I literally have dozens of those Lee Valley cannisters to hold all my dry herbs and spices. They are excellent quality as mine have been through the dishwasher countless times. I use smaller ones for really perishable stuff such as lavender leaves and larger ones for stuff I use in abundance such as cinnamon, thyme and oregano.

I also use them for salt cellars, too!

http://danamccauley.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/gadget-love/

Is $30 a week for one person?
My boyfriend and I live off of $30/wk for two people!

The post says "adventures of a couple...", so, yes it's $30 for 2 people.

Normally, I'd say $30, in NYC (with all due respect to Edmonton, it's a different environment) is impressive for two people.

But, it is clear from those pictures of the receipts that they are shopping exclusively at the Park Slope Food Coop, which is member-only, and marks-up the prices for its food significantly less than a regular retail grocer (something like 20% compared to 100%), especially with respect to produce. My partner and I spend approximately $60 a week there, and I am always packing the cart with all sorts of totally unnecessary luxury items.

So, this isn't really a fair representation of what it would be like for any couple in NYC to try to feed themselves on $30/wk.

Any couple in NYC can join the food coop, though.

cheflaura, you have to pay $25 to join and then you are required to invest $100, non-interest bearing. they do have low-income provisions, but for most single people or couples paying up to $125 to get discounts doesn't make financial sense.

I understand $30 a couple for food is cheap but I always have to buy other stuff too when I grocery shop - like laundry soap, toilet paper, etc. etc. Those are the things that make my grocery bill high.

Thanks Kitchn for mentioning us at $30/Week. To everyone commenting, yes, we shop a lot at the Coop. The Coop DOES accept food stamps and provides concessions for people who can't pay the joining fee. The $100 is a deposit and you can get it back. We've been members for about 5 years and used to spend a lot more every week there. The blog is to showcase what we can make with $30/week shopping there and elsewhere (like Chinatown, Koreatown and the Key Foods on our corner). Check out our about page - we pretty much lay it all out there.

Coops are awesome. Usually much better than what you even find at Whole Foods. I like to make use of them when I travel.

CSAs (farm shares) are also GREAT ways to save money. You pre-pay, which means you pay more at the beginning, but ours has seriously slashed our overall food bill.

http://www.SustainableSuppers.com has a lot of creative ideas for stretching food dollars -- with real food (and yummy food at that).

I can understand that NYC and Edmonton are two completely different environments. I am happy that this project is for a couple, and not just one person.

Good job!