals in advance, and to be more mindful of only buying the ingredients I need. Big-box shopping almost encourages you to “stock up” on everything possible and you end up spending enormous sums of money, with food spoiling before you have time to eat it.

I’ve documented my journey on TikTok and Instagram in vlog form if you’re interested in getting a visual peek inside the shops on my indie grocery store list (watch @thegeneratorca).

You can read the full list of indie grocery shops in my piece in Hamilton City Magazine:

https://hamiltoncitymagazine.ca/shop-local-shop-indie/

-Suzanne