The HST holiday is now over — Here's 9 ways you can still save money on groceries if you're feeling a pinch

1. Don’t shop hungry

Raise your hand if you’ve gone to the grocery store after a long day of work, planning to buy only dried pasta and veggies, but inexplicably leaving with organic granola bars, smoked gouda and a tub of gourmet gelato.

While I would never begrudge someone for picking up some ice cream on a whim, shopping while hungry impairs your logic and misdirects your decision making to your stomach. Your tastebuds will love you; your budget won’t. The best way to avoid this is to try to set aside a dedicated time (or times) to grocery shop on a weekly basis, preferably long before or shortly after mealtime.

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2. Do some digital digging

Take a few minutes each week to look through print or digital flyers from your local grocery stores and see what’s on sale that you need (or can use). You can cut down on the amount of time you spend running around from one store to the next by requesting a price match, a courtesy offered by No Frills, Walmart, Save-On-Foods, Extra Foods and Real Canadian Superstore, among others. If an advertised sale item is out of stock, ask the cashier for a ‘rain cheque’ voucher that can be used at a later date when the item is back on the shelf.

Consider using digital apps, like Flipp, that allow you to browse sale prices at stores in your area. Such apps allow you to find the best deal on items and, if you prioritize shopping at a store that offers price matching, having your list organized and ready to go on your phone will enable you to save money on the items you want and need.

3. Capitalize on coupons

After you’ve flipped through local print periodicals, put the scissors down and visit sites like SmartSource.ca and Save.ca to easily search for coupons relevant to your location. Just remember: Never use a coupon to buy something that’s cheap but personally unappetizing to your palate. You’re not really saving if the groceries you purchase sit untouched on your shelf (see tip #9).

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4. Buy in bulk

Products with long shelf lives like canned goods, cereals, rice and pasta can be bought en masse at cheaper prices. This strategy can also work for fresh items, provided they can be easily portioned out and frozen. For example, Costco sells bulk packages of chicken breasts at a much better value than you can find at a regular grocery store. It’s worth your time to buy that bigger package and wrap and freeze the chicken breasts individually so that you can take them out as needed.

5. Make them pay for your business

Though you can save some money by buying different items wherever they are cheapest, you can save time by joining a major grocery chain’s loyalty program and focusing most of your shopping in its network. Programs like PC Optimum allow you to earn points on all purchases made in its 4500+ affiliated stores, and will even offer you extra points based on the items you regularly buy, which means you won’t feel pressured to change what you eat just to save. 10,000 points can be redeemed for $10 off grocery bills, so concentrating your shopping within one grocery chain can add up to significant savings.

6. Go generic

It’s easy to fall for the psychological trap that brand name = better. But more often than not, you’re simply paying for well-marketed packaging rather than any discernible difference in taste or quality. It’s ok to have a few pet products (personally, I will always choose French's ketchup over any other label), but do your wallet a favour and try to gradually wean yourself off overpriced brands and onto more affordable, generic store substitutes.

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7. Learn how to cook

Raw ingredients are cheaper than prepared food. Plus, let’s be honest, premade grub from grocery stores (especially the frozen section) are neither healthy nor particularly tasty. Trust me, you can make better.

Some people find the idea of cooking daunting, but it needn’t be. Shrug off the pressure of preparing a feast every night, and seek out simple culinary solutions like omelettes, filling salads and soups that can be stretched out over several days. Like mom said, if you can read, you can cook. Browse websites like delish.com or allrecipes.com — the internet is full of easy meal ideas suitable for all levels of experimentation and experience.

8. Clear your cupboards

How many times have you wondered what to make for dinner, looked in your pantry or your fridge, and decided there is ‘nothing’ there…even though technically it’s full of edible options? Even experienced cooks are guilty of complacently making the same comfort recipes over and over again, but this mindset can lead us to repeatedly make trips to the grocery store while we let more niche items that we already have at home go to waste. Things sit on shelves past their expiry date, produce goes bad if not eaten fast enough, etc — when you throw out expired food you’re throwing out money. You can minimize food waste and expand your culinary vocabulary by experimenting with a website like SuperCook, which allows you to input items you have on hand and try out recipes that make use of them.

9. Think seasonal

Most of our favourite summer fruits and veggies can’t be locally grown once the frigid Canadian winter sets in. As temperatures drop, certain produce must be imported from warmer climates, and naturally, their prices spike. Buying produce that’s in season will not only be cheaper, it will also likely be of higher quality, as it can be transported from a closer source. Canadian Food Focus has a handy webpage dedicated to seasonal availability.

And if you like smoothies, pies, sauces, soups or jams—anything that gets blended, pureed or frozen, or that you plan to eat immediately — head to your local farmers market or grocery store at the end of the season for the ripe leftovers that tend to be heavily discounted. Some grocery stores even have a year-round section of “less attractive” produce for as much as 50% off the regular price.

Keep the momentum going

Trimming down your grocery bill is a great start to reducing expenses, saving more money, and building a softer financial nest. Once you’ve incorporated some of these grocery habits into your life, try to carry that motivation into other corners of your finances. Take the extra money you’re now saving and use it to reduce or eliminate your debt, put together a comfortable emergency fund, and start investing. If the uncertain times we’re living in now have left you feeling financially rattled, take a deep breath and check out our special article on money management tips.

Sources

1. Canadian Food Focus: What's in season