Greetings from blue collar Dartmouth, Nova Scotia :)

**marmaloonbabushka** · 04-27-2010, 09:42 AM

Hello, I don't know why I didn't find this forum ages ago, I am a struggling single person, I am not happy with the retail grocers in this area, I was wondering if anyone knows of a good grocery wholesaler in my area that I can do business with? Best regards, Tony

**monkeywrangler71** · 04-27-2010, 10:14 AM

I don't know any major wholesalers who sell direct to customers, except for the retail stores pretending to be wholesalers (Costco, etc.). What exactly are you looking for? Do you want a way to reduce grocery costs, looking for a different variety of food, larger packages, running a convenience store, or just trying to shake loose of the Sobeys and Westons? Maybe we can find you some other alternatives.

**daughter of pearl** · 04-27-2010, 10:25 AM

Sorry, now idea about grocery stores in NS, but welcome from blue collar Ontario! This is a great site for all kinds of great info!

**frugalfranny** · 04-27-2010, 12:47 PM

Don't have any info but welcome aboard.

Hope you find what you are looking for........good luck.

**ilovechocolate** · 04-27-2010, 06:39 PM

Hi and welcome, Tony!

**IntlMom** · 04-27-2010, 06:41 PM

no thoughts on your question..... but welcome!

**Debbie-cat** · 04-27-2010, 08:16 PM

Hi and welcome from Minnesota!

**marmaloonbabushka** · 04-28-2010, 02:25 PM

Thanks for the warm welcome, consumers are getting shanked in Nova Scotia, I am constantly looking for ways to fight back, but it gets tougher and tougher. I have cut out alcoholic beverages (exactly like paying voluntary taxes in Nova Scotia), also I have never smoked, same as buying alcoholic beverages, eating out in our area 'restaurants' is also permanently out of the question, 'leisure' trips are being cut out, also removed the spare tire from my car, and removed the front passenger seat.

- there are ways to fight back, they are just tough to get your mind around sometimes.

Edit: I also have a good friend who has dual citizenship, when I need us made goods, or cheaply priced us goods, he orders it for me, and brings it across for me. Canadian retailers are good at only one thing - gouging their customers, and they have the same goods as the US retailers. I have no loyalty to Canadian retailers. that's the way it is on this side of the border.

**peanut** · 05-05-2010, 11:25 AM

Welcome to the board Tony. Have you googled food co-ops in your area? My information is 30 years out of date, but when we lived in Halifax we were able to access a food co-op that bought through a huge wholesaler...Sun...something or other...

I hear you about prices in NS. My daughters live there now and we visited last fall. If it weren't for friends getting us all kinds of discounts it would have been a pretty pricey trip...it was anyway!

I live on the prairies and have given up local loyalty too. With the dollar being close to even with the US dollar it makes no sense to buy Canadian. The US goods are priced cheap enough that even with shipping included, they come out cheaper than Canadian goods.

DH and I were able to buy kitchen faucets almost half price by shopping on-line. And a friend found us a good deal on stereo equipment on-line too...much better than locally.

**Imarachne** · 05-05-2010, 02:43 PM

Hi and welcome from Virginia

**hollyhill** · 05-05-2010, 05:49 PM

WELCOME!
I am from BC.

But love Nova Scotia.
I've been to Dartmouth. Lake Banook.
My family are paddlers and have been to NS for Nationals and Worlds the last two years.

I certainly found that your milk was SO EXPENSIVE!!!! WOAH!
But meat and fruit wasn't too bad (in the summer) and seafood was a great price.

**mom2three** · 05-06-2010, 08:59 AM

marmaloonbabushka

Are there any farm markets(not big niche ones, but smallish stores) in your area? When we moved to PEI from ON two years ago, I could not believe the increase in our food bill.

Can you stockpile?

What do you like to eat?

Do you have a freezer?

Do you shop sales? Get rainchecks, menu plan, etc.?

Amanda

**marmaloonbabushka** · 06-09-2010, 12:42 PM

I have been looking for ways to save $$$ of course, one of the ways I have been looking at is moving to a place that has cheaper rent - one of the places I applied to is called Tawaak Housing, over on Lady Hammond Road in Halifax, Nova Scotia, they supposedly cater to 'natives in Nova Scotia', but they aggressively discriminate against native men, the only tenants they accept is Mikmaq women who are fleeing domestic abuse and have children, however, they don't write anything down, and as is usual with ALL native organizations in Canada that get $$$ for their mad plans from the gov't, it's strictly 'hands off' if you are an outsider - lol, I know one of the employees there, she once bragged to me that she was sent to address the United Nations in NYC to discuss the sad plight of homeless native persons. Excuse me I have to vomit right now. Anyways, I am hoping now to depend on the private sector with regards to sustainable housing. I don't want roommates with issues *is there any other kind? don't want to get shafted with high rents, right now I have to concentrate on other areas like returning to full time studies at school this fall. Best regards all my rant is over.