Those who have just arrived in Vancouver as Canadian immigrants may find it difficult to adjust to the high cost of living here. From daily necessities and food to clothing and school supplies, every price tag seems to require multiplying by six. When you add taxes, the final cost can be one to two times higher than what you are used to back home. In reality, although the cost of living in Vancouver is high, there are tricks to spending wisely. Today, we have summarized a few tips for saving money in Vancouver for you!
Shopping Trips South of the Border
Friends who have lived in Vancouver for a while are likely familiar with this. Heading south from Vancouver to Seattle is very convenient, and you will pass by the Premium Outlets along the way. There, you can find many designer items on seasonal clearance with relatively lower sales tax, making it a very cost-effective option. You just need to obtain a U.S. visa if you wish to go. Of course, this is better suited for those with a car; for those without one, please read on!
Supermarkets
Canada has many supermarket chains, but most belong to the Loblaw group, such as Save-On-Foods, Safeway, Superstore, T&T Supermarket, etc. These are primarily for groceries, with fewer household goods. Each supermarket has its own features and money-saving methods; for example, Save-On-Foods has a Save-On-More card, which is very easy to register for and can sometimes save you more than $10 on a large purchase. T&T is, of course, the go-to for the Chinese community, where you can buy various domestic snacks. Being able to eat food from your hometown after moving abroad is one of the unique features of Vancouver. Be sure to pay attention to daily specials, as they can offer great savings!
Holiday Sales
The most iconic event is the annual Boxing Day. If you are staying in Vancouver for Christmas, you must experience Canada’s crazy annual discount day! Boxing Day is the day after Christmas, December 26th. Generally, store discounts last for a week, but the first day is always the craziest. Everywhere you go, on every street and in every shopping mall, retail stores will offer discounts. You will see long queues in front of many stores that day, and the scene is especially hectic for discounted hot-selling electronic products. Therefore, when shopping that day, have a clear goal and be sure to get up early.
Dining
Many international students who have just left home may not be very skilled at cooking, so it is time to introduce some cheap and delicious restaurants.
For budget options, we recommend various food courts located in shopping malls, where a meal can generally be kept under $10. We highly recommend the food court on the second floor of Crystal Mall, where you can find Chinese food from various regions, and you could eat there for half a month without repeating a meal.
Mid-range restaurants are generally located on busy streets. They may not be large, but they offer tasty and affordable food that satisfies the needs of Chinese students from different regions. The average cost per person ranges from $17 to $30. It is worth mentioning tipping; in Western countries, it is customary to tip when dining out, usually 10% for lunch and 15% for dinner. While not a strict rule, you will gradually get the hang of it.
Vancouver is a beautiful tourist city with plenty of high-end restaurants. Western restaurants are mostly distributed in Downtown, North Vancouver, and West Vancouver, while Chinese restaurants are mainly found in Richmond. The average cost per person ranges from tens to hundreds of Canadian dollars. We won't recommend these to those looking to save money, but occasionally trying authentic, high-end global cuisine is a part of the local lifestyle experience.
