Mom shares 'Buy Canada' strategy, sacrifices and savings

Sarina Cornthwaite, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom from Muskoka, Canada, has been actively participating in the 'Buy Canada' movement for six years, making conscious efforts to support Canadian businesses and products. She adopted this practice after moving to a new town and witnessing the economic impact of the pandemic on local small businesses.

Cornthwaite has adapted her family's budget to accommodate her purchasing priorities. She subscribes to a weekly local produce box from Eat Local Muskoka, costing between CA$150 and CA$180 per month, which she finds fresher and more surprising than typical grocery store options. For meat, she purchases bulk boxes from local butchers, ranging from CA$150 to CA$300, which typically last a month. These adjustments have led to a total monthly food budget of CA$900 to CA$1,000 for her family of three, an increase from her previous CA$600 to CA$700 budget.

While aiming for approximately 95% Canadian purchases, Cornthwaite acknowledges the need for exceptions, particularly with pantry staples like flour and beans, where Canadian-made options can be significantly more expensive. She shops at Asian supermarkets for items like soy sauce and bulgogi sauce, as long as they are not made in the United States. For clothing and electronics, she prioritizes buying secondhand from local thrift or liquidation stores, which she sees as another way to support the local economy. She also looks for brands that are transparent about their manufacturing locations.

Cornthwaite finds the 'Buy Canada' movement inspiring, noting increased participation among her friends and family, many of whom are also mothers seeking deals and sharing recommendations. She has observed friends adopting more extreme measures, such as buying a quarter or half of a cow from local farmers or growing and preserving their own produce. The movement has also led to the discovery of new, smaller Canadian brands gaining traction.