Let’s face it, we’re all feeling the pinch at the grocery store lately. With the rising costs of living, feeding our families has become more difficult than ever and harder on our wallets. We’ve compiled a list of tips to help you save money on your weekly shopping trip.
Meal Planning
Taking the time to plan out your meals for the week can be greatly beneficial. This leaves nothing to question and can help avoid ordering in or stopping for a quick fast food meal on the way home. It’s something that can include the whole family as well! Each person gets to choose a meal they’d like to have over the course of the week.
Making a List and Sticking to it
In our experience, making a grocery list helps to save money when shopping. After you plan out your meals for the week, you’ll be able to see what food items you need to purchase. Having a physical list, whether that’s on paper or on your phone, can help you to avoid overspending on items that you don’t need. Ensure to check your fridge and your pantry before heading to the store to ensure you’re not buying things that you already have on hand.
Use Apps
The beauty of 2024! We have so many awesome apps available to us as consumers and it’s a great idea to take advantage of that. Apps like Flipp allow you to browse flyers from a variety of different stores in Edmonton. You can collect coupons on the app and present them to the cashier right from your phone. You can even try Flashfood, which will help you find food that is close to its expiration date. This food is still perfectly good for consumption but is offered at a discounted rate from a wide range of retailers. And better yet, it helps to reduce waste!
Shop for Produce that is in Season
Shopping in season will most definitely cut down your total at the checkout. Buying produce that is readily available for the season is often less expensive. Try these:
Winter – Apples, oranges, brussell sprouts, beets, squash, grapefruit
Spring – Apricots, kiwi, asparagus, carrots
Summer – Blackberries, strawberries, corn, bell peppers
Fall – Grapes, pears, cauliflower, green beans
A great store to buy produce from is H&W Produce. We’ve found the fruits and vegetables from here are cheaper than at traditional grocery stores. There are 5 locations in Edmonton.
Do Not Shop Hungry
As funny as this tip sounds, research suggests that if you grocery shop on an empty stomach, you’re more likely to over buy, especially high priced junk food. Avoid putting unnecessary, expensive foods in your cart by ensuring you’ve eaten before you head out!
Don’t Be Afraid to Buy Generic
In our experience, generic brands are just as good, if not better than brand name items. You can get almost exactly the same foods for a significant cost difference and sometimes, the quantity of the product is greater as well. Great items to buy off brand would be pasta, soup, canned fruits and vegetables, frozen produce, cereal and condiments.
Try to Incorporate Meatless Meals
It’s no surprise that the cost of meat has skyrocketed. Incorporating a couple of meatless meals a week can make for significant cost savings. Try including things like lentils, beans, seeds and legumes. These are full of nutrients and protein but do not cost nearly as much as meat. You can add them to casseroles, salads, soups and more!
Join Incentive Programs/Take Advantage of Store Offers
Don’t be shy to join the loyalty programs at each grocery store. These programs are usually free to sign up for and can save you money as you continue to shop and collect points. Ensure you’re scanning fliers for items that offer bonus points and make sure to stock up on those things when necessary. Also, don’t forget that Save On Foods, Sobeys and Safeway offer 15% off of your groceries on the FIRST Tuesday of every month on purchases of $50 or more.
Cash Back Credit Cards
Did you know that certain credit cards offer bonus points or cash back for buying gas or groceries? Some of these credit cards include Scotia Momentum Infinite Visa, BMO Cashback Mastercard and CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite. The savings are generally between 3 -4%. Alternatively, if you’re interested in buying in bulk you may want to consider the CIBC Costco Mastercard.
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