From flyers to price matching and reward programs, if grocery shopping is draining your wallet, try these expert tips to lower expenses.
“I’d just go in and see what looked good,” he says. But, due to rising prices and taking on the role of primary earner while his wife, Meghan Larkin, grows her co-owned business, The Maker’s Mark Handmade Artisan Boutique, the Newmarket resident has had to change his approach to grocery shopping.In August, food prices increased 9.8 per cent compared to a year ago, according to Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index. Food purchased from restaurants rose 7.
On the app, users can search through the latest flyers from local retailers, or search for items like beef, bread or cheese to get a list of offers from nearby stores. “We tend to base our meals for the week based on what is on sale. So if chicken drumsticks are on sale, I buy two packages and make one for dinner and freeze the other one for another time ,” she says.
“It can be time consuming,” she says, but worth it if you’re doing one-stop shopping and looking to get the most bang for your buck.In addition to the Flipp app, Currie also uses rewards programs to find the best deals. He says the PC Optimum program has been the most useful to him personally. Those two cards charge annual fees, however, so shoppers will have to calculate whether they’re worth that extra expense.Cindy Marques, co-founder and CEO of MakeCents, recommends shoppers get their calculator app out while they shop to help select items that offer the best value per dollar.