Groceries is usually one of the top spending sections in any Canadian's monthly budget. This is especially valid with the rising prices on groceries. If you wonder how to save money on groceries in 2022, see our list of saving tips to use this year.
You must have guessed that you can save on grocery spending if you approach grocery shopping in a smart way. We are not talking about complex strategies here. We would like us all to save on groceries with a relatively minimal effort.
Without further ado, let's look at our list of saving tips in 2022. These tips will definitely include some new technology. We're 2022, after all. Let's jump into it.
Use rebates on fresh produce
With rebate apps like Checkout51, you can save big on fresh produce. When in the app, tap the offer that you'd like to redeem and scan your receipt that lists the product. Each time your redemptions reach $20, Checkout51 will mail you a check. This practice is valid for all of Canada.
If there is a Whole Foods store in your area (Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa), you can scan your Amazon Prime membership code and get 10% off yellow sale items at the Whole Foods stores. Again, there are not too many of these stores in the country, but it's a good tip for those in the areas where such stores exist. Download their app here.
Download the Reebee app to your smartphone
Reebee is an interactive website that collects flyers from the main store chains in Canada. Download the app and browse through all the available flyers in your areas before going to the store.
Inside the app you can browse flyers, search through flyers, and create shopping lists. The app is pretty good for what it does.
Shop seasonally
Buying in season is another good saving tip. Seasonal produce is usually cheaper as there is a lot of supply. If it's not the season for the strawberries you like, then buy frozen instead. Frozen products tend to be less expensive than fresh when it's out of season.
Tomatoes will be the cheapest in the summer from June to September. Asparagus will be cheaper in March - June.
Check out this vegetable and fruit seasonality chart for Canada and the rest of North America. Refer to is while making your meal plans and shopping lists.
Manage your fridge
Yes, take a photo of your fridge before creating a shopping list. Make sure you don't buy the products that you have a good amount of in your fridge.
If you are not a big fan of shopping lists, such a photo will be a good reference when you cruise between the aisles in your grocery store.
Avoid impulse purchases at self-checkout
More and more stores adopt self-checkout. Think Walmart or Ikea. Self-checkout may be a trap for impulsive buyers as a lot of products are displayed in that area. Recent stats from the US say that supermarkets sells about 6 billion dollars' worth of food, drinks, sweets from checkout stands each year.
So avoid impulse purchases while waiting for your turn at self-checkout.
Use curbside pickup or pickup services from your grocery stores
When we compared our receipts from in-store visits vs curbside pickup, we noticed a huge difference in our grocery spending.
Usually, in-store visits include some impulsive and unnecessary purchases. With curbside pickup and in-store pickup, we tend to buy only what we need following the shopping list.
Use cash-back credit and debit cards
Check the cards that you use for paying for groceries. Make sure the card you use offers 2% or 3% cashback. If you are large family, such cashbacks can be good rebates at the end of each year.
Use discounted gift cards at your grocery store
Such cards work as they sound. You buy a gift card at a discount and you use its face value. For instance, if you buy a $50 Canadian Tire card for $35, you save $15 as you will buy something for $50 during your next visit to Canadian Tire.
In Canada, CardSwap is a popular site to buy and sell gift cards at a discount. Well, why would someone sell their gift cards at a discount? If someone needs cash and they don't like the store or the brand, they'd rather sell such a gift card at a discount. Win-win!
Don't shop beauty products at the grocery store
Beauty products are more expensive at local grocery stores. Shop these products at Walmart or Costco, instead. The cost per unit of weight will be lower at these large stores.
Stock up on pantry products when they are the cheapest
Shop pasta, rice, cereals, canned soups, dried fruit when their price the lowest during the year.
Here are the months and brands, when their price is the lowest in Canada.
- January: Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Special K, Kashi, Diet products.
- February: Oatmeal products, syrup, waffles, sausages.
- March: Frozen foods, side dishes, desserts, juices.
- May: BBQ sauces, ketchup, charcoal, salad dressings, potato chips, paper plates, plactic utensils (all for picnic season).
- July: ice cream, popsicles, frozen treats. Beer is usually on sale.
- August: back-to-school items, lunch boxes, single-serve foods and juices, crackers, chips.
- October through December: baking chips, pie crust, canned products
Don't touch free samples in the store
Free sampling is a great tactic used by stores to sell you more stuff. Grocery stores know that they can boost sales on a product by a whopping 2000 % with free samples.
Save you the trouble of overspending by ignoring those appetizing free samples.
Don’t shop grocery when you’re hungry
Eat before you go shopping. Science proves that hungry stomachs are not good friends when you shop food. Always shop on a full stomach so you aren’t making impulse purchases.
Go to the interior aisles first
Research shows that shopping the fresh produce aisle makes you spend more time in the store and, as a result, spend more money during your visit. So check the interior aisles first and end your visit by going to the fresh produce section.
Exclude convenience foods from your shopping list
Don't buy convenience foods like pre-cut pineapple, salads, or shredded cheese or bottle water. If you don't have a coupon for such products, know that products with individual packaging are usually more expensive than their bulk counterparts.
Avoid convenience foods unless you have a good coupon on your hands. Coupons paired with sale prices on such products would be your best scenario.
Shop clearance bakery
Don't frown at the "old" breads and bakery products. Here is a trick - buy bakery with a heavy discount and then throw them in your freezer. Pull the frozen bread out and unfreeze in your microwave as needed.
Pass by the meat section at the end of the day
Shop meats before the store's closing time. Certain stores discount fresh meat products to sell them off faster. You may need to ask the store manager when they discount meats. Certain stores do that after 6pm, others after 7pm.
Shop alone
No, it's not about you not caring about your family. But studies show that a focused buyer will spend less and will not make any impulsive purchases. With that, leave your kids and your spouse at home and get through that shopping list faster without distractions.
We hope that these saving tips will help you save between 10-15% on your grocery purchases in 2022.