Shopping Mindfully: How to save $100’s on Groceries

As most Canadian families are now dealing with the insane inflation that has affected grocery stores across the country, I’ve found myself finding ways to feed my family healthy meals without breaking the bank.

 

 

According to an article in Forbes Advisor, as of February 2023, grocery prices in Canada had risen 10.6%! I don’t know about you but to me, that is absolute insanity! And I can tell you with 100% certainty that prices have only increased since February 2023.

 

The running joke Canadian Government is working with grocers in the country on a Grocery Code of Conduct which is to create more transparency and fairness between retailers and producers, help independent/local grocers, and encourage suppliers to do business in Canada with the hopes of increasing competition in the Grocery biz. The ultimate goal is to lower prices for consumers.

 

However, right now Canadian consumers are still faced with skyrocketing grocery prices with no end in sight. These are ways I’ve learned to keep my grocery bill (in Canada) to $250.00 per week for 5 people, which works out to about $50 per person for the week. Of course, some weeks are a bit more (I’ll share why later) and some are a lot less, but $250.00 is the average.

 

# 1. Shop at the cheapest grocery store in your area (no point in driving across town wasting gas to save a few bucks). Where I live in Canada we have; The Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills (both owned by Loblaw); Safeway, Sobey’s, and Freshco. (all three are owned by Empire Company Limited), Walmart and Costco. We do have a few independent grocers however with the cost of almost everything rising, as a Mom of 3 on a budget (who loves supporting local businesses), I have to choose the grocery store that offers the lowest prices.

 

For me, that is the Real Canadian Superstore. (I promise I am not getting any kind of kickbacks from Loblaw, it may cut into their bottom line) It is the closest store to my house which equals less gas used, they price match (also less gas used driving from store to store trying to get the deals) and they offer a pretty lucrative loyalty program with the Optimum points. Per the app, as of today, I’ve earned 3,632,395 Optimum points since 2018, which equals to $3,632 in free groceries (about 2 free grocery shops per year). *Expert tip: make sure you join all free loyalty programs for all stores in your area, some stores offer sale prices to loyalty cardholders only. So as much as I hate it, The Real Canadian Superstore is where I shop. Despite even their ridiculous price increases (last year a 5lb bag of apples was $6.99 and now that is the “sale” price), it is still the least expensive place to shop.

 

If you aren’t sure where you will get the most bang for your buck, do a mini mock shop in all the places nearest to you. It is important to know your prices. I’ve toyed with the idea of a Costco membership, but when I’ve gone as a guest and tallied up my faux grocery bill with all the staples I’d purchase each week, I’d spend at least $100.00 more each week doing a weekly shop at Costco. Trust me, at least in my house more apples do not mean they last longer, it just means my kids eat more faster. Although there are a few really good deals at Costco, if you are like me and the membership isn’t worth it, find someone who has one that is willing to let you tag along once in a while to check it out.

 

 

#2. Shop the sales!!! Price match when possible. Check your flyers every week to find out what is on sale at every store, I used to bring the whole stack of paper flyers with me but now I use the Flipp app on my phone. You can check all the flyers on the Flipp app a day before they are in effect, and you can make a list of all the deals you are interested in right in the app. There is also a search function, I use this constantly while shopping to make sure I’m not missing out on a deal when the price seems extremely high.

 

 

This is another one of the reasons I shop at the Real Canadian Superstore, they price match any store in the city and I save on gas driving from store to store. Walmart stopped price-matching about a year ago, and the Freshco in my area will only price-match select stores within a certain distance. However, they will only price-match exact brands (if they are listed in the flyer) and sometimes it’s necessary to make a trip to another store if the deal is too good to pass up. When a staple is on sale, I like to stock up.

