New Immigrants and Food Prices

Just arrived immigrants and food prices.  The internet has made expectations much easier for immigrants because it has all the information they need about a new country. They even know the time difference between their country and Canada, where they are heading.

Despite all that, settling in a new country is still stressful because it is fishing in unknown waters from the language, weather, clothes, new currency, schools, living in apartment buildings with no backyard for kids to practise cricket or soccer, snow, body language and food.

Photo: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

The exchange rate for example.  It is natural to look at cashew nuts that are $5 for 100 grams with dismay, because that would be, let’s say 50 shillings where immigrants are coming from.  Worse still, they might sadly recall that they had cashew nut trees in their backyard or farm.

Looking back will lead to depression and even some regret about coming to Canada.  What matters is the way forward, a term you hear a lot at staff retreats.  The ideal way forward is a fact-finding mission about where and how to buy food. 

Where? Huge Canadian supermarkets obviously, but there are also speciality shops for European, Jewish, African, Caribbean, Middle East and Asian food.  The aim is to compare prices because money is in short supply whether immigrants have come prepared to establish their own business; were sponsored by sisters, brothers and parents or brought to Canada by the government.

How is the other question because there are two forms of payment: cash or credit?  It is very tempting to use credit cards, especially if it is a big family because kids want to blend in the new country and want food their classmates are always talking about.  Pizza for example.  Kids love it but it doesn’t come cheap.

Therefore, cash is the best option because new immigrants don’t have to worry about interest on credit cards.  Cash also forces them to stick to a budget.  What if families don’t have enough money for basics?  One solution would be to food-pool (like car pool).  Two families can merge two $100 and buy rice and beans in bulk for example. Food pool can work if the following is taken care of:

·         the two families must have the same items on the list.

·         the joint money must be collected before the weekly shopping day.

·         transport. it must be decided in advance which car will be used.

·         distribution centre.  the two families will alternate. this week the 40lbs bags of rice will be divided into plastic containers at Family A, next week at Family B.

·         kids should be involved so that they understand budgeting at an early age.  it also empowers them with Canadian vocabulary.

Money saved through bulk buying and food-pooling can be used to give the kids a treat such as taking them to the hamburger joint, something Canadian kids take for granted because they go there every Saturday.
By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.