Budget-Friendly Ways To Support Sustainable Travel

Use a Grocery List

Buy In Bulk On Sale Items

So many things freeze beautifully. When items that you use regularly are on sale, from bread to butter to meat, snap them up in bulk. Although the savings seems minimal, when you add it up over a year’s worth of purchases, the amount of money you keep in your pocket will be significant. Plus, if you buy in bulk, you’re always guaranteed to have your favorite ingredients on hand.

Stockpile In The Freezer Section

If you’re doing things right and stockpiling, then you’re going to make good use of your freezer. Although we want to eat our favorite fruits and vegetables year-round, buying things in season is significantly cheaper, which means that when these items are affordable and available you’re going to want to stock up. Even if you’re buying pre-frozen fruits and vegetables, you’re saving money, and the research shows that you’re not losing any nutrients by doing so.

Shop In Season

Enjoy More Casseroles

Casseroles do not belong in the 1950s. In fact, they are every bit as valuable today as they were 70 years ago. Why? Because they’re a healthy and delicious way to stretch out pricier ingredients and feed more mouths. You could feed each person one chicken breast or you could use two in an entire casserole which will feed you both for dinner and leave you with leftovers for lunch the next day. If you’re not sure where to begin, find tons of Brit + Co casserole recipe inspiration.

Use Herbs and Spices

Scenting your meals with a handful of herbs and spices is a good way to add a lot of flavor with little extra cost. Bonus points if you grow your own herbs. Also, you should definitely be buying spices in the international section of the store. I recently noticed that an ounce of cloves costs $3.79 in the spice aisle but 99 cents in the international section.

Go Meatless Most Days

Meatless Mondays are all fine and dandy, but if you really want to save a few extra dollars, you need to make more than one day of the week meat-free. Not to mention, it’s better for your overall health to eat less meat. Studies show that people who eat less meat have a lower risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. So you’ll be doing something good for your wallet, and your well-being to boot.

Get Cash Back On Groceries

Credit cards, like Credit One Visa and American Express offer cash back on groceries — a simple win for saving cash when grocery bills are higher than ever.

The original poster on Reddit, an Aldi fan for sure, totaled up a basic grocery list consisting of 22 items from Aldi and concluded: “All I can say is, wow. I know I’m preaching to the choir here but these savings are insane.”

The Redditor also provided grocery list totals for several other popular grocery stores to compare the Aldi list to. They also made sure to note that they get their grocery shopping done in the Chicagoland area, so that could definitely explain why the numbers may be a little different where you live. Knowing that, here’s what they came up with:

• Aldi: $60.40
• Walmart: $74.80 (24% higher)
• Jewel: $83.90 (39% higher)
• Whole Foods: $103.51 (71% higher)

We did the heavy lifting and concocted a similar grocery list for Trader Joe’s. For reference, see the Aldi bill above, and the TJ’s bill in the bullet points below:

The Trader Joe's List

1. Tiny Fruity Cuties Cereal (like Fruit Loops) $3.99
2. Everything but the Bagel Seasoned Crackers (This was the most similar TJ’s product to Aldi’s cheese crackers we could find, plus most of TJ’s crackers average around $2.99 anyways.) $2.99
3. Saltines (TJ’s no longer sells their version of saltines, but according to one Redditor, they were $1.99.) $1.99
4. Avocado oil$7.99 (Two more dollars than Aldi!)
5. Organic black beans $1.19
6. Unscented deodorant $4.99
7. Brownie Truffle Baking Mix $3.97 (Two more dollars than Aldi!)
8. Romaine hearts (We weren't able to find an organic option listed on TJ’s site.) $2.99
9. Large eggs $4.99
10. Multicolor peppers (Only organic is listed on TJ’s site.) $2.99
11. Green peppers (Only red organic peppers are listed on TJ’s site.) $3.99
12. Seedless cucumber (The only comparable option TJ’s has for the Aldi’s list above is the Persian cucumbers.) $2.49
13. Mild cheddar cheese (The only comparable option TJ’s has for the Aldi list above is the Shredded Unexpected Cheddar Cheese.) $4.99
14. Cilantro (This isn’t listed on TJ’s site, but they do sell it in-store. Various sources report different prices for cilantro. Abillion forums say it’s $1.29, but Taste of Home reports $1.99. We're averaging the two for a final item price.) $1.64
15. Tuna pouch $1.79
16. Hummus (Only organic is listed on TJ’s site.) $2.99
17. Yellow onion (Assuming 1 since the quantity isn't clear in the Aldi list above.) $0.99
18. Red onion (Assuming 1 since the quantity isn't clear in the Aldi list above. TJ’s doesn’t have red onion listed on their site, so we're also assuming it’s a similar price to their yellow onion.) $0.99
19. Carrots (Assuming 1 since the quantity isn't clear in the Aldi list above. Only organic is listed on TJ’s site.) $2.49
20. Avocados(Pack of 4, like Aldi.) $5.99
21. Celery (TJ’s doesn't have celery listed on their site, but they do sell it in-store. For this comparison, we're assuming it’s the same price as Aldi’s celery.) $1.69
22. Potato chips (TJ’s doesn't have baked chips like Aldi does, so we went with the most basic potato chip option to compare, the Ridge Cut Potato Chips with Sea Salt.) $3.99

Aldi vs. Trader Joe's: The Price Comparison

Aldi’s total came to $58.75 without tax, while the Trader Joe’s total ended up clocking in at $68.14 without tax for (mostly) similar items on the Aldi list. That means that TJ’s only came to cost $9.39 more than Aldi for a very comparable haul. 🤔

So, who really wins the Aldi vs. Trader Joe’s debate? If you were to measure it solely by the numbers, it’d be Aldi – though the margins aren’t as big as they are at, say, Whole Foods (71% more, remember?!) or drastically big in general.

