Here's How To Cut Back Your Grocery Bill With Low-Cost Staples From Dollarama

Tomato and Herb Pasta

When it comes to the dollar store, you will likely find no shortage of grub that harkens back to your days chumming it up in a university residence. Instant ramen and Kraft Dinner are typically in high supply (and you'll find the pricing is often significantly cheaper than identical products offered at major grocery store).

However, it takes next to no effort to whip up a pasta dish that packs a bit more flavour and a lot more nutrients (and won't stain your insides orange). Just get your sauce warmed up in a pan while your pasta cooks.

Addison says it's not too hard to pack additional nutrients into your sauce. For those on a serious budget, she recommends adding cannellini or other white beans for protein, plus odds and ends veggies in your fridge or "really any frozen vegetable" to upgrade your sauce.

"I find frozen broccoli is a really great addition to a pasta dish because it doesn't really matter if they're super crispy once it's in the sauce," she says.

Dollar Store Ingredients (Versus Loblaws Price in Brackets):

• Penne pasta (400 g) — $1.00 ($2.19)
• Hunt's tomato sauce (680 mL) — $2.00 ($2.99)

Loaded Fruit and Nuts Salad

You're not going to find many vegetables at the dollar store — and those you do locate will decidedly be of the canned variety.

However, herbivores will discover a number of great salad-toppers, like roasted nuts and seeds.

"The pumpkin seeds and cashews — they're both amazing," Addison says of the Dollarama selection. "There are a lot of healthy fats, which are great for salads because they help keep you satisfied for a longer period of time."

While there's a bit of protein in the nuts and seeds, Addison recommends adding chicken or another sturdier protein to really elevate the nutrients. (I'd humbly suggest a sliced boiled egg myself.)

Pair the proteins with a burst of sweetness, like mandarin orange slices, and you've got the start of a sweet and savoury salad on the cheap — just swing by another store for some lettuce, arugula or spinach.

"A lot of people are kind of turned off by salads, just because they don't like a specific green," says Addison. "So get whatever works for your personal taste preference; it will make it a lot more likely that you'll actually eat it."

Dollar Store Ingredients (Versus Loblaws Price in Brackets):

• Roasted cashews (100 g) — $2.50 ($3.59)
• Pumpkin seeds (100 g) — $2.00 ($2.59)
• Canned mandarin slices (284 ml) — $1.25 ($1.99)
• Sultana raisins (225 g) — $1.25 ($2.18)

Rice Coconut Curry

Coconut milk is a staple ingredient for many of your favourite restaurant-quality curries, bringing a creamy richness that balances out the heat of the spices. It can also be pretty pricey. Not so at my local Dollarama.

While your rice is cooking in a separate pot, start sautéing your spices. Once those are fragrant, add your veggies of choice. "I usually use carrots," Addison says. "You can just chop them up really small, and maybe add some onion to give it a little more flavour." Mix in the coconut milk and tomato paste (or canned whole tomatoes, finely chopped up); the tomato brings the savoury umami that will give your curry depth.

And feel free to add whatever protein you like — chicken, shrimp, tofu, boiled eggs, you name it. Addison suggests canned chickpeas, which are both budget-friendly and easy to incorporate into a curry.

Top it off with chopped cilantro and green onion; some fresh herbs will bring a needed blast of freshness, both in the taste and in the looks department. You'll have plenty of dry rice and spices leftover, bringing down the cost of future meals as well.

Dollar Store Ingredients (Versus Loblaws Price in Brackets):

• Basmati rice (800 g) — $2.50 ($4.79)
• Coconut milk (400 ml) — $1.50 ($3.99)
• Tomato paste (156 g) — $0.75 ($1.39)
• Curry powder (125 g) — $2.25 ($3.99)

Fish Salad on Crackers

Look, the canned fish from the dollar store isn't going to be the same quality as what you might find at a speciality European grocer. Still, there's a great reason to make dollar store fish part of your lunchtime or snack routine.

"Salmon and tuna both have a lot of Omega-3 healthy fats in them," Addison explains — plus they're easy to pair with veggies as part of a fish salad mix, she adds.

Combine your tuna with some mayo, chopped red onion, celery and pickle, and whatever seasoning you like. You could form your tuna salad into little patties and melt some cheddar cheese over them in a frying pan or simply treat the mix as a dip for crackers.

Alternatively, you could use canned salmon to make a similar mix with mayo, red onions, capers and fresh dill, giving your dip a bit of bagels-and-lox flavour palette.

"As a dietician, I love snacky lunches," says Addison." I find them really easy to prep ahead of time — then just grab when you're running between things."

Dollar Store Ingredients (Versus Loblaws Price in Brackets):

• Canned Tuna (130 g) — $1.00 ($1.99)
• Canned Salmon (200 g) — $2.25 ($3.99)
• Corn Cakes (120 g) — $1.50 ($3.50)
• Capers in Vinegar (125 ml) — $2.00 ($3.49)