West Coast

Help for Living Affordably on the West Coast

Vancouver BC

If you’re reading this, then I think it’s safe to say you read blogs. As a blogger myself, I’m always looking for new blogs that give me inspiration, recipes, money saving tips, and real life perspectives on products and vacation destinations I’m interested in. In my online travels, I recently discovered Vancity’s Good Money blog, a great collection of affordable living, meal ideas, lifestyle, and home tips for everyone, especially young people and families just starting out.

Vancity is the largest community credit union in Canada, serving Metro Vancouver, Squamish, the Fraser Valley, Alert Bay, and Victoria. They have a well-deserved reputation for being progressive and community-oriented, and in keeping with their community-based approach, Good Money covers so much more than just money matters. After all, healthy communities are built by healthy people!

West coast living

When you’re just starting out or you’ve got young kids, money’s always tight, so tips and tricks to help us save are always appreciated. Are you familiar with the duck & buy rule? Retailers pay more for eye level shelf space, so if you duck down and check the lower shelves you may get a better price than items higher up. Visit this post to find more ways to save at the grocery store.

grocery store

Or how about when it comes to special occasions? It can be a challenge to throw a birthday party on a budget, but it certainly doesn’t need to be. Check out these inexpensive toddler party ideas.

birthday cake

I was shocked to discover that the average family wastes up to 30% or even 40% of their food budget! Not only is it a waste of hard-earned money, but I’m also conscious of how many people don’t have enough to eat every day. I love finding creative ways of using up our leftovers, and that’s why I love this post on 6 ways to use leftover rice. Now there’s no excuse for wasting that leftover rice, especially when you can make CHOCOLATE CAKE from it!

Did you know the average Canadian meal travels an estimated 1,200 km from farm to plate? That’s a lot of carbon emissions, and those long commutes contribute to increased food spoilage. Reducing waste and eating local is a topic near and dear to my heart. Take a look at this post for some simple ways to help you cut your carbon footprint with food.

local apples

Besides our spectacular scenery and normally mild weather, Vancouver is also unfortunately known for sky high estate prices. As s a result, many young people and new families have been priced out of the housing market. That’s why lots of people rent, but do you know the rules about evictions, bed bugs, rent increases and security deposits? If you’re a renter here, you’ll want to know these 5 myths about renting in BC.

for rent

The next time you have a few free minutes, visit the Good Money blog for delicious meal ideas, ways to stretch your budget, and how to make the most out of your West Coast lifestyle!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Vancity. Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are completely honest and based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.