CHAT News File Photo

By Gavin Miller

Budgeting to help save money on essentials in 2022

Jan 27, 2022 | 2:32 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The cost of living has become overwhelming for some Albertans in the new year.

Grocery prices getting higher each day along with increasing utility costs has led more and more families to turn to charitable services just to get by.

Canada’s Food Price Report 2022 predicts a five to seven per cent increase in food costs.

The increase is due to many factors including disruptions to the food supply chain, labour force shortages, high inflation and weather effects.

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Melissa Mullis, marketing and events manager at the Root Cellar Food and Wellness Hub in Medicine Hat, says there’s been a significant increase in families accessing the emergency food pantry.

“The rising cost of living has been causing our families to have to choose between paying rent or paying utilities. Not being able to feed their families is putting them in a vulnerable position.”

Dollars can’t be stretched as far as they could in the past.

Sheri Thiel, a credit counsellor with Money Mentors has tips for how to save money at the grocery store.

“Things like having a meal plan, prepping ahead of time so that we’re buying in bulk and making sure that we’re using all of those groceries and not wasting,” she says.

Money Mentors offers a free online budgeting course.

Thiel says they have been a lot busier since the new year as more people seek help on how to manage their budget.

As expenses outweigh income, people have become more financially vulnerable.

Many Hatters were stunned when they received their first utility bill of the year.

Medicine Hat city councillor Alison Van Dyke says the City of Medicine Hat has many options for budgeting around utilities.

“There’s the fixed-rate option for either electricity or natural gas, or both. You can choose and you can lock into for a minimum of six months, that can help with your costs.”

Customer service can be contacted to create a budget billing plan.

They will work with residents to figure out a reasonable amount that you can pay each month based on previous bills.

The Community Warmth program is a fund for utilities that people can donate to through their bills to assist others in need.

If you’re looking for ways to reduce your bill, the city has resources on their website to help make your home more energy-efficient.