Grocery Prices Are Wild – Here Are Some Ways We Keep Costs Down(ish)

When I asked readers what blog topics they’d like to hear about, “thrifting” came up repeatedly. It seems people are looking for new ways to save money – or maybe they just want to know what frugality looks in my everyday life. Either way, I’m diving into the topic, starting with one of the most essential areas of our budget: food.

None of these tips are mind-blowing or revolutionary. You might already be doing some (or all) of them. But since many of you asked about my approach to saving, here’s a look into my grocery routine.

*For reference, our family of four – living in a rural town in Canada – has spent an average of $968 per month on groceries so far in 2025. Curious how that compares to past years? I was too:

• 2018: $524/month
• 2019: $526/month
• 2020: $755/month (John stopped travelling because of the pandemic!)
• 2021: $706/month (He started travelling for work sporadically…)
• 2022: $668/month (He’s was back to travelling regularly.)
• 2023: $797/month (It doesn’t matter anymore – groceries seem to cost a lot regardless of how many adults are in the house)
• 2024: $872/month

Shop Sales Like a Pro

Every week I skim through the sales flyers for the three stores I tend to frequent – especially the front and back pages which feature the “loss leaders.” These are items sold below cost to draw you into the store (and, of course, tempt you into buying a lot more). I learned this habit from my mom, who would sit down weekly and write out a grocery list for my dad (she still does this and it’s adorable). Now I do the same thing (somehow it’s not quite as adorable): writing down staples we need and noting sale items with their prices.

Jotting down prices helps me compare brands and figure out what’s really a deal. Plus, I start to recognize sales patterns, which helps me stock up at the best times. And if I get to the shelf and the price doesn’t match the flyer, I’ll make sure to ask a store associate to sort it out before I get to checkout.

Meal Plan Around Sales

Instead of following a strict weekly or monthly meal plan, I let the sales dictate what’s for dinner. I look at what’s on sale and then build meals around what we already have at home. Think of it as flipping traditional meal planning on its head: grocery shop first, meal plan second!

For example, here’s a recent supper (or dinner, you get to decide) at our house where every item had been on sale:

• Frozen broccoli ($3.99 for 500g)
• Ketchup ($2.99)
• Brioche buns (50% off, frozen until needed)
• Dill Havarti – (reduced by $2)
• Prime rib burgers (digital reward bonus of $5 off; each burger cost about $1.50)
• Romaine lettuce ($4.99 for a 3-pack)
• Potato wedges ($2.99 for 10 lbs)
• Vine tomatoes ($1.99/lb)

Snag Items from the Reduced Section

I never leave a store without checking out their reduced section. Bread is something we regularly buy on discount. We freeze it immediately, pulling out slices as needed (I put them into the toaster from frozen), or use it for baked French toast. But don’t stop there – reduced produce, meat, and even dairy can be heavily discounted as they approach a best-before date. Always check the items over carefully before purchasing (smell and appearance!), and make sure to freeze or cook items right away to avoid waste.

Some of my favourite “reduced” finds:

• Overripe bananas (perfect for muffins)
• Soft apples (great for apple crisps)
• Mushrooms (perfect for stir-fries or salads)
• Bell peppers (great for casseroles)
• Hard cheese (especially Parmesan)

Sometimes items are reduced because of an aesthetic flaw, overstock, or seasonality. After major holidays, I stock up on little chocolates for Belle and Indy’s lunchboxes, and let’s face it – Ritz crackers taste the same whether they’re shaped like snowflakes or not. Just be sure to check the expiration dates!

Eat Leftovers (and Fight Food Waste)

We’re a big leftovers family. Take a recent example: a batch of spaghetti sauce (made with discounted tomatoes and reduced meat) morphed into a veggie-packed sauce over mashed potatoes. By the time we were done, it had become a hearty shepherd’s pie. That’s how we roll – leftovers, all the way.

Don’t forget about wilted veggies in the fridge. I always find a way to use them before they go bad, whether it’s tossing them into a soup, stir-fry, or smoothie. Pro tip: if spinach or leafy greens (not iceberg) are on their last leg, freeze them for later.

If you see something that is past its proverbial prime or close to its expiration date at the store, ask someone if they’ll mark it down for you!

Stretch Meals with Inexpensive Fillers

If I’m cooking chili or curry, I’ll serve it over rice to make the meal go further. A slice of bread or raw carrots with hummus on the side is another easy way to reduce the cost per serving without skimping on nutrition.

Moderate Meat Consumption

We’re not vegetarian, but we use meat sparingly. We incorporate it into dishes – think salmon in risotto or chicken in soup. It makes expensive protein go a lot further.

