Hello!

Hi there! I'm Michelle, a Registered Dietitian in Toronto, Ontario. I'm also a married mom of 2, living in one of the most expensive cities in the world, with an unpredictable household income. After maternity leave, my husband losing his job, and (literally) eating through all our savings just to pay for the basic necessities before I went back to work, we were left scrabbling for coins under the couch every month just to make ends meet. With ever growing debt and no end in sight, we had to learn to be creative to manage our household expenses and keep our family fed. I learned strategies and tools along the way to make groceries and food one of our smallest budget line items, while trying still to maximize nutrition quality for my kids and us adults.

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That's where Nourish on a Nickel was born.

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Times are tough right now. Food prices are constantly rising, along with the cost of basically everything else, making it really hard for a lot of families to get through the month with full bellies and any money left over. And, as a working parent, it's really hard emotionally and mentally to come to terms with being food insecure. There is a lot of stigma around food insecurity and needing to access community resources or food banks, especially when you make a decent salary on paper. Those resources are for people who *really* need them. It's hard to discover that you might be one of those people. It's even harder to actually ask for help.

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Nourish on a Nickel is my venue to share what I've learned, and hopefully offer some new insights into strategies that you can use to access food without breaking the bank. This site isn't just for families; you'll find content here that applies to anyone, whether you're living with food insecurity or just want to reduce your food bill enough to ease the pressure on your other debts. Whether you're single, coupled, a college student or a senior citizen, I hope that you will find something here that will support your journey to financial freedom, starting with your grocery cart.