ideas on how to save money on groceries

Join a wholesale store. In the long run, you save a lot if you plan well.

I don't know if you have Target in Canada (I'd assume you do) but a lot of times target has things on clearance. It's on the end caps of the aisles (not the main walkways but the back aisles) and a lot of times I can find good deals on things and stock up. In all fairness most of these things are going to be somewhat processed but you can find spices and nuts and things sometimes.

We also recently started buying frozen chicken breasts, fish filets, and shrimp. It's very expensive to do this but if you can find the right place it's way cheaper than buying fresh and actually tastes better. Trader Joe's (again not sure if you have TJ's in Canada) is really cheap for fish and shrimp and it's immediately flash frozen so it tastes super fresh and delicious. Safeway here is where I've found the best deal on frozen chicken breasts.

Also -- Buy in bulk as others have said. Especially if the bulk stuff is on sale. I go to Costco all the time and pay attention to their coupons/sales. Definitely good deals to be found.

I don't know if you have Target in Canada (I'd assume you do)

Target in Canada has lost over a billion dollars since coming to Canada ... it is not at all like the US stores, which is largely to blame for its failure. Many people can just go south .. and get better deals.

But re this post ... stock up when you see the deals. And sometimes one store is cheaper .. like Superstore or Walmart .. but one store is not consistently cheaper.

I have enough of some products to last me a while .. and yes cheap in Canada is not going to happen. The only solution is to move to the US where things are a lot cheaper.

I hear ya. Food in Canada is a lot more expensive. Whenever I go visit my parents in the states and I go to the grocery store I marvel at how cheap things are.

Try to stock up when things go on sale.

Plan your meals ahead of time so that you don't have too much waste. You might have to shop a little more often but that has saved us money definitely.

Buy generic or no-name brands instead of brand names for things. Generally the generic tastes exactly the same as the brand name product. Except ketchup. Heinz is the only way to go for me but I'm a ketchup purist. :laugh:

Walmart will price match all fliers.

My brother did the same grocery run at Safeway, Sobey's and Superstore 3 times and Superstore came out 30% cheaper.

Buy bulk frozen chicken when it's on sale? I go to Safeway for mine because they've prepped it much better than the other stores (much higher quality - which is important for my favourite way of cooking it).

Otherwise... I'm totally in for more tips. I want to save money too. I know I should be keeping a grocery book with me to log prices of produce so I know when something is a good price and such, but I haven't actually started doing it yet. Seems like such a hassle.

I shop almost exclusively at Superstore (live right behind one). Their loyalty program is pretty good with the PC Plus and the PC Financial World Credit Card. Plus I get gas there too so that helps. I am curious how Walmart would compare. But I'd have to drive there. I find knowing I have to carry it all home keeps me from buying things I don't need. And I hate going so I'm not tempted to do extra trips.

Edit: I've heard good things about Costco if you like to buy bulk BUT you need to buy Costco ONLY when their things are on sale otherwise it comes out more expensive than buying elsewhere. Plus you have to pay for a membership unless you have a friend you could join on shopping trips.

Otherwise... I'm totally in for more tips. I want to save money too. I know I should be keeping a grocery book with me to log prices of produce so I know when something is a good price and such, but I haven't actually started doing it yet. Seems like such a hassle.

Agreed. It's something I have thought about doing too. If you have a general idea of what's in season though you can usually make pretty good guesses on whether or not prices are good. For example the asparagus season here is relatively short so I always buy a ton when it's in season because it goes from $5-$6 per pound to around $2 usually.

There are a lot of little things you can do. You can sign up for online sites to get coupons that they'll mail to you (save.ca etc) and those probably save me $20 or so a month. I wish we could coupon like the states haha.

But sometimes it's about being willing to do repetition and basics. I always have brown rice or quinoa in the house, I buy meat in bulk and freeze it in the portions I need it in, and when things are really tight, I eat pretty repetitive.

The best thing you can do is shop sale items only: strawberries on sale this week but the bananas you wanted aren't? get the strawberries, and so on. If you look at what's on sale, you can build a kind of tentative meal plan and figure out what you have to buy.

Also, if you ever need a specific ingredient for something and it's kind of expensive or you don't need nearly as much as grocery stores sell it for, look at bulk barn. That's where I get any nuts I want, my whole wheat flour, etc.

Try to plan your meals and only buy the things you know you'll need to avoid waste and unnecessary purchases. Buying things like oats, rice, quinoa, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds in bulk saves a lot of money and is a super easy way to have lots of nutritious things around that won't go bad quickly. Also, buying out-of-season produce frozen instead of fresh will probably save you money.

I agree with meal planning. I have a whiteboard in my kitchen and keep track of all the food I have in both my freezer and pantry. I use that to plan dinner meals for each week. I then only need to buy what I need because I know at all times what I have. I also make a lot of soup from chicken bones as you can get a lot of food with very little.

Also check out the student union ticket pack if there is on in your area. They have tones of 2 for1 coupons and they will have save $5 when you spend $50 at Safeway and M&M Meats. The book is $20 but I have saved hundreds

Look for blogs related to grocery deals.

