How One Millennial Cut Her Grocery Bill to $45 a Month
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Josephine Nesbit
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Julia Pak, a millennial who lives in Toronto, Canada, is a self-described dumpster diver who spent about $45 on average on food and drinks over a fourth-month period in 2023.
In an interview with Business Insider, Pak said she frequently looks behind supermarkets, grocery stores or strip malls to see what kinds of things businesses have thrown in the bins and dumpsters. She’s been doing this on and off since she was a teenager.
“Even though I economically don’t really need to, the reason why I continue to do this is because why would I pay if I knew people were giving it out for free, essentially?” Pak told Insider.
Insider verified her spending on food, drinks and groceries with bank statements and screenshots from KOHO, a free spending and savings account for Canadians. The figures were based on monthly purchases from different kinds of businesses and the totals come from purchases in the grocery and eating or drinking categories.
Pak said she doesn’t spend much on groceries because of dumpster diving. Based on the statements and screenshots Pak shared, she spent just under $110 on groceries, food or drinks in March 2023, just over $25 in April and about $35 in May on food and convenience store trips. In June, she spent around $10.50. She told Insider it feels “great not to have to worry about groceries.”
Pak looks for food that she says has lost its commercial value, but is still valuable to a hungry person’s stomach. She typically finds fruits, vegetables, chocolate and ice cream. It’s more difficult for her to get yogurt and meats, but she has better luck during the winter as the items are still frozen.
Dumpster diving isn’t illegal in the U.S. or Canada, but Pak says it could be “frowned up” or a “gray zone.”
She recommends that other people who want to try dumpster diving go at night to be more discreet. She said she’s only had some confrontations during the day. She also said to avoid weekends since there’s not a lot of trash out and to clean up the area after dumpster diving before leaving.
Inflation has slowed considerably, but grocery prices remain stubbornly high. According to The Washington Post, grocery prices have jumped by 25% over the past four years, outpacing overall inflation of 19% during the same period.
Low-income families have been hit the hardest, spending about 31% of their income on food, compared to just 8% for wealthier families. Food insecurity is on the rise, and food banks nationwide report significant increases in demand in the past year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects food prices to decelerate in 2024 compared to recent years. Food-at-home prices are predicted to increase by 1.6%, while food-away-from-home prices are expected to increase by 4.1%.
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