It doesn't look like the cost of groceries in Canada will be getting cheaper any time soon and with that in mind, I've been taking a hard look at my grocery shopping habits and looking for ways to save myself some money.
As it turns out, there are quite a few mistakes that I've been making that have been costing me in the long run, so after implementing some grocery tips and tricks, I've managed to cut the cost of my weekly shop down.
Times are tough, and I know I've definitely been struggling with my food bill. If you are too, here's a look at some of the ways I was inadvertently racking up costs — and how I've fixed the problems.
Not price-matching
Several grocery stores in Canada such as No Frills, FreshCo and Real Canadian Superstore offer price-matching, which means that if you see an item at a different chain for a cheaper price than they have advertised, they'll match the lower price.
Of course, there are some exceptions to this, such as specifying which geographic locations you can price match to, but if you spotted your favourite tin of chicken noodle soup on sale at Metro and you know you're going to No Frills, you can likely get the Metro price at No Frills if you can prove that the former has a lower price than the latter.
Not shopping around
I can be a pretty lazy human and sometimes I simply do not want to go to more than one grocery store to do my weekly shop, but after seeing the difference it makes in my food bill, it's worth it.
Instead of doing my whole shop at one store, I now buy my produce, snacks and most dairy products from either No Frills or Nations. Then, for my meats and speciality items, I'll take a look around and see what store has the best price for the protein I'll be cooking for the week and go to the store with the cheapest option.
Yes it makes my errands a bit longer, but I genuinely save at least $10 every time by going to two stores.
Not using meal-saving apps
Bakery products from Metro via Too Good To Go.
I recently discovered an app called Too Good To Go, and y'all, it saves me so much money.
The app works by connecting you to nearby restaurants and stores that have food items that are still good to eat but might be going out of date soon.
I rarely shop at Metro due to their prices being higher, but through Too Good To Go, I've been getting a bag of "surprise goods" from their bakery counter for $5.99.
In my most recent bag, I got two Kaiser buns, two onion buns, two cheese bagels, a pesto flatbread, six cheesy bread sticks, two naans and a pack of mini cinnamon croissants.
All of that together would easily cost over $20, but by shopping through the app I get to save some cash by not having to pay full prices for my bread products.
Not checking our bill
Grapes at the grocery store.
When my boyfriend came home and excitedly told me he bought grapes for $2.99, I was almost positive he was wrong.
I made him find his bill and double check what the actual cost was, and lo and behold, the grapes he thought were $2.99 were actually $2.99 per pound — meaning he paid almost $8 for a fruit that is not worth that price.
He's learned his lesson and, thanks to his new bill-checking habit, he'll always know exactly how much he's spending on something to avoid making costly mistakes in the future.
Not storing produce properly
I love having a big salad for lunch, but the way baby spinach gets weird and wilted after two days in the fridge is infuriating.
I recently learned that if you slip a sheet or two of paper towel in the leaves it sucks up the excess moisture that leads to the product going soggy. It helps any kind of lettuce I buy last a few extra days, which saves me from having to spend more money to get my greens in.
Everyone has their own tips and tricks to stretch the shelf length of certain items and this is by far the most useful one I've come across in terms of savings.
Not checking Flipp for best prices
Flipp on Sarah's phone comparing the price of chicken.
There are a variety of grocery price comparison apps out there that show you where to score the cheapest items — and my favourite one is Flipp.
After entering your location, it scours the grocery stores around you for prices and presents all of your options. For instance, if you search "chicken," it'll show you where you can find the cheapest price per pound in your neighbourhood.
I usually shop at the No Frills beside my apartment, but if I know chicken is going to be the main protein for my weekly meals and Flipp shows me it's a few dollars cheaper at another store, I will 100% go out of my way to shop there instead.
I've noticed that doing this can knock up to $5 off my weekly bill — it might not seem like huge savings, but it all adds up!
Not freezing produce
I can be a bit lazy with my cooking, so sometimes the veg I've bought for a stir fry, for example, ends up sitting there for longer than I intended and it starts to show signs of going off.
Instead of throwing it out, I've started chucking everything in my freezer so I can later add it to various meals.
Celery looking a little limp? Dice it up, freeze it, then add it to a bolognese later.
Bananas have gotten riper than you like? Freeze and add them into your next smoothie!
I also freeze bread and bagels — when I'm ready to eat them I just pop them in the toaster and they come out exactly as if they'd never been frozen.
Of course, these are tips that work for me, and what works for you might look a little different.
In terms of federal assistance, in July, around 11 million Canadians will be receiving financial help to help offset food prices via the new grocery rebate.
Low and modest-income folks can get up to $234 if they are single with no children, up to $467 as a couple with two children and up to $225 as senior citizens.
Best of luck, shoppers!
This article has been updated since it was originally published on May 16, 2023.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