Buy Frozen Produce

Frozen fruits and vegetables are game-changers. They’re cheaper, don’t spoil, and still pack a punch in terms of nutrition. My go-to frozen staples:

• Roasted frozen broccoli or cauliflower
• Frozen peas
• Cubed frozen squash (great for soups)
• Frozen berries (perfect for smoothies or oatmeal)

Frozen produce is a time-saver and budget-friendly without compromising on quality. Win, win.

Opt for Store Brands

Store brands can be just as good – sometimes better – than name brands. In Canada, I’m a huge fan of the President’s Choice brand, especially their ketchup (which, honestly, I prefer over Heinz). It’s worth trying store brands in your area; you might be surprised by how much you like them.

Leverage Rewards Programs

We shop at several stores under the Loblaws banner, and their Optimum points program is excellent. With the right offers, you can earn almost $30 back for every $100 spent. It takes minimal effort (five minutes a week?) to figure out the relevant deals for the week. In cash-back, we’ve made over $3,200 since 2020, but this doesn’t reflect the $1,000s we’ve saved on in-store deals (where you don’t earn points, but you pay a lower price by being a member).

While Optimum is the best rewards program I know of in Canada, I also use Scene at Sobeys (not nearly as good, but all I have to do is scan at card at the checkout and I get $10-20 back per month so…why not).

We now gas up at a specific service station that offers 7¢/liter coupon on grocery purchases. We need to buy gas – where we live, every gas station is selling it at the same price so we don’t have to shop around – and it’s just as easy to stop at the place that will give me money back on groceries.

Cook at Home

This one’s a no-brainer, but it’s also one of the biggest money-savers. We cook from raw ingredients, sticking to basic, easy recipes that I know we’ll actually eat. The less I stray from what I know we’ll use, the less likely I am to waste food.

Stockpile (Responsibly)

I stock up on pantry staples – things we regularly use, like canned tuna, oatmeal, or tomatoes – when they’re on sale. But I don’t go overboard. I’m building a cushion, not a bunker. A sale is only a deal if it’s something we’ll actually use. I’d rather buy a $5 salad dressing we love than a $3 one that’s going to sit unused and eventually get tossed.

Check Your Receipts

Every time I leave a store, I scan the receipt. I catch errors at least 10% of the time – a sale item that didn’t ring through properly, a forgotten 50% reduction.

It takes less than a minute and is so much easier to fix before leaving the store. If I notice an error at home, I almost never go back – it doesn’t make sense to spend gas money to save $1. But if I’m still in the store, I’ll happily head to customer service.

Also, check shelf tags. Sometimes stores forget to remove the previous week’s sales tags. Most stores are required to honour the price that’s displayed, so if something is still labeled on sale, chances are you’ll get it at that price.

Use the Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP)

On that note…

Did you know that if an item scans incorrectly, you might be able to get it for free (if it’s under $10) or $10 off (if it’s over $10). Not every store offers SCOP – it’s voluntary – but most of the bigger grocery chains do. It’s worth asking if you see an item ring up higher than the shelf price.

When we were pinching pennies so thin you could see through them, SCOP made a big difference! Ironically, I drafted this post and then had an opportunity to use SCOP this week. A bag of hemp hearts was tagged as $13.99 (plus $1 in reward points), but they rang up as $17.99. They took $10 off the cost of the item – after I asked about SCOP…you have to ask, they won’t suggest it as an option! – and we paid $3.99 for a bag of hemp heats that was regularly $17.99.

Rapid Fire Simple Things

• Take reusable bags. Sure, paper bags aren’t that expensive, but everything adds up! Plus, less waste.
• Walk to the store or combine trips to save on gas.
• Inventory what you have. Avoid overstocking and wasting food.
• Eat down your freezer. Do a quarterly freezer clean-out to avoid waste.
• Buy staples when they’re on sales. Keep an eye on regular sale cycles for items you use often – things like flour, sugar, or pasta – and grab them when they hit the sale price.

Great Thrifty Food Tricks I Usually Skip

• Couponing. Too much effort for what I’d save.
• Buying in bulk. I prefer not to buy giant containers, especially since I don’t have the space to store them properly. Plus, it costs more upfront and there’s a higher risk of waste.
• Dried beans. I love them in theory but canned beans (when on sale) are much easier.
• Price matching. Too much hassle, especially since it’s less common now.
• Cashback apps. Honestly, I can’t be bothered to track them. I’m sure I’m leaving some easy money on the table with this one…
• Gardening. Seeds, soil, and water all cost money, and unfortunately, my thumb is more “brown” than “green.”
• Batch Cooking. I do it a little, but not enough to make double meals for freezing.

Your turn!

• What are your go-to tricks for saving money at the grocery store?
• Are you Team Leftovers or Team “I’ll Never Eat That Again”?
• What’s one item you always buy on sale?
• Had you heard of/used the Scanning Code of Practice before?

Header photo by Sara Scarpa on Unsplash