U of S student working full-time hours, extra shifts to handle inflation costs

Holly Kryzanowski is spending a lot of time and money keeping up with inflation as a full-time student and nanny.

The 21-year-old University of Saskatchewan psychology major described herself as budget-conscious. That’s why she moved into a basement suite in Martensville instead of a Saskatoon apartment when she came to the area.

She figured it would save her some of the extra city apartment costs, like pet fees and high power bills, and she wasn’t bothered by the commute.

As prices have risen, however, her decision has become a greater financial burden than she ever anticipated. Even with some of her fuel costs covered by her employers, Kryzanowski said her gas spending is significantly up.

“I’m kind of back at Square 1, because with how gas prices are going up, I’m spending more than I was initially when I moved out here,” Kryzanowski said.

Grocery shopping has become more of a burden, too. Kryzanowski said she tries to eat a healthy, balanced diet of meals she makes at home, but she’s had to cut her grocery list back to the bare essentials of dairy, meat and produce.

Living alone, Kryzanowski said she spends about $400 each month on groceries while shopping at Sobeys. That’s gone up by about $50 each week, even after cutting back.

Luxury items like snacks, cream cheese, iced coffee and chia seeds are things she doesn’t buy for herself anymore, although she draws the line at compromising on her coffee and juice.

“I won’t cut out my orange juice,” she said with a laugh.

While she can’t really do without things like milk and laundry detergent, Kryzanowski said she has been cutting everything she can to try and keep her bills manageable.

“I’ve cut back significantly on what I’m spending in-store and just making do and trying to buy bulk elsewhere,” she explained. “It just makes more sense, because I’m spending almost $500 a month on groceries.”

Flipping through fliers on her kitchen counter, Kryzanowski remarked on the cost of a small box of cereal — almost $5, about $2 more than a few months ago — and the price of yogurt that isn’t quite as good as it was last year, when she could get three containers for $10, not two for $7.

“I can’t rationalize buying that, especially when my money is better allocated elsewhere,” she said, scanning the pages of the grocery flier. “I mean, with COVID, I couldn’t find Corn Flakes anywhere for like a year.”

A loaf of bread recently cost her $6, Kryzanowski said.

Inflation at the grocery store has Kryzanowski spending extra time during her week seeking out the best deals and making a plan for her weekend, when she designates a chunk of her time off to visit multiple stores in an effort to minimize costs.

Taking classes is usually more than enough to occupy most students, but with rent to pay and hoping to put some money away for future expenses, Kryzanowski was already working full-time on top of her education.

She said she’s now finding herself seeking out extra shifts during whatever downtime she has, just to try and subsidize the increase to her personal bills — anything to feel stable and comfortable financially.

“It’s still pretty hard to make ends meet, and it’s not like I’m not working,” Kryzanowski said. “Every opportunity I can to make a little more money, I will take it.”

It has been a stressful time for her.

“I do find that I’m needing to be more aware than I normally am of my budget … I’m definitely pinching pennies more than I normally would,” Kryzanowski said.

Kryzanowski said her friends and family tell her to enjoy her 20s, but life right now feels a lot more strained.

“I’m not afraid of work. I do love my jobs … (but) it feels more like I’m working to survive than working to set myself up for life,” Kryzanowski said.