Food Costs > Ottawa > Conversations with AI
START -> Open your favorite AI too.
We use ChatGPT+ but there are many AI options available.
1. Tell AI about Your Family
Ages of members of your family, describe your home, enter postal code, income range (high, middle, lower). Do not give AI any personal identification information. No names, no addresses.
2. Tell AI About the Foods You Eat and Where
Typical foods you eat, where you get your food -- name of stores, Farmers Market -- how often you eat meals prepared at home, how often you eat out and where, how often you get food delivered and type of food (pizza, Chinese, shawarma).
3. Instruct AI to estimate your costs for Food and to Suggest Ways to Reduce Costs
"Use the information I have submitted to estimate my family's food costs for a year and suggest ways that we can reduce our costs. Include estimates of costs for food prepared and eaten at home vs. costs for food delivered or eaten away from home."
4. Review AI's Response
Did AI give you a reasonable estimate for your foot costs for the year? Did AI offer good suggestions on how to reduce costs?
5. Ask for clarification. Let AI know of unsatisfactory responses.
If the estimates are not helpful, explain why, provide more information, such as your estimate of food costs. Are any suggestions "off the wall"? Ask to explain or clarify.
6. Drill Deeper > Breakfasts
Now focus on breakfasts. Enter into AI typical breakfasts for each member of the family - what they eat, where they eat (at home, school, Tim Horton's). Then ask AI to estimate your costs for breakfasts for the year and suggest ways to cut costs.
7. Next > Lunches
Same for lunches.
8. Next > Dinners
Same for dinners.
9. Next > Snacks & Drinks.
Same for snacks. You could ask AI to also estimate costs per weight of nutrition, comparing current choices for snacks and drinks to suggested "better" choices.
10. Other Priorities than just Cost?
Instruct AI to revise its suggestions but to give priority to what matters to you and your family in addition to food costs. Examples: Tell AI to give priority to the environmental impact of food choices such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Or priority to foods that are healthier. Or to foods that are less vulnerable to supply chain disruptions or climate events (droughts, floods).
Examples of Possible Ways to Reduce Food Costs
Reduce
- What you buy: ask "Do I really need to buy this? Is it necessary?"
- Where you buy - be aware of higher food costs for prepared food
- Waste - only buy what you need
Innovate
- Buy direct from producers
- Buy in bulk and store
- Buy produce in season
- Grow some of your own food
Collaborate
Collaborate
- Buy in bulk with other families
- Buy direct from producers and wholesalers
- Participate in community and potluck dinners when "eating out"