Cost of food in Canada

[kkamagwi]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn Buy frozen fruits and veggies. Learn to cook with cabbage, lentils, dried beans, rice etc

Buy on sale and freeze

 

[ofgodoffspring]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn shop at grocery stores that price match other grocery stores. If you have space, and can freeze meats, buy in bulk when on sale. No Frills and Superstore price match most grocers in the area.

 

[chewie2278]

@ofgodoffspring Freshco also does price matching, if you have one in your area.

 

[hrdj]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn Use the Flipp app and ask for price matching, I did that for the first time and saved 5$ on a pineapple, grapes and some pasta without having to drive around to go to different stores

 

[heatherolivia]

@hrdj I typically save $20-$30 by price matching on an average $100-$130 weekly run.

 

[mcb0805]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn Best place may be your local subreddit. I know my city has some local grocery store with produce deals, check Saskatoon sub for local recommendations.

 

[qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn]

@mcb0805 Thanks a lot

 

[blondie977]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn Yeah, the local groups will also have information on farmers markets when it warms up and the Hutterites are also an excellent source of fresh produce in the Prairies. We’d be happy to help you out in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan subreddits!

 

[carlea]

@blondie977 Albertan here, but I can absolutely vouch for the Hudderites, they’re a godsend. I have a Meat Chicken guy who comes into the city 2-3 times a year to hock all of the extras he couldn’t sell/use/barter in the community. 4 whole (plucked and gutted) chickens for 100 bucks and I kid you not, they’re the size of a thanksgiving turkey for a family of 4 or 5. This year at Superstore I saw a smaller turkey for sale that was like $80.

And the Hutterite birds actually have dark meat on them and not the crazy selective breeding and hormone enhanced walking waddling immobile balls of tasteless breast meat you get at the grocery store.

 

[skybienhoa]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn I just take a big gulp of air for dinner

 

[cm0308]

@skybienhoa "welp, I'm hungry, guess I better go to bed"

 

[anglic9823]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn Costco, freezer, buy in bulk, and meal plan. Don't eat out.

 

[beleadnotastray]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn Some of what you're seeing is just number shock because any given number in-currency is 1.7 times larger due to currency conversion.

A good chunk of it is that food is more expensive in Canada, due to a variety of factors including the logistics of operating food storage and distribution across a land area the size of the EU with a population the size of Poland.

Buying in bulk nullifies some of the cost increases (eg flour is about the same price per unit in UK as it is in Canada if you're used to buying a 1.5kg sack and switch instead to buying, less frequently, the 10kg sack).

Some things are simply more expensive in Canada (you'll never find a jar of jam here for 70 cents), but that's more than offset by how much cheaper other, bigger bills like housing and energy are, and how much higher wages are.

 

[petermg49]

@beleadnotastray You, you're making sense. I like the cut of your jib.

 

[kyleeak]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn Shop around and know your grocery stores. Different stores target different markets. It could be that in the UK you were shopping at stores that target price-sensitive customers, and now in Saskatoon you just happen to be going to stores that target price-insensitive customers.

 

[emygdius]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn Join a CSA share. It’s seasonal fruits and vegetables, but where I live, significantly cheaper than the store.

 

[greg75]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn I like No Frills. Cheaper compared to other places and you can collect points on your PC optimum card which can be redeemed as cash when you have enough. I like to save the points until I have around $150 then I'll buy myself a nice perfume or something from shoppers but you can use it on groceries as well. ESSO gas station also accepts PC optimum cards.

 

[marky93]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn There are stores that are cheaper.

If you want better prices shop at places like Freshco, No Frills, Food Basics.

Avoid: Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys, Farmboy, Whole Foods.

 

[rickni]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn Check out bulk barn for dry goods like oats and flour. Much cheaper and you can control amount better.

If you’re here as a student or in a low-paying position, you may need to take a few dietary shortcuts: overnight oats with some trail mix are great for good quality nutrition on a budget. Same with potatoes and carrots with paneer in the morning for breakfast.

But fruit, veggies, and meat are getting tough to purchase regularly as a student or minimum-wage person. Sometimes smaller, local stores have better prices than the big grocery stores. Also, coop stores sometimes have better prices for veggies.

 

[n2thelight]

@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn Welcome to Canada! A big part of being Canadian means getting price gouged on every service you need to live a normal life by government-supported oligopolies who will spit in your face and tell you it's in your best interest. Complaining about it is a no-no. You are to accept our corporate overlords and tell anyone who complains to "work harder" so they can make more money to give to said corporate overlords. And if they do make anything over what might have been a respectable salary in 2005, tell them to stop being so entitled and learn to better manage their finances (again so they can have enough money left over to give to corporate overlords).