Apr 22, 2026
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Making ends meet in one of the most expensive cities in Canada usually requires a high salary or a lot of luck. For Michelle and Thomas Nijdam, it requires four grocery stores and a lot of beans.
The Metro Vancouver newlyweds have gained national attention for an experiment that sounds impossible in the current economy. They have capped their monthly food budget at just $160 for the both of them. That works out to roughly $40 a week to cover every meal and snack.
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“We just picked the lowest number we thought we could make it on,” Michelle said in a recent interview with CTV News. “We're making it a fun challenge rather than just cutting back.”
While their approach is extreme, it highlights the growing desperation and creativity Canadians are using to navigate a brutal grocery landscape.
The reality of the Canadian grocery aisle
The Nijdams are fighting an uphill battle. According to the Canada Food Price Report 2025 (2), food prices are expected to rise between 3% and 5% this year. For an average family of four, that means an extra $801 on the annual bill, bringing the total to nearly $17,000.
For the Nijdams, the challenge is not just about the math. It’s about the discipline. Michelle spends hours scouring flyers and visiting multiple retailers to find the absolute lowest prices. She might go to Superstore for flour and eggs, Safeway for cheese and Walmart for peanut butter. For produce, she often sticks to local markets like Kin's Farm Market or Persia Foods in North Vancouver.
“If we weren't choosing to do this, it would be frightening,” Michelle said.
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Trading convenience for cost
Their strategy relies on "forgoing convenience" in favour of raw ingredients. Meat is almost entirely off the menu. Instead, the couple relies on bulk dry goods like rice, pasta and beans as their primary protein source.
“We are on week 12 and we've managed to buy meat one time,” Michelle told CTV.
A typical day might see them eating a homemade bun with an egg for breakfast and a vegetable and bean combo for dinner. It’s a labour-intensive lifestyle. Michelle does massive batches of baking to stretch ingredients, and the mental load of planning is significant.
“If I don't soak the beans on the right night, or if I don't feel like cooking it's stressful because it's like, will I have the protein I need?” she said.
How you can bridge the budget gap
You don’t have to live on $40 a week to find relief. If you’re looking to take control of your spending, several tools can help you track every cent.
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You Need A Budget (YNAB): This is the gold standard for zero based budgeting. It forces you to give every dollar a job, ensuring you do not overspend in one category without seeing exactly where that money is coming from.
Wizezer / Flipp: These are not budgeting apps per se, but they are essential for the Nijdam method. They aggregate weekly flyers so you can price match and find which store has the 49 cent onions before you leave the house.
Take control of your money with a smarter budgeting tool. Try YNAB free for 34 days — no credit card required. Just powerful insights for less than the price of your daily coffee.
The bottom line for your wallet
The economic context remains challenging. With supply chain vulnerabilities and the potential for new trade tariffs, food price stability isn’t guaranteed. However, the Nijdams show that even in a high cost environment, there are levers you can pull.
Start by auditing your "convenience tax." If you are buying pre-cut vegetables or name brand snacks, you’re paying for time. By reclaiming that time and planning meals around versatile staples like lentils and grains, you can significantly lower your monthly overhead.
As Michelle Nijdam put it when looking at her intentionally sparse kitchen: “It's a strange feeling. It's strange to see your fridge so empty.”
But for this couple, an empty fridge is the sign of a successful budget and a step toward a more secure financial future.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
CTV News (1); The Canada Food Price Report 2025 (2)
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Leslie Kennedy served as an editor at Thomson Reuters and for Star Media Group, followed by a number of years as a writer and editor and content manager in marketing communications, before returning to her editorial roots. She is a graduate of Humber College’s post-graduate journalism program and has been a professional writer and editor ever since.
