13 Ways To Save On Groceries
Food prices in Canada have increased sharply over the past year, and Canada’s Food Price Report predicts a further increase of 5% to 7% in 2023 (1). The food categories anticipated to increase the most this coming year include bakery, dairy, meat and vegetables. Putting nutritious food on the table is getting increasingly harder for many Canadians. With that in mind, there are a variety of ways to save some money at the checkout. Depending on your needs, some cost savings strategies may work better than others. We have compiled a list of strategies that you can try on your next grocery store trip!
Prepare Meals With Plant Based Proteins More Often
Protein sources such as dried beans, lentils, and less processed soy products are nutritious and generally easier on the wallet than meat. If you eat meat daily, try incorporating one or two meatless days into your week.
Adding lentils or beans to your meat recipes can also help stretch your meat a lot further. In recipes that call for ground meat, replace a portion with canned (drained) lentils. This will reduce the quantity of meat per serving, and add some heart healthy and gut healthy fibre to your recipe.
We like to replace half the meat quantity with lentils, but you can experiment and see what proportions work for you. This strategy works well for meals like burgers, taco filling, meat sauces, and meatballs, to name a few.
You can also try adding beans to a meat dish that doesn’t typically call for beans, for example, adding chickpeas to a meat curry, or adding navy beans to a meat stew.
Use A Weekly Flyer/Deal App
Apps such as Flipp and Save.ca aggregate weekly flyers from many stores in one convenient place. Just choose your favourite stores in the app, and start taking advantage of weekly deals.
Buy Frozen and Canned Fruits & Vegetables
While prices of fresh fruits and vegetables have risen noticeably over the past year, the prices of frozen and canned fruits & vegetables have not seen such a sharp increase. Frozen/canned produce is nutritious and versatile! Veggies can be used in sauces, soups, stews, pasta bakes, shepherd’s or cottage pies, etc. Frozen fruits are great for smoothies, chia jam, on oatmeal, in crisps and many other desserts and snacks.
Plan Your Meals And Make A Shopping List
Make sure you have a solid plan and shopping list before you hit the grocery store. Planning your meal and snack recipes for the week and sticking to a grocery list will help to save money by preventing food waste and more impulsive purchases.
Compare Unit Prices
Look for the price per 100g of each item on your grocery list. This price is listed in small print on the main price tag. Knowing how much you are paying for each 100 grams of food in the package makes it easier to compare different sized food packages to see which one is a better deal.
Buy In Bulk and Share With Family or Friends
Food products are often less expensive per unit when purchased in bulk. If you are living alone or in a small household, it might not make sense to buy in bulk solo due to storage space limitations or inability to use the foods while they are still fresh. However, shopping and sharing the food item and cost with friends or family from a different household can help you take advantage of this way of saving.
Look Into Community Resources
Communities often have a variety of food related resources that can be utilized. Examples include food programs offered through Community Health Centres (CHCs), food banks, foodshares, local churches, and other community organizations. City websites are a good place to start your search. For example, https://www.mississaugahaltonhealthline.ca/ lists food programs under their page titled ‘Food Banks and Community Food Programs- Mississauga Halton’.
Take Advantage of Price Matching
Price matching can save you time, money, and trips to multiple grocery stores for the purpose of saving money on certain products. Larger grocery retailers will often match or beat a competitor’s price on a food item if requested by the customer.
Buy Generic Brands
Generic food brands such as no name, PC, Compliments, Irresistables, and Kirkland offer a wide range of food products at a lower price compared to brand name products. More often than not, the quality and taste are on par with brand name products.
Buy Discounted Foods Nearing Their Best Before Date
Fresh and prepared foods nearing the Best Before date (meats, salad kits, prepared meals, etc.) will often be discounted up to 30% by large grocery store chains. Take advantage of the discount if you are able to use the product within a day or two, or if you are able to freeze the food product until ready to use.
Just to note, the ‘Best Before’ date is different from an expiration date - it is a date that indicates freshness of a product rather than safety. In the case of foods highly susceptible to food spoilage (such as meats), it is safest to use by the Best Before date, or freeze by the Best Before date if planning to use later.
Explore Smaller/Independent Grocers in Your Neighbourhood
Independent fruit and vegetable grocers and smaller scale Asian grocery stores often have reasonably priced produce, meat, and seafood. Be sure to check out these stores in your neighborhood.
Take Advantage of Rewards Programs
If you regularly shop at a store that offers a reward program (such as PC Optimum), then take advantage and save up points to redeem on future grocery trips.
Cook At Home More Often
Preparing meals at home using minimally processed ingredients is often a more nutritious option than purchasing ready made or frozen meals, and will help keep more money in your wallet.
References
Charlebois, Sylvain & Somogyi, Simon & Smyth, Stuart & Wiseman, Kelleen (2022). Canada's Food Price Report 2023. Retrieved on January 10, 2023 from https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/canada-s-food-price-report-2023.html
By: Pauline Bakowski, MHSc, RD
Reviewed by: Cheryl Ching, MSc, RD & Kristie Pun, MHSc, RD
Published on January 14, 2023
