Decluttering your space is simple in theory: just sell, donate, or discard/recycle anything you don’t use or need anymore. But it's the practice of that simple theory that can be hard.
16.05.2024 - 14:13 / modernfarmer.com
“Virtually all of the products I buy on the regular have experienced some degree of shrinkflation…The practice is intentionally based on deceiving the customer. It’s unethical.”
“This is getting ridiculous! I just spent $370 on groceries and have barely any food… How are people supposed to survive like this? Why is having three meals a day a luxury now?”
“Since the boycott, I’ve spent some time analyzing what I spend and where, and I’ve realized I can go entirely without the big three: Loblaws, Sobeys or Metro. I haven’t stepped foot in any of their stores since and I don’t plan on ever doing it again.”
These are just a few of the thousands of comments that Canadian Redditors have left on the page “Loblaws Is Out of Control,” where members share stories of $9 butter or tubs of $28 feta (twice the price of a competitor). The page was started by an Ontario woman, Emily Johnson, in November, as a way to share frustrations about high grocery prices. It quickly attracted members, with more than 79,000 people joining up in a matter of months. And they had a lot to talk about. In February 2023, the Consumer Price Index noted that food prices were up more than 10 percent year over year, double the national rate of inflation. It was the seventh straight month of double-digit food price increases.
As more members joined the page, talk of a grocery store boycott began to intensify.
Canada’s grocery market is dominated by five main retailers, which make up 76 percent of the market. The country’s biggest grocery chain, Loblaws, has cornered 28 percent of the market entirely. The company runs multiple brands of grocery and pharmacy chains, has several in-house lines that it sells, including the President’s Choice and No Name
Decluttering your space is simple in theory: just sell, donate, or discard/recycle anything you don’t use or need anymore. But it's the practice of that simple theory that can be hard.
Happy Friday, GPODers!
Right plant, right place, as Roy Lancaster’s book taught us, is a well-known adage and one we all try to live by. Get it right and your garden will love you for it. On closer inspection that phrase belies a whole historical context that is not evident at first sight. I was reminded recently of the stark fact that most of the plants we have in our gardens are from somewhere else. From Asia, the Antipodes, South Africa, to the Americas and continental Europe, these continents have supplied us for centuries with plants that fill our green spaces. Many are now so familiar and yet two hundred plus years ago they arrived as exotic specimens, delighting the Victorians and their predecessors.
Pouring liquids or even certain food items down the drain may seem like an easy way to clean up your kitchen or bathroom and prevent any further mess, but in some instances, you may be setting yourself up for clogs—or worse.
If you’ve been looking for ways to make gardening more practical this spring, we’ve got you covered. Not only can you add to your garden’s aesthetic with a sleek potting bench, but it will also make gardening much easier.
If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard deck, you likely want to maximize that extra square footage. But before you purchase new seasonal furniture or decor, keep in mind that if you want them and your deck to last, some items should only earn a temporary spot outdoors.
James Carriere
Left: Martin Zaiser / Getty Images; Right: ziprashantzi / Getty Images
While doing a deep clean or a massive decluttering can be both satisfying and rewarding, most will agree that it’s generally better to tackle your chores on a regular basis. But if you’re trying to create a weekly schedule, where to begin?
Instead of filling your medicine cabinet to the brim, think about the types of bathroom items that you can house under the sink instead to save some space. While not everything belongs under the sink, there are many products that you can safely store there, experts say.
Once you’ve planted your grass and watched it grow into a beautiful lawn (such a proud moment) the next step is figuring out the best way to maintain your lawn. Watering is a key component of this, which means lawn watering mistakes are also one of the most common headaches.