Save Money on Food

Compared to North America, food is very expensive in Buenos Aires (as a percentage of cost of living).  Here is how you can save LOTS of money on food.

1. Get familiar with prices, because they vary hugely, and there is no single supermarket that is cheaper than the rest.  In general, Supermercado del Dia is the cheapest, and Disco is the most expensive.  However, this is not the case for all products, and keep in mind that prices in chains vary, depending on what neighborhood they are in.  There are also your neighborhood Chinese grocery stores…and even the prices in these can vary significantly from stores two blocks apart. By knowing what is cheaper where, you´ll know what and where you should buy.
2. Keep your eye open for big sales.  Starting last year, the large supermarket chains (Coto, Disco, Jumbo, and Carrefour) began offering really big sales every so often.  These sales now happen as often as every week.  For example, for three weeks in a row, Carrefour had a sale where if you bought two of the same product, the second was 70% off…each week this sale was for different categories of products. This is equivalent to 35% off, a huge savings!!   You can find out about these deals by going to their websites, or keep your eyes open for ads posted around town.
3. Credit and debit cards – if you are able to get a bank account, make sure to get a debit and a credit card.  Each bank offers special discounts for certain days of the week at certain stores.  For example, Fridays you get 15% off with your Banco Frances Debit card in Jumbo.   **To get a bank account with a debit card, you need to have a temporary residency.  To get a credit card, you will need to have a DNI.
4. Get a membership card for the supermarkets you do your shopping in.   Most member cards build you points, so you can get free stuff later.  This may not be great if you are here for only a few months.  However, there are a few member cards, such as Supermercado del Dia, that offer immediate discounts if you have their card.  You can sign up for these cards for free, and you don´t need a DNI!
5. La Nacion club card – you can get this card if you purchase a subscription to La Nacion newspaper.   This is one of the best benefits cards, offering large discounts tons of restaurants, lots of 2 for 1 offers (including entrance fees to great shows), and discounts at movie theatres.

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