Here in Phoenix, I visit www.thecentsableshoppin.com. They review the ads for most local stores and match the sales with coupons from the newspaper so you can get even better deals. It isn't extreme couponing, it is shopping strategically. I don't buy 50 bottles of ketchup at a time, but I might be able to get some free or very cheap items. They also have tips on how to shop smart. I also use this method to help shop for the local food bank. I don't eat a lot of the processed foods and I'm picky about my hygiene and cleaning products, but I'm happy to donate items I get for free or for pennies!

Beyond that - stick to the perimeter of your store. Processed food costs more and offers less nutritional benefit than produce, meat, dairy, etc. I mostly go to the inner aisles for rice, pasta, and beans, and I buy those in bulk when possible. I especially like to buy dried beans in bulk, then cook and freeze large batches once a month or so.

If you buy meat or cheese in bulk, consider investing in a vacuum sealer. It keeps food fresh much longer.

I don't know if you have Target in Canada (I'd assume you do) but a lot of times target has things on clearance. It's on the end caps of the aisles (not the main walkways but the back aisles) and a lot of times I can find good deals on things and stock up. In all fairness most of these things are going to be somewhat processed but you can find spices and nuts and things sometimes.

We also recently started buying frozen chicken breasts, fish filets, and shrimp. It's very expensive to do this but if you can find the right place it's way cheaper than buying fresh and actually tastes better. Trader Joe's (again not sure if you have TJ's in Canada) is really cheap for fish and shrimp and it's immediately flash frozen so it tastes super fresh and delicious. Safeway here is where I've found the best deal on frozen chicken breasts.

Also -- Buy in bulk as others have said. Especially if the bulk stuff is on sale. I go to Costco all the time and pay attention to their coupons/sales. Definitely good deals to be found.

If you're not sure about TJ's being in Canada, why not look it up first? You just gave OP info re: a store we don't have in Canada. Target doesn't sell anything but snack foods in Canada. Target sucks and should promptly close shop and get out. OP, food here in Canada is more expensive because of shipping produce from afar, our meat/dairy are of higher quality...means more $/lb. Shop farmer's markets, bulk dry good stores and stock up when you see sales. Freeze portions of extra meat, go veg some nights and batch cook. Make lists and stick to them!

I don't know if you have Target in Canada (I'd assume you do) but a lot of times target has things on clearance. It's on the end caps of the aisles (not the main walkways but the back aisles) and a lot of times I can find good deals on things and stock up. In all fairness most of these things are going to be somewhat processed but you can find spices and nuts and things sometimes.

We also recently started buying frozen chicken breasts, fish filets, and shrimp. It's very expensive to do this but if you can find the right place it's way cheaper than buying fresh and actually tastes better. Trader Joe's (again not sure if you have TJ's in Canada) is really cheap for fish and shrimp and it's immediately flash frozen so it tastes super fresh and delicious. Safeway here is where I've found the best deal on frozen chicken breasts.

Also -- Buy in bulk as others have said. Especially if the bulk stuff is on sale. I go to Costco all the time and pay attention to their coupons/sales. Definitely good deals to be found.

If you're not sure about TJ's being in Canada, why not look it up first? You just gave OP info re: a store we don't have in Canada. Target doesn't sell anything but snack foods in Canada. Target sucks and should promptly close shop and get out. OP, food here in Canada is more expensive because of shipping produce from afar, our meat/dairy are of higher quality...means more $/lb. Shop farmer's markets, bulk dry good stores and stock up when you see sales. Freeze portions of extra meat, go veg some nights and batch cook. Make lists and stick to them!

yikes.....well but now other people have the information about TJs too....just because the OP started the thread doesn't mean it won't help other people as well.

i buy meat and then get fruits and veggies at the local farmers market i save huge going to the market. what jacks our bill up is the crap that my husband eats... if it was just me i swear every 2 weeks my grocery bill would only be like $75-$100 instead of $200, its the "boxed" and "frozen" stuff that gets ya when it comes to price in my opinion!

I certainly know what you are experiencing because we re experiencing the same here in the USA. I am spending more and more on food each week. And this seems to be especially true if you buy healthy foods. We keep being told our economy is getting better. I don't feel it. The only thing I do now, is go once weekly. I do not go back. Even if I need something. The more I go the more I spend. Maybe this will help you too. :sad:

It is definitely getting more and more expensive. I live in Seattle and our cost of living is insane. Even the farmers markets around here can be really pricey which is frustrating. Everyone says to go to farmers markets but I think since farmers markets have gotten popular and become semi-trendy the prices have jumped a lot and you still have to be careful about quality.

This is what works for me:

1. Make a list before you go
2. Estimate the costs of the items
3. Take cash, enough for the items.
4. Stick to the list (#3 makes that a lot easier)
5. Stop buying convenience foods - mixes, pouches, pre-cooked, etc.

Making a list and taking only enough cash to pay for what's on the list has saved me so much money. It stops impulse purchases, and those impulse purchases really add up.