 

 

#3. Stock up! Stock your pantry and your freezer. There are a few items my family uses in abundance such as ground beef, butter, chickpeas, black beans, paper towels, and toilet paper just to name a few. When any of these items go on sale, I’ll blow the budget a little, Lately, the regular price for a pound of butter can range from $5.99-$8.99 gulp! My family goes through at least a pound of butter per week, we will not be switching to margarine as I prefer real food (not to offend the margarine lovers out there – I grew up on margarine- but it’s not real food). So I get on my trusty Flipp app and if butter is on sale anywhere, I will either price match (if it’s a brand they sell at The Real Canadian Superstore) or I will make the trip to where it is on sale and stock up. I like to buy the max and sometimes, I’ll go back in and rebuy the max if the price cut is significant, Then I throw it in the freezer and pull it out as needed. This should be done with all staples that are shelf-safe or can be frozen. Make sure the items are things your family uses though, it’s not a deal if it will eventually end up in the trash, and make sure you are moving all the oldest items to the front of the pantry or top of the freezer so those get used first. This way when you are making your grocery list, you can shop your pantry/freezer first.

 

 

#4. Shop your pantry/freezer first. If you are stocking up on staples when they go on sale, most weeks you’ll only need to buy your perishables and maybe a few odds and ends. Take note of what you have before you make your way to the grocery store…

 

 

#5. Make a meal plan. I have a master list of meals I make regularly to make it easier, I separate all the meals into beef; poultry; vegetarian; and pork. Plan your meals for the week around what you already have in the house. Chicken in the freezer? Are peppers still sitting in the fridge begging to be eaten? Onions hanging out in the pantry? All you need to make fajitas are some tortillas, Meal #1 is done and it only costs you $5.00 or nothing if you use what is in your pantry when you learn to make them yourself.

 

 

#6. Make what you can from scratch. If you put in a little effort to learn, you will find there are a whole bunch of things you can make yourself instead of buying. All the ingredients should be in your stocked pantry (flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, baking powder…) I’ve found that homemade usually tastes better, has way fewer ingredients, and is generally all-around healthier for you. Whole wheat tortillas are made pretty regularly in my house (we love our Mexican food!) buns, pasta, and salad dressing, are all easy to make and are all made from very common ingredients you probably have in your home right now.

 

 

I will regularly buy a rotisserie chicken (I do stock up on whole fresh chickens when they are on sale, but usually the rotisserie chicken is much less expensive on the regular). Once we have used all the meat, we will throw the bones and leftover skin into the slow cooker with some veggies (onion, garlic, celery, carrot), S + P, and water and let it go for 24 hours and you have a good amount of chicken broth to throw in the freezer. We use this in any recipe that calls for chicken broth or when someone in the house gets sick. Expert tip: if you have the space, garden when you can, fresh garden vegetables are head and shoulders above anything you’d buy in the grocery store and most can be frozen for those winter months if you’ve grown in abundance.

 

 

#7. Eat/use all leftovers. Like the chicken carcass, we don’t let anything go to waste. Leftovers are used for lunches, frozen for another day or we will usually have a day where dinner is leftovers day. I like to make soups in bulk, eat some, and freeze some for busy days where making dinner by a decent hour is near impossible. It’s nice to defrost a soup container, heat it, and dinner is served! This will make stopping for takeout on those busy days less tempting, if there is a delicious lasagne in the freezer just waiting to be heated up and devoured, McDonald’s won’t seem as appealing.

 

 

Also, if leftovers aren’t that tempting to you, they can always be converted into something else. Made chicken and rice for dinner last night and the thought of eating it again makes you want to run to the nearest drive-thru and throw the chicken and rice into a frying pan with some veggies and soy sauce for a quick fried rice dinner. Or warm it up with some peppers, salsa, sour cream, and cheese and you have a chicken burrito (I know back to my Mexican food obsession).

 

 

#8. Cut the junk! This one will be the hardest for most people, but stop buying chips and cookies and granola bars and cakes and candy. It’s all just junk and offers no nutritional value. Instead, if you want something, make it yourself. Your pantry should be stocked and if you are craving that chocolate chip cookie, pull out your flour, butter, and eggs and make some. I guarantee they will taste better and they will be much more satisfying. Keep a jar of popcorn kernels in the pantry and if you feel like a snack, make one. Chickpeas are awesome roasted and you can use different spices to suit your favourite flavours. Keeping junk out of your house will make it less tempting to eat (who wants to drive to the convenience store at 9 pm right before sitting down to watch your favourite show just to buy a bag of chips?) and will keep you and your family healthier.

 

Follow these tips and your bank account will thank you!

P.S don’t forget to go with the flow.

 

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