Aldi vs. Trader Joe's: Who's The Winner?

Both Aldi and Trader Joe's definitely have their respective charms. While Aldi boasts a fan-favorite ‘aisle of shame’ and a streamlined store design, Trader Joe’s never stops the flow of fun, new products that keep fans in a chokehold. If you’re set on choosing a clear winner, we say go with your heart – going off of this basic comparison, you’ll honestly end up spending a similar amount of money shopping at Aldi vs. Trader Joe’s.

The Battle of the Darcy's: Matthew Macfadyen VS. Colin Firth

In this week's episode of Yap City, we're talking all things Pride & Prejudice, Mr. Darcy, and historical romance. The 2005 adaptation starring Keira Knightley as Lizzy Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy (which turns 20 on November 11) is returning to select theaters April 20.

"I've grown to love the 2005 version with Keira Knightley more just because it makes me feel so deeply and I just always feel so many butterflies in my stomach by the end," I say in the latest episode. "I feel like it's more a more emotional depiction of the story."

"I'm definitely team 2005," Kayla agrees. "I just think the cast of 2005 is better in my opinion, and it does a good job of being like ethereal and just fully immersing you into what I imagine Jane Austen's world was or what she wanted it to be when she was writing."

Both the 2005 and the 1995 Pride & Prejudice give us some seriously swoon-worthy moments from Mr. Darcy like Colin Firth diving into a lake or Matthew Macfadyen walking through the fog. "Every single time, no matter how many times I watch it, I always think the camera is going to pan or it's gonna cut to Elizabeth," I say. "Something about it just makes me feel at peace."

But there's nothing as immortal as Mr. Darcy's hand flex.

What does Mr. Darcy's hand flex mean?

One of the most enduring moments from the movie (if not in 21st century cinema) is when Mr. Darcy helps Elizabeth into a carriage, and then flexes his hand as he walks back into the house. But what does the hand flex mean?

"He was so affected by touching her hand, because men and women didn't really touch unless it was moments like you were helping them into the carriage or escorting them somewhere," Kayla points out. But that's not the only reason she loves Matthew's version of Mr. Darcy over Colin Firth's.

"I just think he fully captured [the] gentleness that he had towards her while also maintaining that straightforward bluntness that kind of has you wonder if he's rude or if that's just how he is," she continues.

"Matthew has really grown on me because I feel like he has a sweetness that some of the other adaptations didn't give me as a viewer or I didn't pick up on them in the same way," I agree. "When you reach the end of the 2005 Pride & Prejudice, and even when you rewatch, you can identify that he really is just uncomfortable and anxious instead of just straight mean."

Where can I watch Pride & Prejudice 2005?

Pride & Prejudice is re-releasing in theaters for a limited time starting April 20, 2025. You can also stream it on Netflix right now.

Who's in the Pride & Prejudice cast?

The Pride & Prejudice cast makes this one of the best movies of the 2000s. Here's who you'll see in the movie:

• Keira Knightley as Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet: an intelligent, headstrong woman determined to marry for love.
• Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy: the new wealthy bachelor in town who appears to have a chip on his shoulder.
• Rosamund Pike as Jane Bennet: Lizzy's romantic and gentle older sister who falls for Mr. Bingley.
• Simon Woods as Charles Bingley: Mr. Darcy's friendly and kind best friend who falls for Jane.
• Rupert Friend as George Wickham: a mysterious figure from Darcy's past who turns Lizzy's head.
• Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Bennet: Lizzy's dramatic mother who wants to see all five of her daughters married.
• Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet: Lizzy's quiet father who loves to sit and read in his study.
• Jena Malone as Lydia Bennet: Lizzy's youngest sister whose behavior borders on scandalous.
• Carey Mulligan as Catherine "Kitty" Bennet: Lizzy's second-youngest sister who feels overshadowed by Lydia.
• Talulah Riley as Mary Bennet: The studious middle Bennet sister who plays the piano.
• Tom Hollander as Mr. Collins: a Bennet cousin who's next in line to inherit their home.
• Judi Dench as Lady Catherine de Bourgh: Mr. Darcy's wealthy and esteemed aunt.
• Kelly Reilly as Caroline Bingley: Mr. Bingley's sister.
• Tamzin Merchant as Georgiana Darcy: Mr. Darcy's younger sister.
• Claudie Blakley as Charlotte Lucas: Lizzy's best friend.
• Cornelius Booth as Colonel Fitzwilliam: Mr. Darcy's cousin.
• Penelope Wilton as Mrs. Gardiner: Lizzy's aunt.
• Peter Wight as Mr. Gardiner: Lizzy's uncle.